John Coltrane - Wikipedia
John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader and composer. He is among the most influential and ...
King Kolax
Coltrane started out on alto saxophone, but in 1947, when he joined <anchor>King Kolax</anchor>'s band, he switched to tenor saxophone, the instrument he became known for playing.[83] In the early 1960s, during his contract with Atlantic, he also played soprano saxophone.[83]
King Kolax - Wikipedia
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# King Kolax

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King Kolax

[![King Kolax c. 1943](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1b/King_Kolax.jpg)](/wiki/File:King_Kolax.jpg "King Kolax c. 1943")

King Kolax c. 1943

Background informationBirth nameWilliam LittleBorn(1912-11-06)November 6, 1912

[Kansas City, Missouri](/wiki/Kansas_City,_Missouri "Kansas City, Missouri"), U.S.DiedDecember 18, 1991(1991-12-18) (aged 79)

Chicago, IllinoisGenresJazz, bluesOccupation(s)Musician, bandleaderInstrumentTrumpetYears active1930–1981

Musical artist

**King Kolax** (born **William Little**, November 6, 1912 – December 18, 1991)[\[1\]](#cite_note-bare-1) was an American [jazz](/wiki/Jazz "Jazz") trumpeter and bandleader.

## Biography

\[ [edit](/w/index.php?title=King_Kolax&action=edit&section=1 "Edit section: Biography")\]

William Little was born in [Kansas City, Missouri](/wiki/Kansas_City,_Missouri "Kansas City, Missouri") in 1912; he misleadingly claimed he was born in 1918 in later years. While young his family moved to Chicago, where he studied music under [Walter Dyett](/wiki/Walter_Dyett "Walter Dyett"). He completed a degree at the [Chicago Conservatory of Music](/wiki/Chicago_Conservatory_of_Music "Chicago Conservatory of Music") in the early 1930s and played in dance bands in Chicago during the decade. Around 1938, he became bandleader of one of the groups; this ensemble toured the U.S. and continued playing regularly at venues such as the Savoy Theater and the 65 Club. In 1939, [Charlie Parker](/wiki/Charlie_Parker "Charlie Parker") played in his band.

Kolax formed another band in 1943 and again toured the American south. He continued touring throughout the country and on military bases within the U.S. through 1946. In May 1946, his group broke up and Kolax joined [Billy Eckstine](/wiki/Billy_Eckstine "Billy Eckstine")'s big band with which he made his first recordings. Eckstine's band ended before the end of the year, so Kolax organized another band late in 1946, which lasted until May 1947; [John Coltrane](/wiki/John_Coltrane "John Coltrane") was a member of this ensemble. After the demise of his band, Kolax returned to Chicago to play in small groups.[\[2\]](#cite_note-Blues-2)

In 1948 he played in [Sonny Parker](/wiki/Sonny_Parker_(musician) "Sonny Parker (musician)")'s band same year and recorded for the Opera label as a leader and singer. He had a steady job at the Ritz Lounge in 1949 and played in [J. T. Brown](/wiki/J._T._Brown_(musician) "J. T. Brown (musician)")'s band in 1951. Establishing a new band of his own, he recorded for [J.O.B.](/wiki/J.O.B._Records "J.O.B. Records") in a session that featured his blues singing. In 1952, he backed [Joe Williams](/wiki/Joe_Williams_(jazz_singer) "Joe Williams (jazz singer)") on his singles for [Checker](/wiki/Checker_Records "Checker Records"). While playing at the Paris Club in 1953, Kolax recorded with [Danny Overbea](/wiki/Danny_Overbea "Danny Overbea"), also for Checker. That same year, Kolax and orchestra backed [The Flamingos](/wiki/The_Flamingos "The Flamingos") on [Chance](/wiki/Chance_Records "Chance Records"). He also led orchestras behind [Mabel Scott](/wiki/Mabel_Scott "Mabel Scott") and [Rudy Greene](/w/index.php?title=Rudy_Greene&action=edit&redlink=1 "Rudy Greene (page does not exist)"). He recorded again for [Vee-Jay](/wiki/Vee-Jay_Records "Vee-Jay Records") at the end of 1954 and in September 1955.[\[2\]](#cite_note-Blues-2)

Kolax made regular engagements at hotels and ballrooms throughout the 1950s in Chicago and elsewhere; he had a working relationship with [Sun Ra](/wiki/Sun_Ra "Sun Ra"), who wrote arrangements for him. In the second half of the decade Kolax recorded with [Earl Pugh](/w/index.php?title=Earl_Pugh&action=edit&redlink=1 "Earl Pugh (page does not exist)"), [Brooks & Brown](/w/index.php?title=Brooks_%26_Brown&action=edit&redlink=1 "Brooks & Brown (page does not exist)"), [Clyde Williams](/w/index.php?title=Clyde_Williams_(musician)&action=edit&redlink=1 "Clyde Williams (musician) (page does not exist)"), and [Harvey Ellington](/w/index.php?title=Harvey_Ellington&action=edit&redlink=1 "Harvey Ellington (page does not exist)"); in the early 1960s records followed with [Wilbur White](/w/index.php?title=Wilbur_White_(musician)&action=edit&redlink=1 "Wilbur White (musician) (page does not exist)"), [The Chanteurs](/w/index.php?title=The_Chanteurs&action=edit&redlink=1 "The Chanteurs (page does not exist)"), [Jerry Butler](/wiki/Jerry_Butler_(singer) "Jerry Butler (singer)"), [McKinley Mitchell](/wiki/McKinley_Mitchell "McKinley Mitchell"), [Otis Rush](/wiki/Otis_Rush "Otis Rush"), and [The Vondells](/w/index.php?title=The_Vondells&action=edit&redlink=1 "The Vondells (page does not exist)"). Kolax became an [A&R](/wiki/A%26R "A&R") representative for [Marvello Records](/w/index.php?title=Marvello_Records&action=edit&redlink=1 "Marvello Records (page does not exist)"), owned by the Chicago businessman [James P. Johnson](/wiki/James_P._Johnson "James P. Johnson"), between 1961 and 1965. Sporadic recording followed later in the 1960s both as a leader and behind [Willie Mabon](/wiki/Willie_Mabon "Willie Mabon"), [Brother Jack McDuff](/wiki/Brother_Jack_McDuff "Brother Jack McDuff"), [Gene Ammons](/wiki/Gene_Ammons "Gene Ammons"), and [Roosevelt Sykes](/wiki/Roosevelt_Sykes "Roosevelt Sykes"), whose August 1970 recording session was Kolax's last.[\[2\]](#cite_note-Blues-2)

Kolax had a position in the Chicago Federation of Musicians, and union rules prevented him from performing and holding office simultaneously. He retired around 1981 and died in Chicago ten years later after suffering from Alzheimer's disease for an extended period.[\[3\]](#cite_note-Clemson-3)

## Discography

\[ [edit](/w/index.php?title=King_Kolax&action=edit&section=2 "Edit section: Discography")\]

### As sideman

\[ [edit](/w/index.php?title=King_Kolax&action=edit&section=3 "Edit section: As sideman")\]

- [Billy Eckstine](/wiki/Billy_Eckstine "Billy Eckstine"), _1946–1947_ (Classics, 1998)
- Billy Eckstine, _The Legendary Big Band_ (Savoy, 2002)
- [Brother Jack McDuff](/wiki/Brother_Jack_McDuff "Brother Jack McDuff"), _[Tobacco Road](/wiki/Tobacco_Road_(Jack_McDuff_album) "Tobacco Road (Jack McDuff album)")_ (Atlantic, 1967)
- [Roosevelt Sykes](/wiki/Roosevelt_Sykes "Roosevelt Sykes"), _[Feel Like Blowing My Horn](/wiki/Feel_Like_Blowing_My_Horn "Feel Like Blowing My Horn")_ (Delmark, 1973)
- [Joe Williams](/wiki/Joe_Williams_(jazz_singer) "Joe Williams (jazz singer)"), _Joe Williams_ (Savoy, 1984)

## References

\[ [edit](/w/index.php?title=King_Kolax&action=edit&section=4 "Edit section: References")\]

1. **[^](#cite_ref-bare_1-0)**Eagle, Bob; LeBlanc, Eric S. (2013). _Blues - A Regional Experience_. Santa Barbara: Praeger Publishers. p. 356. [ISBN](/wiki/ISBN_(identifier) "ISBN (identifier)") [978-0313344237](/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0313344237 "Special:BookSources/978-0313344237").
2. ^ [_**a**_](#cite_ref-Blues_2-0) [_**b**_](#cite_ref-Blues_2-1) [_**c**_](#cite_ref-Blues_2-2)Komara, Edward; Lee, Peter (July 2004). [_The Blues Encyclopedia_](https://books.google.com/books?id=XQU3AgAAQBAJ&pg=PA579). Routledge. pp. 579–. [ISBN](/wiki/ISBN_(identifier) "ISBN (identifier)") [978-1-135-95832-9](/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-135-95832-9 "Special:BookSources/978-1-135-95832-9"). Retrieved 8 October 2018.
3. **[^](#cite_ref-Clemson_3-0)**["King Kolax Discography"](http://campber.people.clemson.edu/kolax.html). _campber.people.clemson.edu_. Retrieved 8 October 2018.

## External links

\[ [edit](/w/index.php?title=King_Kolax&action=edit&section=5 "Edit section: External links")\]

- [Biography and discography](http://campber.people.clemson.edu/kolax.html) from [Clemson University](/wiki/Clemson_University "Clemson University")

[Authority control databases](/wiki/Help:Authority_control "Help:Authority control")[![Edit this at Wikidata](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8a/OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg/10px-OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg.png)](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1742048#identifiers "Edit this at Wikidata")

International

- [ISNI](https://isni.org/isni/0000000058383834)
- [VIAF](https://viaf.org/viaf/79784783)

National

- [Germany](https://d-nb.info/gnd/134795288)
- [United States](https://id.loc.gov/authorities/no2021043727)

Artists

- [MusicBrainz](https://musicbrainz.org/artist/73da2ff4-76df-42fb-afbc-15505dc065c6)

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