James Tim Brymn
Encyclopedia
James "Tim" Brymn, born in Kinston, North Carolina
on October 5, 1881 and died in New York City
on October 3, 1946, was a jazz
musician in the early 1900s from Kinston, North Carolina
.
He was a conductor
, arranger, composer
, and pianist
. He generally performed the northeastern hot style jazz. In 1905, Brymn wrote five songs that were used in the Smart Set shows. They were "Morning Noon and Night", "O-San", "Powhatana", "Travel On", and "Darktown Grenadiers". Later in his musical career, he was a musical director for James Reese Europe
's Clef Club
and the broadway show Liza, and also led orchestras at Ziegfeld's Roof Garden and Reisenweber's Jardin de Dance.
He studied at Christian Institute
and Shaw University
and received his musical education at the National Conservatory of Music
. By 1920, Tim Brymn had a 70 piece orchestra
, called The Black Devils aka The Overseas Jazz Sensation. The orchestra was the musical group for the 350th Artillery Regiment, AEF in World War I
. In 1933, he joined ASCAP. Brymn's band was known as "a military symphony engaged in a battle of jazz."
Kinston, North Carolina
Kinston is a city in Lenoir County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 23,688 at the 2000 census. The population was estimated at 22,360 in 2008. It has been the county seat of Lenoir County since its formation in 1791 . Kinston is located in North Carolina's Inner Banks...
on October 5, 1881 and died in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
on October 3, 1946, was a jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
musician in the early 1900s from Kinston, North Carolina
Kinston, North Carolina
Kinston is a city in Lenoir County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 23,688 at the 2000 census. The population was estimated at 22,360 in 2008. It has been the county seat of Lenoir County since its formation in 1791 . Kinston is located in North Carolina's Inner Banks...
.
He was a conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
, arranger, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, and pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
. He generally performed the northeastern hot style jazz. In 1905, Brymn wrote five songs that were used in the Smart Set shows. They were "Morning Noon and Night", "O-San", "Powhatana", "Travel On", and "Darktown Grenadiers". Later in his musical career, he was a musical director for James Reese Europe
James Reese Europe
James Reese Europe was an American ragtime and early jazz bandleader, arranger, and composer. He was the leading figure on the African American music scene of New York City in the 1910s.-Biography:...
's Clef Club
Clef Club
The Clef Club was a popular entertainment venue and society for African American musicians in Harlem, achieving its largest success in the 1910s. Incorporated by James Reese Europe in 1910, it was a combination musicians' hangout, fraternity club, labor exchange, and concert hall, across the street...
and the broadway show Liza, and also led orchestras at Ziegfeld's Roof Garden and Reisenweber's Jardin de Dance.
He studied at Christian Institute
Christian Institute
The Christian Institute is a British evangelical Christian pressure group. The CI promotes a Conservative Christian viewpoint, founded on the belief that the Bible is inerrant and should be the authority on all of life...
and Shaw University
Shaw University
Shaw University, founded as Raleigh Institute, is a private liberal arts institution and historically black university in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1865, it is the oldest HBCU in the Southern United States....
and received his musical education at the National Conservatory of Music
National Conservatory of Music
National Conservatory of Music may refer to:* CNSM de Lyon, in Lyon, France* National Conservatory of Music * National Conservatory of Music of America, a school founded by Jeannette Thurber in New York City in 1885...
. By 1920, Tim Brymn had a 70 piece orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
, called The Black Devils aka The Overseas Jazz Sensation. The orchestra was the musical group for the 350th Artillery Regiment, AEF in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. In 1933, he joined ASCAP. Brymn's band was known as "a military symphony engaged in a battle of jazz."
External links
- Jass.com: James "Tim" Brymn at www.jass.com
- Tim Brymn and his Black Devil Orchestra at www.redhotjazz.com
- http://www.ibdb.com/person.asp?ID=414280