Shorty Baker

Harold "Shorty" Baker had a mellow sound and a lyrical style that was the modern successor to Arthur Whetsol in the Duke Ellington Orchestra. Originally a drummer, Baker switched to trumpet as a teenager. A fine section player and a warm soloist, Baker played with Fate Marable on riverboats, Erskine Tate, <a href="spotify:artist:4xgDy82aqLHAG2Is3ELRWv">Don Redman</a> (1936-1938), <a href="spotify:artist:0tg5uVI4VjzZOFzBryJZii">Teddy Wilson</a>'s orchestra (1939-1940), and <a href="spotify:artist:6lDzuLTyt5ewY3FLfX1smg">Andy Kirk</a> (1940-1942). He married <a href="spotify:artist:6hrEc1XqVcGLK0Di6zVADR">Mary Lou Williams</a> (<a href="spotify:artist:6lDzuLTyt5ewY3FLfX1smg">Kirk</a>'s pianist at the time). Baker was with <a href="spotify:artist:4F7Q5NV6h5TSwCainz8S5A">Duke Ellington's Orchestra</a> off and on during 1942-1962 (particularly 1943-1951 and 1957-1959), during which he was well-featured despite being in a trumpet section that at times also included <a href="spotify:artist:3xWwQd62jKa0Ph7evZFayV">Ray Nance</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:62xdwGEOLoGQxKUqoJusyU">Clark Terry</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:5HURNx0erYz9xEXgbaUQlH">Taft Jordan</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:4IN9FIYzPQd9st8nsI8opp">Willie Cook</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:4RwKOgFBu2p7gQPTi0WkNZ">Cat Anderson</a>, among others. He was with <a href="spotify:artist:7lRFrrINQTY35g8hq0kXY5">Johnny Hodges</a>' group in the early '50s, and after the <a href="spotify:artist:4F7Q5NV6h5TSwCainz8S5A">Ellington</a> years primarily led a quartet. Baker also recorded in later years with <a href="spotify:artist:3x4RlqxSWh3pyAI89UCJcn">Bud Freeman</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:5IncNYeCNPQoNYU6gR1wpR">Doc Cheatham</a>. ~ Scott Yanow, Rovi