Biography
A widespread assumption that the nickname "Teddy" derives solely from Theodore has helped deepen the anonymity enveloping Humphrey "Teddy" Brannon, a musician who, like many others, merits greater recognition. Emerging from Moultrie, GA, into New Jersey, Brannon developed into an outstanding pianist whose rhythm-section work placed him alongside players whose identities would excite jazz-journal editors. He also played a significant role in the doo wop world, writing and arranging material for multiple successful vocal ensembles. His cousin Babs Gonzales achieved a measure of renown largely through eccentric behavior, rendering Brannon’s relative invisibility all the more striking; yet the sheer volume of jazz pianists has consigned many worthy figures to something resembling a vast discard heap.
This situation is compounded by the frequent treatment of Humphrey Brannon and Teddy Brannon as entirely separate individuals, effectively duplicating the obscurity. Discographer Tom Lord fell into the same error, cataloging six sessions under Humphrey Ted Brannon and more than fifty under Teddy Brannon, all occurring between the early 1940s and early 1960s. Brannon began playing at age nine, worked his way into local dance bands while still in high school, and performed in Newark nightclubs from 1937 to 1942, occasionally fronting the groups. He then spent three years with Benny Carter before appearing on New York City’s 52nd Street scene. The 1950s brought a string of recordings with major jazz figures, many of whom had already noted Brannon’s skill as a bandleader during the final years of the 1940s.
His work alongside Don Byas, Roy Eldridge, Buddy Rich, Bennie Green, and Johnny Hodges produced some of the era’s finest swinging jazz, which also flirted with bebop. After his association with the masterful Hodges, Brannon spent several years supplying chordal support to the driving Illinois Jacquet. During the same period he increasingly worked in studios, preparing tracks for vocal groups including the Blenders. He accompanied vocalists Dinah Washington, Ruth Brown, Billie Holiday, and, inevitably, his cousin. The humorous Gonzales recording that cautions listeners to “Watch Them Resolutions” features Brannon on organ; his exploration of alternative keyboards also encompassed the celeste.
This situation is compounded by the frequent treatment of Humphrey Brannon and Teddy Brannon as entirely separate individuals, effectively duplicating the obscurity. Discographer Tom Lord fell into the same error, cataloging six sessions under Humphrey Ted Brannon and more than fifty under Teddy Brannon, all occurring between the early 1940s and early 1960s. Brannon began playing at age nine, worked his way into local dance bands while still in high school, and performed in Newark nightclubs from 1937 to 1942, occasionally fronting the groups. He then spent three years with Benny Carter before appearing on New York City’s 52nd Street scene. The 1950s brought a string of recordings with major jazz figures, many of whom had already noted Brannon’s skill as a bandleader during the final years of the 1940s.
His work alongside Don Byas, Roy Eldridge, Buddy Rich, Bennie Green, and Johnny Hodges produced some of the era’s finest swinging jazz, which also flirted with bebop. After his association with the masterful Hodges, Brannon spent several years supplying chordal support to the driving Illinois Jacquet. During the same period he increasingly worked in studios, preparing tracks for vocal groups including the Blenders. He accompanied vocalists Dinah Washington, Ruth Brown, Billie Holiday, and, inevitably, his cousin. The humorous Gonzales recording that cautions listeners to “Watch Them Resolutions” features Brannon on organ; his exploration of alternative keyboards also encompassed the celeste.