Russell Procope was born on August 11, 1908 in New York City and grew up in San Juan Hill, attending school with Benny Carter. His first instrument was the violin, but he switched to clarinet and alto saxophone. He began his professional career in 1926 as a member of Billy Freeman's orchestra. At the age of twenty he recorded with Jelly Roll Morton and went on to play with bands led by Benny Carter, Chick Webb, Fletcher Henderson, Tiny Bradshaw, Teddy Hill, King Oliver and Willie Bryant by the mid-Thirties.

Procope would play with…