Kansas Fields

Carl Donnell "Kansas" Fields (December 5, 1915, Chapman, Kansas – March 7, 1995, Chicago, Illinois)^[1] was an American jazz drummer.

Fields played in Chicago from the late 1920s, and worked with King Kolax and Jimmie Noone in the 1930s.^[2] In 1940, he joined Roy Eldridge's group for a year; he returned to play with Eldridge again later in the 1940s.^[2] He briefly led his own ensemble and played with Ella Fitzgerald and Benny Carter before joining the Marines during World War II.^[2] After the war, he played with Cab Calloway, Claude Hopkins, Sidney Bechet, Dizzy Gillespie (recording with Gillespie in 1951), and Eldridge again before the close of the decade.^[2]

He led another group of his own early in the 1950s, then played with Mezz Mezzrow in Europe in 1953.^[2] Fields stayed in Europe for more than a decade; he relocated to France and worked as a sideman. In 1965, he returned to Chicago, working once more with Gillespie and doing studio work.

Discography

With Dizzy Gillespie

• Dee Gee Days: The Savoy Sessions (Savoy, 1951-52 [1976])
• Jambo Caribe (Limelight, 1964)

With various artists

• Mel Powell, Swingin' Clarinets (London, Commodore Series, 1942)
• Eddie Condon, The Town Call Concert (JZCL, 1944)
• Jonah Jones, Swing De Paris (Fremeaux & Associes, 1946)
• Jonah Jones, The Engine Room - A History Of Jazz Drumming From Storyville to 52nd Street (Proper, 1946)
• Cab Calloway, Hep Cats And Cool Jive (Fuel, 1946)
• Soul Sister Vol. 3 Sister Rosetta Tharpe (MCA, 1949)
• Lionel Hampton w/Milton Mezzaow Vol. 2 (Blue Star, 1950's)
• Teddy Wilson, Piano Moods (Philips, 1950)
• Budd Johnson, The Chronogical (Classics, 1951)
• Joe Williams, Sings (Savoy Jazz, 1951)
• Buck Clayton Quintet/Gene Sedric and his Group (Vogue, 1953)
• Buck Clayton and Wild Bill Davidson, Singing Trumpets (Jazztone, 1953)
• Mary-Lou Williams, et ses formations (Club Francais du Disque, 1954)
• Albert Nicholas, New Orleans Parade Vol. 1 & Vol. 2 (Vogue, 1955)
• Mezz Mezzrow, Recorded In Paris (Disques Swing, 1955)
• William "Big Bill" Broonzy (Columbia, 1956)
• Sidney Bechet, Recorded in Concert at Brussels Fair (Columbia, 1958)
• Sidney Bechet & Teddy Buckner, "Bravo!" (Vogue, 1958)
• Sarah Vaughan w/Quincy Jones, Misty (Mercury, 1958)
• Coleman Hawkins, Disorder At The Border (Milian, 1962)
• Americans in Europe Vol. 2 (Impulse!, 1963)
• Errol Parker (Brunswick, 1963)
• Memphis Slim, The Memphis Slim Story (Vogue, 1963)
• Bud Powell In Paris (Discovery, 1963)
• Floyd McDaniel, Let Your Hair Down! (Delmark, 1994)
• Little Brother Montgomery and the Jazz All Stars (FM Records, 2001)

References

Footnotes

1. T. Dennis Brown, revised by Barry Kernfeld (2003). "Fields, Kansas [Carl Donnell]". Grove Music Online (8th ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.J990057. ISBN 978-1-56159-263-0.
2. Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 857. ISBN 0-85112-939-0.

General references

• Eugene Chadbourne, Kansas Fields at AllMusic