Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Bill Jennings was born September 12, 1919 in Indianapolis, Indiana and started out with his twin brother, Albert, in a trio called The Three Spades. He would later work with Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five, Wild Bill Davis Trio, Jack McDuff, Willis “Gator” Jackson, Bill Doggett, Louis Armstrong, Chris Powell And His Five Blue Flames, Hot Lips Page and others.

Recording as both a leader and a sideman, Bill has influenced numerous musicians in the genres of jazz, soul, R&B, and blues guitar. B.B. King often mentioned Jennings as one of his biggest influences. He  recorded with such artists as Leo Parker, King Curtis, Ella Fitzgerald, Jerry Daniels of the Inkspots, Kenny Burrell, Betty Roche and Stuff Smith.

His unique ability to play in many styles included swing, bop, jump blues, R&B, and pop. Jennings played on Fever by Little Willie John, which made the Billboard R&B chart in the U.S. and peaked at number 24 on the Billboard Hot 100.

A left-handed player, Bill played guitar upside down, with the high strings at the top, which gave him a different approach to phrasing and bending the strings. Later in his career, he lost a finger on his fretting hand and began playing bass guitar.

Guitarist and composer Bill Jennings, who was described as “The Architect Of Soul Jazz”, transitioned at Veterans Hospital in Indianapolis on November 29, 1978 at the age of 59.

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