Bill Little

Trumpeter Bill Small has played in big rings because the early ’40s, and spent his Globe Battle II years within a touring assistance music group. On recordings he’s noticed by most jazz listeners on a few of vocalist Billy Eckstine’s classes from the middle-’40s. So far as the 1st trumpet seat, the vocalist offered this spot towards the stunning Fats Navarro. Small, who literally got little single space, was section of an orchestra that Eckstine himself was fronting, having a lineup that was something of the petite hard bop event in itself. Additional players on an early on 1946 program included drummer Artwork Blakey, tenor saxophonist Dexter Gordon, alto saxophonist Sonny Stitt, and soprano saxophonist Budd Johnson. While those are big titles in jazz, the trumpeter can be little-known aswell as referred to as Small. He pursued a profession in investment bank, keeping his musical hobby heading privately. He ultimately relocated to San Leon, TX, where he possessed his own bank firm. He performed frequently with Houston’s Billie Ledbetter Orchestra.