Biography
Trumpeter Herman Autrey forged his closest ties with the pianist, vocalist, and bandleader Fats Waller, serving as a core member within the tight circle of players who appeared often in Waller’s groups. In 1934, after Waller’s manager Phil Ponce secured a Victor recording contract and moved to present his client as a bandleader, Autrey ranked among the first musicians recruited for the new ensemble alongside drummer Harry Dial, guitarist Al Casey, and reed specialist Gene Sedric. Before that shift, Waller had worked chiefly as an accompanist and song plugger for publishers and label figures such as Joe Davis, though his flair for entertainment surfaced no matter the material or context. Autrey can be heard on dozens of Waller sessions, where his solos consistently introduced fresh ideas delivered with exceptional tone.
Born into a musical household whose father and two brothers all earned their living as professionals, Autrey began on alto horn before turning to trumpet. While still a teenager he performed with various Pittsburgh-area bands, then relocated to Florida. There he exhausted most opportunities available in the state’s modest jazz circuit before heading northward again, logging time in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and finally New York in 1933. His earliest notable New York engagement came with Charlie Johnson’s band, after which he became a steady associate of Waller. Even amid Waller’s heavy recording schedule, Autrey also cut sides regularly with Fletcher Henderson and Claude Hopkins.
Through the early and middle 1940s he sustained a freelance career, earning notice for forceful, exuberant solos projected with a huge sound. Violinist Stuff Smith, pianist Sammy Price, and blues-oriented leader Una Mae Carlisle all employed him. Several notable musicians passed through Autrey’s own small groups, among them the pianist and composer Herbie Nichols. A serious car accident in the early 1950s forced him off the bandstand for slightly more than a year. During the 1960s he traveled with the swing-revival outfit Saints & Sinners, including European tours in both 1968 and 1969. By the 1970s, as embouchure difficulties mounted, Autrey followed Waller’s example and placed greater weight on singing for the remainder of his performing life.
Born into a musical household whose father and two brothers all earned their living as professionals, Autrey began on alto horn before turning to trumpet. While still a teenager he performed with various Pittsburgh-area bands, then relocated to Florida. There he exhausted most opportunities available in the state’s modest jazz circuit before heading northward again, logging time in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and finally New York in 1933. His earliest notable New York engagement came with Charlie Johnson’s band, after which he became a steady associate of Waller. Even amid Waller’s heavy recording schedule, Autrey also cut sides regularly with Fletcher Henderson and Claude Hopkins.
Through the early and middle 1940s he sustained a freelance career, earning notice for forceful, exuberant solos projected with a huge sound. Violinist Stuff Smith, pianist Sammy Price, and blues-oriented leader Una Mae Carlisle all employed him. Several notable musicians passed through Autrey’s own small groups, among them the pianist and composer Herbie Nichols. A serious car accident in the early 1950s forced him off the bandstand for slightly more than a year. During the 1960s he traveled with the swing-revival outfit Saints & Sinners, including European tours in both 1968 and 1969. By the 1970s, as embouchure difficulties mounted, Autrey followed Waller’s example and placed greater weight on singing for the remainder of his performing life.