Biography
Among jazz circles in New Orleans, Fats Pichon gained respect for his command of the piano, his arranging abilities, and his vocal work. Relocating to New York while still in his teens, he soon enrolled at the New England Conservatory in Boston. After touring Mexico alongside the Eleven Aces, he returned to New Orleans for the period 1926-28, where he directed his own ensemble and appeared with Sidney Desvigne. Late in 1928 he came back to New York, contributed vocals to a Luis Russell session, and accepted assorted freelance engagements. In 1929 he performed in Texas with the Dusky Stevedores; two years later he worked in New York with Elmer Snowden and Fess Williams before settling once more in New Orleans, where he rejoined Desvigne, collaborated with A.J. Piron, and led his own unit. Brief appearances took him to Memphis in 1935, after which he toured with Mamie Smith; throughout the 1940s and 1950s he was regularly spotlighted as a soloist and singer in New Orleans and New York. Failing eyesight forced him to scale down his schedule during the 1960s. His recording dates as leader comprised a 1929 session that produced two trio tracks with Red Allen and Teddy Bunn, two unaccompanied solos from 1946, four trio selections cut for DeLuxe in 1947, and a complete Decca trio album issued in 1956.