Artist

Billy Butterfield

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A versatile pre-bop trumpeter with a beautiful tone, Billy Butterfield could play pretty ballads and heated Dixieland with equal skill. After early experience in the mid-'30s with the bands of Austin Wylie and Andy Anderson, Butterfield became famous while playing with <a href="spotify:artist:5lP4FZO4ThhC9glGDwlgrV">Bob Crosby's Orchestra</a> (1937-1940), taking the main solo on the original version of "What's New," and making numerous records with both the big band and the Bobcats. In 1940, he was with <a href="spotify:artist:5wam12nGWDBIrLDV78TNSF">Artie Shaw</a>, participating in the famed Gramercy Five sessions and taking a classic solo on <a href="spotify:artist:5wam12nGWDBIrLDV78TNSF">Shaw</a>'s rendition of "Star Dust"; in addition, Butterfield can be seen and heard playing "Concerto for Clarinet" with <a href="spotify:artist:5wam12nGWDBIrLDV78TNSF">Shaw</a> in the film Second Chorus. After stints with <a href="spotify:artist:1pBuKaLHJlIlqYxQQaflve">Benny Goodman</a> (1941) and <a href="spotify:artist:1NcsSDCxHOZrAfYVtrahND">Les Brown</a>, Butterfield spent time in the military, and then led a lyrical (but commercially unsuccessful) big band (1945-1947). He worked mostly in the studios during the 1950s and '60s, occasionally emerging for Dixieland dates with <a href="spotify:artist:1YaB5mqH5zlJqvJaKIsBrS">Eddie Condon</a>, and was a key member of <a href="spotify:artist:3od5Mdj7OgLATvDkDynmHH">the World's Greatest Jazz Band</a> (1968-1972). In later years, he continued popping up in Dixieland settings both for records and concerts. ~ Scott Yanow, Rovi

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