| | |

Carl Kress

By Paul Greig

Carl Kress

Kress started on piano before picking up the banjo. Beginning in 1926, he played guitar during his brief time as a member of Paul Whiteman’s orchestra. For most of his career, he was a studio musician and sideman buried in large orchestras, and his name was little known. His work in the 1920s and 1930s included sessions with The Boswell Sisters, The Dorsey Brothers, Bix Beiderbecke, Hoagy Carmichael, Miff Mole, Red Nichols, Adrian Rollini, and Frankie Trumbauer.

Playlist

3 Videos

Outside of orchestras, Kress played in several guitar duets with Eddie Lang (1932), Dick McDonough (1934, 1937), Tony Mottola (1941), and George Barnes (1961–1965). In 1938 and 1939 he made some solo recordings, the songs “Peg Leg Shuffle”, “Helena”, “Love Song”, “Sutton Mutton”, and “Afterthoughts”. During the 1940s, he played Dixieland jazz with Bobby Hackett, Pee Wee Russell, and MuggsySpanier.

Kress was married to Helen Carroll, a native of Bloomington, Indiana, who moved to New York City to become a singer. She was a member of the Satisifiers and sang with Perry Como, Frank Sinatra, and Jo Stafford. Carl and Helen Kress lived in Manhasset, New York.[2] Carl Kress died of a heart attack in 1965 while he was on tour with his partner George Barnes (musician) in Reno, Nevada.

Similar Posts

  • | | | |

    Billy Gibbons

    By Paul Greig

    Billy Gibbons William Frederick Gibbons (born December 16, 1949), professionally known as Billy Gibbons, and The Reverend Billy F. Gibbons, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor, best known as the guitarist and primary lead vocalist of American rock band ZZ Top. He began his career in the Moving Sidewalks, who recorded…

  • | | |

    Stanley Jordan

    By Paul Greig

    Stanley Jordan Stanley Jordan (born July 31, 1959) is an American jazz guitarist whose technique involves tapping his fingers on the fret board of the guitar with both hands. In a career that took flight in 1985 with commercial and critical acclaim, guitar virtuoso Stanley Jordan has consistently displayed a chameleonic musical persona of openness,…

  • | | |

    Sheryl Crow

    By Paul Greig

    Sheryl Crow Sheryl Suzanne Crow (born February 11, 1962) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actress. Her music incorporates elements of pop, rock, country, jazz, and blues. She has released ten studio albums, four compilations, two live albums, and has contributed to a number of film soundtracks Playlist 3 Videos Sheryl Crow – If…

  • | | |

    T-Bone Walker

    By Paul Greig

    T-Bone Walker Aaron Thibeaux “T-Bone” Walker (May 28, 1910 – March 16, 1975) was an American blues guitarist, singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, who was a pioneer and innovator of the jump blues and electric blues sound. In 2018 Rolling Stone magazine ranked him number 37 on its list of “The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All…

  • | | |

    Muddy Waters

    By Paul Greig

    Muddy Waters McKinley Morganfield (April 4, 1913  – April 30, 1983), known professionally as Muddy Waters, was an American blues singer-songwriter and musician who is often cited as the “father of modern Chicago blues”, and an important figure on the post-war blues scene. His style of playing has been described as “raining down Delta beatitude”….