Home » Jazz Musicians » Al Hirt

Al Hirt

A phenomenally proficient trumpet player, Al Hirt was one of the most successful instrumental recording artists of the 1960s. Perhaps modeling his genial stage personality after Louis Armstrong, Hirt was a tremendously popular performer, easily capturing the center of attention with his massive 300-pound, 6-foot-2 frame (among his nicknames were "Jumbo" and "The Round Mound of Sound") but holding it with his joyful spirit and jaw-dropping virtuosity. Although Hirt came out of New Orleans leading a Dixieland band, he never let himself get stereotyped in that narrow genre. He was honest about his choice of style, never calling what he played "jazz": "I'm a pop commercial musician," he once said. "and I've got a successful format. I'm not a jazz trumpet and never was a jazz trumpet." Hirt's father bought him his first trumpet from a pawnshop, and by the time he was in high school, he was sounding post time at the local race track. Hirt was always very serious about perfecting his mastery of his instrument, and he studied at the Cincinnati Conservatory for three years in the early 1940s. After playing with Army bands during World War Two, he worked with Tommy Dorsey, Ray McKinley, and Benny Goodman's big bands--usually as first chair, but not a soloist--until he returned to New Orleans and formed his own band in 1950. For most of the 1950s, he was comfortable staying close to home--musically and professionally. Raising eight kids with his first wife probably had something to do with it, but Hirt was always happy to have a strong association with the music and lifestyle of New Orleans. He often performed with clarinet player Pete Fountain, who achieved nearly the same level of national fame, and the two remained close friends and colleagues until Hirt's death. Hirt recorded a number of mainstream Dixieland albums for Audio Fidelity and others during this period. In 1960, Hirt's group, the Dixieland Six, played Las Vegas and was spotted by Dinah Shore, who booked them onto her television variety show. Television and Hirt took to each other, and RCA quickly signed him and began promoting him as a major artist. To get and keep a national audience, Hirt had to loosen his ties to Dixieland. Virtually none of his RCA albums have a strong Dixieland flavor, most of them featuring large studio ensembles and arrangements by veterans like Marty Paich, Billy May, and Marty Gold.

Read more

Tags

791
Extended Analysis

Al Hirt: King Of Bourbon Street

Read "Al Hirt: King Of Bourbon Street" reviewed by Elliott Simon


Al Hirt King Of Bourbon Street Tomato Records 2005

Blowing one of the most potent horns since the Biblical Joshua led a septet outside Jericho, the late Al Hirt (1922-1999) has left us with a trumpet legacy characterized by a singular blend of power and precision. A master of myriad styles, Hirt defied categorization and was as much at home recording a hit pop song as he was restyling a standard or blowing hot ...

667
Album Review

Al Hirt: Brassman's Holiday

Read "Brassman's Holiday" reviewed by AAJ Staff


In memory of the late great Al Hirt who left us last April,1999, I present this CD Brassman's Holiday I like everything about this CD including the cover which shows Al all decked out with his etched art deco Leblanc horn in front of the paddle boat the “Mississippi Queen". This is Al in his prime (1963) featuring his then famous sextet. He truly was back in those days The King of the trumpet and of the Mardi Gras.

Most ...

168
Album Review

Al Hirt & Pete Fountain: Super Jazz

Read "Super Jazz" reviewed by AAJ Staff


This CD is Dixieland Jazz at it's finest ! But then if you know anything about New Orleans type jazz, you know that the names Al Hirt & Pete Fountain are synonymous to all for Traditional New Orleans/ Dixieland music and also with the trumpet and clarinet respectively. Amen and Amen.

I just checked at one of our local malls here in my hometown, yes you can still purchase this CD at one of the many record shops located in ...

Read more articles
413

Recording

Al Hirt Our Man in New Orleans

Al Hirt Our Man in New Orleans

Source: All About Jazz

Paul Cacia was Al Hirt's lead trumpet player and contracted the brass section for what Al Hirt called his dream band, formed in the fall of 1979.

At the time of receiving the phone call to join Al Hirt, Paul Cacia was first trumpet for the Ray Anthony Orchestra, he immediately gave notice. The Al Hirt Big Band was based out of Al's New Orleans Bourbon street nightclub, leaving for road tours, on and off, concert dates and a television ...

172

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Al Hirt

Jazz Musician of the Day: Al Hirt

Source: All About Jazz

All About Jazz is celebrating Al Hirt's birthday today!

JAZZ MUSICIAN OF THE DAY Al Hirt

A phenomenally proficient trumpet player, Al Hirt was one of the most successful instrumental recording artists of the 1960s. Perhaps modeling his genial stage personality after Louis Armstrong, Hirt was a tremendously popular performer... more

Website | Videos | Articles

Join Al Hirt's fan network

Put AAJ's Musician of the Day box on your ...

Alan Gaumer
trumpet

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Al Hirt: King Of...

Tomato Records
2005

buy

Super Jazz

Columbia Records
1999

buy

The Al Hirt Collection

Razor & Tie Entertainment
1997

buy

Super Jazz 1

Audio Fidelity
1988

buy

Louisiana Man

Audio Fidelity
1984

buy

Videos

Similar

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.