Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Jesse Price was born on May 1, 1909 in Memphis, Tennessee and began on drums at age 14, and played locally with blues singers, including Ida Cox, and in the Palace Theater pit orchestra, early in his career.

A move to Kansas City, Missouri in 1934 saw him playing with George E. Lee, Thamon Hayes, Count Basie, and Harlan Leonard into the early Forties. He then moved to Los Angeles, California where Jesse worked with Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Stan Kenton, Basie again, Benny Carter, and Slim Gaillard through the decade.

He recorded with Jay McShann when he was back in Kansas City in the 1950s. He led a band at the Monterey Jazz Festival in 1971, which included Harry Edison, Jimmy Forrest and Big Joe Turner.

Price recorded twenty-three tracks as a leader between 1946 and 1948, most of them for Capitol Records. All are published on a Blue Moon CD, The Singing Drummer Man; Jesse Price. The Complete Recordings 1946–1957.

Drummer Jesse Price transitioned on April 19, 1974 in Los Angeles.

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