Jimmy Knepper facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jimmy Knepper
Jimmy Knepper with the National Jazz Ensemble
Background information
Birth name	James Minter Knepper
Born	(1927-11-22)November 22, 1927 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Died	June 14, 2003(2003-06-14) (aged 75) Triadelphia, West Virginia
Genres	Jazz
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instruments	Trombone
Associated acts	Charles Mingus, The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra

James Minter Knepper (born November 22, 1927 – died June 14, 2003) was a famous American jazz trombonist. He played his own music as a bandleader. He also performed and recorded with many other well-known musicians. These included Charlie Barnet, Woody Herman, Benny Goodman, and Gil Evans. He was especially known for his work with Charles Mingus in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Jimmy Knepper passed away in 2003 due to health problems related to Parkinson's disease.

Biography

Early Life and Music Journey

Jimmy Knepper was born in Los Angeles, California. He was the second son of a nurse and a police officer. His parents separated when he was very young. He and his older brother, Robert, lived in different boarding and military schools while their mother worked.

He started playing music at age six. His first instrument was an alto horn. His teacher then suggested he switch to the trombone. The teacher thought Jimmy had a "trombone mouth," meaning his mouth was perfect for playing it! He started playing professional music gigs in Los Angeles. At just 15 years old, he traveled to Spokane, Washington, for a performance. After high school, he took classes at Los Angeles Community College.

Family Life

On May 8, 1954, Knepper married Maxine Helen Fields. She was a trumpet player in an all-female jazz band called the International Sweethearts of Rhythm. They got married in Tucson, Arizona, while Jimmy was on tour with the Maynard Ferguson Band.

They had two children: a daughter named Robin Reid Knepper Mahonen and a son named Timothy Jay Knepper. Sadly, Timothy passed away before his father. Jimmy chose the names "Robin" and "Jay" to honor his hero, Charlie Parker. Charlie Parker was a famous jazz musician known as "Bird." Jimmy Knepper also had four grandchildren.

Tours and Broadway Shows

In 1959, the U.S. State Department helped fund a trip for bandleader Herbie Mann to Africa. Jimmy Knepper joined this tour as the trombonist. The 14-week tour lasted from December 1959 to April 1960. They visited many countries, including Sierra Leone, Nigeria, and Ethiopia.

Jimmy wrote many letters home to his wife and children during this tour. These letters were found later and tell a lot about jazz history. They show what life was like for a touring musician and a devoted family man. His daughter hopes to publish these letters someday.

In 1962, Knepper toured the Soviet Union with Benny Goodman's Big Band. This was part of a cultural exchange during the Cold War. The famous Bolshoi Ballet also came to the US during this time. Jimmy's letters also describe this important tour.

Knepper also played in the orchestra for many Broadway shows. He was in Funny Girl with Barbra Streisand. This show ran for 1,348 performances! He also played for An Evening with Marlene Dietrich and other shows like On Your Toes.

The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra

While playing Funny Girl, Jimmy Knepper joined the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra. This big band was formed by trumpeter Thad Jones and drummer Mel Lewis around 1965. They started a tradition of Monday night jazz shows at the Village Vanguard in New York City. This tradition has continued for over 40 years!

Knepper toured the USSR, Japan, and Europe with this band. He also performed with them at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1974.

Later Career and Awards

In 1969, Knepper toured and recorded with keyboardist Al Kooper. He even briefly met Janis Joplin during this tour.

In 1980, he was nominated for a Grammy Award. This was for "Best Jazz Instrumentalist Performance, Soloist" for his album, Cunningbird.

Jimmy Knepper won the "Best Trombonist" award from DownBeat Reader's Poll for four years in a row (1981 to 1984). He also won first place in the DownBeat Critics' Poll in 1981, and then for five years straight from 1983 to 1987.

Working with Charles Mingus

Jimmy Knepper worked with many famous jazz musicians. But he is perhaps best known for his time with bassist and composer, Charles Mingus. Their working relationship was sometimes difficult.

At one point, while working on music together, a disagreement happened between Mingus and Knepper. This incident caused one of Knepper's teeth to break. It also affected his ability to play the trombone, causing him to lose the highest notes in his range for almost two years. This event ended their work together for a time.

However, in the 1970s, Jimmy Knepper and Charles Mingus became friends again. They played together in concerts and on some of Mingus's last albums. After Mingus passed away, Knepper led the Mingus Dynasty Orchestra. He toured the Middle East and Europe with them.

Discography

As leader

• Jazz Workshop Presents: "Jimmy Knepper" (Debut, 1957; Danish EP reissued on Mingus Rarities, Volume 1, OJC)
• A Swinging Introduction to Jimmy Knepper (Bethlehem, 1957)
• The Pepper-Knepper Quintet (MetroJazz Records, 1958)
• Cunningbird (Steeplechase, 1976)
• Jimmy Knepper in L.A. (Inner City, 1977)
• Just Friends (Hep, 1978) with Joe Temperley
• Tell Me... (Daybreak, 1979)
• Primrose Path (Hep, 1980) with Bobby Wellins
• 1st Place (BlackHawk, 1982 [1986])
• I Dream Too Much (Soul Note, 1984)
• Dream Dancing (Criss Cross Jazz, 1986)
• T-Bop (Soul Note, 1991) with Eric Felten

As sideman

With Charles Mingus

• Tijuana Moods (1957) RCA
• East Coasting (1957) Bethlehem
• A Modern Jazz Symposium of Music and Poetry (1957) Bethlehem
• The Clown (1957) Atlantic
• Mingus Ah Um (1959) Columbia
• Mingus Dynasty (1959) Columbia
• Blues & Roots (1959) Atlantic
• Mingus Revisited (1960) Mercury
• Reincarnation of a Lovebird (1960) Candid
• Oh Yeah (1961) Atlantic,
• Tonight at Noon (1957–61) Atlantic
• Cumbia & Jazz Fusion (1978) Atlantic

With Mose Allison

• Swingin' Machine (Atlantic, 1963)

With Joshua Breakstone

• Evening Star (Contemporary, 1988)

With Benny Carter

• Central City Sketches (MusicMasters, 1987)

With Richard Davis

• Muses for Richard Davis (MPS, 1969)

With Gil Evans

• Out of the Cool (1960) Impulse!
• The Individualism of Gil Evans (1964) Verve
• Blues in Orbit (Enja, 1971)
• Where Flamingos Fly (1971) Artists House
• Collaboration with Helen Merrill (1987) EmArcy

With Ricky Ford

• Shorter Ideas (Muse, 1984)

With Dizzy Gillespie

• Perceptions (Verve, 1961)

With Langston Hughes

• Weary Blues (MGM, 1959)

With Clark Terry

• Color Changes (Candid, 1960)

With Kai Winding

• The Incredible Kai Winding Trombones (1960) Impulse!

With Chuck Israels

• National Jazz Ensemble directed by Chuck Israels (Chiaroscuro, 1976)

With Herbie Mann

• My Kinda Groove (Atlantic, 1964)
• Our Mann Flute (Atlantic, 1966)

With Kenny Burrell

• Guitar Forms (Verve, 1965)

With Gary Burton

• A Genuine Tong Funeral (RCA, 1967)

With the Jazz Composer's Orchestra

• The Jazz Composer's Orchestra (1968) JCOA
• Escalator over the Hill with Carla Bley (1971) JCOA

With the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra

• The Big Band Sound of Thad Jones/Mel Lewis featuring Miss Ruth Brown (1968) Solid State
• Monday Night (1968) Solid State
• Central Park North (1969) Solid State
• Basle, 1969 (1996) TCB Music – recorded 1969
• Consummation (1970) Solid State
• Suite for Pops (1972) A&M
• Live in Tokyo (1974) Denon Jazz
• Potpourri (1974) Philadelphia International
• Thad Jones / Mel Lewis and Manuel De Sica (1974) PAUSA

With Dick Katz

• In High Profile (Bee Hive, 1984)

With Lee Konitz

• Lee Konitz Nonet (Chiaroscuro, 1977)
• Yes, Yes, Nonet (SteepleChase, 1979)
• Live at Laren (Soul Note, 1979 [1984])

With Al Kooper

• You Never Know Who Your Friends Are (1969) Columbia

With the Toshiko Akiyoshi – Lew Tabackin Big Band

• Road Time (1976) RCA/Victor

With George Adams & Dannie Richmond

• Hand to Hand (1980) Soul Note
• Gentleman's Agreement (1983) Soul Note

With Mingus Dynasty

• Chair In The Sky (Electra 1979)
• Live at Montreux (Atlantic 1980)
• Reincarnation (Soul Note 1982)
• Mingus' Sounds of Love (Soul Note 1987)
• Live at the Theatre Boulogne-Billancourt/Paris, Vol. 1 (Soul Note 1988)
• Live at the Theatre Boulogne-Billancourt/Paris, Vol. 2 (Soul Note 1988)

See also

In Spanish: Jimmy Knepper para niños