Jackson, Dewey

Jackson, Dewey, jazz trumpeter, leader; b. St. Louis, June 21, 1900; d. 1994. He played in an Odd Fellows Boys’ Band during his early teens. His first professional work was with Tommy Evans’s Band in St. Louis (1916–17), then played for a year with George Rey-nolds’s Keystone Band before joining Charlie Creath on the riverboat J.S. (May 1919). From 1920 until 1923 he led his own Golden Melody Band, and in spring 1924 joined Fate Marable on the S.S. Capitol. During the following year he led the St. Louis Peacock Charleston Orch. on the Capitol. After working on the J.S. steamer, he moved to N.Y. in August 1926 and spent four months with violinist Andrew Freer’s Orch. at the Cotton Club, then traveled to New Orleans, to rejoin Fate Marable on the S.S. Si. Paul He was again with Charlie Creath (summer 1927), led his own band (1927–29), played occasional dates with Marable, then led his own band at the Castle Ballroom (St. Louis), from September 1930 until May 1932. He rejoined Creath (1934), worked in a band jointly led by Marable and Creath (1936), then from 1937 he led his own Musical Ambassadors on riverboats during the summers and in St. Louis ballrooms during the winters. He continued on riverboats until 1941, then led at various local ballrooms and clubs during the 1940s. He left full-time music to work as a hotel commissionaire, but began playing regularly again in 1950. He worked in Singleton Palmer’s Band, then with pianist Don Ewell’s Trio in 1951, led his own band again during the 1950s, and played occasional dates in the 1960s.

—John Chilton Who’s Who of Jazz/Lewis Porter