JAMES "JIM" BELL
Instruments: Piano
Date of Birth: September 16, 1941
Place of Birth: Troy, Alabama
James "Jim" Bell was born in Troy, Alabama on September 16, 1941, and attended Troy schools until graduating in 1959. He got his first taste of music from his grandmother, Bessie Dix, who encouraged him to take piano lessons when he was in the fourth grade.
By his teens, Bell was playing piano with the "Swinging Teens". The group became quite popular throughout the southeastern states.
While stationed in France with the U.S. Air Force he met and played piano with the great vocalist, Dinah Washington. After completing his military duty, Bell traveled to Minneapolis, Minn., where he studied with the great jazz pianists, Bobby Lyle, Hubert Eaves, Billie Wallace, and Nate Strong. He also joined and toured with a Chicago-based jazz group called "The Duke Groiner Trio."
After two years on the road he returned to his hometown of Troy to attend Troy State University. He earned his B.A. in Music Education from Troy State University and his M.A. in Music Education from Alabama State University.
In 1974, Bell accepted a teaching position at Charles Henderson Middle School where he served over 23 years as the choir director and music teacher. He introduced the basics of music to literally thousands of students and has taught hundreds of them how to play the recorder and piano.
During the mid-1970s, he formed the "Jim Bell Trio" which performed at numerous concerts and jazz festivals and entertained many jazz enthusiasts throughout the country. Several famous jazz musicians have played with the "Jim Bell Trio" before moving on to play for other groups such as the Count Basie Orchestra.
As a result of his contributions to the art of jazz, Bell was nominated and inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame in 1995.
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