Sanders, Joe (actually, Joseph L.)
Sanders, Joe (actually, Joseph L.)
Sanders, Joe (actually, Joseph L.) , jazz pianist, singer, leader, arranger; b. Thayer, Kans., Oct. 15, 1896; d. Kansas City, Mo., May 14, 1965. Nicknamed “The Old Left Hander,” Sanders shared leadership of Coon-Sanders Night Hawks with drummer Carleton A, Coon. After serving in the U.S. Army during World War I, he and Coon formed a small band that operated in Kansas City. After their broadcasting debut in 1921, they began gradually to augment their membership. In 1924, they secured their first club residencies in Chicago; beginning in 1926, they appeared regularly at the Black-hawk, Chicago, also toured extensively during the summer months. In May 1932, co-leader Carleton Coon died, and Sanders continued to lead the band, then billed as Joe Sanders Original Nighthawks. The band had a long residency at the Blackhawk Cafe through the 1930s. During the 1940s, Sanders did extensive studio work in Hollywood; he also led the band at the Trianon Ballroom while still making appearances at the Black-hawk. During the 1950s, he was a regular member of the Kansas City Opera Company. After suffering for many years with eyesight problems, he had a stroke in 1964 and died soon after.
—John Chilton, Who’s Who of Jazz/Lewis Porter