Jimmy Rushing, Mr. 5 by 5, was born on this day in 1903. Vocalist for Count Basie’s orchestra for many years, he sang on the famous “Sound of Jazz” 1957 television broadcast:
On tenor sax is Ben Webster. Basie is on piano with Freddie Green in the background on rhythm guitar. Dickie Wells solos on trombone with his trademark “time stands still” style. Trumpeter Roy Eldridge follows, and I just noticed he’s playing flugelhorn, but with him it sounds like a trumpet. The next tenor solo is Coleman Hawkins (Hawk). One of the best of Rushing’s albums is “The Jazz Odyssey of James Rushing” (1958) of which I still have the original purchased that year.
