Billy Eckstine (Pittsburgh, July 8, 1914 - Pittsburgh, March 8, 1993) was an American jazz singer and pop music.
Possessor of a baritone voice, was in the forties a charismatic figure of black popular music, to lead one of the first bop big band and become the first black singer of romantic ballads (it was called the black Sinatra). Over the years, his influence has been considerable in the field of soul and rhythm and blues.
Eckstine began singing at age nine and participated in numerous shows for fans. Although his vocation was that of a football player, a serious injury has been brought back into the world of music. After various jobs west of Chicago in the late thirties, Eckstine was invited by Earl Hines to join his Grand Terrace Orchestra in 1939.
Although his first hits were songs trivial "Jelly, Jelly" and "The Jitney Man", also recorded a number of standards like "Stormy Monday". By 1943, he accompanied such stars as Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker and Sarah Vaughan. After forming his own band that year, he hired all three and gradually became more modern figures and future stars: Wardell Gray, Dexter Gordon, Miles Davis, Kenny Dorham, Fats Navarro, Art Blakey, as well as arrangers Tadd Dameron and Gil Fuller. The Billy Eckstine Orchestra was the first bop big band and its leader reflected bop innovations by adapting its vocal harmonies on the ballads normal. Despite the modern tone of the group, Eckstine frequently topped the charts in the mid-forties, with songs like "A Cottage for Sale" and "Prisoner of Love". In European and American tours, the singer also played trumpet, valve trombone and guitar.
Forced to disband the orchestra in 1947 after having formed his own Gillespie, Eckstine made the transition to a more baladístico and string arrangements. He recorded more than a dozen hits in the late forties, among which include "My Foolish Heart" and "I Apologize". It became popular in Britain, gaining a great success during the fifties with songs like "No One But You" and "Gigi," as well as his duets with Sarah Vaughan.
Eckstine return occasionally to their jazz roots, recording with Vaughan, Count Basie and Quincy Jones, and recording a live LP, No Cover, No Minimum, in which he played some trumpet solos. He recorded several albums for Mercury and Roulette during the early sixties and Motown released in the disc of standards in the mid-decade. After recording very sparingly in the seventies, Eckstine made his last recording (Billy Eckstine Sings with Benny Carter) in 1986. He died from a heart attack in 1993.
Possessor of a baritone voice, was in the forties a charismatic figure of black popular music, to lead one of the first bop big band and become the first black singer of romantic ballads (it was called the black Sinatra). Over the years, his influence has been considerable in the field of soul and rhythm and blues.
Eckstine began singing at age nine and participated in numerous shows for fans. Although his vocation was that of a football player, a serious injury has been brought back into the world of music. After various jobs west of Chicago in the late thirties, Eckstine was invited by Earl Hines to join his Grand Terrace Orchestra in 1939.
Although his first hits were songs trivial "Jelly, Jelly" and "The Jitney Man", also recorded a number of standards like "Stormy Monday". By 1943, he accompanied such stars as Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker and Sarah Vaughan. After forming his own band that year, he hired all three and gradually became more modern figures and future stars: Wardell Gray, Dexter Gordon, Miles Davis, Kenny Dorham, Fats Navarro, Art Blakey, as well as arrangers Tadd Dameron and Gil Fuller. The Billy Eckstine Orchestra was the first bop big band and its leader reflected bop innovations by adapting its vocal harmonies on the ballads normal. Despite the modern tone of the group, Eckstine frequently topped the charts in the mid-forties, with songs like "A Cottage for Sale" and "Prisoner of Love". In European and American tours, the singer also played trumpet, valve trombone and guitar.
Forced to disband the orchestra in 1947 after having formed his own Gillespie, Eckstine made the transition to a more baladístico and string arrangements. He recorded more than a dozen hits in the late forties, among which include "My Foolish Heart" and "I Apologize". It became popular in Britain, gaining a great success during the fifties with songs like "No One But You" and "Gigi," as well as his duets with Sarah Vaughan.
Eckstine return occasionally to their jazz roots, recording with Vaughan, Count Basie and Quincy Jones, and recording a live LP, No Cover, No Minimum, in which he played some trumpet solos. He recorded several albums for Mercury and Roulette during the early sixties and Motown released in the disc of standards in the mid-decade. After recording very sparingly in the seventies, Eckstine made his last recording (Billy Eckstine Sings with Benny Carter) in 1986. He died from a heart attack in 1993.
Billy Eckstine (Pittsburgh, 8 de julio de 1914 - Pittsburgh, 8 de marzo de 1993) fue un cantante estadounidense de jazz y música pop.
Poseedor de una voz de barítono, fue durante los años cuarenta una figura carismática de la música popular negra, al liderar una de las primeras big band de bop y convertirse en el primer cantante negro de baladas románticas (fue llamado el Sinatra negro). Con el paso de los años, su influencia ha sido considerable en el ámbito del soul y el rhythm and blues.
Eckstine comenzó a cantar a los nueve años y participó en numerosos espectáculos para aficionados. Aunque su vocación había sido la de jugador de fútbol americano, una grave lesión lo recondujo hacia el mundo de la música. Tras diversos trabajos al oeste de Chicago a finales de los años treinta, Eckstine fue invitado por Earl Hines para unirse a su Grand Terrace Orchestra en 1939.
Aunque sus primeros éxitos fueron canciones triviales como "Jelly, Jelly" y "The Jitney Man", grabó también varios estándares como "Stormy Monday". Hacia 1943, se acompañaba de estrellas como Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker y Sarah Vaughan. Tras formar su propia banda ese año, contrató a los tres y gradualmente se hizo con más figuras modernas y con futuras estrellas: Wardell Gray, Dexter Gordon, Miles Davis, Kenny Dorham, Fats Navarro y Art Blakey, así como con arreglistas como Tadd Dameron y Gil Fuller. La Billy Eckstine Orchestra fue la primera big band bop, y su líder reflejaba las innovaciones bop adaptando sus armonías vocales a las baladas normales. A pesar del matiz moderno del grupo, Eckstine encabezó las listas frecuentemente a mediados de los cuarenta, con temas como "A Cottage for Sale" y "Prisoner of Love". En las giras por Europa y América, el cantante tocaba también la trompeta, el trombón de válvulas y la guitarra.
Forzado a disolver la orquesta en 1947 tras haber formado la suya propia Gillespie, Eckstine realizó una transición hacia un estilo más baladístico y con arreglos de cuerda. Grabó más de una docena de éxitos a finales de los cuarenta, entre lo que se incluyen "My Foolish Heart" y "I Apologize". Se hizo popular en Gran Bretaña, obteniendo un gran éxito durante los cincuenta con temas como "No One But You" y "Gigi", así como con sus dúos con Sarah Vaughan.
Eckstine regresaría a sus raíces jazzísticas ocasionalmente, grabando con Vaughan, Count Basie y Quincy Jones, y grabando un LP en directo, No Cover, No Minimum, en el que interpretaba algunos solos de trompeta. Grabó varios discos para Mercury y Roulette a comienzos de los sesenta y publicó en Motown algunos discos de estándares a mediados de esa década. Tras grabar muy espaciadamente en los setenta, Eckstine hizo su última grabación (Billy Eckstine Sings with Benny Carter) en 1986. Murió por un ataque al corazón en 1993.
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