Sharkey Bonano
b. 9 April c.1902, Milneburg, Louisiana, USA, d. 27 March 1972. A powerful, hot trumpeter, Bonano played in and around his home town as a teenager. In 1920 he went to New York to work with Eddie Edwards but was soon back home playing with various lesser-known New Orleans bands, including Norman Brownlee's with whom he made his first recordings in 1925. During this same period he made sporadic attempts to enter the big time, auditioning for the Wolverines and working with the band led by Jimmy Durante (before the pianist turned comic). In 1927, Bonano was briefly with Jean Goldkette and also worked with Larry Shields in Los Angeles. In the late '20s Bonano temporarily stopped striving for the national big time and settled instead for being a popular figure in New Orleans where he led his own band. He also worked in harness with Louis Prima's brother, Leon. In 1936 he tried New York again, this time with much more success, working with Ben Pollack and also leading his own band. The Revival movement helped Bonano retain his popularity and he worked throughout the '40s and into the '50s sometimes leading a band, often appearing as a solo act, singing and playing trumpet. Bonano's playing was variable but on a good day he was an exciting, aggressive and thoroughly entertaining player. Fortunately, some of his best work was captured on recording dates especially those of the early '50s. Bonano played into the '60s, but ill health gradually curtailed his activity and he died in 1972.