James Columbus "Jay" McShann (January 12, 1916 – December 7, 2006) was an American jazz pianist, vocalist, composer, and bandleader. He led musical groups in Kansas City, Missouri, which included Charlie Parker, Bernard Anderson, Walter Brown, and Ben Webster.

Early life and education

McShann was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and was known by the nickname Hootie. As a young person, he learned to play the piano by watching his sister take piano lessons and practicing songs he heard on the radio. He was greatly influenced by late-night radio shows featuring pianist Earl Hines from Chicago's Grand Terrace Cafe: "When 'Fatha' (Hines) finished his broadcast, I went to sleep." He began working as a professional musician in 1931 at the age of 15, performing in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and nearby Arkansas.

Career

Jay McShann moved to Kansas City, Missouri, in 1936. He started his own big band, which included many famous musicians such as Charlie Parker (1937–1942), Al Hibbler, Ben Webster, Paul Quinichette, Bernard Anderson, Gene Ramey, Jimmy Coe, Gus Johnson (1938–1943), Harold "Doc" West, Earl Coleman, Walter Brown, and Jimmy Witherspoon, among others. His first recordings were made with Charlie Parker. The first recording was by the Jay McShann Orchestra on August 9, 1940.

The band played swing and blues music. Blues songs were recorded more often than swing songs. One of the band’s most popular songs was "Confessin' the Blues," with Walter Brown singing. The group stopped performing in 1944 when McShann was sent to the Army. After returning in 1946, he noticed that small groups were becoming more common in jazz music instead of big bands.

In 2003, McShann told the Associated Press, "People would say, 'This musician sounds like he’s from Kansas City.' That was called Kansas City Style. People across the country knew it."

After World War II, McShann led small groups that included blues singer Jimmy Witherspoon. Witherspoon began recording with McShann in 1945. In 1949, Witherspoon had a hit song called "Ain't Nobody's Business" while leading McShann’s band. Witherspoon also wrote many songs and continued recording with McShann’s band, which included Ben Webster. In 1955, McShann had a successful rhythm and blues song called "Hands Off," with vocals by Priscilla Bowman.

In the late 1960s, McShann performed as both a singer and pianist, often with violinist Claude Williams. He kept recording and touring through the 1990s. Even in his 80s, McShann performed sometimes, especially in Kansas City and Toronto, Ontario. His final recording, "Hootie Blues," was made in February 2001. This was his 61st year of recording music. In 1979, he appeared in The Last of the Blue Devils, a film about Kansas City jazz.

One story McShann loved to share was how Charlie Parker got his nickname "Bird." During a trip to Nebraska with a car full of musicians, the driver hit a chicken. Parker asked the driver to turn around so he could take the chicken. He sat with it in the back of the car until they reached Lincoln. When they arrived, he asked the person at the home they were staying in to cook the chicken for him.

McShann died on December 7, 2006, in Kansas City, Missouri, at the age of 90.

Awards and honors

• Member of the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in 1998
• Member of the Blues Hall of Fame
• Member of the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame in 1989
• Received the Pioneer Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation
• Nominated for a Grammy for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Performance for Paris All-Star Blues (A Tribute to Charlie Parker) in 1991
• Nominated for a Grammy for Best Traditional Blues Album for Goin' to Kansas City in 2003
• Received the American Jazz Masters Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1986

Discography

• Kansas City Memories (Decca [10"] DL-5503, 1955)
• Goin' to Kansas City Blues with Jimmy Witherspoon (RCA Victor LPM-1639, 1957)
• McShann's Piano (Capitol T-2645, 1966)
• Confessin' the Blues (Black and Blue 33.022, 1970; Classic Jazz CJ-128, 1978)
• Going to Kansas City (Master Jazz Recordings MJR-8113, 1972; New World NW-358, 1987)
• Jumpin' the Blues with Milt Buckner (Black and Blue 33.039, 1972)
• The Man from Muskogee with Claude Williams (Sackville 3005, 1973)
• Kansas City Memories (Black and Blue 33.057, 1973)
• The Band That Jumps the Blues! (Black Lion BLP-30144, 1973)
• Early Bird with Charlie Parker (Spotlite [UK] SPJ-120, 1973; Stash STCD-542, 1991)
• Vine Street Boogie (Black Lion BLP-30169, 1974)
• Kansas City Joys with Buddy Tate, Paul Quinichette (Sonet SNTF-716, 1976)
• Crazy Legs & Friday Strut with Buddy Tate (Sackville 3011, 1977)
• Kansas City on My Mind (Black and Blue 33.108, 1977)
• The Last of the Blue Devils (Atlantic SD-8800, 1978)
• A Tribute to Fats Waller (Sackville 3019, 1978)
• Kansas City Hustle (Sackville 3021, 1978)
• The Big Apple Bash (Atlantic SD-8804, 1979)
• Tuxedo Junction with Don Thompson (Sackville 3025, 1980)
• Last of the Whorehouse Piano Players (subtitled: The Original Sessions) with Ralph Sutton (Chaz Jazz CJ-103/CJ-104, 1980; CD reissue: Chiaroscuro CRD-206, 1992)
• Saturday Night Function with the Sackville All-Stars (Sackville 3028, 1981)
• Best of Friends with Al Casey (JSP 1051, 1982)
• After Hours (Storyville SLP-4024, 1982)
• The Early Bird Charlie Parker (1941–1943) (MCA 'Jazz Heritage series' 1338, 1982)
• Blowin' in from K.C. with Joe Thomas (Uptown UP-27.12, 1983)
• Just a Lucky So and So (Sackville 3035, 1984)
• Live in France with Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson (Black and Blue 33.304, 1984)
• Live in France, Vol. 2 with Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson (Black and Blue 33.309, 1984)
• Roll 'Em (Black and Blue 233022, 1987) CD reissue of Black and Blue 33.022
• Last of the Whorehouse Piano Players with Ralph Sutton (Chiaroscuro CRD-306, 1989)
• Paris All-Star Blues: A Tribute to Charlie Parker (Musicmasters 5052, Limelight [UK] 820 833, Jazz Heritage 522804, 1991)
• Blue Pianos with Axel Zwingenberger (Vagabond VRLP-8.91017, 1991)
• Stride Piano Summit with Dick Hyman, Ralph Sutton (Milestone 9189, 1991)
• Jimmy Witherspoon & Jay McShann (Black Lion BLCD-760173, 1992) compilation
• The Missouri Connection with John Hicks (Reservoir RSRCD-124, 1993)
• Some Blues (Chiaroscuro CRD-320, 1993)
• Airmail Special (Sackville 3040, 1994)
• Swingmatism with Don Thompson, Archie Alleyne (Sackville 3046, 1994)
• Piano Playhouse: Complete Swing Time and Supreme Sessions (1947–1950) (Night Train International NTICD-7021, 1996) compilation
• Swing The Boogie! with Axel Zwingenberger (Vagabond VRCD 8.96021, 1996)
• Hootie's Jumpin' Blues with Duke Robillard (Stony Plain SPCD-1237, 1997)
• Jazz and Blues on Marians' Records with Milt Hinton, Buddy Tate, J.C. Heard, Carrie Smith (Marians' Records 198292, 1997)
• My Baby with the Black Dress On (Chiaroscuro CRD-345, 1998)
• Havin' Fun with Major Holley (Sackville SKCD2-2047, 1998) recorded 1986
• Still Jumpin' the Blues with Duke Robillard, Maria Muldaur (Stony Plain SPCD-1254, 1999)
• What a Wonderful World (Groove Note GRV-1005, 1999)
• Hootie! (Chiaroscuro CRD-357, 2000) recorded 1997
• Hot and Bothered (Stony Plain SPCD-1278, 2000)
• Hot and Bothered (Stony Plain SPCD-1278, 2000)
• Hot and Bothered (Stony Plain SPCD-1278, 2000)
• Hot and Bothered (Stony Plain SPCD-127