James Melvin Lunceford aka Jimmie Lunceford; leader, saxophone, arranger; born in Fulton MS on the 6th of June 1902, died on the 12th of July 1947, while on tour in Seaside, Oregon. Jimmie Lunceford will long be remembered as the leader of a powerful, swinging big band that rivaled on record, and exceeded in person, the orchestras of Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman and Count Basie. His band differed from many of the other big bands of the 1930s and 1940s in that Lunceford's group was noted less for its soloists (although they boasted several outstanding ones) than for its incomparable sax section and sterling ensemble work. Additionally, most bands of the period used a four-beat rhythm while the Lunceford orchestra also developed and added, a distinctive two-beat swing, often played at medium, eminently danceable tempos. ...show more

James Melvin Lunceford aka Jimmie Lunceford; leader, saxophone, arranger; born in Fulton MS on the 6th of June 1902, died on the 12th of July 1947, while on tour in Seaside, Oregon. Jimmie Lunceford will long be remembered as the leader of a powerful, swinging big band that rivaled on record, and exceeded in person, the orchestras of Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman and Count Basie. His band differed from many of the other big bands of the 1930s and 1940s in that Lunceford's group was noted less for its soloists (although they boasted several outstanding ones) than for its incomparable sax section and sterling ensemble work. Additionally, most bands of the period used a four-beat rhythm while the Lunceford orchestra also developed and added, a distinctive two-beat swing, often played at medium, eminently danceable tempos.

Finally, they pioneered (as an ensemble) playing slightly "behind the beat" which imparted a truly compelling drive to their outstanding arrangements -and proved irresistible to the dancers. Altogether, these components produced a unique sound that became known during the Swing Era as the "Lunceford beat". Jimmie Lunceford recruited the nucleus of his band while an athletic and music instructor at Manassas High School in Memphis, Tennessee. It was here, in 1927, that he organized a student jazz band called the Chickasaw Syncopators.

By 1933, after five often despairing years of scuffling, trumpeter, vocalist and most importantly, arranger Sy Oliver joined the band - and they were now poised for greatness. The final, key element to the success equation was white manager Harold Oxley who'd partnered with Lunceford late in 1932. In January, 1934, through Oxley's relentless efforts (Lunceford was his sole client) and the orchestra's undeniable talent, they secured an all important long-term booking at NYC's already legendary Cotton Club, which included nightly coast-to-coast radio broadcasts. Further propelled by popular, new RCA victor recordings (switching to Decca that Summer) - by 1935 Jimmie Lunceford's Orchestra had achieved a national reputation and earned the enduring nickname: the "Harlem Express". ...show less