Jay McShann
Jay McShann Jay McShann at The Edinburgh Jazz Festival, c. 1995 Photo: Phil Wight Background information Birth name James Columbus McShann Also known as Hootie Born (1916-01-12)January 12, 1916 Muskogee, Oklahoma, United States Died December 7, 2006(2006-12-07) (aged 90) Kansas City, Missouri, United States Genres Blues, swing, jazz, jump blues, bebop Occupation(s) Musician, bandleader, composer, soldier Instruments Vocals, piano Years active 1931–2006 Labels Vee-Jay Records Jay McShann (January 12, 1916 – December 7, 2006) was a jump blues, mainstream jazz, and swing bandleader, pianist and singer. During the 1940s, McShann was at the forefront of blues and hard bop jazz musicians mainly from Kansas City. He assembled his own big band, with musicians that included some of the most influential artists of their time, including Charlie Parker, Bernard Anderson, Ben Webster and Walter Brown. His kind of music became known as "the Kansas City sound".