Cab

Calloway, Cab (Cabell Calloway), 1907-94, jazz singer and band leader, b. Rochester, N.Y. Known for his inventive creativity, he hired some of the top musicians of his day for his jazz orchestra, including Dizzy Gillespie and Milt Hinton; he also promoted singers Pearl Bailey and Lena Horne. Cab Calloway and his band became famous as a result of radio broadcasts (1931-32) from New York City's Cotton Club and was one of the highest earning bands of the 1930s and 40s. His hits included "Minnie the Moocher" (1931) and "Blues in the Night" (1942). He also appeared in several films.

orig. Cabell Calloway III

(born Dec. 25, 1907, Rochester, N.Y., U.S.—died Nov. 18, 1994, Hockessin, Del.) U.S. singer and big-band leader. He fronted his first group in 1928; it became the house band at Harlem's Cotton Club in 1931. An accomplished scat singer who combined audacious showmanship with prodigious vocal range and imagination, he became most identified with his hit “Minnie the Moocher” (1931). Exposure with his band launched the careers of many important jazz soloists. The composer George Gershwin modeled the character Sportin' Life in his musical Porgy and Bess (1935) on Calloway, who later performed the role himself.

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orig. Cabell Calloway III

(born Dec. 25, 1907, Rochester, N.Y., U.S.—died Nov. 18, 1994, Hockessin, Del.) U.S. singer and big-band leader. He fronted his first group in 1928; it became the house band at Harlem's Cotton Club in 1931. An accomplished scat singer who combined audacious showmanship with prodigious vocal range and imagination, he became most identified with his hit “Minnie the Moocher” (1931). Exposure with his band launched the careers of many important jazz soloists. The composer George Gershwin modeled the character Sportin' Life in his musical Porgy and Bess (1935) on Calloway, who later performed the role himself.

Learn more about Calloway, Cab with a free trial on Britannica.com.

The word cab has a number of meanings, most of which are abbreviations:

In transport:

• Cabriolet, a horse-drawn carriage
• Taxicab
• Cabin (truck)
• Cab (short for cabin), the driving compartment of a locomotive
• Tractor unit part of an articulated lorry, known in Britain as an "artic cab"
• Cab car
• NATO reporting name for the Lisunov Li-2

Other:

• CAB (band), a jazz fusion band
• The Cab, a Las Vegas-based rock band
• Cabochon, a gemstone
• Cabernet sauvignon
• "Cab", a song by Train (band)
• Cabinet (disambiguation)
• Cab Calloway, American Jazz Singer and Band Leader

Places:

• Čab, a village in Nitra District in Slovakia
• Cab Calloway School of the Arts

The acronym CAB may stand for:

• C.A.B., a British television show
• Cabinet (file format) (often abbreviated "CAB"), a Microsoft Windows installation archive format
• Canadian Association of Broadcasters
• Certified Angus Beef
• Choose and Book
• Citizens Advice Bureau
• Civil Aeronautics Board
• Club Athlétique Bizertin
• Combat Aviation Brigade
• Combat Action Badge
• Composite UI Application Block
• Constructions Aéronautiques du Béarn, a French aircraft manufacturer
• Controller Anti-lock Brake, see Anti-lock braking system
• Criminal Assets Bureau
• Club Atlético Banfield, a football team in Argentina
• Club Atlético Belgrano, a football team in Argentina
• Club Automobile du Burundi, a member of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile
• Change Advisory Board
• CAB, the ICAO airline designator for Chesapeake Air Service, United States