Biography
A fine soloist whose sound and style became strongly influenced by Benny Carter (who was four years his junior), Hilton Jefferson was considered a valuable musician during the swing era although he never gained much fame. Jefferson actually began his professional career as a banjoist in 1925 (with Julian Arthur's Orchestra in Philadelphia) but he soon switched permanently to alto. He worked with Claude Hopkins on four occasions (1926-1928, 1932, 1934-1936, and 1939), Chick Webb also four times (1929-1930, 1930-1931, 1936, and 1938) and had stints with King Oliver (1930), McKinney's Cotton Pickers (1931-1932), Benny Carter (1932 and 1933), Henry Red Allen (1934), and most notably, with Fletcher Henderson (1932-1934 and 1936-1938). Although never the main soloist, Jefferson did get his fair share of solo space with each of these orchestras and he recorded frequently. He spent the '40s with Cab Calloway's big band and later (after the orchestra broke up) Cab's small band. Jefferson freelanced after leaving Calloway in 1949, but rejoined Cab briefly in 1951, and then was with Duke Ellington (1952-1953), replacing Willie Smith in the slot formerly held by Johnny Hodges. After leaving Ellington, Jefferson only worked as a part-time musician (getting a day job as a guard at a bank) but he often popped up in mainstream settings including with Harry Dial, Noble Sissle, Rex Stewart, Buster Bailey, the Fletcher Henderson Reunion Band of 1957, Wally Edwards' Uptown Concert Band, and Mercer Ellington's Orchestra. Hilton Jefferson only cut six selections as a leader in his entire career, one number apiece for Folkways and Apollo in 1946, and four titles in 1957 for Victor. ~ Scott Yanow, Rovi



 
Videos
Close
HILTON JEFFERSON "Idaho" Deutsche RCA 1957
Mary Lou Williams/Hilton Jefferson — Rehearsal Vol. 1 (1951 Jazz) FULL ALBUM
born July 30, 1903 Hilton Jefferson, "Willow Weep For Me"
Joe Thomas & Hilton Jefferson - Black Butterfly - 1946
Hilton Jefferson (The Hour Of Parting)
Cab Calloway. Willow Weep for Me. Hilton Jefferson: Alto Saxophone. 78 rpm Record. HMV 163.
DoubleTree by Hilton Jefferson City Review - Jefferson City , United States of America
Download SoundHound
The only App that can give you results through singing and humming search!
You can sing any song from this artist to help SoundHound users find it!