- Truck Parham
Charles Valdez "Truck" Parham (January 25, 1911 – June 5, 2002) was an American
jazz double-bass ist.Parham played professional sports early in his career; he was a
boxer and played football with theChicago Negro All Stars . He played drums before settling on bass, and studied underWalter Page . He played in the Midwestterritory band ofZack Whyte in 1932-34, playing primarily inCincinnati . After returning to Chicago, he played withZutty Singleton ,Roy Eldridge (1936-38),Art Tatum , andBob Shoffner in the 1930s. In 1940 he joinedEarl Hines 's orchestra, where he remained for two years; in 1942 he was hired byJimmie Lunceford and played with him until 1947.Parham continued to play revival gigs with
Muggsy Spanier (1950-55),Herbie Fields (1956-57), Hines again, andLouie Bellson . He spent much of the 1960s working withArt Hodes , and played in numerousDixieland jazz groups later in his career. Parham never recorded as a leader, though he recorded profusely as a sideman.References
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Scott Yanow , [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:h9frxqqgldke~T1 Truck Parham] atAllmusic
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