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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZMcSHANN, Jay(b James Colombus McShann, 12 January 1916, Muskogee OK; d 5 December 2006) Pianist, bandleader, songwriter, aka 'Hootie'. A popular musician for more than half a century, leader of one of the best Kansas City bands after Count Basie's, Charlie Parker among the sidemen. His hits included 'Confessin' The Blues' '41 (co-written with vocalist Walter Brown), 'Get Me On Your Mind' '43 with Al Hibbler vocal, also no. 1 R&B hit 'Hands Off' '55 with vocalist Priscilla Bowman on Vee-Jay. He was rediscovered every few years, his boogie-woogie flavoured piano never failing to please; he toured the world almost annually since the late 1960s. Albums include Early Bird ('40-3 airchecks with Parker on Spotlite and French RCA), McShann's Piano on Capitol, The Big Apple Bash on Atlantic, Confessin' The Blues '71 on Classic Jazz. Goin' To Kansas City '72 on Master Jazz/Swaggie (later on New World CD) had a quintet with Buddy Tate, Julian Dash, KC rhythm section of Gene Ramey on bass, drummer Gus Johnson from '38-43 band (worked for Basie '52-3). There are also solo piano tracks on 'Master Jazz Piano' compilations (reissued in a Mosaic box with Earl Hines etc). After Hours '77 was on Storyville, Blues And Boogie '78 on Philips, The Band That Jumps The Blues reissued '83 on Black Lion, who also issued Vine Street Boogie (live at Montreux '74). Canadian Sackville label offered Man From Muskogee '72 (quartet with Claude Williams, violin), duets with Tate Crazy Legs And Friday Strut '76, solo Tribute To Fats Waller and Kansas City Hustle '78, Tuxedo Junction '80, others; the sextet album Some Blues was on Chiaroscuro. For the Canadian Stoney Plain label he made a duo album with blues guitarist Duke Robillard, and four albums as leader: Hootie's Jumping Blues '97 made in Canada with a backing sextet, followed by Still Jumpin' The Blues, then Goin' To Kansas City and in 2006 Hootie Blues, with Jim Galloway on reeds, Don Vickery on drums and Rosemary Galloway on bass. Some of the Stony Plain albums included interviews with McShann made by label boss Holger Petersen. Classic KC big-band tracks were compiled on Classics.
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