Nat Gonella

British Jazz Trumpeter and Bandleader

English jazz trumpeter, bandleader, vocalist and mellophonist born in Islington, London, perhaps most notable for his work with the big band he founded, The Georgians, born March 7, 1908 in Islington, London, England, died August 6, 1998 in Gosport, England. Nat was one of the first British musicians to establish a major reputation as a jazz soloist. He became a household name in the decades between his emergence as a star in the 1930s and the end of the so-called Trad Boom in the early 1960s, and remained active in music until the end of his life. Gonella played and recorded with many prominent jazz musicians and has been a major influence on other British jazz trumpeters. His distinctive vocal style was reminiscent of Louis Armstrong, though the voice was often eclipsed by his achievements as a band leader and trumpeter.