Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Lou McGarity was born Robert Louis McGarity on July 22, 1917 in Athens, Georgia. He started out playing violin when he was seven and didn’t switch to trombone until he was 17. He studied at the University of Georgia from 1934-36, gigged locally around the South and toured with Ben Bernie from 1938-40

He hit the big time with Benny Goodman from 1940-42, becoming the first trombonist to play both with the big band and his smaller groups. During the war years 1942-44 he worked with Raymond Scott’s Orchestra at CBS, and after military service teamed up with his friend and fellow trombonist Cutty Cutshall and rejoined Goodman in ‘46.

Lou was a busy studio musician in New York City beginning in 1947 while performing in clubs at night with Eddie Condon and playing Dixieland with the Lawson/Haggard band. He worked with Bob Crosby in the mid-’60s andwas a member of the World’s Greatest Jazz Band at the end of the 1960s. He recorded with Urbie Green, J.J. Johnson, Kenny Davern, Jimmy McPartland, Charlie Parker, Cootie Williams and Bobby Hackett among others.

Trombonist Lou McGarity, who recorded as a leader and played in the big band, swing and Dixieland genres until bad health shortened his life, transitioned on August 28, 1971 in Alexandria, Virginia.

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