Alma Julia Hightower
Encyclopedia
Alma Julia Hightower was an African American
vocalist, musician and music teacher. She was born Alma Julia Webster on November 27, 1888 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
and died August 1, 1970 in Los Angeles
at the age of 82. She taught hundreds of children and adults. Many became outstanding performers like Clarence McDonald
Hightower was known as Aunt Alma to her many nieces and nephews, “Bamma” to the three children (Clifford Allan, Walter Michael and Deborah Juliana) of her adopted daughter Minnie Moore Hightower; and Mrs. Hightower to the many students who studied music with her.
in the arts, drama, media and literace projects of the WPA where she taught hundreds of young people to act, dance, sing and play musical instruments at the Ross Snyder Recreation Center.
The WPA was a large and ambitious New Deal agency which employed millions to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads. It fed children and distributed food, clothing, and housing. Almost every community in the United States had a park, bridge or school constructed by the agency, which especially benefited rural and Western populations.
The budget at the outset of the WPA in 1935 was 1.4 billion dollars. There were an estimated 10 million unemployed persons at the time and the WPA provided work for three million of them. Expenditures from 1936 to 1939 totaled nearly $7 billion and by 1943, the total amount spent was more than $11 billion.
She taught thousands of children and adults from the early 1920s to the mid 1960s. On November 30, 2007, Alma was one of 32 entertainers honored at the Community Build Park in Los Angeles.
In 1947, Minnie played in an all-girl band that opened the Flaingo Hotel in Las Vegas.
The group was called The Four Queens and included Elyse Blye on piano, Doris Jarrett on bass, Minnie on alto sax and Clora Bryant on Trumpet.
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
vocalist, musician and music teacher. She was born Alma Julia Webster on November 27, 1888 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
and died August 1, 1970 in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
at the age of 82. She taught hundreds of children and adults. Many became outstanding performers like Clarence McDonald
Family
Alma had at least four siblings, three brothers and a sister. Circa 1927 Alma adopted the young daughter (Minnie Alma) of a Louisiana friend and had a very large extended family of the children of her siblings. Alma's nephews and nieces include Alton Redd, Daniel Webster, Geraldine and Fred Thompson, Hazel Stanislaus, Vivian Carrington, Dorothy Lawson and Allen Webster. Alma was married briefly to a man named Hightower.Hightower was known as Aunt Alma to her many nieces and nephews, “Bamma” to the three children (Clifford Allan, Walter Michael and Deborah Juliana) of her adopted daughter Minnie Moore Hightower; and Mrs. Hightower to the many students who studied music with her.
From Louisiana to California
Alma moved to Los Angeles in the 1920s, first living with her nephew Alton Redd in Los Angeles. She later moved to a rented house at 1553½ East 33rd Street in Los Angeles for a number of years and began her illustrious career as a musician, composer, band leader and music teacher mostly at her Hightower Music Studio and Conservatory in Los Angeles, California on Vernon Avenue between Mettler Street and Towne Avenue.The WPA
During the years of the Work Projects Administration (WPA/1936–1943) she participatedin the arts, drama, media and literace projects of the WPA where she taught hundreds of young people to act, dance, sing and play musical instruments at the Ross Snyder Recreation Center.
The WPA was a large and ambitious New Deal agency which employed millions to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads. It fed children and distributed food, clothing, and housing. Almost every community in the United States had a park, bridge or school constructed by the agency, which especially benefited rural and Western populations.
The budget at the outset of the WPA in 1935 was 1.4 billion dollars. There were an estimated 10 million unemployed persons at the time and the WPA provided work for three million of them. Expenditures from 1936 to 1939 totaled nearly $7 billion and by 1943, the total amount spent was more than $11 billion.
Music studio on Vernon Avenue
Alma purchased a half acre of property at 466 East Vernon Avenue on July 14, 1943, where she had rental apartments and a Music Studio Conservatory constructed from a four car garage.She taught thousands of children and adults from the early 1920s to the mid 1960s. On November 30, 2007, Alma was one of 32 entertainers honored at the Community Build Park in Los Angeles.
Notable students
Many of Hightower's students became renowned musicians such as:- Chico HamiltonChico HamiltonChico Hamilton , is an American jazz drummer and bandleader.-Early life through 1960s:Hamilton was born in Los Angeles, California. He had a fast-track musical education in a band with Charles Mingus, Illinois Jacquet, Ernie Royal, Dexter Gordon, Buddy Collette and Jack Kelso...
, percussions - Charles MingusCharles MingusCharles Mingus Jr. was an American jazz musician, composer, bandleader, and civil rights activist.Mingus's compositions retained the hot and soulful feel of hard bop and drew heavily from black gospel music while sometimes drawing on elements of Third stream, free jazz, and classical music...
, bassist, composer and band leader - Illinois JacquetIllinois JacquetJean-Baptiste Illinois Jacquet was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, best remembered for his solo on "Flying Home", critically recognized as the first R&B saxophone solo....
, woodwinds - Ernie RoyalErnie RoyalErnest Andrew Royal was a jazz trumpeter.His older brother was clarinetist and alto saxophonist Marshal Royal, with whom he appears on the classic Ray Charles big band recording The Genius of Ray Charles .He began in Los Angeles as a member of Les Hite's Orchestra in 1937...
, guitar and trumpet - Buddy ColletteBuddy ColletteWilliam Marcel "Buddy" Collette was an American tenor saxophonist, flautist, and clarinetist. He was highly influential in the West coast jazz and West Coast blues mediums, also collaborating with saxophonist Dexter Gordon, drummer Chico Hamilton, and his lifelong friend, bassist Charles...
, woodwinds - Dexter GordonDexter GordonDexter Gordon was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and an Academy Award-nominated actor . He is regarded as one of the first and most important musicians to adapt the bebop musical language of people like Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Bud Powell to the tenor saxophone...
, tenor saxophone - Sonny StittSonny StittEdward "Sonny" Stitt was an American jazz saxophonist of the bebop/hard bop idiom. He was also one of the best-documented saxophonists of his generation, recording over 100 albums in his lifetime...
, tenor saxophone
In 1947, Minnie played in an all-girl band that opened the Flaingo Hotel in Las Vegas.
The group was called The Four Queens and included Elyse Blye on piano, Doris Jarrett on bass, Minnie on alto sax and Clora Bryant on Trumpet.
- Melba ListonMelba ListonMelba Doretta Liston was an American jazz musician . Her collaborations with pianist/composer Randy Weston, beginning in the early 1960s, are widely acknowledged as jazz classics.-Life and career:Liston was born in Kansas City, Missouri...
, trombone - Big Jay McNeelyBig Jay McNeelyBig Jay McNeely is an American rhythm and blues saxophonist.-Biography:...
, tenor saxophone - Clora BryantClora BryantClora Bryant is a jazz "Trumpetiste".She started in music as a singer in her Baptist church, but took up the trumpet after her brother, Frederick Bryant, born March 21, 1918 who currently resides in Lawton, Oklahoma, left it on going to the Army in 1941...
, trumpet - Vi ReddVi ReddVi Redd is an American jazz alto saxophone player, vocalist and educator. She has been active since the early 1950s and is known primarily for playing in the bebop, hard bop and post bop styles...
, alto saxophone - Roy AyersRoy AyersRoy Ayers is an American funk, soul, and jazz composer and vibraphone player. Ayers began his career as a post-bop jazz artist, releasing several albums with Atlantic Records, before his tenure at Polydor Records beginning in the 1970s, during which he helped pioneer jazz-funk .- Biography :Ayers...
, xylaphone, percussions - Clarence McDonaldClarence McDonaldClarence "Mac" McDonald is a Los Angeles based pianist, composer, arranger, and producer. He is a co-writer/co-publisher of the #1 Billboard and Grammy nominated song "Everything To Me" performed by Monica. Most recently McDonald performed on the all-star benefit album entitled Jazz For Japan...
. McDonald is an African American keyboard player and record producer.