Real name: Joseph Lewis Thomas

Effective period / Period of releases: 1950 - 1962

American swing jazz trumpeter.

Born: July 24, 1909 in Webster Groves, Missouri.
Died: August 6, 1984 in New York City, New York.

He started his career with Cecil Scott in 1928. After moving to New York in 1934, he became one of the most asked trumpeters of the 30's and 40's. He has worked with the Fletcher Henderson's Orchestra (34-37), Fats Waller, Benny Carter (39-40), Joe Sullivan & Teddy Wilson's Sextet (42-43) and many more.

More recently he worked with the Fletcher Henderson Reunion Band in 1957 and also with Claude Hopkins in 1966.