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{{Short description|American jazz trumpeter and bandleader}}
{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Musicians -->
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Al Killian
| image =
| name = Al Killian
| caption =
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| image_size =
| background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
| birth_name =
| birth_name =
| alias =
| alias =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1916|10|15|mf=y}}
| birth_date = {{birth date|1916|10|15|mf=y}}
| birth_place = [[Birmingham, Alabama]], United States
| birth_place = [[Birmingham, Alabama]], United States
| death_date = {{death date and age|1950|9|5|1916|10|15|mf=y}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|1950|9|5|1916|10|15|mf=y}}
| death_place = Los Angeles, California, United States
| death_place = Los Angeles, California, United States
| origin =
| origin =
| instrument = Trumpet
| instrument = Trumpet
| genre = [[Big band]], [[jump blues]], [[East Coast blues]]
| genre = [[Big band]], [[jump blues]], [[East Coast blues]]
| occupation =
| occupation =
| years_active = 1930s–1950
| years_active = 1930s–1950
| label =
| label =
| associated_acts =
| associated_acts =
}}
}}


'''Albert Killian''' (October 15, 1916 – September 5, 1950) was an American [[jazz]] trumpeter and occasional bandleader during the [[big band]] era.
'''Albert Killian''' (October 15, 1916 – September 5, 1950) was an American [[jazz]] trumpeter and occasional bandleader during the [[big band]] era.


==Early life==
==Early life and career==
Killian was born in [[Birmingham, Alabama]], on October 15, 1916.<ref name="Grove">{{Citation |last=Sheridan |first=Chris |date=2003 |title=Killian, Al(bert) |publisher=Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press |url=https://doi.org/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.J246800 |accessdate=December 22, 2018 |url-access=subscription }}</ref>
Killian was born in [[Birmingham, Alabama]], on October 15, 1916.<ref name="Grove">{{Citation |last=Sheridan |first=Chris |date=2003 |title=Killian, Al(bert) |publisher=Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press |doi=10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.J246800 }}</ref>


⚫
Killian got his start playing with Charlie Turner's Arcadians (mid-1930s) and went on to play with big bands led by Baron Lee, [[Teddy Hill]], [[Don Redman]], and [[Claude Hopkins]].<ref name="Grove" /> In the early to mid-1940s, he swapped between bands led by [[Count Basie]] and [[Charlie Barnet]], as well as being with [[Lionel Hampton]] for period in 1945.<ref name="Grove" /> Killian appeared on film several times,<ref name="Grove" /> but also attracted attention for a racist incident in which he was not part of a film recording.<ref name="Monson">{{cite book |last=Monson |first=Ingrid |title=Freedom Sounds: Civil Rights Call Out to Jazz and Africa |year=2007 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-512825-3 |page=33 }}</ref> In this, Killian and bandmate [[Paul Webster (jazz)|Paul Webster]], both African Americans, participated in the audio recording of [[Charlie Barnet]]'s orchestra for [[Monogram Pictures]]'s ''[[Freddie Steps Out]]'', but executives ordered that the subsequent filming of the band be done without them.<ref name="Monson" />
==Later life and career==
⚫
Killian got his start playing with Charlie Turner's Arcadians (mid-1930s) and went on to play with big bands led by Baron Lee, [[Teddy Hill]], [[Don Redman]], and [[Claude Hopkins]].<ref name="Grove" /> In the early to mid-1940s he swapped between bands led by [[Count Basie]] and [[Charlie Barnet]], as well as being with [[Lionel Hampton]] for part of1945.<ref name="Grove" /> Killian appeared on film several times,<ref name="Grove" /> but also attracted attention for a racist incident in which he was not part of a film recording.<ref name="Monson">{{cite book |last=Monson |first=Ingrid |title=Freedom Sounds: Civil Rights Call Out to Jazz and Africa |year=2007 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-512825-3 |page=33 |ref=harv}}</ref> In this, Killian and bandmate [[Paul Webster (jazz)|Paul Webster]], both African Americans, participated in the audio recording of [[Charlie Barnet]]'s orchestra for [[Monogram Pictures]]'s ''[[Freddie Steps Out]]'', but executives ordered that the subsequent filming of the band be done without them.<ref name="Monson" />


In 1946 Killian played with [[Norman Granz]]'s [[Jazz at the Philharmonic]] concert series.<ref name="Grove" /> An interest in [[bebop]] led to Killian forming his own band to play the new music in 1947, but this was short-lived.<ref name="Grove" /> Following this he briefly toured with bands led by [[Earle Spencer]] and [[Boyd Raeburn]], before landing a spot in [[Duke Ellington]]'s band, with which he toured and recorded from 1947 to 1950.<ref name="Grove" /> On September 5 of the year that he left Ellington, Killian was murdered in his Los Angeles home by "a psychopathic landlord".<ref name="Spencer">{{cite book |last=Spencer |first=Frederick J. |title=Jazz and Death: Medical Profiles of Jazz Greats |year=2002 |publisher=University Press of Mississippi |isbn=978-1-57806-453-3 |chapter=Homicide |ref=harv |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/jazzdeathmedical00spen }}</ref>
In 1946, Killian played with [[Norman Granz]]'s [[Jazz at the Philharmonic]] concert series.<ref name="Grove" /> An interest in [[bebop]] led to Killian forming his own band to play the new music in 1947, but this was short-lived.<ref name="Grove" /> Following this he briefly toured with bands led by [[Earle Spencer]] and [[Boyd Raeburn]], before landing a spot in [[Duke Ellington]]'s band, with which he toured and recorded from 1947 to 1950.<ref name="Grove" /> On September 5 of the year that he left Ellington, Killian was murdered in his Los Angeles home by "a psychopathic landlord".<ref name="Spencer">{{cite book |last=Spencer |first=Frederick J. |title=Jazz and Death: Medical Profiles of Jazz Greats |year=2002 |publisher=University Press of Mississippi |isbn=978-1-57806-453-3 |chapter=Homicide |chapter-url-access=registration |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/jazzdeathmedical00spen |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/jazzdeathmedical00spen }}</ref>


[[Gunther Schuller]] later wrote:<blockquote>Killian was without a doubt the greatest of the Late-Swing-Era high-note lead trumpeters. Not necessarily an outstanding jazz soloist, Killian specialized in stratospheric trumpeting which was totally consistent and often defied belief. His death in Los Angeles at the hands of a crazed landlord in 1950 was a stunning loss to jazz.<ref>Schuller, Gunther (1989) ''The Swing Era: The Development of Jazz, 1930–1945,'' [[Oxford University Press]] {{ISBN|019504312X}}; {{ISBN|9780195043129}}; {{ISBN|0195071409}}; {{ISBN|9780195071405}}</ref></blockquote>
[[Gunther Schuller]] wrote in ''The Swing Era'' (1989):<blockquote>Killian was without a doubt the greatest of the Late-Swing-Era high-note lead trumpeters. Not necessarily an outstanding jazz soloist, Killian specialized in stratospheric trumpeting which was totally consistent and often defied belief. His death in Los Angeles at the hands of a crazed landlord in 1950 was a stunning loss to jazz.<ref>Schuller, Gunther (1989) ''The Swing Era: The Development of Jazz, 1930–1945,'' [[Oxford University Press]] {{ISBN|019504312X}}; {{ISBN|9780195043129}}; {{ISBN|0195071409}}; {{ISBN|9780195071405}}</ref></blockquote>


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{reflist}}


==External links==
==External links==
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[[Category:American male trumpeters]]
[[Category:American male trumpeters]]
[[Category:Duke Ellington Orchestra members]]
[[Category:Duke Ellington Orchestra members]]
[[Category:Murdered entertainers]]
[[Category:20th-century American musicians]]
[[Category:20th-century American musicians]]
[[Category:Male jazz musicians]]
[[Category:American male jazz musicians]]
[[Category:Earle Spencer Orchestra members]]
[[Category:Earle Spencer Orchestra members]]
[[Category:20th-century American male musicians]]

Latest revision as of 06:39, 17 August 2022

Al Killian
Born(1916-10-15)October 15, 1916
Birmingham, Alabama, United States
DiedSeptember 5, 1950(1950-09-05) (aged 33)
Los Angeles, California, United States
GenresBig band, jump blues, East Coast blues
InstrumentTrumpet
Years active1930s–1950

Albert Killian (October 15, 1916 – September 5, 1950) was an American jazz trumpeter and occasional bandleader during the big band era.

Early life and career

[edit]

Killian was born in Birmingham, Alabama, on October 15, 1916.[1]

Killian got his start playing with Charlie Turner's Arcadians (mid-1930s) and went on to play with big bands led by Baron Lee, Teddy Hill, Don Redman, and Claude Hopkins.[1] In the early to mid-1940s, he swapped between bands led by Count Basie and Charlie Barnet, as well as being with Lionel Hampton for period in 1945.[1] Killian appeared on film several times,[1] but also attracted attention for a racist incident in which he was not part of a film recording.[2] In this, Killian and bandmate Paul Webster, both African Americans, participated in the audio recording of Charlie Barnet's orchestra for Monogram Pictures's Freddie Steps Out, but executives ordered that the subsequent filming of the band be done without them.[2]

In 1946, Killian played with Norman Granz's Jazz at the Philharmonic concert series.[1] An interest in bebop led to Killian forming his own band to play the new music in 1947, but this was short-lived.[1] Following this he briefly toured with bands led by Earle Spencer and Boyd Raeburn, before landing a spot in Duke Ellington's band, with which he toured and recorded from 1947 to 1950.[1] On September 5 of the year that he left Ellington, Killian was murdered in his Los Angeles home by "a psychopathic landlord".[3]

Gunther Schuller wrote in The Swing Era (1989):

Killian was without a doubt the greatest of the Late-Swing-Era high-note lead trumpeters. Not necessarily an outstanding jazz soloist, Killian specialized in stratospheric trumpeting which was totally consistent and often defied belief. His death in Los Angeles at the hands of a crazed landlord in 1950 was a stunning loss to jazz.[4]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g Sheridan, Chris (2003), Killian, Al(bert), Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press, doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.J246800
  2. ^ a b Monson, Ingrid (2007). Freedom Sounds: Civil Rights Call Out to Jazz and Africa. Oxford University Press. p. 33. ISBN 978-0-19-512825-3.
  3. ^ Spencer, Frederick J. (2002). "Homicide". Jazz and Death: Medical Profiles of Jazz Greats. University Press of Mississippi. ISBN 978-1-57806-453-3.
  4. ^ Schuller, Gunther (1989) The Swing Era: The Development of Jazz, 1930–1945, Oxford University Press ISBN 019504312X; ISBN 9780195043129; ISBN 0195071409; ISBN 9780195071405
[edit]
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