Jacquet became the first jazz musician to be an artist-in-residence at Harvard University , in 1983. He played ” C-Jam Blues ” with President Bill Clinton on the White House lawn during Clinton’s inaugural ball in 1993. Jacquet’s final performance was on July 16, 2004, at the Lincoln Center in…
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In 1952, Jacquet co-wrote “Just When We’re Falling in Love” (Jacquet (m), Sir Charles Thompson (m), S. K. “Bob” Russell (l)). Jacquet continued to perform (mostly in Europe) in small groups through the 1960s and 1970s. He led the Illinois Jacquet Big Band from 1981 until his death.
Jacquet wrote the instrumental “Black Velvet” with Jimmy Mundy in 1949 and recorded it the same year. Al Stillman put lyrics to it, and it was recorded later the same year by Harry James as ” Don’cha Go ‘Way Mad .” The song has since been performed by dozens of…
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In 1944, Jacquet returned to California and started a small band with his brother Russell and a young Charles Mingus . It was at this time that he appeared in the Academy Award -nominated short film Jammin’ the Blues with Lester Young . He also appeared at the first Jazz…
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Jacquet appeared with Calloway’s band in Lena Horne ‘s movie Stormy Weather (1943). In the earlier years of Jacquet’s career, his brother Linton Jacquet managed him on the chitlin circuit Linton’s daughter, Brenda Jacquet-Ross, sang in jazz venues in the San Francisco Bay Area in the 1990s to early 2000s,…
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In 1942, at age 19, Jacquet soloed on the Hampton Orchestra’s recording of ” Flying Home “, one of the first times a honking tenor sax was heard on record. The record became a hit. The song immediately became the climax for the live shows and Jacquet became exhausted from…
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