Dust the mouldy pics off! [6] - June Clark & Perry Bradford's orch.

June Clark with Perry Bradford's Recording Orchestra, 1925

From left to right: Gene Kennedy (alto and soprano saxes); Will Escoffery (banjo); Charlie Smith (piano); Perry Bradford; Jimmy Harrison (trombone) and June Clark (cornet)

Dust the mouldy pics off! [5] - revisited

Regarding my previous post, that included a photograph of the Sugar Johnnie's New Orleans Creole Orchestra, fellow blogger Chris Albertson provides a better quality picture, without any damage preventing us from seeing Lil Hardin's face. Chris reports that the photograph was directly taken from Lil's own wall. If you want to read Lil Hardin's recollections from an unpublished copyrighted manuscript and take a look at many interesting pictures and documents, don't miss Stomp Off in C's archives from August and September 2009.

As always, thanks a lot, Mr. Albertson!

Dust the mouldy pics off! [5] - De Luxe Cafe Band

De Luxe Cafe Band a.k.a. Sugar Johnnie's New Orleans Creole Orchestra (c. 1917)

From left to right: Wellman Braud (bass), Lil Hardin (piano) (not recognizable due to damaged photo), Lawrence Duhé (clarinet), Sugar Johnnie Smith (cornet), Roy Palmer (trombone) and Minor Hall (drums)

Dust the mouldy pics off! [4] - Buddy Petit's Jazz Band

Buddy Petit's Jazz Band. Covington, Louisiana. 1920

From left to right: unknown, Eddie "Face-O" Woods (drums), George Washington (trombone), Buddy Petit (cornet), Buddy Manaday (banjo), Edmond Hall (clarinet) and Chester Zardis (bass).

Anyone cares to identify the man on the left? Could it be Pill Coycault, Sadie Goodson or "Chinee" Foster, all of whom were part of Petit's band in those years?

Dust the mouldy pics off! [3] - Arthur Gibbs' orchestra

Arthur Gibbs' Orchestra: Savoy Ballroom, NY (June 1927 to January 1928) and Arcadia Ballroom, NY (February 1928 to June 1928)

From left to right, back row: Sam Hodges (drums), George Washington (trombone), Leonard Davis (trumpet), Billy Taylor (tuba). Front row: Edgar Sampson (alto sax), Happy Caldwell (tenor sax), Gene Michael (alto sax), Arthur Gibbs (piano) and Paul Bernet (banjo).

Dust the mouldy pics off! [2] - Elmer Snowden's Nest Club Orch.

Elmer Snowden's Nest Club Orchestra in 1925

Left to right: Te Roy Williams (trombone), Elmer Snowden (leader and banjo), Joe Garland (alto and baritone saxophones), Walter Johnson (drums), Freddy Johnson (piano), Bob Ysaguirre (tuba), Prince Robinson (tenor sax and clarinet) and Rex Stewart (cornet).

Dust the mouldy pics off! [1] - Keppard with Lil Armstrong

Tonight I'm starting a series on old photographs published in The Jazz Information magazine in 1940 & 1941, featuring jazz bands from the 1920s. Some of them are very good shots; some of them are of substandard quality. Some of them have been published elsewhere; some of them I haven't seen anywhere else. All of them are a very importante piece in the jazz hisory puzzle; all of them are worth rescuing.

Hope you enjoy'em!

Freddie Keppard with Lil Armstrong's band

From left to right: John Thomas (trombone), Ted Eggleston (drums), Lil Armstrong (piano), Freddie Keppard (cornet) and Jerome 'Don' Pasquall (clarinet). This group was formed in 1928, when Pasquall was leading his own twelve-piece orchestra at Harmon's Dreamland, the Arcadia Ballroom and various benefits in Chicago, with Freddie Keppard on cornet. Lil Armstrong asked Don to form a small group for gigs around Illinois and Indiana, and the combination illustrated was the result. The band was always on demand, Don says, because it was a "real hot band, with Freddie blowing his top every session. In fact, Freddie was a whole brass section by himself".