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{{short description|American jazz trombonist (1927–2003)}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Jimmy Knepper
| image = Jimmy Knepper.jpg
| caption = Jimmy Knepper with the National Jazz Ensemble
| background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
| birth_name = James Minter Knepper
| birth_date = {{birth date|1927|11|22}}
| birth_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|2003|06|14|1927|11|22}}
| death_place = [[Triadelphia, West Virginia|Triadelphia]], West Virginia
| genre = [[Jazz]]
| occupation = Musician
| instrument = Trombone
| years_active =
| label =
}}

'''James Minter Knepper''' (November 22, 1927 – June 14, 2003)<ref name=latimesobit/> was an American [[jazz]] trombonist. In addition to his own recordings as leader, Knepper performed and recorded with [[Charlie Barnet]], [[Woody Herman]], [[Claude Thornhill]], [[Stan Kenton]], [[Benny Goodman]], [[Gil Evans]], [[The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra|Thad Jones and Mel Lewis]], [[Toshiko Akiyoshi – Lew Tabackin Big Band|Toshiko Akiyoshi and Lew Tabackin]], and, most famously, [[Charles Mingus]] in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Knepper died in 2003 of complications of Parkinson's disease.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Kroner|first1=Erling|title=Jimmy Knepper – In Memoriam|url=http://kroner-music.dk/erling/knepper.html|website=Kroner Music|access-date=30 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120312230139/http://kroner-music.dk/erling/knepper.html|archive-date=12 March 2012|date=2003}}</ref><ref name=latimesobit>{{cite news|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-jun-17-me-knepper17-story.html|title=Jimmy Knepper, 75 Trombonist With Mingus|date=June 17, 2003|access-date=August 28, 2012}}</ref>

==Biography==
Knepper was born in [[Los Angeles]], [[California]], United States,<ref name=latimesobit/> the second son of a nurse and a police officer. His parents divorced shortly after his birth, and his mother had to take her abusive husband to court in order to get child support. He and his older brother, Robert, were sent to several boarding and military schools, Page Military Academy and St. John's Military Academy, while their mother worked. He picked up his first instrument, an [[alto horn]], at the age of six while he was a pupil there.<ref name=latimesobit/> His first teacher persuaded him to put aside the alto and pick up the trombone because, as he said, he had a "trombone mouth". He played his first professional gigs in Los Angeles, and traveled to [[Spokane, Washington]], at the age of 15. He graduated high school, and later attended classes at [[Los Angeles Community College]].

Knepper married Maxine Helen Fields, a trumpet player with the all-female jazz band the [[International Sweethearts of Rhythm]] on May 8, 1954, at a civil ceremony in [[Tucson, Arizona]], while he was on a tour with the [[Maynard Ferguson]] Band. They had two children, a daughter, Robin Reid Knepper Mahonen, and a son, Timothy Jay Knepper, who predeceased him. Knepper chose the names "Robin" and "Jay" to honor his idol, [[Charlie Parker]], whom the jazz world knew as "Bird". He had four grandchildren.

In 1959, the U.S. State Department funded a trip for bandleader [[Herbie Mann]] to visit Africa, after they heard his version of "African Suite." In a stroke of serendipity, Knepper replaced Willie Dennis as trombonist in the band for this tour.

The 14-week tour took place from December 31 1959 to April 5, 1960. The musicians were:
[[Herbie Mann]], bandleader, flute and sax;
[[Johnny Rae]], vibist and arranger;
[[Don Payne (musician)|Don Payne]], bass;
[[Doc Cheatham]], trumpet;
Jimmy Knepper, trombone;
[[Carlos "Patato" Valdes]], conguero;
Jose Mangual, bongos.
Destinations listed on official itinerary:
Sierra Leone, Liberia, Nigeria, Mozambique, Rhodesia, Tanganyika, Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan, Morocco, Tunisia.
Knepper documented this tour meticulously in a series of letters he sent home to his wife, Maxine, his daughter, Robin, and his son, Timothy. These letters were recently found carefully preserved in a dusty box in the attic of the family home, and have now been transcribed by his daughter. They provide a fascinating glimpse into the inner circles of a notable piece of jazz history, and the life of a touring musician, who was also a devoted family man. He paints vivid portraits of the personal life of the musicians he worked with, and his descriptions of the Africa's landscapes and people provide a vivid portrait of an era in which there were few civil rights for Africans in their own lands. Knepper's daughter is hoping to publish these letters.

In 1962, Knepper toured the Soviet Union with [[Benny Goodman]]'s Big Band,<ref name="LarkinJazz">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Guinness Who's Who of Jazz]]|editor=[[Colin Larkin (writer)|Colin Larkin]]|publisher=[[Guinness Publishing]]|date=1992|edition=First|isbn=0-85112-580-8|page=243/4}}</ref> as part of a cultural exchange during the [[Cold War]], in which the [[Bolshoi Ballet]] also came to the US. This groundbreaking yet disastrous tour was also documented in Knepper's letters.

Knepper also played in the pit orchestra through the entire run of the Broadway show ''[[Funny Girl (musical)|Funny Girl]]'', with [[Barbra Streisand]], and later, Mimi Hines. After seventeen previews, the Broadway production opened on March 26, 1964, at the Winter Garden Theatre, subsequently transferring to the [[Majestic Theatre (Broadway)|Majestic Theatre]] and the [[Broadway Theatre (53rd Street)|Broadway Theatre]] to complete its total run of 1,348 performances. In 1967 and 1968, he played in the pit orchestra at the [[Mark Hellinger]] Theater for ''An Evening with [[Marlene Dietrich]]'', for which Dietrich received a [[Tony Award]] in 1968. He also appeared on and off Broadway in ''[[On Your Toes]]'', and ''[[The Me Nobody Knows]]''.

While he was playing ''Funny Girl'', Knepper became a member of [[the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra]], a big band formed by trumpeter [[Thad Jones]] and drummer [[Mel Lewis]] around 1965,<ref name="LarkinJazz"/> which began the 40-year tradition of Monday night jazz shows at the [[Village Vanguard]] in New York's [[Greenwich Village]]. The band performed for twelve years in its original incarnation, but since the death of Lewis in 1990 it has been known as the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. They have maintained a Monday-night residency at the Village Vanguard for four decades. Knepper again toured the USSR, this time with TJML, as well as Japan and Europe with them, and appeared with them at the [[Montreux Jazz Festival]] in 1974.

In 1969, Knepper toured and recorded ''You Never Know Who Your Friends Are'', with keyboardist [[Al Kooper]], in the jazz period which followed his departure from [[Blood, Sweat and Tears]]. Knepper appeared on this concert tour which included shows at the Philadelphia Spectrum, and in Atlanta, where he briefly met [[Janis Joplin]].

In 1980, he received a [[Grammy Award]] nomination, for "Best Jazz Instrumentalist Performance, Soloist", for his album, ''[[Cunningbird]]''.

Knepper received "Best Trombonist" award from ''[[DownBeat]]'' Reader's Poll four years running from 1981 to 1984; he also achieved first place in the ''DownBeat'' Critics' Poll in 1981, and then five years running from 1983 to 1987.

==With Mingus==
Although Knepper worked with some of the most notable jazz musicians of the 20th century, he was perhaps best known for his collaboration and stormy relationship with bassist and composer, [[Charles Mingus]].<ref name="LarkinJazz"/>

Mingus' temper was notoriously bad, and he twice hit Knepper. Once, while onstage at a memorial concert in Philadelphia, Mingus reportedly attempted to crush the hands of his pianist, [[Toshiko Akiyoshi]], with the instrument's keyboard cover, then punched Knepper; however, the legitimacy of this story has been called into question by both Akiyoshi and Mingus's son Eric Mingus. Later, Mingus reportedly punched Knepper in the mouth while the two men were working together at Mingus's apartment on a score for Epitaph, in preparation for what became his disastrous concert at [[The Town Hall (New York City)|New York Town Hall]], on October 12, 1962. The blow broke one of Knepper's teeth, ruined his [[embouchure]] and resulted in the loss of the top octave of his range on the trombone for almost two years. This attack ended their working relationship, and Knepper was unable to perform at the concert. Charged with assault, Mingus appeared in court in January 1963 and was given a suspended sentence. According to his daughter, Robin, Mingus also later mailed heroin to Knepper's home, and made an anonymous phone call to the police. A little girl at the time, she remembers the police questioning her father after the mailman delivered the package.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.jazznation.com/Goodbye.htm|title=Goodbye|website=Jazznation.com|access-date=July 29, 2021|archive-date=September 30, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930015756/http://www.jazznation.com/Goodbye.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> Nevertheless, in the 1970s, the two eventually reconciled thoroughly enough to play together in concert and on at least one of Mingus' last albums.

Following Mingus' death, and the death of the first Mingus Dynasty bandleader, drummer [[Dannie Richmond]], Knepper led the [[Mingus Dynasty (band)|Mingus Dynasty]] Orchestra,<ref name="LarkinJazz"/> and toured the Middle East and Europe.

==Discography==
===As leader===
* ''Jazz Workshop Presents: "Jimmy Knepper"'' ([[Debut Records|Debut]], 1957; Danish EP reissued on ''Mingus Rarities, Volume 1'', [[Original Jazz Classics|OJC]])
* ''[[A Swinging Introduction to Jimmy Knepper]]'' ([[Bethlehem Records|Bethlehem]], 1957)
* ''[[The Pepper-Knepper Quintet]]'' ([[MetroJazz Records]], 1958)
* ''[[Cunningbird]]'' ([[SteepleChase Records|Steeplechase]], 1976)
* ''[[Jimmy Knepper in L.A.]]'' ([[Inner City Records|Inner City]], 1977)
* ''[[Just Friends (Joe Temperley and Jimmy Knepper album)|Just Friends]]'' ([[Hep Records|Hep]], 1978) with [[Joe Temperley]]
* ''[[Tell Me...]]'' (Daybreak, 1979)
* ''[[Primrose Path (Jimmy Knepper and Bobby Wellins album)|Primrose Path]]'' (Hep, 1980) with [[Bobby Wellins]]
* ''[[1st Place]]'' (BlackHawk, 1982 [1986])
* ''[[I Dream Too Much (album)|I Dream Too Much]]'' ([[Black Saint/Soul Note|Soul Note]], 1984)
* ''[[Dream Dancing (Jimmy Knepper album)|Dream Dancing]]'' ([[Criss Cross Jazz]], 1986)
*'' T-Bop ''(Soul Note, 1991) with Eric Felten

===As sideman===
'''With [[Charles Mingus]]'''
* ''[[Tijuana Moods]]'' (1957) RCA
* ''[[East Coasting]]'' (1957) Bethlehem
* ''[[A Modern Jazz Symposium of Music and Poetry]]'' (1957) Bethlehem
* ''[[The Clown (album)|The Clown]]'' (1957) Atlantic
* ''[[Mingus Ah Um]]'' (1959) Columbia
* ''[[Mingus Dynasty]]'' (1959) Columbia
* ''[[Blues & Roots]]'' (1959) Atlantic
* ''[[Mingus Revisited]]'' (1960) Mercury
* ''[[Reincarnation of a Lovebird]]'' (1960) Candid
* ''[[Oh Yeah (Charles Mingus album)|Oh Yeah]]'' (1961) Atlantic,
* ''[[Tonight at Noon (album)|Tonight at Noon]]'' (1957–61) Atlantic
* ''[[Cumbia & Jazz Fusion]]'' (1978) Atlantic

'''With [[Mose Allison]]'''
* ''[[Swingin' Machine]]'' (Atlantic, 1963)
'''With [[Joshua Breakstone]]'''
*''[[Evening Star (Joshua Breakstone album)|Evening Star]]'' (Contemporary, 1988)
'''With [[Benny Carter]]'''
*''[[Central City Sketches]]'' (MusicMasters, 1987)
'''With [[Richard Davis (double bassist)|Richard Davis]]'''
* ''[[Muses for Richard Davis]]'' (MPS, 1969)
'''With [[Gil Evans]]'''
* ''[[Out of the Cool]]'' (1960) Impulse!
* ''[[The Individualism of Gil Evans]]'' (1964) Verve
* ''[[Blues in Orbit (Gil Evans album)|Blues in Orbit]]'' (Enja, 1971)
* ''[[Where Flamingos Fly]]'' (1971) Artists House
* ''[[Collaboration (Helen Merrill and Gil Evans album)|Collaboration]]'' with [[Helen Merrill]] (1987) EmArcy
'''With [[Ricky Ford]]'''
* ''[[Shorter Ideas]]'' (Muse, 1984)
'''With [[Dizzy Gillespie]]'''
* ''[[Perceptions (Dizzy Gillespie album)|Perceptions]]'' (Verve, 1961)

'''With [[Langston Hughes]]'''
* ''[[Weary Blues (album)|Weary Blues]]'' (MGM, 1959)
'''With [[Clark Terry]]'''
* ''[[Color Changes]]'' (Candid, 1960)
'''With [[Kai Winding]]'''
* ''[[The Incredible Kai Winding Trombones]]'' (1960) Impulse!
'''With [[Chuck Israels]]'''
* National Jazz Ensemble directed by Chuck Israels ([[Chiaroscuro Records|Chiaroscuro]], 1976)
'''With [[Herbie Mann]]'''
* ''[[My Kinda Groove]]'' (Atlantic, 1964)
* ''[[Our Mann Flute]]'' (Atlantic, 1966)
'''With [[Kenny Burrell]]'''
* ''[[Guitar Forms]]'' (Verve, 1965)
'''With [[Gary Burton]]'''
* ''[[A Genuine Tong Funeral]]'' (RCA, 1967)
'''With the [[Jazz Composer's Orchestra]]'''
* ''[[The Jazz Composer's Orchestra (album)|The Jazz Composer's Orchestra]]'' (1968) JCOA
* ''[[Escalator over the Hill]]'' with [[Carla Bley]] (1971) JCOA
'''With [[the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra]]'''
* ''[[The Big Band Sound of Thad Jones/Mel Lewis featuring Miss Ruth Brown]]'' (1968) Solid State
* ''[[Monday Night]]'' (1968) Solid State
* ''[[Central Park North (The Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Orchestra album)|Central Park North]]'' (1969) Solid State
* ''[[Basle, 1969]]'' (1996) TCB Music – recorded 1969
* ''[[Consummation (The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra album)|Consummation]]'' (1970) Solid State
* ''[[Suite for Pops]]'' (1972) A&M
* ''[[Live in Tokyo (The Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Orchestra album)|Live in Tokyo]]'' (1974) Denon Jazz
* ''[[Potpourri (The Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Orchestra album)|Potpourri]]'' (1974) Philadelphia International
* ''[[Thad Jones / Mel Lewis and Manuel De Sica]]'' (1974) PAUSA
'''With [[Dick Katz]]'''
* ''[[In High Profile]]'' (Bee Hive, 1984)
;With [[Lee Konitz]]
* ''[[Lee Konitz Nonet]]'' (Chiaroscuro, 1977)
* ''[[Yes, Yes, Nonet]]'' (SteepleChase, 1979)
* ''[[Live at Laren]]'' (Soul Note, 1979 [1984])
'''With [[Al Kooper]]'''
* ''[[You Never Know Who Your Friends Are]]'' (1969) Columbia

'''With the [[Toshiko Akiyoshi – Lew Tabackin Big Band]]'''
* ''[[Road Time, Toshiko Akiyoshi – Lew Tabackin Big Band|Road Time]]'' (1976) RCA/Victor

'''With [[George Adams (musician)|George Adams]] & [[Dannie Richmond]]'''
* ''[[Hand to Hand (album)|Hand to Hand]]'' (1980) Soul Note
* ''[[Gentleman's Agreement (album)|Gentleman's Agreement]]'' (1983) Soul Note

'''With [[Mingus Dynasty (band)|Mingus Dynasty]]'''
* ''[[Chair In The Sky]]'' (Electra 1979)
* ''[[Live at Montreux (Mingus Dynasty album)|Live at Montreux]]'' (Atlantic 1980)
* ''[[Reincarnation]]'' (Soul Note 1982)
* ''[[Mingus' Sounds of Love]]'' (Soul Note 1987)
* ''[[Live at the Theatre Boulogne-Billancourt/Paris, Vol. 1]]'' (Soul Note 1988)
* ''[[Live at the Theatre Boulogne-Billancourt/Paris, Vol. 2]]'' (Soul Note 1988)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [{{Allmusic|class=artist|id=p6905|pure_url=yes}} Jimmy Knepper at Allmusic.com]
* [http://www.trombone-usa.com/knepper_jimmy_bio.htm Jimmy Knepper at Trombone Page of the World]

{{Jimmy Knepper}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Knepper, Jimmy}}
[[Category:1927 births]]
[[Category:2003 deaths]]
[[Category:American jazz trombonists]]
[[Category:American male trombonists]]
[[Category:Neurological disease deaths in West Virginia]]
[[Category:Deaths from Parkinson's disease in the United States]]
[[Category:Jazz musicians from Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Criss Cross Jazz artists]]
[[Category:SteepleChase Records artists]]
[[Category:Inner City Records artists]]
[[Category:Place of death missing]]
[[Category:20th-century American trombonists]]
[[Category:20th-century American male musicians]]
[[Category:American male jazz musicians]]
[[Category:Mingus Big Band members]]
[[Category:The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra members]]
[[Category:Earle Spencer Orchestra members]]
[[Category:American Jazz Orchestra members]]
[[Category:Atlantic Records artists]]
[[Category:Hep Records artists]]

Jimmy Knepper - Revision history

imported>Derek R Bullamore: Minor clean-up