Marty Napolean
b. 2 June 1921, New York City, New York, USA. A member of a musical family (his father was a professional musician, as were several uncles of whom the most famous is Phil Napoleon), Marty played piano in several second-string big bands of the '40s, including those led by Lee Castle and Joe Venuti. Later, he joined Charlie Barnet and also spent a brief spell with Gene Krupa. In the '50s, Napoleon began playing with his uncle Phil's revived Original Memphis Five and then showed his versatility by becoming a member of Charlie Ventura's Big Four. He next spent periods with Louis Armstrong's All Stars, as well as bands led by his brother Teddy (who was also a professional musician), Coleman Hawkins, Ruby Braff and others. Since the beginning of the '60s he has worked mostly as a solo artist, but has made occasional appearances with small groups, which have included Red Allen, and also played return stints with Armstrong and Krupa. Napoleon's wide stylistic range, which has taken him from Dixieland to the edges of bop, has tended to limit appreciation of his talent among those members of the jazz public who like to label musicians.