![]() He brought with him a select group of musicians from his Orchestra, including greats like saxophonists Johnny Hodges and Harry Carney, as well as trumpeter Clark Terry. Especially if there were entertainers coming to town.”Īmong other well-known musical acts, Ellington visited the Oldham house a number of times during Lloyd’s formative years. And that table stayed set most of the time. “We had this old European-style table that would seat about 20. During the 1940’s and 50’s, the Oldham house drew several of jazz music’s top talents for dinner and conversation. Duke Ellington was a friend of Lloyd’s mother Naomi, an elected official in St. Yes, Lloyd’s path towards joining the world renowned bandleader’s orchestra began at the kitchen table of the Oldham family’s home in St. Many people were shocked that Duke chose me over all of the singers who auditioned. John’s Home, it quickly becomes clear why his friend and local musician Nate Rawls describes him as “a living legend.” At 83, his dulcet recollections help piece together that story. When Lloyd tells his unique story from his private room at St. In the process, he joined the ranks of some of jazz history’s biggest names, including Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, and Ivie Anderson, not to mention music legends Frank Sinatra and Rosemary Clooney. ![]() Inside the Columbia Records studio on 30 th Street in New York City that day, Lloyd recorded with jazz icon Duke Ellington. What the then 18-year-old could not fully comprehend was that his rich, booming vocals were about to open the doors for him to a very exclusive club. By his own admission, Lloyd Oldham was all of these things on December 11, 1951. They are virtually a story on their own.”- Duke Ellingtonįeisty, precocious, and unaware of the moment’s significance. Each seemed to join us at the time when what they were doing with songs was just right for the places we were playing. “We have been extremely lucky with our singers.
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