Louisiana's Legendary Musicians: A Select List -
New Orleans
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New Orleans
Louis Armstrong
Jazz [1901- 1970]
Regarded as one the
20th century's great artistic figures, Armstrong was a brilliant,
inventive soloist whose ideas have influenced popular music of all sorts
for years to come and continue to do so. Born in New Orleans, he began his
career in the band of fellow cornetist Joe "King" Oliver. (The cornet is
similar to the trumpet, with slight differences in design and tone;
Armstrong was equally adept on both instruments.) In the mid-1920s
Armstrong struck out on his own, making two historic series of recordings
known as The Hot Fives and The Hot Sevens. By the 1950s, following an
active career and numerous appearances in films, Armstrong was perceived
as a mainstream entertainer. This facet of his work, reflected by such
hits as "Hello, Dolly," hurt his reputation in some jazz circles at the
time, but the true depth of Armstrong's accomplishments is now universally
acknowledged.
American Routes/Browse by Artist (audio). Armstrong discusses his own efforts to document his life, marijuana, and his music.
http://americanroutes.wwno.org/
archives/artist/920/armstrongs-own-words
The Red Hot Jazz Archive/Louis Armstrong (audio)
http://www.redhotjazz.com/louie.html
The Red Hot Jazz Archive/Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five (audio)
http://www.redhotjazz.com/hot5.html
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame / Louis Armstrong
http://www.rockhall.com
Sidney Bechet
Jazz [1987 - 1959]
Equally accomplished
on the clarinet and soprano saxophone, Sidney Bechet was one of the first
great jazz soloists. Like his contemporaries Louis Armstrong, Johnny
Dodds, and Jelly Roll Morton, Bechet helped define the classic New Orleans
style. Feeling that career opportunities were limited in the U.S., Bechet
moved to France and spent his last years there, recording such hits as
"Les Oignons." Today his influential contributions to jazz are more fully
appreciated.
The Red Hot Jazz Archives / Sidney Bechet (audio)
http://www.redhotjazz.com/bechet.html
National Public Radio / Jazz Profiles / Sidney Bechet
http://www.npr.org/programs/
jazzprofiles/archive/bechet.html
Theodore Emile "Bo" Dollis / Joseph Pierre "Monk" Boudreaux
Mardi Gras Indian [Bo Dollis
1944 - ], [Monk Boudreaux 1941 - ]
Vocalists Bo Dollis and Monk Boudreaux represent New Orleans' Mardi Gras "Indian" tradition. They are not Native Americans, however; these "Indians" are groups of African-American men who parade, chant and drum on Mardi Gras Day, dressed in elaborate hand-sewn costumes with beadwork and plumes. The intricate designs of these costumes often depict Native American garb. There is considerable debate about the origins of this tradition, which is also found throughout the Caribbean. There are many "tribes" in New Orleans; Dollis is the "Big Chief" of the Wild Magnolias, while Boudreaux is "Big Chief" of the Golden Eagles; these are positions of stature and cultural responsibility. Dollis and Boudreaux are unique among Mardi Gras "Indians" because they have blended their chants with popular music and enjoyed commercial success.
American Routes / Browse by Artist (audio). Look up these artists by the first letter of their last names.
http://americanroutes.wwno.org/
archives/by_letter
Antoine "Fats" Domino
Rhythm & Blues [1928 - ]
A
true icon and founding father in the overlapping genres of rock & roll
and rhythm & blues, Fats Domino began making records in 1949. His
powerful piano style draws on classic blues and boogie woogie, and he
sings with a thick New Orleans accent. Along with Chuck Berry and Little
Richard, Fats Domino was one of the first African-American musicians to be
accepted by white fans of the then-new rock genre. Domino went on to
become one of the most successful recording artists of all time, thanks to
such hits as "I'm Walking," "Blue Monday," and "Ain't
That A Shame" - yet he has never moved away from the Lower Ninth Ward
of New Orleans, and has never made any concessions to passing musical
trends. Today, over fifty years later, Domino is still in peak form, and
his distinctive sound remains gloriously unchanged.
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame / Fats Domino
http://www.rockhall.com
History of Rock / Fats Domino
http://www.history-of-rock.com/domino.htm
Pete Fountain
Jazz (1930 - )
Fountain is a leading
practitioner of the dixieland school of New Orleans jazz, a style that
combines traditional concepts with mainstream popular music. He was
influenced by such prominent fellow clarinetists as Sidney Bechet and
Benny Goodman. Fountain rose to national prominence with weekly television
appearances on The Lawrence Welk Show in the late 1950s. Still
active and energetic, Fountain is a popular figure in New Orleans where he
performs frequently at his own nightclub.
A Closer Talk with Pete Fountain
http://www.neworleansweb.org/pete.html
Mahalia Jackson
Gospel [1911 - 1972]
A singer with
great physical power and spiritual passion, Mahalia Jackson made some of
gospel music's most definitive and successful recordings, including the
original composition "Move On Up A Little Higher." Besides
delighting listeners within the gospel community, Jackson brought
African-American religious music to a broad new audience world-wide.
Jackson refused to sing overtly secular material, reflecting a prevailing
attitude with the gospel-music community towards "the Devil's
music" - but she did embrace such songs as "You'll Never Walk
Alone" that she perceived as containing a spiritual message. Jackson
also performed in such secular settings as the Newport Jazz Festival and
the inauguration of President Kennedy. A native of New Orleans, Jackson
appeared at the first New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in 1970.
American Routes / Browse by Artist (audio).
http://americanroutes.wwno.org/
archives/artist/551/mahalia-jackson
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame / Mahalia Jackson
http://www.rockhall.com
Ernie K-Doe
Rhythm & Blues [1936 - 2001]
New Orleans rhythm & blues singer Ernie K-Doe is best known for recording "Mother-In-Law," which was a national number-one hit in 1961. Several of his other records, including "Hello, My Lover," "T'aint It The Truth," and "A Certain Girl," were regional hits in the Gulf South and remain perennial favorites. During the 1980s K-Doe hosted a radio show on WWOZ-FM in New Orleans and gained a cult following as an eccentric cultural icon. Such recognition increased dramatically during the last five years of his life, as K-Doe became known as "the Emperor of the World" and reigned as the king of a Mardi Gras parade. His widow, Antoinette K-Doe, continues to operate the Mother-In-Law Lounge as a shrine to her husband and a meeting place for New Orleans' musical community.
American Routes / Browse by Artist (audio).
http://americanroutes.wwno.org/archives/
artist/1040/krewe-du-vieux-parade-with-ernie-k-doe >
Professor Longhair
Rhythm & blues [1918 - 1980]
The
late Henry Roeland Byrd, a.k.a. Professor Longhair, was one of the most
unique stylists in New Orleans rhythm & blues. His piano style
combined mainstream blues and boogie woogie with the Afro-Caribbean rhumba
rhythms. This stylistic blend and Byrd's unorthodox way of playing,
singing (and whistling) enlivened such songs as "Tipitina," "In
The Night," "Big Chief" and "Mardi Gras In New Orleans."
These songs became unofficial anthems of a cultural renaissance that swept
New Orleans during the 1970s. In addition, Byrd was a major influence on
the next generation of rhythm & blues pianists, including Dr. John,
James Booker, Allen Toussaint, and Art Neville.
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame / Professor Longhair
http://www.rockhall.com
The Marsalis Family
Jazz [Branford Marsalis 1960 - ],
[Delfeayo Marsalis 1965 - ], [Ellis Marsalis 1934 - ], [Jason Marsalis
1977 - ], [Wynton Marsalis 1961 -]
For four decades, the Marsalis
family has been an important force in contemporary New Orleans jazz.
Patriarch and pianist Ellis Marsalis was a co-founder of A.F.O. (All For
One) Records, one of America's first independent, black-owned record
companies. A prolific recording artist, as both a bandleader and
accompanist, Ellis Marsalis is also an eminent jazz educator; he is
currently affiliated with the Jazz Studies program at the University of
New Orleans. His sons include trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, who has won
Grammy awards in both jazz and classical music, and who is the Artistic
director for Jazz at Lincoln Center; the acclaimed saxophonist Branford
Marsalis; trombonist and producer Delfeayo Marsalis; and drummer Jason
Marsalis.
American Routes / Browse by Artist (audio): Look up these artists with the first letter of their last name.
http://americanroutes.wwno.org/
archives/by_letter
Jelly Roll Morton
Jazz [1980 - 1940]
Although Morton
did not single-handedly "invent" jazz, as he claimed, he was among its
most important defining figures, as both an accomplished pianist and a
prolific composer. In addition to the African and European concepts that
jazz drew upon, Morton introduced what he called "the Spanish
tinge"-Afro-Cuban rhythms that underscored Louisiana's connections with
Caribbean culture. These diverse elements are all evident on such Morton
compositions as "Shreveport Stomp," "Black Bottom Blues,"
"Wolverine Blues," and "I Thought I Heard Buddy Bolden Say,"
a song that refers to one of the very first documented New Orleans jazz
musicians.
American Routes / Browse by Artist (audio).
http://americanroutes.wwno.org/
archives/artist/380/jelly-roll-morton
Red Hot Jazz Archive / Jelly Roll Morton (audio)
http://www.redhotjazz.com/jellyroll.html
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame / Jelly Roll Morton
http://www.rockhall.com
Billie and DeDe Pierce
Jazz [Billie Pierce 1907 - 1974], [DeDe Pierce 1904 - 1973]
Pianist Billie Pierce and her husband, trumpeter DeDe Pierce, performed and recorded in New Orleans from the 1930s until the early 1970s. Their traditional jazz and blues repertoire embraced Afro-Caribbean rhythms and Creole French lyrics, along with a wide variety of pop songs and standards that are also heard in many other American genres. As longtime leaders of their own group, the Pierces employed such renowned musicians as clarinetist George Lewis. In later years they toured the world as members of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band.
De De Pierce at Preservation Hall / Photography by John Spragens
http://www.enigmaterial.com/
jazz/ph1966/ph66_dpierce1.html
Billie Pierce at Preservation Hall / Photography by John Spragens
http://www.enigmaterial.com/
jazz/ph1966/ph66_bpierce.html
Arhoolie / Bille and De De Pierce
http://www.arhoolie.com
Irma Thomas
Rhythm & Blues [1941 - ]
A powerful
singer who is known as the "Soul Queen of New Orleans," Thomas began
making records in 1959 and has crafted some of the most popular signature
songs of the rich New Orleans rhythm & blues tradition - including
"It's Raining," "I Done Got Over," "Time Is On My
Side," and "You Can Have My Husband, But Please Don't Mess With My
Man." A Grammy nominee, Thomas maintains a high profile in New Orleans
as a civic activist, and performs at her own nightclub, The Lion's Den,
between national tours.
River of Song / Irma Thomas (audio, video)
http://www.pbs.org/riverofsong/artists/e4-irma.html
