A trumpeter that shows up on both west coast jazz and rhythm & blues records,
John Anderson, Jr. leaves the impression of having had very good taste in choosing his musical employment. As a result, even the most casual study of quality jazz or rhythm & blues from the west coast, circa the '40s through early '60s, will uncover at least a few of his trumpet solos. He was a Birmingham, AL, boy who studied both the alto horn and trumpet in high school. His talents were such that he was able to continue with these brass studies at the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music and the Westlake College of Music, training that would serve him well in the coming years when at least one employer, bandleader
Stan Kenton, made music stands sag with charts as lengthy and detailed as an 18th century French essay. This training in the foundations of music continued through four years in the Navy band, including service during the second World War. Once out of the military in 1941,
Anderson marched into the ranks of Los Angeles jazzmen, gigging with leaders such as
Tiny Bradshaw,
Kenton, and saxophonist, arranger, and composer
Benny Carter, whose skills with creating charts would have as great an impact on
Anderson as
Kenton. In terms of discographical largess, on the other hand, it would be
Kenton who gets the nod.
The trumpeter was largely known as a freelancer over the next decade, his associates including
Jerry Fielding,
Pérez Prado,
Earl Bostic,
Charles Mingus, and
Buddy Collette. The latter player also brought his special instrumental talents to combos
Anderson himself began leading in the late '50s. Other players that worked in the trumpeter's bands included the fine bassist
Curtis Counce and trombonist
Britt Woodman, a fellow
Mingus associate. In 1959,
Anderson grabbed a chair in the
Count Basie trumpet section, and in the early '60s, he recorded with the veteran clarinet swinger
Jimmy Hamilton and sunny vocal stylist
Anita O'Day. His recording activities seemed to have subsided after that, although he did show up on a
Doc Severinson big-band project in the mid-'70s. He cut only one album as a leader, the 1966
Time Will Tell, on the Tangerine label.
In addition to his straight jazz work,
Anderson blows trumpet passages on a variety of recordings done in Los Angeles through the '50s and early '60s. He worked on many independent blues">blues and rhythm & blues sessions, as well as higher-budgeted pop creations from the major labels. Since the former enterprises zeroed in on a great deal of lively talent, listeners who enjoy exploring the roots of funk will no doubt experience an ear-cleaning of sorts via
Anderson's horn on recordings by west coast rhythm & blues artists such as
Amos Milburn,
Jimmy Witherspoon,
Steve Gibson & the Red Caps, and
Big Jay McNeely. The trumpeter also recorded with pop vocalist
Rick Nelson, showman
Sammy Davis, Jr., and soulman
Sam Cooke, among others.
–
Eugene Chadbourne, Rovi