William Frank Newton
Encyclopedia
William Frank Newton (January 4, 1906 – March 11, 1954) was a trumpeter from Emory
, Virginia
. He played in several New York bands in the 1920s and 1930s, including bands led by Sam Wooding
, Chick Webb
, Charlie Barnet
, Andy Kirk
and Charlie "Fess" Johnson
. In the 1940s he played with bands led by Lucky Millinder
and Pete Brown. He played in clubs in New York and Boston, with musicians such as pianist James P. Johnson
, drummer Sid Catlett
and clarinetist Edmond Hall
.
He accompanied Bessie Smith
on her final recordings (November 24, 1933), Maxine Sullivan
on 'Loch Lomond
', and Billie Holiday
's 'Strange Fruit
' session (Café Society
, 1939).
Between March, 1937 and August, 1939, eight recording sessions issued under Newton's name were produced. Three sessions in 1937 were made for Irving Mills
's Variety label. In 1939, Newton recorded a six song sessions with Victor
, a four song session for Vocalion
, two individual one song sessions for Blue Note
, and finally one 2 song session for Vocalion
. 14 records in all.
criticism for the New Statesman
under the pen name "Francis Newton".)
Emory
Emory may refer to:-Geography:* Emory Caldera* Emory Creek Provincial Park* Emory Peak* Emory River* Little Emory River-Schools:* Emory and Henry College, a liberal arts college in Emory, Virginia, USA...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. He played in several New York bands in the 1920s and 1930s, including bands led by Sam Wooding
Sam Wooding
Sam Wooding was an expatriate American jazz pianist, arranger and bandleader living and performing in Europe and the United States.Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he led several big bands in the United States and abroad...
, Chick Webb
Chick Webb
William Henry Webb, usually known as Chick Webb was an American jazz and swing music drummer as well as a band leader.-Biography:...
, Charlie Barnet
Charlie Barnet
Charles Daly Barnet was an American jazz saxophonist, composer, and bandleader.His major recordings were "Skyliner", "Cherokee", "The Wrong Idea", "Scotch and Soda", "In a Mizz", and "Southland Shuffle".-Early life:...
, Andy Kirk
Andy Kirk
Andrew Dewey Kirk was a jazz saxophonist and tubist best known as a bandleader of the "Twelve Clouds of Joy," popular during the swing era....
and Charlie "Fess" Johnson
Charlie Johnson (bandleader)
Charlie "Fess" Johnson was an American jazz bandleader and pianist.Johnson led an ensemble called the Paradise Ten, who played at Small's Paradise from 1925–1935 and recorded five times between 1925 and 1929. Though Johnson was a capable pianist, he rarely soloed on his recordings...
. In the 1940s he played with bands led by Lucky Millinder
Lucky Millinder
Lucius Venable "Lucky" Millinder was an American rhythm and blues and swing bandleader. Although he could not read or write music, did not play an instrument and rarely sang, his showmanship and musical taste made his bands successful...
and Pete Brown. He played in clubs in New York and Boston, with musicians such as pianist James P. Johnson
James P. Johnson
James P. Johnson was an American pianist and composer...
, drummer Sid Catlett
Sid Catlett
Sidney Catlett , was a swinging jazz drummer often referred to as "Big Sid Catlett" because of his large frame.-Biography:...
and clarinetist Edmond Hall
Edmond Hall
Edmond Hall was an American jazz clarinetist and bandleader. His father Edward Blainey Hall and mother Caroline Duhe had eight children, Priscilla , Moretta , Viola , Robert , Edmond , Clarence , Edward and Herbert .-Early life:Born in Reserve, Louisiana, about...
.
He accompanied Bessie Smith
Bessie Smith
Bessie Smith was an American blues singer.Sometimes referred to as The Empress of the Blues, Smith was the most popular female blues singer of the 1920s and 1930s...
on her final recordings (November 24, 1933), Maxine Sullivan
Maxine Sullivan
Maxine Sullivan , born Marietta Williams, was an American blues and jazz singer.She was born in Homestead, Pennsylvania, and married jazz musician John Kirby in 1938 , and stride pianist Cliff Jackson in 1956...
on 'Loch Lomond
The Bonnie Banks O' Loch Lomond
"The Bonnie Banks o' Loch Lomond", or simply "Loch Lomond" for short, is a well-known traditional Scottish song . It was first published in 1841 in Vocal Melodies of Scotland....
', and Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday was an American jazz singer and songwriter. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and musical partner Lester Young, Holiday had a seminal influence on jazz and pop singing...
's 'Strange Fruit
Strange Fruit
"Strange Fruit" is a song performed most famously by Billie Holiday, who released her first recording of it in 1939, the year she first sang it. Written by the teacher Abel Meeropol as a poem, it exposed American racism, particularly the lynching of African Americans. Such lynchings had occurred...
' session (Café Society
Café Society
Café society was the collective description for the so-called "Beautiful People" and "Bright Young Things" who gathered in fashionable cafes and restaurants in New York, Paris, and London beginning in the late 19th century...
, 1939).
Between March, 1937 and August, 1939, eight recording sessions issued under Newton's name were produced. Three sessions in 1937 were made for Irving Mills
Irving Mills
Irving Mills was a jazz music publisher, also known by the name of "Joe Primrose."Mills was born to Jewish parents in the Lower East Side of Manhattan in New York City. He founded Mills Music with his brother Jack in 1919...
's Variety label. In 1939, Newton recorded a six song sessions with Victor
Bluebird Records
Bluebird Records is a sub-label of RCA Victor Records originally created in 1932 to counter the American Record Company in the "3 records for a dollar" market. Along with ARC's Perfect Records, Melotone Records and Romeo Records, and the independent US Decca label, Bluebird became one of the best...
, a four song session for Vocalion
Vocalion Records
Vocalion Records is a record label active for many years in the United States and in the United Kingdom.-History:Vocalion was founded in 1916 by the Aeolian Piano Company of New York City, which introduced a retail line of phonographs at the same time. The name was derived from one of their...
, two individual one song sessions for Blue Note
Blue Note Records
Blue Note Records is a jazz record label, established in 1939 by Alfred Lion and Max Margulis. Francis Wolff became involved shortly afterwards. It derives its name from the characteristic "blue notes" of jazz and the blues. At the end of the 1950s, and in the early 1960s, Blue Note headquarters...
, and finally one 2 song session for Vocalion
Vocalion Records
Vocalion Records is a record label active for many years in the United States and in the United Kingdom.-History:Vocalion was founded in 1916 by the Aeolian Piano Company of New York City, which introduced a retail line of phonographs at the same time. The name was derived from one of their...
. 14 records in all.
Personal life
Politically, Newton was known to be a communist. (As an homage, historian Eric Hobsbawn has written jazzJazz
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...
criticism for the New Statesman
New Statesman
New Statesman is a British centre-left political and cultural magazine published weekly in London. Founded in 1913, and connected with leading members of the Fabian Society, the magazine reached a circulation peak in the late 1960s....
under the pen name "Francis Newton".)