Biography
Although John Letman never reached widespread fame, he sustained an extended and often fruitful tenure as a dependable, energetic trumpeter. Early associations took him to Gerald Valentine’s band in Illinois, then to Columbus, Ohio, where he performed alongside Scat Man Crothers and Jimmy Raschelle before relocating to Chicago; there his collaborators included Delbert Bright, Bob Tinsley, Johnny Lang, Nat King Cole in 1938, Horace Henderson from 1941 to 1942, Red Saunders in 1942, and assorted other local musicians. A subsequent stay in Detroit brought work with Teddy Buckner and John Kirby, after which Letman established himself in New York in 1944 and appeared with the Phil Moore Four, Lucky Millinder in 1945, Cab Calloway from 1947 to 1949, Milt Buckner, and the Count Basie Orchestra in 1951. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s he concentrated chiefly on studio sessions, television broadcasts, and Broadway productions, yet he also directed his own small group and participated in occasional jazz dates that encompassed recordings with Joe Thomas, Stuff Smith, Chubby Jackson, and Panama Francis between 1958 and 1960. Additional freelance engagements over the years linked him to Sam “The Man” Taylor, Eddie Condon, Wilbur De Paris, Claude Hopkins, and numerous others. A 1968 visit to Paris yielded several recordings, among them dates with Tiny Grimes and Milt Buckner. Letman remained active during the 1970s, contributing to sessions with Lionel Hampton, Cozy Cole, and Earl Hines in 1977. His New Orleans Blues Serenaders undertook European tours from 1985 to 1986. As a leader he documented four quartet titles featuring pianist Dick Wellstood in 1959, a quintet album for Bethlehem in 1960, and a Black & Blue session with Hal Singer and Milt Buckner in 1968, while also appearing on countless sideman dates.
Albums
