Andy Secrest played in both jazz combos and studio orchestras from the '20s through the early '50s. He then left music to become a real estate agent, a move that places him firmly within the mini-grouping of players who have made the same career choice, some of whom may have been inspired by the lyrics to Col. Bruce Hampton's song entitled "Real Estate." This isn't the only category of players that Secrest fits into, either. The brass specialist often comes under observation as one of bandleader Paul Whiteman's long-term sidemen. As a result of the Whiteman connection, Secrest also makes the list of instrumentalists who get confused with other instrumentalists. In this case his non-doppelgänger is Frank Siegrist, who also played with Whiteman. Secrest seems to have started his professional career in Cincinnati, working in an orchestra under the direction of Freda Sanker. For several years beginning in 1927, Secrest played both trumpet and cornet in the Jean Goldkette band at a ballroom in Kansas City. The association with Whiteman began shortly thereafter and lasted until 1932. The next move for Secrest was heading to California and the studios of Hollywood. He began working for studio bandleaders such as Victor Young, John Scott Trotter, and Billy Mills, and can be heard on many vintage recordings by Bing Crosby, Mildred Bailey, Anita O'Day, and others. Secrest was in the brass section of Ben Pollack's excellent band in the late '30s and also performed at jazz festivals on the West Coast during the '50s. ~ Eugene Chadbourne