Bill Jennings

Bill Jennings was an American jazz guitarist and composer.

Recording as both a leader and a sideman, Jennings has been called "the architect of soul jazz" and has influenced on jazz, soul, R&B, and blues guitar. B.B. King often mentioned Jennings as one of biggest influences. Jennings has recorded with many artists including Willis "Gator" Jackson, Brother Jack McDuff, Leo Parker, Bill Doggett, Louis Jordan, King Curtis, Louis Armstrong, and Ella Fitzgerald[3] and unique in his ability to play in many styles, including swing, bop, jump blues, R&B, and pop. Jennings played on "Fever" by Little Willie John, which made the Billboard R&B chart in the US and peaked at number 24 on the Billboard Hot 100.

A left-handed player, Jennings played guitar upside down, with the high strings at the top, which gave him a different approach to phrasing and bending the strings. Later in his career he lost a finger on his fretting hand and began playing bass guitar. Source: Wikipedia

Bill Jennings/Jack McDuff: Glide On

by Derek Taylor
February 1, 2000

To most readers Brother Jack is probably the more recognizable name on this double billing disc. Jennings was something of an obscurity even when these sessions were originally released, but not because of a lack of talent. His easy, blues-based style and clean touch on the strings contrast his anonymity and describe a musician who really wasn’t ever afforded his due. Fortunately the recordings gathered here allow a generous glimpse into the state of his art when he was at ...

Recording

Complete Bill Jennings on Prestige 1959-60

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
April 28, 2021

Guitar pickers are in a class of their own. Sandwiched between Tiny Grimes in the mid-1940s and early '50s and Green Green in the 1960s and '70s was Bill Jennings. Born in Indianapolis, Jennings began recording in 1946 as a sideman in the Stuff Smith Quartet and would become a hero to Indy native and guitarist Wes Montgomery. During the early part of his career, Jennings recorded extensively with Louis Jordan, whose band had a big influence on R&B as ...
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Recording

Bill Jennings and Leo Parker

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
September 9, 2016

In the early 1950s, before modern jazz giants emerged with the rise of the 12-inch LP and the prestigious signing of Miles Davis to Columbia Records, R&B was all the rage. Independent radio saw to that, since many small stations in African-American communities played R&B records. They attracted larger listening audiences than jazz singles. Back then, R&B was largely for adults, since many of those singles were geared for jukeboxes in bars and clubs. African-American and white teens found the ...
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Recording

Bill Jennings: 'Enough Said'

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
October 17, 2012

Like many musicians who weren't pure jazz players but had to earn a living in the 1950s, guitarist Bill Jennings spent much of his all-too brief career in R&B bands. When he did drift into jazz, it was often with groove crossover artists like organist “Brother" Jack McDuff and tenor saxophonist Willis “Gator" Jackson. Guitarists like Jennings were solid riff-'n'-pickin' players who could keep swinging time and solo with pronounced lines. Many R&B guitarists like Tiny Grimes, Carl Hogan and ...
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Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Bill Jennings

Bill Jennings

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