Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson

Genres:	Big Band & Swing • Blues • Jazz • R&B / Soul
Descriptive "tags":	jazz • blues • rhythm and blues
Decades Active:	1950s • 1960s • 1970s • 1980s • 1990s • 2000s
Links online:	Wikipedia

Biography

18 December 1917, Houston, Texas, USA, d. 2 July 1988, Los Angeles, California, USA. Taking up the alto saxophone as a child, his proficiency at the instrument attracted local band leaders even while young Vinson was still at school, and he began touring with Chester Boone’s territory band during school holidays. Upon his graduation in 1935, Vinson joined the band full-time, remaining when the outfit was taken over by Milton Larkins the following year. During his five-year tenure with the legendary Larkins band he met T-Bone Walker, Arnett Cobb, and Illinois Jacquet, who all played with Larkins in the late 30s. More importantly the band’s touring schedule brought Vinson into contact with ‘Big’ Bill Broonzy, who taught him how to shout the blues, and Jay ‘Hootie’ McShann’s Orchestra whose innovative young alto player, Charlie ‘Bird’ Parker, was ‘kidnapped’ by Vinson for several days in 1941 in order to study his...

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