Jimmy Nottingham
b. 15 December 1925, New York City, New York, USA. After a brief apprenticeship with Cecil Payne, trumpeter Nottingham served in the US Navy, where he was a member of a band directed by Willie Smith. After World War II, he joined Lionel Hampton and during the late '40s also worked in the big bands led by Lucky Millinder and Charlie Barnet. Then he joined Count Basie's Orchestra, where he remained until 1950. In the '50s he played mostly in small groups and was also with bands specializing in Latin-American dance music. From the mid-'50s until the mid-'70s he was a staff musician with CBS Records, but continued to play jazz with artists such as Dizzy Gillespie, Edgar Sampson, Quincy Jones and Benny Goodman. From 1966 until the end of the decade, his Monday evenings were spent at the Village Vanguard as a member of the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis band. A powerful lead trumpeter with a searing high register, Nottingham's skill and versatility make him a notable member of any band in which he plays.