MARCH 15

JIMMY MCPARTLAND + HARRY JAMES

 1907 James Dugald McPartland (March 15, 1907–March 13, 1991), better known as Jimmy McPartland, was an American cornetist and one of the originators of Chicago Jazz. McPartland worked with Eddie Condon, Art Hodes, Gene Krupa, Benny Goodman, Jack Teagarden, Tommy Dorsey and other jazz veterans, often leading his own bands. McPartland met his future wife in Belgium, the English pianist Margaret Marian Turner. They married in Aachen, Germany and moved back to Chicago, where Jimmy appeared on Windy City Jamboree, before finally settling in New York. Soon, Jimmy McPartland was part of Willie 'The Lion' Smith's band (along with Jimmy Archey, Pee Wee Russell, George 'Pops' Foster, and George Wettling), which won a Grammy for their soundtrack to the 1954 film After Hours. McPartland proudly introduced his new bride around the New York jazz scene, but knew that Marian's future didn't lie in playing traditional jazz. He encouraged her to develop her own style and form her own group, which led to the establishment of her long residency at the Hickory House. Wikipedia | Search Amazon.com for Jimmy McPartland

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1916 Henry Haag “Harry” James (March 15, 1916 – July 5, 1983) was an American musician and bandleader. James was an instrumentalist of the swing era, employing a bravura playing style that made his trumpet work identifiable. He was one of the most popular bandleaders of the first half of the 1940s, and he continued to lead his band until just before his death, 40 years later. Wikipedia | Search Amazon.com for Harry James