Bill Coleman

William Johnson Coleman (August 4, 1904 in Paris, Kentucky, United States – August 24, 1981 in Toulouse, France) was an American jazz trumpeter.

Early life In 1909, Coleman's family moved from Kentucky to Cincinnati. His first musical explorations were on clarinet and C melody saxophone, but he eventually settled on trumpet.

He rejoined the Scott brothers (then known as Cecil Scott's Bright Boys) in late 1929, then back to Paris in April 1937, joining the band led by American-born saxophonist William T. Lewis (the band known as Willie Lewis and his Entertainers). Like many American musicians, he felt he received the recognition he deserved from European audiences, and during the decades he lived in France he traveled and performed in clubs and concert venues all over Europe. In 1978, he performed at the first Jazz in Marciac festival (along with tenor saxophonist Guy Lafitte), later becoming an honorary president of the festival organization.

In 1974, he received the Ordre National du Mérite. His autobiography, called Trumpet Story and translated into French by his wife, Lily, was published in 1981 (Cana éditions). The English version was published in 1989 by Palgrave-Macmillan, UK. Another version, including many original photographs, was published by Mémoires d'Oc éditions in 2004, and entitled De Paris (Kentucky) à Paris (France), ma trompette sous le bras (From Paris (Kentucky) to Paris (France), with my trumpet under my arm).

Playing style From his first solo on record with the Luis Russell Orchestra, Coleman's playing exhibited a lighter sound more akin to Jabbo Smith than Louis Armstrong, yet his phrasing is more in the Armstrong vein than that of Smith. In many respects his playing was stylistically related to the playing by other swing era trumpeters such as Roy Eldridge and Buck Clayton.

Discography From Boogie to Funk (Brunswick, 1960) Jazz Pour Dieu (Unidisc, 1966) Sings and Plays 12 Negro Spirituals (Concert Hall, 1968) Together at Last (Pathe, 1969) Three Generation Jam (77 Records, 1969) Bill and the Boys (Concert Hall, 1972) Swingin' in London (Black Lion, 1972) Bill Coleman in Milan with Lino Patruno and Friends (Durium, 1973) Mainstream at Montreux (Black Lion, 1973) Cave's Blues (Jazzmosphere 1979) Really I Do (Black & Blue, 1982) Swinging in Switzerland (Black and Blue, 1983) Blowing for the Cats (DRG, 1980) In Paris (Affinity 1991) The Complete Philips Recordings (Gitanes/Universal, 2006)