McShann, James Columbus Jay

McShann, James Columbus Jay 12 January 1916; Muskogee, OK Pianist, singer, and bandleader, known as “Hootie.” McShann’s powerful and percussive piano playing was deeply rooted in blues and boogie-woogie. Self-taught, he later attended Tuskegee Institute in the early 1930s. He performed in Kansas City from 1936, where he worked with saxophonist Buster Smith and others, then formed his own sextet and big band (the latter included Charlie Parker). McShann’s first recordings were made in 1941 and…