Stacy, Jess (Alexandria)

Stacy, Jess (Alexandria), jazz pianist; b. Bird’s Point, Mo., Aug. 11, 1904; d. Los Angeles, Calif., Jan. 1, 1994. He was best known for his work with Benny Goodman 1935–39; his solo on “Sing Sing Sing” at the Carnegie Hall concert in January 1938 is celebrated. Stacy started on drums, then switched to piano, and was mostly self-taught, with some lessons from Fiorina Morris. He played in a local youth band and on steamboats; while working out of Davenport, Iowa, c. 1924, he gigged with a young Bix Beiderbecke. He mostly work with Joe Kayser’s Band out of Ohio and during a residency in Chicago between 1926–28, then did a long spell with various Chicago leaders through the mid-1930s. He also briefly led his own Stacy’s Aces band. In July 1935, on the recommendation of John Hammond, he joined Benny Goodman, remained with him until July 1939 (and took part in many freelance recordings). He returned home for a few months before joining Bob Crosby, playing with him from September 1939-December 1942. He rejoined Goodman and stayed with him until the band temporarily disbanded in March 1944. Stacy then worked briefly with Horace Heidt (March-September 1944) and Tommy Dorsey (November 1944-early 1945), before forming his own short-lived band. He was home during most of 1946, then rejoined Goodman that November, staying with him until March 1947. That May, he relocated to Calif., and formed another short-lived band before joining Billy Butterfield’s Band in N.Y for a brief period in 1948. He returned to Calif, where he worked through the 1950s as a solo pianist in various clubs. He had a brief reunion with Benny Goodman for special appearances in December 1959 to January 1960. He then left full-time music, and in 1963 was an employee of the Max Factor Company. He came back to music in 1973, doing the soundtrack for the film The Great Gatsby; he received a standing ovation at the 1974 Newport Jazz Festival, and also resumed recording. He continued to perform and record through the 1970s until retiring again.

Discography

“Blue Notion” (1944); Tribute to Benny Goodman (1954); Return of Jess Stacy (1964); Stacy Still Swinging (1974); EC-Stacy (1995).

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