Jump to content

Earle Howard

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Earle “Nappy” Howard)
Earle Howard
Born(1904-06-03)June 3, 1904
Petersburg, VA
DiedDecember 31, 1978(1978-12-31) (aged 74)
Modena, Italy
GenresJazz
OccupationsMusician and bandleader
Instruments
  • Guitar
  • piano

Earle "Nappy" Howard (June 3, 1904 – December 31, 1978) was an American jazz pianist,[1] bandleader,[1] guitarist, and vocalist.

Career

[edit]

Howard was raised in New York City and went to the same high school as Fats Waller.[2] He belonged to a youth band that included Benny Carter, Charlie Irvis, and Benny Morton.[2]

He led bands in the 1920s, including one with Geechie Fields and Johnny Russell (c. 1926–1927),[1] and later performed at Strand Danceland, New York, with a band that included saxophonists Fernando Arbello and Pete Brown (autumn 1928 – spring 1929),[1] before accompanying Bill Benford[2] (spring 1929 – spring 1930).[1]

In 1930, he led a big band in Boston,[1] and spent the next decade as a musical director and performing in clubs in New York, with residencies at the Saratoga Club, the Savoy Ballroom[1] and in the Blackbirds revue, played with Leon Abbey, and toured in South America.[2] He moved to Europe in the 1950s.[2]

Discography

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g Kennedy, Gary W.; Howard Rye. "Howard, Earle “Nappy”." Grove Music Online. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e Chadbourne, Eugene. "Howard, Earle". AllMusic. Retrieved 9 June 2020.