Harold "Shorty" Baker
b. 26 May 1914, St. Louis, Missouri, USA, d. 8 November 1966, New York, USA. Baker was an accomplished lead trumpet player and jazz soloist. Baker played in his brother's band, Winfield Baker And His St. Louis Crackerjacks, before moving on to work with riverboat bandleader Fate Marable, Eddie Johnson and Erskine Tate in the early '30s. During the late '30s, he had spells with Don Redman, Duke Ellington and Teddy Wilson's big band. In the early '40s, Baker joined Andy Kirkfor about two years before leading his own combo with his wife, pianist-composer-arranger Mary Lou Williams. The '50s and early '60s were spent mostly with Duke Ellington, the Johnny Hodges combo, general freelancing, and leading his own band for a time. He featured on many records, including Trumpet No End, Beale Street Blues and Jam With Sam (all with Duke Ellington), Baby Dear and Harmony Blues (with Mary Lou Williams) and Sweet As Bear Meat (with Johnny Hodges). He was working until shortly before his death from throat cancer in 1966.