Fred Robinson

It seems odd that trombonist Fred Robinson had such a long life, for he is chiefly remembered for his work with Louis Armstrong from 1928-29, particularly the recordings with Armstrong's Savoy Ballroom Five. Robinson started playing trombone while in high school. After studying in Ohio at the Dana Musical Institute and freelancing, he moved to Chicago in 1927, where he worked with Carroll Dickerson's Orchestra -- an ensemble that Armstrong soon joined. Robinson was on quite a few of Satch's 1928 records and nearly all the ones with Earl Hines, taking a much more subservient ro...