Bobby Hackett

Bobby Hackett's mellow tone and melodic style offered a contrast to the brasher Dixieland-oriented trumpeters. Emphasizing his middle-register and lyricism, Hackett was a flexible soloist who actually sounded little like his main inspiration, <a href="spotify:artist:19eLuQmk9aCobbVDHc6eek">Louis Armstrong</a>.

When Hackett first came up he was briefly known as "the new <a href="spotify:artist:3kfbYBrL3MCPAMUwKDRpc7">Bix</a>" because of the similarity in his approach to that of <a href="spotify:artist:3kfbYBrL3MCPAMUwKDRpc7">Bix Beiderbecke</a>, but very soon he developed his own distinctive sound. Originally a guitarist (which he doubled on until the mid-'40s), Hackett performed in local bands, and by 1936 was leading his own group. He moved to New York in 1937, played with <a href="spotify:artist:5WuO1eeXQHAeMTKuXacaUw">Joe Marsala</a>, appeared at <a href="spotify:artist:1pBuKaLHJlIlqYxQQaflve">Benny Goodman</a>'s 1938 Carnegie Hall concert (recreating <a href="spotify:artist:1mZm40boQmdGKicfbNkd0r">Beiderbecke</a>'s solo on "I'm Coming Virginia"), recorded with <a href="spotify:artist:1YaB5mqH5zlJqvJaKIsBrS">Eddie Condon</a>, and by 1939 had a short-lived big band. Hackett played briefly with <a href="spotify:artist:4l7CLwtYLJMTlrBpoNJtMy">Horace Heidt</a>, and during 1941-1942 was with <a href="spotify:artist:2aAHdB5HweT3mFcRzm0swc">Glenn Miller's Orchestra</a>, taking a famous solo on "String of Pearls." Next up was a stint with <a href="spotify:artist:2RLpFsSPsiB1LKXcDVac4Q">the Casa Loma Orchestra</a>, and then he became a studio musician while still appearing with jazz groups. Hackett was a major asset at <a href="spotify:artist:19eLuQmk9aCobbVDHc6eek">Louis Armstrong</a>'s 1947 Town Hall Concert, in the 1950s he was a star on <a href="spotify:artist:2F0kPpQ5mtta1ORIyO2xex">Jackie Gleason</a>'s commercial but jazz-flavored mood music albums, and he recorded several times with <a href="spotify:artist:1YaB5mqH5zlJqvJaKIsBrS">Eddie Condon</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:3okiREk3dV4F8BmK7cpEJf">Jack Teagarden</a>. During 1956-1957, Hackett led an unusual group that sought to modernize Dixieland (using <a href="spotify:artist:6O69MenfsLHg93UxnbirYw">Dick Cary</a>'s arrangements and an unusual instrumentation), but that band did not catch on. Hackett recorded some commercial dates during 1959-1960 (including one set of Hawaiian songs and another in which he was backed by pipe organ), he worked with <a href="spotify:artist:1pBuKaLHJlIlqYxQQaflve">Benny Goodman</a> (1962-1963); backed <a href="spotify:artist:2lolQgalUvZDfp5vvVtTYV">Tony Bennett</a> in the mid-'60s; co-led a well-recorded quintet with <a href="spotify:artist:3r3wpxv745YZLTjE6aqwIw">Vic Dickenson</a> (1968-1970); and made sessions with Jim Cullum, <a href="spotify:artist:3od5Mdj7OgLATvDkDynmHH">the World's Greatest Jazz Band</a>, and even <a href="spotify:artist:5RzjqfPS0Bu4bUMkyNNDpn">Dizzy Gillespie</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:6hrEc1XqVcGLK0Di6zVADR">Mary Lou Williams</a>, remaining active up until his death. Among the many labels Bobby Hackett recorded for as a leader were Okeh (reissued by Epic), Commodore, Columbia, Epic, Capitol, Sesac, Verve, Project 3, Chiaroscuro, Flying Dutchman, and Honey Dew. ~ Scott Yanow, Rovi