Buster Bennett

American blues (and rhythm & blues) saxophonist (soprano, alto and tenor) and vocalist. Born : March 19, 1914 in Pensacola, Florida. Died : July 03, 1980 in Houston, Texas. When he cut his first recordings in 1938, he was a highly distinctive, gutbucket stylist with many 1920s features still adhering to his playing (not least of them his continued use of the soprano sax, which was way out of fashion by this time). All of this suggests that he learned early and was playing professionally in his teens. He also played piano and string bass professionally during his career. He arrived in Chicago in the summer of 1938; his last mention in the Chicago Defender came in April 1954. Buster appeared on 28 recording sessions between 1938 and 1947. The end of Bennett's recording contract came with the general fall-off of blues recording in Chicago by the majors. Indeed, Columbia would shut down its 30000 "race" series in 1950. Buster worked with : Lester Melrose, Big Bill Broonzy, "The Yas Yas Girl", Monkey Joe, Washboard Sam, Tom Archia, Red Saunders and others.