Pee Wee Erwin
Pee Wee Erwin | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | George Erwin |
| Born | May 30, 1913 Falls City, Nebraska, U.S. |
| Died | June 20, 1981 (aged 68) Teaneck, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Genres | Swing, Big band |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Trumpet |
George "Pee Wee" Erwin (May 30, 1913 – June 20, 1981),[1] was an American jazz trumpeter.
Biography[]
He was born in Falls City, Nebraska, United States.[1] Erwin started on trumpet at age four. He played in several territory bands before joining the groups of Joe Haymes (1931–33) and Isham Jones (1933–34).[1] He then moved to New York City, where he was prolific as a studio musician, performing on radio and in recording sessions. He played with Benny Goodman in 1934-35, then with Ray Noble in 1935; the next year he joined Goodman again, taking Bunny Berigan's empty chair.[1] In 1937, he again followed Berigan, this time in Tommy Dorsey's orchestra, where he remained until 1939.[1]
Erwin led his own big band in 1941-42 and 1946. In the 1950s he settled in New Milford, New Jersey, and played Dixieland jazz in New Orleans, and in the 1960s formed his own trumpet school with Chris Griffin; among its graduates was Warren Vaché.[1] Erwin played up until the year of his death, recording as a leader for United Artists in the 1950s and issuing six albums in 1980 and 1981, the last two years of his life.[2][3]
In May 1981, Erwin performed at the Breda Jazz Festival in the Netherlands, weeks before his death in Teaneck, New Jersey, at the age of 68.[1]
Discography[]
- (1953) The Land of Dixie
- (1955) Accent on Dixieland
- (1956) Dixieland at Grandview Inn
- (1958) Oh, Play That Thing!
- (1960) Down by the Riverside
- (1965) Pee Wee Erwin and His Dixieland Band
- (1980) Pee Wee in New York
- (1980) Swingin' That Music
- (1980) Pee Wee in Hollywood
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 800/1. ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
- ^ [1][dead link]
- ^ Scott Yanow, Pee Wee Erwin at AllMusic
Further reading[]
- Erwin, P. W. (1987) This Horn for Hire. The Scarecrow Press, Inc., ISBN 9780810819450
External links[]
- Pee Wee Erwin: Complete Fifties Recordings. A complete listing on the Worlds Records website.
| hide Authority control  | |
|---|---|
| General |
|
| National libraries | |
| Other | |
- 1913 births
- 1981 deaths
- American jazz trumpeters
- American male trumpeters
- People from New Milford, New Jersey
- 20th-century American musicians
- 20th-century trumpeters
- People from Falls City, Nebraska
- Jazz musicians from Nebraska
- 20th-century American male musicians
- American male jazz musicians