ENDEIT
Roy Eldridge
Photo: Laura Kolb Satellite Beach, Fl.- Taos,N.M., USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Trumpeters · 1911–1989

Roy Eldridge

American trumpeter (1911–1989)

Born
30 January 1911
Pittsburgh
Died
26 February 1989
Valley Stream
Country
United States
Record labels
Decca
Discography
33 albums

Biography

Roy Eldridge was a jazz musician who played trumpet and voice. Roy Eldridge was born on 30 January 1911 in Pittsburgh and died on 26 February 1989 in Valley Stream. The music is usually filed under jazz and swing. Record labels: Decca. The discography here lists 33 albums, from “Collates” (1952) to “Their Greatest Recordings Together” (2025). Honours include NEA Jazz Masters.

David Roy Eldridge (January 30, 1911 – February 26, 1989), nicknamed "Little Jazz", was an American jazz trumpeter. His sophisticated use of harmony, including the use of tritone substitutions, his virtuosic solos exhibiting a departure from the dominant style of jazz trumpet innovator Louis Armstrong, and his strong impact on Dizzy Gillespie mark him as one of the most influential musicians of the swing era and a precursor of bebop.

Read the full article on Wikipedia ↗ · From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Discography

Studio and live albums

Collates 1952
Little Jazz 1954
Roy's Got Rhythm 1956
The Trumpet Kings 1956
Tour de Force 1957
Happy Time 1975
What It’s All About 1976
"Little Jazz" Jazz 1978
Jazz Maturity... Where It's Coming From 1978
I Remember Harlem 1980
Jazz At The Philharmonic The Trumpet Battle 1952 1983 · Live
The Trumpet Kings at Montreux 1990 · Live
After You've Gone 1991
Happy Time 1991
Heckler's Hop 1991
Montreux '77 1991 · Live
Jazz Fest Masters: The Trumpeters 1992 · Live
French Cooking the Complete Vogue Recordings • Vol 2 1993 · Live
Roy and Diz 1994
Nifty Cat 1995
Roy Eldridge & Vic Dickenson With Eddie Locke and His Friends 1995 · Live
Roy Eldridge in Paris 1995 · Live
Roy Eldridge and His Little Jazz, Volume 1 1997
Roy Eldridge and His Little Jazz, Volume 2 1999
Swingin' on the Town 1999
Little Jazz & The Jimmy Ryan All-Stars 2001
Decidedly 2002 · Live
That Warm Feeling 2005
The Urbane Jazz of Roy Eldridge and Benny Carter 2019
Recorded in Concert at St. Peter's Church 2022 · Live
Their Greatest Recordings Together 2025
Little Jazz
Rockin' Chair

Also plays on

Albums where Roy Eldridge is credited as a sideman

1955 Roy & Diz — Dizzy Gillespie • Roy Eldridge trumpet
1959 Side by Side — Duke Ellington & Johnny Hodges trumpet
1966 Soul Mates — Dizzy Gillespie & Roy Eldridge trumpet
1995 Love Me or Leave Me — Billie Holiday trumpet

Analysed solos by Roy Eldridge

Awards

Historic 78 rpm records

  • High Society Roy Eldridge · Porter Steele archive.org ↗
  • OLD ROB ROY Roy Eldridge and his V-Discatters · Roy Eldridge · Ernie Caceras ·… archive.org ↗
  • SWING IS HERE GENE KRUPA'S ALL STARS · Roy Eldridge · Benny Goodman · Chu Berry ·… archive.org ↗
  • FLORIDA STOMP ROY ELDRIDGE AND HIS ORCHESTRA · Roy Eldridge · Scoops Carey · Joe… archive.org ↗
  • WABASH STOMP ROY ELDRIDGE AND HIS ORCHESTRA · Roy Eldridge · Scoops Carey · Joe… archive.org ↗
  • HECKLER'S SHOP ROY ELDRIDGE AND HIS ORCHESTRA · Roy Eldridge · Scoops Carey · Joe… archive.org ↗
  • THAT THING ROY ELDRIDGE AND HIS ORCHESTRA · Roy Eldridge · Scoops Carey · Joe… archive.org ↗
  • BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA DICKY WELLS and his ORCHESTRA · DICKY WELLS · BILL DILLARD · BILL… · 1937 archive.org ↗

Frequently asked questions

What instrument did Roy Eldridge play?

Roy Eldridge is known for playing trumpet and voice.

When and where was Roy Eldridge born?

Roy Eldridge was born 30 January 1911 in Pittsburgh.

What are Roy Eldridge's best-known albums?

Albums in our database include Collates (1952), Little Jazz (1954), Roy's Got Rhythm (1956), The Trumpet Kings (1956) and Tour de Force (1957).

External links

Data compiled from open sources; see the source links below. Spotted an error? Let us know.