Nicknames for Jazz Musicians

Sue Raul

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Jul 6, 1992, 11:39:25 AM7/6/92

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Has anyone compiled a nickname-for-jazz-musicians list?

What are the most well-known?

How about a list that keeps the legal name along with
the known name and the short version commonly used:

Please continue . . . .

thanks,

Sue
(email if no one else is interested)
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David Mackmiller

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Jul 8, 1992, 12:40:10 PM7/8/92

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In article <1992Jul6.1...@seada.com> s...@snafu.seada.com (Sue Raul) writes:
>From: s...@snafu.seada.com (Sue Raul)
>Subject: Nicknames for Jazz Musicians
>Date: 6 Jul 92 15:39:25 GMT

>Has anyone compiled a nickname-for-jazz-musicians list?

>What are the most well-known?

>How about a list that keeps the legal name along with
>the known name and the short version commonly used:

The book "Jazz Anecdotes" by Bill Crow (ISBN 0-19-507133-6) has an
entire chapter on nicknames. It also discusses how they got their
nicknames. This is an excellent book full of laughs, and I highly
recommend it.

Just to hit some highlights:

Charlie Parker got "Bird" (and "Yardbird") after he accidently ran
over a chicken on a road trip, went back for it and had it cooked for
dinner.

Julian Adderly got "Cannonball" from his childhood nickname
"Cannible", given because of his voracious appetite.

George Mraz was named "Bounce" by Jimmy Rowles because he was "a
baaaaad Czech."

Count Basie made up his name to be in the company of King Oliver,
Duke Ellington, Earl Hines and Baron Lee.

Other Nicknames were descriptive (or opposites):
Thomas "Fats" Waller (fat guy)
Harold "Shorty" Baker (short guy)
"Pee Wee" Russell (tall guy)
Keith "Red" Mitchell (red hair)
but "Red" Allen and "Red" Callender from black slang of the time
meaning light pigmented skin.

Some just contractions of the last name:
John Coltrane - "Trane"
Coleman Hawkins - "Hawk"
Lionel Hampton - "Hamp"

Other famous nicknames (all with stories behind them - read the book):
Harry Edison - "Sweets"
Billie Holiday - "Lady Day" (good story there)
Lester Young - "Pres"
William Montgomery - "Monk"
Louis Armstrong - "Satchelmouth -> Satchmo -> Satch", "Pops"
John Birks Gillespie - "Dizzy"
Roland Berrigan - "Bunny"
Eddie Davis - "Lockjaw"
John Haley Sims - "Zoot" (my fave - named my cat after him)
Elmer Alexander - "Mousie"
Leon Bismark Beiderbeck - "Bix"

The list goes on, but I won't...

-= DaveMac =-

P.S. Don't let me get started on "Lite Jazz." It wouldn't be pretty.

David Christensen

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Jul 9, 1992, 2:04:46 AM7/9/92

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Sue Raul writes:
>Has anyone compiled a nickname-for-jazz-musicians list?
>
>What are the most well-known?
>
>How about a list that keeps the legal name along with
>the known name and the short version commonly used:
>
>Edward Kennedy Ellington | Duke Ellington | Duke
>Charlie Parker | Charlie "Bird" Parker | Bird
>John Coltrane | | Trane

(and what was Fats Waller's real first name- I forget.)