TRANSCRIPT:
Hi, I’m Mark Rapp, and this is Rapp on Jazz.
William “Bill” Benford, born in 1902, found his musical path through the legendary Jenkins Orphanage in Charleston, South Carolina. As a child, he toured with the orphanage band’s musical revue as early as 1915, gaining early exposure to jazz on the move.
Benford became a key figure in jazz’s early years, leading his groups and recording with pioneers like Jelly Roll Morton, Ethel Waters, Willie “The Lion” Smith, and Jimmy Dunn. He was a rare talent who bridged jazz’s evolving sound, playing both tuba and bass as the music transitioned from marching roots to swinging rhythm sections.
He performed with Bubber Miley & His Mileage Makers, the Gulf Coast Seven, and the Plantation Orchestra before leaving the scene after 1930.
Though less known today, Benford helped lay the foundation for jazz’s modern rhythm section.
This has been Rapp on Jazz, a co-production of ColaJazz and South Carolina Public Radio, made possible by the ETV Endowment of South Carolina.