Russell Procope
Russell Keith Procope, born on August 11, 1908 in New York City, United States,
was an American saxophonist and clarinetist who grew up in San Juan Hill and
began on violin before switching to clarinet and alto saxophone. His
professional debut came in 1926 with Billy Freeman’s orchestra, and he recorded
with Jelly Roll Morton at age 20. Procope joined several prominent bands,
including those of Benny Carter, Chick Webb, Fletcher Henderson, and Teddy Hill,
before becoming a member of John Kirby’s sextet in 1938, where he performed
exclusively on alto saxophone until 1945. After a...
