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Slim Gaillard

Bulee "Slim" Gaillard (January 9, 1911 – February 26, 1991), also known as McVouty, was an American jazz singer and songwriter who played piano, guitar, vibraphone, and tenor saxophone.

Gaillard was noted for his comedic vocalese singing and word play in his own constructed language called "Vout-o-Reenee", for which he wrote a dictionary. In addition to English, he spoke five languages (Spanish, German, Greek, Arabic, and Armenian) with varying degrees of fluency.: 676 

He rose to prominence in the late 1930s with hits such as "Flat Foot Floogie (with a Floy Floy)" and "Cement Mixer (Put-Ti-Put-Ti)" after forming Slim and Slam with Leroy Eliot "Slam" Stewart. During World War II, Gaillard served as a bomber pilot in the Pacific. In 1944, he resumed his music career and performed with such notable jazz musicians as Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Dodo Marmarosa.

In the 1960s and 1970s, he acted in films—sometimes as himself—and also appeared in bit parts in television series such as Roots: The Next Generations.

In the 1980s, Gaillard resumed touring the circuit of European jazz festivals. He followed Dizzy Gillespie's advice to move to Europe and, in 1983, settled in London, where he died of cancer on February 26, 1991, after a long career in music, film and television, spanning nearly six decades.: 679 

Birth and Death Data: Born January 14, 1916 (Detroit), Died February 26, 1991 (London)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1938 - 1948

Roles Represented in DAHR: songwriter

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor BS-023419 10-in. 5/23/1938 The flat foot floogee Wingy Manone Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BS-023518 10-in. 5/31/1938 The flat foot floogee Benny Goodman Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal ensemble songwriter  
Victor BS-026646 10-in. 8/25/1938 Tutti frutti Bon Bon ; Harry Roberts ; Jan Savitt ; Top Hatters Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet songwriter  
Victor BS-033903 10-in. 2/24/1939 Jump session Charlie Barnet Orchestra Jazz/dance band songwriter  
Victor BS-035081 10-in. 3/23/1939 Jump session Don Redman Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with female-male vocal duet songwriter  
Victor BS-038204 10-in. 6/28/1939 Vas vilst du gaily star Mildred Craig ; Emery Deutsch Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo and vocal ensemble songwriter  
Victor BS-042613 10-in. 8/28/1939 Vol vistu gaily star Clambake Seven ; Tommy Dorsey Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BS-042945 10-in. 10/12/1939 Vol vistu gaily star Smoothies Mixed vocal trio, with jazz/dance band songwriter  
Victor D8VB-4056 10-in. 12/15/1948 Down by the station Denny Dennis ; Lucy Ann Polk ; Sentimentalists ; Tommy Dorsey Orchestra Female-male vocal duet, with vocal group and jazz/dance band songwriter  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Gaillard, Slim," accessed November 7, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/106973.

Gaillard, Slim. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 7, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/106973.

"Gaillard, Slim." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 7 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/106973

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