Victor Dickenson was born on August 6, 1906, and died on November 16, 1984. He was an American jazz trombonist. His career began in the 1920s and continued through collaborations with musicians such as Count Basie from 1940 to 1941, Sidney Bechet in 1941, and Earl Hines.

Life and career

Vic Dickenson was born in Xenia, Ohio, in 1906. He originally wanted to become a plasterer, like his father, but he gave up the idea after hurting himself when he fell off a ladder. From 1922, he studied the organ, but later switched to playing the trombone with local music groups. In December 1930, he made his first recording as a vocalist with Luis Russell’s band. In the early 1930s, he joined Blanche Calloway’s orchestra. Between 1947 and the mid-1950s, he led his own musical groups on both the east and west coasts.

After that, he worked as a session musician, playing on recordings for other artists. In 1957, he appeared on the television show The Sound of Jazz with Count Basie, Coleman Hawkins, Roy Eldridge, Gerry Mulligan, and Billie Holiday. He also recorded as a supporting musician with Jimmy Rushing (on Vanguard Records), Coleman Hawkins (on Capitol and Prestige Records), Pee Wee Russell (on Black Lion), Benny Carter (on Bluebird and Black & Blue), Lester Young (on Blue Note and Verve), and Count Basie (on Columbia and Pablo). In 1953, he recorded The Vic Dickenson Showcase for Vanguard with Ed Hall on clarinet and Ruby Braff on trumpet. In 1958, Sydney Bechet invited him to France to perform at the Brussel exposal.

Dickenson was a member of “The World’s Greatest Jazz Band,” the main group at The Roosevelt Grill in New York City. He also performed at the same venue in a smaller group that included trumpeter Bobby Hackett.

Dickenson was photographed in Art Kane’s famous picture, A Great Day in Harlem, which also features trombonist Miff Mole.

He died in New York City in 1984 at the age of 78 due to cancer.

Discography

• Vic Dickenson Showcase, Volume 1 (Vanguard, 1953)
• Vic Dickenson Showcase, Volume 2 (Vanguard, 1954)
• Vic Dickenson Septet, Volume 1 (Vanguard, 1954)
• Vic Dickenson Septet, Volume 2 (Vanguard, 1954)
• Vic Dickenson Septet, Volume 3 (Vanguard, 1954)
• Vic Dickenson Septet, Volume 4 (Vanguard, 1954)
• Vic's Boston Story (Storyville, 1957)
• Mainstream (Atlantic, 1958)
• Newport Jazz Festival All Stars (Atlantic, 1959 [1960]) with Buck Clayton, George Wein, Pee Wee Russell, Bud Freeman, Champ Jones, and Jake Hanna
• In Holland (Riff, 1974)
• French Festival (Nice, France 1974) (Classic Jazz Music, 1974)
• Gentleman of the Trombone (Storyville, 1975)
• Vic Dickenson Quintet (SLP, 1976)
• Plays Bessie Smith: Trombone Cholly (Gazell, 1976)
• Roy Eldridge & Vic Dickenson With Eddie Locke & His Friends (Storyville, 1978)
• New York Axis: Phil Wilson & Vic Dickenson (Famous Door, 1980)
• Just Friends (Sackville, 1985)
• Live at Music Room (Valley Vue, 1996)
• Backstage with Bobby Hackett: Milwaukee 1951 (Jasmine, 2000)
• Swing That Music (Black & Blue, 2002)

• All About Memphis (Felsted, 1958)
• Coleman Hawkins All Stars (Swingville, 1960) with Joe Thomas
• Blues-a-Plenty (Verve, 1958)
• Swing Time! (Swingville, 1963) with Budd Johnson
• Weary Blues (MGM, 1959)
• Blues a la Mode (Felsted, 1958)
• The Main Man (Pablo, 1977)
• Things Ain't What They Used to Be (Swingville, 1961) as part of the Prestige Swing Festival
• Bones for the King (Felsted, 1958)
• Trombone Four-in-Hand (Felsted, 1959)
• A Night at Count Basie's (Vanguard, 1956)
• The Jazz Giants '56 (Verve, 1956)