Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 19, 2026

Jack Jenney

Truman Eliot "Jack" Jenney was an American jazz trombonist.

Last revised
Jul 19, 2026
Read time
≈ 1 min
Length
268 w
Citations
12
Source
Jack Jenney
Born
Truman Eliot Jenney

May 12, 1910
DiedDecember 16, 1945 (aged 35)
GenresJazz
InstrumentsTrombone, trumpet
Spouse
(m. 1937; div. 1939)

Truman Eliot "Jack" Jenney (May 12, 1910 – December 16, 1945)1 was an American jazz trombonist.

Early life

Born in Mason City, Iowa,1 Jenney first played trumpet, then switched to trombone.23 His father was a musician and music teacher.4 Jenney performed in his father's band from age 11, but his professional work began with Austin Wylie in 1928.4

Career

During his career, Jenney worked with Isham Jones, Red Norvo, Artie Shaw, Mal Hallett, and Waring's Pennsylvanians. He appeared in the film Syncopation.4 He has been called "the greatest trombonist of the Big Band era" and won the DownBeat Reader's Poll for trombone in 1940.5

He led his own band for a year in 1938 and 1939, but it was a financial failure. He was drafted into the United States Navy in 1943, but also played as a studio musician the following year.2

Death

He died on December 16, 1945, in Los Angeles, from complications following an appendectomy.124

References

References

  1. Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 1279. ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
  2. "Jenney, Jack [Truman Elliot]". Grove Music Online. 2003. doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.J229000.
  3. Irvin, Sam (November 15, 2011). Kay Thompson: From Funny Face to Eloise. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-4391-7654-2.
  4. AllMusic biography
  5. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on November 22, 2006. Retrieved November 19, 2006.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
External links