Roy Eldridge

Roy Eldridge

Known For

Acting

Born

January 30, 1911

Died

February 26, 1989 (aged 78)

Birthplace

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.

Biography

David Roy Eldridge (January 30, 1911 – February 26, 1989), nicknamed "Little Jazz", was an American jazz trumpeter. His sophisticated use of harmony, including the use of tritone substitutions, his virtuosic solos exhibiting a departure from the dominant style of jazz trumpet innovator Louis Armstrong, and his strong impact on Dizzy Gillespie mark him as one of the most influential musicians of the swing era and a precursor of bebop.