Worldwide
United States
Lammar Wright
Top Songs By Lammar Wright
About Lammar Wright
Hometown
Texarkana, TX, United States
Born
June 20, 1907
Genre
Worldwide
b. 20 June 1907, Texarkana, Texas, USA, d. 13 April 1973, New York City, New York, USA. Wright was raised in Kansas City where he took up the trumpet. In his mid-teens he played with Bennie Moten’s band, staying with the group until 1927 when he joined the Missourians. With this band he came to New York, remaining with the band through its metamorphosis into the Cab Calloway orchestra. In the 40s he played with Don Redman, Claude Hopkins, Calloway again, Cootie Williams, Lucky Millinder and others. Wright was also in demand for session and studio work and as a teacher. During the 50s these activities occupied much of his time although he still played jazz gigs with Count Basie, Sauter-Finegan and others, and worked briefly at the end of the decade with a band organized by George Shearing.
Wright’s technical mastery and the ease and fluency of his playing made him a valued and respected member of the jazz community. His skills were passed on to many other trumpeters through his teaching and in particular to his sons. Lammar Wright Jnr. (1927-1983) played trumpet with Lionel Hampton, Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Barnet. Elmon Wright (1929-1984) also played trumpet with Gillespie, Roy Eldridge, Earl Bostic, Buddy Rich and Milt Jackson.
