* En anglais uniquement
An excellent altoist,
Russell Procope became much better-known as a New Orleans-style clarinetist during his
Duke Ellington years. He studied violin for eight years before switching to clarinet and alto.
Procope recorded with
Jelly Roll Morton in 1928 and had important stints with the big bands of
Benny Carter (1929),
Chick Webb (1929-1931),
Fletcher Henderson (1931-1934),
Tiny Bradshaw (1934-1935),
Teddy Hill (1935-37), and Willie Bryant. However, it was as a member of the
John Kirby sextet (1938-1943) during which he exclusively played alto that
Russell Procope did his finest work, playing brilliant solos with a distinctive tone that perfectly fit the music. After a period in the Army and a reunion with
Kirby (1945),
Procope became a member of
the Duke Ellington Orchestra in 1946, staying (except for a short period in 1961 with
Wilbur DeParis) until
Ellington's death 28 years later in 1974. Because of
Johnny Hodges' presence,
Procope had very few alto solos, serving instead as a section player and occasional clarinet soloist whose warm tone contrasted with that of the cooler
Jimmy Hamilton;
Procope was under-utilized but secure and happy during his
Ellington years. Later in the 1970s, he played with
Brooks Kerr's group. ~ Scott Yanow