Sterling Belmont "Bozo" Bose (September 23, 1906, Florence, Alabama - June 1958, St. Petersburg, Florida) was an American jazz trumpeter, cornetist and singer. His style was heavily influenced by Bix Beiderbecke and changed little over the course of his life. Like many great jazzmen, Sterling's career was ruined and cut short by his addiction to alcohol.
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Original Crescent City Jazzers – L to R:Felix Guarino, Sterling Bose, Johnny Riddick, unknown, unknown, Avery Loposer. |
Bose spent part of his youth in New Orleans where he absorbed the city's jazz sounds and played with hometown bands such as trombonist Tom Brown. In 1923 Sterling was in St. Louis where he worked with the Crescent City Jazzers and the Arcadian Serenaders at St. Louis' Arcadia Ballroom. He made his first recordings with the Serenaders in late 1924. The group has a similar sound to early jazz bands such as the Wolverines and New Orleans Rhythm Kings. Sterlings' style is influenced by Bix Beiderbecke but also has a bit of the "sock" style of early trumpeters Paul Mares and Phil Napolean, a driving rhythmic type of playing.
Here's a nice recording cut by a wonderful, though largely forgotten, combo; The Arcadian Serenaders. The record was cut during Okeh's fourth trip to St. Louis in October of 1925,
Sterling "Bozo" Bose, c / Avery Loposer, tb / Cliff Holmon, cl, as / Johnny Riddick, p / Bob Marvin, bj, gtr / Felix Guarino, d.
This particular session is highly significant in jazz history because it was recorded during the same time the band played on an opposite stage from the Frankie Trumbauer Orchestra when it was headlining the Arcadia Ballroom. The Trumbauer band included in its ranks clarinetist Pee Wee Russell, and cornettist Bix Beiderbecke. Beiderbecke roomed with cornettist Sterling Bose, the cornet player on Co-Ed, and the Bixian influence on the young horn player is heard clearly in his easygoing style.Bose played with Jean Goldkette's Orchestra in 1927-28 after the departure of Beiderbecke. Following this he worked in the house band at radio station WGN in Chicago before joining Ben Pollack from 1930 to 1933. Sterling was quite a character. Whilst with Pollack, Stirling and Jack Teagarden enjoyed many crazy adventures together. They both shared a love for liquid refreshment and used this to enhance such pursuits as midnight fishing trips and flying lessons! Bose was a fine reader and soloist but his penchant for barleycorn caused him to pass out on the bandstand on numerous occasions! After Pollack he worked with Eddie Sheasby in Chicago, and moved to New York City in 1933.
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| Bose (top right) with Bob Crosby's Orchestra |
He had many gigs in New York in the 1930s and 1940s, including time with Joe Haymes (1934–35) and Tommy Dorsey (1935), Ray Noble (1936), Benny Goodman (1936), Lana Webster, Glenn Miller (1937), Bob Crosby (1937–39), Bobby Hackett (1939), Bob Zurke, Jack Teagarden, Bud Freeman (1942), George Brunies, Bobby Sherwood (1943), Miff Mole, Art Hodes (1944).
Sterling is heard on a driving version of Jazz Me Blues in the company of PeeWee Russell, Benny Morton, Gene Schroeder and Ernie Caceres. His lead work and solo are of the usual high order.
Bose had a short stint with Horace Heidt in August 1944 then began a long period of free lancing in Chicago, New York and Mobile before making his home base in St. Petersburg, Florida.(He had a few stints with Tiny Hill's band during this time). From 1950-7 he led a band at the Soreno Lounge in St. Pete.
Sterling's brother Neil had committed suicide some years earlier and after years of alcoholism and ill health he shot himself in June of 1958. (Edited from Wikipedia & Pete Kelly's Blog)