The great jazz trumpeter, William Alonzo "Cat" Anderson, was in 1916 in Greenville, SC.
When he lost both of his parents at the age of four, he was sent to live at the now famous Jenkins Orphanage in Charleston, where he learned to play trumpet and joined the Jenkins Orphanage Band.
As an adult, Anderson toured extensively with band leaders like Lionel Hampton, Lucky Millinder, and Sabby Lewis. He gained fame when he joined Duke Ellington's band, where his ability to play in the altissima register made him a crucial part of Ellington's sound. He was considered the band's key utility trumpet, with mastery of half-valve and plunger mute.
A gifted composer and arranger, William "Cat" Anderson passed away in 1981.
This has been Rapp on Jazz, a co-production of the ColaJazz Foundation and SC Public Radio. Support for this program is made possible in part by Fox Music House of Columbia and Charleston.