Artists

Arkansas Jazz Hall of Fame - 2008 Inductees

Bill Scarlett

Bill moved to Corpus Christi, Texas (1943-44) where he got a tenor sax and was mentored by friend, Eddie Galvan. He taught Bill jazz & how to play it. Upon moving to Little Rock, Arkansas in 1945, Bill played a gig at the Studio Club downtown on 5th Street and with Floyd Sherrod in the old 555 Building on Broadway. A group was formed with Bill Scarlett, Howard Williams, Pat Murphy, Walter Norris, and others devoted to playing be-bop. Howard Williams wrote charts for the big band. The group also was associated with Robert Talley Band considering Talley a mentor and occasionally both groups played as an integrated band! Bill played with a great nine-piece band headed trumpeter Bitsy Mullins. He went on road in 1947 with the Louis Ohls band because Art Pepper was playing alto saxophone.

Bill started college at Little Rock Junior College in 1951 then moved to Louisiana State University in 1953 receiving a Masters of Music Degree in Clarinet and Theory (1956). Moving to University of Tennessee at Knoxville in 1957 to play clarinet with the Knox Symphony until 1983. Bill continued playing jazz all this time starting a big band in 1959, which has now grown into Knoxville Jazz Orchestra (KJO). Over the years he has played with Woody Herman, Jack Teagarden, Charlie Spivak, Les and Larry Elgart.

He has done concerts with Ray Charles and Lou Rawlls. KJO played Vienne, Montreux, Ezcaray, Spain Jazz Festivals in 2001. The Orchestra has played with guest artists Jimmy Heath, James Moody, Marvin Stamm, Hank Jones, Mulgrew Miller, and others (google knoxjazz.org). Bill Scarlett continues to play jazz in the Knoxville and area.

Taken from a phone interview with Bill Scarlett, by James Thomson


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