Pat Jenkins

• Genres: Rhythm & Blues

Biography

Consistently credited as Pat Jenkins during his career, this lively swing trumpeter's real name was Sidney Jenkins, and he is sometimes confused with a fellow trumpeter and Sidney, Sidney DeParis. Jenkins, however, was born nearly a decade later than the latter trumpeter, Christmas day of 1914, to be exact. He hailed from the Virginia coast, where he apparently had only been working as a musician for about five years before heading north to the jazz Mecca, New York City. In 1937 he joined up with Al Cooper & His Savoy Sultans, a job that kept him fairly busy for the next seven years. After that, Uncle Sam made a request that could not be refused. Jenkins survived the war and was soon back blowing up a storm with alto saxophonist and bandleader Tab Smith. Beginning in 1951, the trumpeter was part of Buddy Tate's group; this was his most enduring association despite the fact that, at this juncture in his career, Jenkins decided against a full-time commitment to music. When tenor saxophone giant Tate held forth at the New York City Celebrity Club, Jenkins was part of an on-stage mob that at times had nothing less than house band status. But when Tate would leave town, including wide-ranging foreign tours, Jenkins stayed put, toiling at a department store. His recording activities with various swing and rhythm and blues outfits continued through the early '70s. ~ Eugene Chadbourne, Rovi