A distinctive trombonist with a sly wit and the ability to sound as if he were playing underwater,
Vic Dickenson was an asset to any session on which he appeared. He stated out in the 1920s and '30s playing in the Midwest. Associations with
Blanche Calloway (1933-1936),
Claude Hopkins (1936-1939),
Benny Carter (1939),
Count Basie (1940),
Carter again (1941), and
Frankie Newton (1941-1943) preceded a high-profile gig with
Eddie Heywood's popular sextet (1943-1946);
Dickenson also played and recorded with
Sidney Bechet. From then on he was a freelancing soloist who spent time on the West Coast, Boston, and New York, appearing on many recordings (including some notable dates for Vanguard) and on the legendary Sound of Jazz telecast (1957). In the 1960s,
Dickenson co-led
the Saints and Sinners, toured with
George Wein's
Newport All-Stars, and worked regularly with
Wild Bill Davison and
Eddie Condon. During 1968-1970, he was in a quintet with
Bobby Hackett and in the 1970s, he sometimes played with
the World's Greatest Jazz Band. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
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Trombone Cholly