Jack Purvis was one of the most interesting and least known of the 1920s and 1930s era jazz trumpet players. Little is known about his early life and he is surrounded by myth. He was one of the few white trumpet players whose ability could challenge Louis Armstrong in the late 1920s and together with Jabbo Smith was one of the most celebrated trumpet virtuosos of that era. The myths surrounding Purvis are the stuff of legends. He was accused of being a bank robber, petty thief, con man, pilot, and did spend time in prison. The prison time is a fact—everything else is subject to greater scrutiny. One incontrovertible fact is that his black and white contemporaries revered him and all attest to his prodigious talent as a jazz trumpet player.
Jack Purvis - Episode 1
His recording career was short---he would disappear for long periods of time and then mysteriously reappear with the most amazing tales of his exploits. Here we will examine his early influences and some of his first recordings.
| Composition | Performer/Bandleader | Year |
| Struttin’ With Some Barbeque | Louis Armstrong | 1927 |
| Potato Head Blues | Louis Armstrong | 1927 |
| West End Blues | Louis Armstrong | 1928 |
| Jazz Battle | Jabbo Smith's Rhythm Aces | 1929 |
| Croonin' the Blues | Jabbo Smith's Rhythm Aces | 1929 |
| Copyin' Louis | Jack Purvis Orchestra | 1929 |
| Mental Strain At Dawn | Jack Purvis Orchestra | 1929 |
Jack Purvis - Episode 2
On this podcast we will listen to his 1930’s recordings and try to piece together more things about this colorful, enigmatic performer. Active in the states in the early 1930s he made many recordings in New York. He played and recorded with a number of well-known dance bands in 1931 and suddenly disappeared from the music scene until 1935 when he made his last recordings. While we can’t separate fact from fiction these recordings don’t lie.
| Composition | Performer/Bandleader | Year |
| Dismal Dan | Jack Purvis Orchestra | 1930 |
| Down Georgia Way | Jack Purvis Orchestra | 1930 |
| What's the Use of Cryin' | Jack Purvis Orchestra | 1930 |
| Be Bo Bo | Jack Purvis Orchestra | 1930 |
| When You're Feeling Blue | Jack Purvis Orchestra | 1930 |
| It's You | Jack Purvis & The Boswell Sisters | 1931 |