Hidden Figures: Dolly Jones (Patreon)

Hidden Figures: Dolly Jones

Dolly Jones (born 27 November 1902, Chicago, Illinois and died August 1975, Bronx, New York City), also known as Doli Armenra and Dolly Hutchinson, was the first female jazz trumpeter to be recorded. In Chicago in the early 30s she performed in Irene Eadey’s band and with Lillian Armstrong’s Harlem Harlicans. Jones also played in a trio with saxophonist George James and in Eddie Durham’s All-Star Girl Orchestra. She made only one record ‘Creole Blues,’ and there is also video is from an appearance she made in the 1938 Oscar Micheaux film, Swing, playing "I May Be Wrong.” Her mother, Dyer Jones, was also a noted jazz trumpeter, whom Dolly watched in order to self-teach herself to play trumpet. Dyer Jones began playing pre-Louis Armstrong, and taught many influential jazz musicians, including Valaida Snow. Dolly’s father played saxophone, and with her mother and father, she was part of the Jones Family Band, which worked with Josephine Baker in 1919. In the early 1920s, Dolly Jones formed a trio in Kansas City called the Three Classy Misses, and she then toured as a trombonist in the bands of Ma Rainey in the Grand Theater in Chicago. She toured with Ida Cox in 1928 and with Lil Hardin Armstrong's Harlem Harlicans in the early 1930s. The band performed in the Lafayette Theater and Apollo Theater in New York City and Chicago's Regal Theater. In 1932, she formed her own band the Twelve Spirits of Rhythm. In New York City, she was part of a 15-member multiracial band called the Disciples of Swing, where she was the only woman player. This band was billed as "seven whites, seven colored, and Dolly". Jones was the first trumpet player to recorded a jazz record when she was involved in two recording sessions: in 1926, Albert Wynn's Gut Bucket Five (including with Barney Bigard) and 1941 in the Stuff Smith Sextet. She played Miss Watkins, "a little girl from Birmingham”, a trumpeter in Oscar Michaux's 1936 musical film Swing!. She was credited as "Doli Armena". She has no speaking role in the film, but she makes several cameo performances as a trumpeter, playing the songs "I May Be Wrong (But I Think You're Wonderful)" and "China Boy". She also appeared as an extra in Michaux's 1938 movie God's Step Children. She continued to play into the seventies with Eddie Barefield. ****************** Merchandise! MAKE SURE U GETTA SHIRT!! https://www.teepublic.com/user/sssseren Follow me on social media! Instagram: @sensei_aishitemasu Personal Tumblr: http://sensei-aishitemasu.tumblr.com Tumblr for my work: https://sssseren.tumblr.com Snapchat: sssseren GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/tc5wh7q Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/seren_sensei ****************** Did you know I wrote a book? ☺️ 'So, About That... A Year of Contemporary Essays on Race and Pop Culture' Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/About-That-Contemporary-Essays-Culture-ebook/dp/B013V0CHK6 Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B013V0CHK6 Digital download (e-book): https://gumroad.com/l/IkUa ****************** Links: Dolly Jones (trumpet) - "I May Be Wrong" (1938) (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEu9XN-pZ2c born Nov. 27, 1902 Dolly Jones "I May Be Wrong" (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1M2JZZIdRs https://www.instagram.com/p/BwZns7GjdTQ/ 'A Girl Trumpet Player - The Importance of Role Models:' http://susanohalloran.com/2019/03/05/a-girl-trumpet-player/ 'WOMEN IN JAZZ - 10 LADIES WHO CHANGED MUSIC FOREVER:' http://projectrevolver.org/features/articles/women-jazz-10-ladies-changed-music-forever/ Dolly Jones: https://www.allmusic.com/artist/dolly-jones-mn0001009002/biography Black Women in American Bands and Orchestras: https://books.google.com/books?id=-cJHuaH5M5oC&pg=PA166#v=onepage&q&f=false Dolly Jones (trumpeter) (Wikipedia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolly_Jones_(trumpeter)