Bubber Miley
b. James Wesley Miley, 3 April 1903, Aiken, South Carolina, USA, d. 20 May 1932. By his late teens, trumpeter Miley was working extensively in clubs in Chicago and New York and was on the road with Mamie Smith. In 1923, he became a member of Elmer Snowden's band, staying on when Duke Ellington took over as leader. His heavy drinking made him unreliable and erratic, and he left the band in 1929, touring Europe that year with Noble Sissle. He briefly led his own band but was stricken with tuberculosis and died in May 1932. As a formative member of Ellington's orchestra, Miley's influence remained long after his departure. His dramatic use of the plunger mute, together with growls and other unusual sounds, helped to create many of the so-called ‘jungle’ effects which became an integral part of Ellington's music.