James, Elmer (Taylor)

views updated

James, Elmer (Taylor)

James, Elmer (Taylor), jazz bassist, tuba; b. Yonkers, N.Y., 1910; d. N.Y., July 25, 1954. Played tuba in Gene Rodgers’s Revellers in 1928, then with the June Clark Band for a year before joining Chick Webb until December 1932. James switched to string bass, and worked briefly with Benny Carter. He returned to work with Chick Webb, then with Fletcher Henderson in spring 1934. From 1934-36 James played with Lucky Millinder, and Edgar Hayes during 1937-39; he also played in Mezz Mezzrow’s Disciples of Swing in late 1937. In 1940 he worked with Claude Hopkins then left music to become a bread salesman; although, he did gig with the Zutty Singleton Trio in 1942, but he never returned to full-time playing.

—John Chilton/Lewis Porter

About this article

James, Elmer (Taylor)

Updated About encyclopedia.com content Print Article