Big Chief Russell Moore

Who was Big Chief Russell Moore?

Big Chief Russell Moore was an American jazz trombonist.

Moore was a Pima American Indian, and lived in Blue Island, Illinois from age twelve, where he studied trumpet, piano, drums, French horn, and trombone. He moved to Los Angeles in the early 1930s, where he worked freelance with Lionel Hampton, Eddie Barefield, and others. After moving to New Orleans in 1939, he worked with Oscar Celestin, Kid Rena, A.J. Piron, Paul Barbarin, Ernie Fields, Harlan Leonard, and Noble Sissle.

He played with Louis Armstrong's last big band in 1944-47, and worked freelance on the Dixieland jazz circuit thereafter. In the 1950s he played with Ruby Braff, Pee Wee Russell, Eddie Condon, Wild Bill Davison, Jimmy McPartland, Tony Parenti, Mezz Mezzrow, Sidney Bechet, and Buck Clayton. He returned to play in the Louis Armstrong All-Stars in 1964-65, but fell ill and had to leave the group. After recovering he led a Dixieland group of his own, which toured Canada repeatedly.

Moore had been working with pianist Eddie Wilcox shortly before Wilcox died in 1968. Moore played with Cozy Cole in 1977 and Keith Smith in 1981.

He recorded as a leader in 1953 for Vogue and Trutone, and in 1973 for Jazz Art.