Jazz pick of the week: Jack Purvis

 

Of all the wild characters in early jazz, Jack Purvis (1906-1962) may have been the wildest. Besides being a innate, brilliant trumpet player, arranger, composer and conductor of both jazz and classical music, Purvis spent much of his life as a pilot, cook, carpenter, radio repairman and South American mercenary. When really desperate, he performed as a busker - ...street musician.

He recorded with numerous jazz bands from 1929 to 1935. Wherever his band was performing there would be a spike in property crimes due to his compulsive thievery. In 1937 he was jailed in Texas for burglary where he conducted, arranged and played in the prison band which performed on Texas radio. It was the longest gig of his career till paroled in 1940, whereupon he promptly committed a serious crime so he'd be reunited with his prison band. Paroled for good in 1946, Purvis spent his last 16 years working at above mentioned non musical professions till he gassed himself to death in 1962. Featured 1930 recording is appropriately titled "Mental Strain At Dawn".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sau8nMtyhy4