Jay McShann

Jazz musician, born in Muskogee, Oklahoma, USA. A distinctive pianist, he led a Kansas City swing band (1937–47) which included Charlie Parker (1940–1), and his own small combos thereafter.

James Columbus (Jay or Hootie) McShann (born in 1909 or January 12, 1916) is an American blues and swing pianist, bandleader, and singer. He moved to Kansas City, Missouri in 1936, and set up his own big band, which featured Charlie Parker (from 1937 to 1942), Bernard Anderson, Ben Webster and Walter Brown. Although its book included both swing and blues numbers, the band played blues on most of its records;

Sometime soon after, McShann started to lead small groups featuring blues shouter Jimmy Witherspoon; Witherspoon started recording with McShann in 1945, and fronting the McShann band, had a hit in 1949 with Ain't Nobody's Business. McShann then played in obscurity until 1969, when he became popular as a singer as well as a pianist, often performing with Claude Williams. Well into his '90's (whatever his actual birthdate), McShann still performs occasionally, particularly in the Kansas City area.