Urbie Green

Urban Clifford "Urbie" Green (born August 8, 1926) is an American professional jazz trombonist who toured with Woody Herman, Gene Krupa, Jan Savitt, and Frankie Carle. He appears on over 250 recordings and has released more than two dozen albums as a soloist and is highly respected by his fellow trombonists. Green's trombone sound is especially noted for its warm, mellow tone, even in the higher registers where he is more fluent than most trombonists. His technique is considered flawless by many in the music industry and has appeared in major jazz festivals, motion pictures, concert halls, nightclubs, radio, television and the White House. He was inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame in 1995.

Early years and influences

Born in Mobile, Alabama, USA, Green was taught the piano as a child by his mother, jazz and popular tunes from the beginning. He picked up the trombone, which both older brothers played, when he was about 12. Although he listened to such trombone greats as Tommy Dorsey, J. C. Higginbotham, Jack Jenny, Jack Teagarden and Trummy Young he has said that he was more influenced by the styles of Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, and Lester Young. Urbie's trombone style was also influenced by vocalists such as Perry Como, and the vocal style of Louis Armstrong. Green's father died when he was 15 and Urbie went straight into professional music, first joining the Tommy Reynolds Band in California before moving on to stints with Bob Strong, Jan Savitt, and Frankie Carle. Green also played with The Auburn Knights Orchestra, a college big band based in Auburn, Alabama while attending Auburn High School. ["Former Knight Urbie Green", "Auburn Knights Alumni Association Newsletter", September 15, 1996, 6; "The School Musician and Teacher", November 1970, 56.]

Professional career

In 1947, Green joined Gene Krupa's band and quickly moved up to Woody Hermans third "Thundering Herd" Big Band in 1950 to play with his brother, Jack. In 1954 he was awarded the "New Star" Critics Award from Down Beat International. Moving to New York City in 1953 and established himself as the premier trombonist in demand for the booming recording industry. He was voted "Most Valuable Player" several times by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Some have even proposed that he may be the most recorded musician of all time. He recorded with virtually all of the major jazz musicians of the 1950s and 1960s and led his own groups while also joining tours as a featured performer, including a three-month tour helming the Benny Goodman Orchestra and the unusual job of fronting the Tommy Dorsey orchestra after Dorsey's death in 1956. He collaborated with innovative producer Enoch Light for the Command and Project 3 labels, producing what are probably his most notable recordings, such as the two-volume sets "The Persuasive Trombone of Urbie Green" and "21 Trombones."

In the 1970s Green began making strides in innovations with his instrument. He designed a signature mouthpiece for [http://www.jet-tone.com/ Jet Tone] and collaborated with Martin Brass on practical improvements to trombone design, including modifications of the hand brace and slide, water valve, and finish. Urbie's also began experimenting with the "Green Monster", a King trombone using a King Vox Amp pickup in the mouthpiece connected to an octave doubler and reverb unit. Some of his best recordings of the 70s were with Enoch Light and the Light Brigade, Dick Hyman, Maynard Ferguson and Doc Severinsen. After the very productive Enoch Light years, Urbie's style changed a bit. His recordings under the CTI label contained much more music by Urbie's band and fewer solos by Urbie.

The 1980s and beyond saw a slowing down of Urbie Green's recording career. Both albums recorded by Urbie during this period are live, straight Jazz works; Just Friends, and Sea Jam Blues.

Personal life

He now spends most of his time with his second wife Kathy, a jazz singer, at their home in the Poconos region of Pennsylvania. Urbie still plays live at the Delaware Water Gap Celebration of the Arts (COTA) Festival every September, just miles down the road from his home. Urbie and Kathy have two children, Jesse and Casey. Jesse is a noted jazz pianist and lives nearby, while Casey is a director/editor in Los Angeles, California. Urbie's first wife was Darlein Dietz and they had two children, Urban Clifford Green and James Preston Green. Urban has a daughter, Gretchen Alexandra Pöelker-Green, and lives in Sea Cliff, Long Island. James lives in Tallahasse, Florida and has a son named Vincent.

In 1995 Urbie was elected into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame.

Discography

*1953 "New Faces, New Sounds" (Blue Note)
*1954 "Urbie Green Septet" (Blue Note)
*1955 "Blues and Other Shades of Green" (Blue Note)
*1955 "The Melodic Tones of Urbie Green" (Bethlehem)
*1955 "East Coast Jazz, Volume 6" (Bethlehem)
*1955 "The Lyrical Language of Urbie Green" (Bethlehem)
*1955 "The Melodic Tones of Urbie Green" (Vanguard)
*1955 "Urbie Green and His Band" (Vanguard)
*1955 "Blues and Other Shades of Green" (Paramount)
*1956 "All About Urbie Green" (Paramount)
*1957 "Urbie Green Octet / Slidin' Swing" (Jazztone)
*1957 "Let's Face the Music and Dance" (RCA)
*1958 "Best of New Broadway Show Hits" (RCA)
*1960 "The Persuasive Trombone of Urbie Green" (Command)
*1961 "The Persuasive Trombone of Urbie Green Volume 2" (Command)
*1963 "Urbie Green and His 6-Tet." (Command)
*1967 "21 Trombones" (Project 3)
*1967 "21 Trombones Volume 2" (Project 3)
*1971 "Green Power" (Project 3)
*1972 "Bein' Green" (Project 3)
*1974 "Urbie Green's Big Beautiful Band" (Project 3)
*1976 "The Fox" (CTI)
*1977 "Seńor Blues" (CTI)
*1978 "Live at Rick's Cafe American" (Flying Fish)
*1981 "Just Friends" (E.J.)
*1995 "Sea Jam Blues" (Chiaroscuro)

References

External links

* [http://www.urbiegreen.com - Official Web Site]
* [http://www.trombone-usa.com/green_urbie.htm Urbie Green at the Trombone Page of the World]
* [http://www.kendowdy.com A Tribute to Urbie Green]
* [http://www.jazzhall.com/inductees/UrbieGreen.asp Biography at Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame]
* [http://www.windsongpress.com/brass%20players/trombone/green.htm Biography at WindSong Press]
* [http://www.vervemusicgroup.com/artist.aspx?ob=per&src=prd&aid=3755 Profile at Verve Music]
* [http://www.jazzhall.com Official website of the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame]

*imdb name | id=0338387