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William Osborne Kyle (July 14, 1914 – February 23, 1966) was an American jazz pianist.[1] He is perhaps best known as an accompanist.[2]
Billy Kyle | |
|---|---|
 Billy Kyle Photography by William P. Gottlieb | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | William Osborne Kyle |
| Born | July 14, 1914 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | February 23, 1966 (aged 51) Youngstown, Ohio, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instrument | Piano |
| Years active | 1930s–1960s |
Biography
editKyle was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.[2] He began playing the piano in school and by the early 1930s worked with Lucky Millinder, Tiny Bradshaw and later the Mills Blue Rhythm Band.[2] In 1938, he joined John Kirby's sextet, but was drafted in 1942.[2] After the war, he worked with Kirby's band briefly and also worked with Sy Oliver.[2] He then spent thirteen years as a member of Louis Armstrong's All-Stars,[2] and performed in the 1956 musical High Society.
A fluent pianist with a light touch, Kyle always worked steadily. He died in Youngstown, Ohio.
Kyle had few opportunities to record as a leader and none during his Armstrong years, some octet and septet sides in 1937, two songs with a quartet in 1939, and outings in 1946 with a trio and an octet.
Discography
editAs sideman
edit- Louis Armstrong Plays W. C. Handy (Columbia, 1954)
- Satch Plays Fats (Columbia, 1955)
- At Newport (Columbia, 1956)
- Louis and the Angels (Decca, 1957)
- Satchmo On Stage (Decca, 1957)
- Satchmo Plays King Oliver (Audio Fidelity, 1960)
- Hello, Dolly! (Kapp, 1964)
- At the Crescendo (MCA, 1973)
With others
- Dave Brubeck, Summit Sessions (Columbia, 1971)
- Buck Clayton, Buck Clayton Jams Benny Goodman (Columbia, 1955)
- Buck Clayton, Jumpin' at the Woodside (Columbia, 1955)
- Ella Fitzgerald, Ella Sings Gershwin (Decca, 1956)
- Al Hibbler, After the Lights Go Down Low (Atlantic, 1957)
- John Kirby, Biggest Little Band in the Land (DJM, 1975)
- Charlie Shavers, The Complete Charlie Shavers with Maxine Sullivan (Bethlehem, 1957)
- Rex Stewart, Rex Stewart and the Ellingtonians (Riverside, 1960)
References
edit- ^ "Billy Kyle". AllMusic. Retrieved January 25, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 1413. ISBN 0-85112-939-0.