Otto James Hardwick

Otto James "Toby" Hardwick was a childhood friend of Duke Ellington. He was a professional alto saxophonist. Hardwick joined Ellington's first band, The Washingtonians, in Washington, D.C. in 1919. Hardwick also worked for banjoist Elmer Snowden at Murray's Casino. Hardwick left the Duke Ellington band in 1928 to visit Europe, where he played with Noble Sissle, Sidney Bechet, and Nekka Shaw's Orchestra, and led his own orchestra before returning to New York City in 1929. He rejoined Duke Ellington in the spring of 1932. Hardwick remained with Ellington until May 1946 and left again and became a freelancer before retiring from music.

Sources: Jazzstandards.com; Vande Kappelle, Robert P.. Blue Notes: Profiles of Jazz Personalities. United Kingdom: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2011.