Editing Jack Teagarden

{{Short description|American jazz trombonist and singer (1905–1964)}}
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{{Infobox musical artist
| name              = Jack Teagarden
| image             = Jack Teagarden Billboard.jpg
| caption           = Teagarden c. 1944
| image_size        = 
| background        = 
| birth_name        = Weldon Leo Teagarden
| birth_date        = {{birth date|1905|8|20}}
| birth_place       = [[Vernon, Texas]], [[United States|U.S.]]
| death_date        = {{death date and age|1964|1|15|1905|8|20}}
| death_place       = [[New Orleans]], [[Louisiana]], [[United States]]
| genre             = {{hlist|[[Jazz]]|[[Dixieland]]|[[Swing Music|Swing]]|[[Big Band]]}}
| occupation        = [[Musician]]
| instrument        = {{Hlist|[[Trombone]]|[[Vocal Music|Vocals]]}}
| years_active      = 1920–1964
| label             = 
| website           = {{URL|https://jackteagarden.com/}}
| associated_acts   = {{hlist|[[Peck Kelley]]|[[Louis Armstrong]]|[[Earl Hines]]|[[Benny Goodman]]|[[Bobby Hackett]]|[[Bix Beiderbecke]]|[[Glenn Miller]]|[[Paul Whiteman]]}}
}}

'''Weldon Leo''' "'''Jack'''" '''Teagarden''' (August 20, 1905 – January 15, 1964) was an [[United States|American]] [[jazz]] [[Trombone|trombonist]] and singer.<ref name="Obit">{{Cite web |date=January 16, 1964 |title=Jack Teagarden Is Dead at 58; Jazz Trombonist and Vocalist; Some Critics Considered Him a Genius — His Technique Was Largely Self-Taught |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1964/01/16/archives/jack-teagarden-is-dead-at-58-jazz-trombonist-and-vocalist-some.html |access-date=August 2, 2021 |website=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref><ref name="Larkin">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]|editor=Colin Larkin|editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|publisher=[[Virgin Books]]|date=1997|edition=Concise|isbn=1-85227-745-9|page=1165}}</ref> He both led bands himself and was a [[sideman]] for [[Paul Whiteman]]'s orchestra. From 1946 to 1951, he played in [[Louis Armstrong]]'s All-Stars.<ref name="Larkin" /><ref name="Obit" />

==Early life==
Jack Teagarden was born in [[Vernon, Texas]], the oldest of four children.<ref name="Larkin3">{{cite book |title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music]] |date=1997 |publisher=[[Virgin Books]] |isbn=1-85227-745-9 |editor=Colin Larkin |editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer) |edition=Concise |page=1165}}</ref> His siblings also pursued musical careers: [[Charlie Teagarden|Charlie]] played [[trumpet]], [[Norma Teagarden|Norma]] played [[piano]], and Clois ("Cub") played [[Drum kit|drums]].<ref name="Obit" />

Teagarden's father, Charles, worked in the oil fields and played cornet part-time, while his mother, Helen, was a semi-professional pianist who accompanied silent films in local theaters.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Yanow |first=Scott |date=May 1, 2017 |title=Jack Teagarden: Profiles in Jazz |url=https://syncopatedtimes.com/jack-teagarden-profiles-in-jazz/ |access-date=April 14, 2025 |website=The Syncopated Times}}</ref> Charles encouraged Teagarden to play the [[baritone horn]]. At age eight, Jack received his first trombone as a Christmas gift, transitioning from the [[Tenor horn|tenor-valve horn]] to the [[trombone]]. His first public performances were in his local theaters, helping his mother provide music for silent films.<ref>[http://www.jazz.com/encyclopedia/teagarden-jack-weldon-leo "Teagarden, Jack (Weldon Leo)"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120930233218/http://www.jazz.com/encyclopedia/teagarden-jack-weldon-leo|date=2012-09-30}}, Encyclopedia of Jazz Musicians.</ref> After his father's death, the family moved to [[Chappell, Nebraska]] where he and his mother continued working in theaters.<ref name=":2" />

Teagarden, who had relatively short arms, avoided the traditional "tailgate" approach trombonists of the era took. Instead, he compensated with exceptional embouchure control and trumpet-like phrasing to distinguish himself from other players.<ref name="Obit" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Biography |url=https://jackteagarden.com/biography/ |access-date=2025-05-08 |website=Jack Teagarden |language=en-US}}</ref>

Teagarden became the youngest member of the Paul Goetze Band at age 11.{{Citation needed|date=December 2016}}

==Music career==
[[File:Velma & Friends.jpg|thumb|left|200px|From left: Jack Teagarden, Sandy DeSantis, [[Velma Middleton]], [[Fraser MacPherson]], [[Cozy Cole]], [[Arvell Shaw]], [[Earl Hines]], [[Barney Bigard]], Palomar Supper Club, Vancouver, B.C., Canada (March 17, 1951)]]
At the age of 16, Teagarden began playing the trombone professionally in [[San Antonio]] as a member of Cotton Bailey's dance and jazz band.<ref name=":2" /> During his early career, Teagarden played at such venues as the Horn Palace in San Antonio, where he formed a close bond with clarinetist George Hill. After his time with Bailey's band, Teagarden joined [[Peck Kelley|Peck Kelley's]] ensemble, a group that included several of his close collaborators.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last1=Smith |first1=Jay D. |title=Jack Teagarden |last2=Guttridge |first2=Leonard F. |publisher=Da Capo Press |year=1976 |isbn=0-306-70813-2 |location=New York |pages=1–28}}</ref><ref name="Larkin" />

Kelley's mentorship and Teagarden's approach to trombone playing helped establish his reputation. The young trombonist's phrasing and improvisational skills made him a sought-after performer, which helped Teagarden to eventually collaborate with players like [[Louis Armstrong]].<ref name=":0" /> In the mid-1920s, he traveled widely around the United States in various bands. In 1927, he came to New York City to work with several other bands, and by 1928, he was playing with the [[Ben Pollack]] band.<ref name="Larkin"></ref>

While a member of Pollack's band, Teagarden recorded over 300 tracks. He also participated in one of the first integrated jazz recording sessions in 1929, organized by [[Eddie Condon]], which produced the track "Knocking a Jug". Teagarden's career continued with [[Paul Whiteman]]'s orchestra, though the band's limited jazz repertoire prompted him to leave after a five-year contract.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last=Pryor |first=William A. |date=2015 |title=Jack Teagarden, Genius of the Trombone |url=http://ezproxy.library.unlv.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=asm&AN=114025654&site=ehost-live |journal=IAJRC |volume=48 |issue=2 |pages=115–123 |via=EBSCO}}</ref>

In the late 1920s, he recorded with musicians such as Louis Armstrong, [[Benny Goodman]], [[Bix Beiderbecke]], [[Red Nichols]], [[Jimmy McPartland]], [[Mezz Mezzrow]], [[Glenn Miller]], [[Eddie Condon]], and [[Fats Waller]]. In 1931, Teagarden's own orchestra recorded the tune "Chances Are" with [[Fats Waller]] playing piano and Jack singing and playing trombone. Miller and Teagarden collaborated to provide lyrics to [[Spencer Williams]]' "[[Basin Street Blues]]", which became one of Teagarden's most frequently played numbers.<ref name="Larkin"></ref>

During the [[Great Depression]], Teagarden sought financial security and signed an exclusive contract to play for the [[Paul Whiteman]] Orchestra from 1933 through 1938.<ref name="Larkin"></ref> In 1946, Teagarden joined Louis Armstrong's All-Stars.<ref name="Larkin"></ref>

[[File:(Portrait of Tadd Dameron, Mary Lou Williams, Milt Orent, Dixie Bailey, Jack Teagarden, and Dizzy Gillespie, Mary Lou Williams' apartment, New York, N.Y., ca. Aug. 1947) (LOC) (5475990477).jpg|thumb|From left to right: Mary Lou Williams, Tadd Dameron, Milt Orent, Dixie Bailey, Dizzy Gillespie, and Jack Teagarden. Mary Lou Williams' apartment, New York, N.Y., ca. Aug. 1947 (LOC) (5475990477)]]
During his tenure with Louis Armstrong's All-Stars, Teagarden demonstrated versatility as a trombonist and vocalist. His relaxed style was reminiscent of the blues and is prominent in his collaborations with Armstrong, such as their rendition of "Rockin' Chair." In late 1951, Teagarden left to again lead his own band.<ref name="Larkin" />

== Later life and death ==
Teagarden was found dead in his hotel room in New Orleans on January 15, 1964, just hours before he was scheduled to perform. He was 58 years old and actively touring at the time of his death,<ref name=":5" /> which was later attributed to bronchial pneumonia.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1964-01-16 |title=Jack Teagarden Is Dead at 58; Jazz Trombonist and Vocalist; Some Critics Considered Him a Genius — His Technique Was Largely Self‐Taught |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1964/01/16/archives/jack-teagarden-is-dead-at-58-jazz-trombonist-and-vocalist-some.html |access-date=2025-05-03 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Association |first=Texas State Historical |title=Jack Teagarden: The Legendary Jazz Trombonist |url=https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/teagarden-weldon-leo-jack |access-date=2025-04-21 |website=Texas State Historical Association |language=en}}

[https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/teagarden-weldon-leo-jack Published by the Texas State Historical Association.]</ref> Teagarden was honored with tributes from musicians and fans.<ref name=":4">{{Cite news |date=Jan 16, 1964 |title=Teagarden, Trombonist, Singer, Dies: Cause of His Death Not Resolved |url=https://www.ezproxy.library.unlv.edu/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Fhistorical-newspapers%2Fteagarden-trombonist-singer-dies%2Fdocview%2F179358366%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D3611 |access-date=December 12, 2024 |work=Chicago Tribune |pages=12}}</ref>
[[File:Bourbon Street, French Quarter, New Orleans, 25th February 2019 50.jpg|thumb|Bourbon Street, French Quarter, New Orleans]]
The ''Los Angeles Times'' noted that Teagarden was celebrated for his innovations in trombone technique and his soulful, blues-inflected vocals.<ref name=":5">{{Cite news |date=Jan 16, 1964 |title=Jack Teagarden, Famed Jazz Trombonist, Dies |url=https://www.ezproxy.library.unlv.edu/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Fhistorical-newspapers%2Fjack-teagarden-famed-jazz-trombonist-dies%2Fdocview%2F168504819%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D3611 |access-date=December 12, 2024 |work=Los Angeles Times |pages=2}}</ref>

== Style and technique ==
Largely self-taught,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jack Teagarden {{!}} Learn the Legends: Musical Performers of the Early 20th Century |url=https://courses.dcs.wisc.edu/wp/musicalperformers/2017/09/29/jack-teagarden/ |access-date=2025-05-08 |language=en-US}}</ref> Teagarden developed unusual alternative positions and special effects on the trombone. He is considered an innovative jazz trombone stylist of the pre-[[bebop]] era.{{Citation needed|date=December 2016}} [[Pee Wee Russell]] called him "the best trombone player in the world".<ref name="Giddins">"The Best Trombone Player in the World", by [[Gary Giddins]], originally published in ''[[The Village Voice]]'', March 1977; reprinted in ''Riding on a Blue Note: Jazz & American Pop'', [[Oxford University Press]], 1981.</ref>

Jack Teagarden's trombone playing did not follow traditional Dixieland style. Instead, he adopted characteristics of his own, including upper register solos, not using a strict solo beat, and lip trills.<ref name=":2" /> Growing up in an area with a large Black population, Teagarden developed an appreciation for Black music, especially blues and gospel, and was one of the first jazz musicians to incorporate [[blue note]]s into his playing.<ref name=":2" /> Critics praised Teagarden for his blues-like smoothness and fluidity,{{Citation needed|date=December 2016}} as well as his ability to seamlessly integrate into ensembles when soloing. In addition to playing trombone, Teagarden was also a jazz vocalist.<ref name=":6">{{Cite news |last=Smith |first=Jack |date=Jan 17, 1964 |title=Jack Teagarden's Style Strictly All His Own: Death Silences Genius Who Would Pick Up His Trombone and Play What He Felt Jack Teagarden|url=https://www.ezproxy.library.unlv.edu/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Fhistorical-newspapers%2Fjack-teagardens-style-strictly-all-his-own%2Fdocview%2F168491421%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D3611 |access-date=December 13, 2024 |work=Los Angeles Times |pages=A1}}</ref>

Jack Teagarden's trombone playing combined smooth, horizontal melodic phrasing with a distinctive use of vertical, arpeggiated lines.{{Citation needed|date=December 2016}} His improvisational style, showcased in performances like his 1953 solo on "Lover," was characterized by a balance of technical skill and melodic fluidity. Teagarden's approach often involved juxtaposing scalar runs with chromatic arpeggios, creating improvisations that remained rooted in the song's structure. Eschewing traditional slide techniques, he favored lip flexibility and embouchure control, allowing for legato phrasing.{{Citation needed|date=December 2016}} Critics have highlighted his warm, vocal-like tone throughout his performances.<ref name=":7">{{Cite journal |last=Lambert |first=David Duane |date=2005 |title=A Comparison of three divergent jazz trombone styles from 1953: Jack Teagarden, J. J. Johnson, and Frank Rosolino |url=https://www.ezproxy.library.unlv.edu/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Fdissertations-theses%2Fcomparison-three-divergent-jazz-trombone-styles%2Fdocview%2F305418077%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D3611 |journal=University of Miami Dissertations & Theses |pages=49–53 |id={{ProQuest| }}}}</ref>

== Legacy ==
Jack Teagarden performed for diverse audiences, including royal families in Cambodia and Thailand.{{Citation needed|date=December 2016}} Despite facing many challenges, including financial struggles during the Great Depression, Teagarden viewed the acceptance of jazz as a cultural achievement.<ref name=":0" />

Jazz historian [[Gunther Schuller]] described Teagarden as possessing "effortless sovereign technical mastery, richness of tone, and a total lack of exhibitionism."{{Citation needed|date=December 2016}} His influence is evident in the work of later jazz trombonists.<ref name=":7" />

Trombonist [[Tommy Dorsey]] reportedly altered his own style to avoid being compared to Teagarden, and [[Glenn Miller]] downplayed his trombone skills after working alongside Teagarden in Ben Pollack's band.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-01-31 |title=Glenn Miller: Profiles in Jazz – The Syncopated Times |url=https://syncopatedtimes.com/glenn-miller-profiles-in-jazz/ |access-date=2025-04-24 |language=en-US}}</ref> Gunther Schuller praised Teagarden's ability to combine technical brilliance with emotional depth.<ref name=":1" />

In the years following his passing, the legacy of his recordings and performances remained.<ref name=":4" /> The ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' highlighted his contributions to the trombone's role within jazz ensembles, and his recordings, including collaborations with Louis Armstrong, are considered to be substantially important to jazz history.<ref name=":5" />

In 1969 Jack Teagarden was inducted into the [[DownBeat Jazz Hall of Fame|''DownBeat'' Jazz Hall of Fame]] <ref>{{Cite web |title=DownBeat Archives |url=https://downbeat.com/archives/detail/downbeat-hall-of-fame |access-date=2025-04-24 |website=downbeat.com}}</ref> and the [[Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame]] in 1985.

==Discography==
Source:<ref name=":0" />

* 1930-34 - ''Chronological'' (Classics, 199?)
* 1934-39 - ''Chronological'' (Classics, 199?)
* 1939-40 - ''Chronological'' (Classics, 199?)
* 1940-41 - ''Chronological'' (Classics, 199?)
* 1941-43 - ''Chronological'' (Classics, 199?)
* 1944-47 - ''Chronological'' (Classics, 199?)
* 1928-40 - ''King of the Blues Trombone'' (Epic, 1963) (boxset 3xLP) (under Ben Pollack, Jack Pettis, Jack Teagarden. Benny Goodnam names)
* ''Jack Teagarden with orchestral accompaniment'' (Jolly Roger, 1933)
* ''Jack Teagarden With Orchestral accompaniment'' (Jolly Roger, 1934)
* 1939 - ''The Metronome All Star Bands''(Camden, 1939)
* 1944.08 - ''Big T Plays the Blues'' (Ultraphonic, 1940–1944) Reissued with different titles from different labels
* 1938-44 - ''Jack Teagarden and His Swingin' Gates'' (Commodore, 1944)
* 1935-55 - ''Big T's Jazz'' (Decca, 1956)
* 1954.11 - ''Jazz Great'' (Bethlehem, 1956)
* ''Holiday in Trombone'' (EmArcy, 1954)
* ''Meet the New Jack Teagarden Volume I'' (Urania, 1954) 10"  Lp
* ''Jack Teagarden Plays and Sings'' (Urania, 1954) 10"  Lp
* 1954 - ''Accent On Trombone'' (Urania, 1955) contains the previous two 10" Lps. Reissued with different titled from different labels
* ''Big T's Jazz'' (Decca, 1956)
* ''This Is Teagarden!'' (Capitol, 1956)
* ''Jazz Ultimate'' (Capitol, 1957)
* ''Swing Low, Sweet Spiritual'' (Capitol, 1957)
* ''Big T's Dixieland Band'' (Capitol, 1958)
* ''Jazz Ultimate'' (Capitol, 1958) with Bobby Hackett
* ''Shades of Night'' (Capitol, 1959)
* 1959.07 - ''Jack Teagarden at the Roundtable'' (Roulette, 1959)
* 1960.01 - ''Jazz Maverick'' (Roulette, 1960)
* 1961.01 - ''The Dixie Sound of Jack Teagarden'' (Roulette, 1962)
* 1961.01 - ''A Portrait of Mr. T'' (Roulette, 1963)
* ''[[Mis'ry and the Blues]]'' (Verve, 1961)
* ''[[Think Well of Me]]'' (Verve, 1962)
* ''Jack Teagarden'' (Verve, 1962)
* ''The Blues and Dixie'' (Rondo-lette, 1963)
* ''Swinging Down in Dixie'' (Golden Tone, 1963)
* 1958.04 - ''Big T's Dixieland Band'' (Capitol, 1977)
* 1944.12 - ''Big T & the Condon Gang'' (Pumpkin, 1978)
* 1954.11 - ''Original Dixieland'' (Everest Archive, 1978) originally released as Period SPL 1110 (10")
* 1944 - ''Big Band Jazz'' (Everest Archive, 1979)
* 1944.08 - ''Mighty Like a Rose'' (Koala, 1979) 
* 1960-63 -T''he Swingin' Gate'' (Jasmine, 1981)
* 1936-44 - ''The Big Band Sound of Bunny Berigan & Jack Teagarden'' (Folkways, 1982) (Jack Teagarden only in the last 6 tracks recorded in 1944)
* 1939.06 - ''Birth of a Band'' (Giants of Jazz, 1985)
* 1963.09 - ''100 Years from Today'' (Grudge, 1990) Live at Monterey Jazz Festival
* ''The Complete Capitol Fifties Jack Teagarden Sessions'' (Mosaic, 1996)
* 1929-53 - ''It's Time for T'' (Naxos, 2006)
* 1928-43 ''- Father of Jazz Trombone'' (Avid Entertainment, 2004) (Eddie Condon, Bud Freeman, Jack Teagarden bands)
*''Tribute to Teagarden'' (Pausa, 1983
* ''Ben Pollack and His Central Park Orchestra'' (Label X, 1928)
* ''Ben's Bad Boys'' (Camden, 1929)
* ''Eddie Condon's Hot Shots'' (Label X, Camden, 1929)
* ''The Whoopee Makers'' (Folkways, 1929)
* ''Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra'' (Columbia, 1929)
* ''Louisiana Rhythm Kings'' (Folkways, 1929)
* ''Mound City Blue Blowers'' (Label X, HMV, 1929)
* ''Charleston Chasers'' (Columbia, 1931)
* ''Eddie Lang-Joe Venuti and their all-star Orchestra'' (Folkways, 1931)
* ''Benny Goodman and his Orchestra'' (Columbia, 1933)
* ''Benny Goodman and his Orchestra'' (Columbia, 1934)
* ''Metronome All Star Band'' (Harmony, 1940)
* ''Bud Freemand and His Famous Chicagoans'' (Harmony, 1940)
* ''Big Jazz'' (Atlantic, 1953) with Rex Stewart
* ''George Wettling's New Yorkers'' (Mercury, 1944)
* ''Eddie Condon and His Orchestra'' (Decca, 1944)
* ''Louis Armstrong All Stars-Town Hall Concert'' (Victor, 1947)
* ''Eddie Condon and His Orchestra'' (Decca, 1947)
* ''Satchmo at Symphony Hall'' (Decca, 1947)
* ''Louis Armstrong All Stars'' (Decca, 1950)
* ''Satchmo at Pasadena'' (Decca, 1951)
* 1952.08 - ''Ben Pollack and His Pick-A-Rib Boys'' (Savoy, 1952) (Jack Teagarden onlyin four tracks)
* ''Bobby Hackett and His Jazz Band-Coast Concert'' (Capitol, 1955)
* ''Paul Whiteman Fiftieth Anniversary'' (Grand Award, 1957)
* ''Bud Freeman's Summa Cum Laude Orchestra'' (Victor, 1957)
*

===As guest===
* [[Red Allen]], ''[[Red Allen, Kid Ory & Jack Teagarden at Newport]]'' (Verve, 1957)
* [[Ben Pollack]], ''Dixieland'' (Savoy, 1956)

==See also==
* [[Red River Valley Museum]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{commons-inline}}
* {{Discogs artist|Jack Teagarden}}
* {{IMDb name|id=0853524}}
* [https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104248 Jack Teagarden recordings] at the [[Discography of American Historical Recordings]].
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Teagarden, Jack}}
[[Category:1905 births]]
[[Category:1964 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Vernon, Texas]]
[[Category:Jazz musicians from Texas]]
[[Category:Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale)]]
[[Category:Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)]]
[[Category:20th-century American male musicians]]
[[Category:20th-century American trombonists]]
[[Category:American jazz trombonists]]
[[Category:American jazz bandleaders]]
[[Category:American big band bandleaders]]
[[Category:Dixieland trombonists]]
[[Category:Mainstream jazz trombonists]]
[[Category:American male jazz musicians]]
[[Category:American male trombonists]]
[[Category:McKenzie and Condon's Chicagoans members]]
[[Category:RCA Victor artists]]
[[Category:Swing trombonists]]
[[Category:The Charleston Chasers members]]
[[Category:The Dorsey Brothers members]]
[[Category:DownBeat Jazz Hall of Fame members]]