Early Jazz and Jug Bands
Hello friends, Samm Bennett here. This is a collection I've put together of photos featuring old jazz bands and jug bands. They're mostly American bands, of course, but there are some here from some other countries as well. New images are constantly being added, to the TOP of this page, so please visit again sometime to view the latest. Hope you enjoy!
Monk Hazel band, from the Hogan Jazz Archive, Tulane University
The Red Devils - source
Mamie Smith and band
Bessie Smith and band
Ray Miller Orchestra. Drums up front! (not a full kit, though…)
Bubber Miley band
The Harlem Beats
A California jazz band. Check that big bari sax! And another thing: throughout this collection, you'll find that the drummer in almost all the early jazz ensemble pictures is set up on one side of the stage, almost always the left side. At some point, though, it became standard for the drummer to be set up in the middle of the stage, and behind the other players. Why did that happen? Hmm...
WC Handy's Memphis Orchestra, 1918
Trombonist and bandleader Kid Ory's ensemble, 1922. Two things I'm wondering here: did Kid Ory's drummer always keep his snare drum way out to the side like that, or was that just for the photo? And where'd the bass player go? He out hooting craps again? via
The Original Dixieland Jazz Band, 1917. They had lots of publicity shots made, and there's more of these guys later in this gallery.
Earl Fuller's Famous Jazz Band. What is it with clarinet players, huh? They do the damndest things.
Jelly Roll Morton (left) and his band. via
Note: second guy from the right has a bassoon. And center, a cello. Quite unusual. via
The "Scrap Iron Jazzerinos" has got to be one of the best band names ever ever ever. via
Love the relaxed feel and obviously genuine, warm camaraderie shown in this promo photo of Louis Armstrong's Hot Five
This is the epitome, the apex. Surely one of the greatest band photos in history. Perfection. See below for less retouched version.
Watch out guys! That's not a clarinet, that's a giant blow-dart tube! via
The Original Tuxedo Jazz Band... and their guest list! via
The Don Redmond band. This photo sold on eBay for $300. Unusual bird's eye view shot, very nice!
Sam Morgan Jazz Band, New Orleans, LA. via
Duke Ellington and his band, 1919. (thanks to Greg Tate for posting this one to Facebook!)
This has got to be one of the best "action" posed shots ever. And check out what the clarinet player is doing. Boy, I tell ya, the clarinet players were always the zaniest. When I first posted this, I asked here in the caption if anyone had any info on this band. I received this reply: "I think that it could be Andy Preer's orchestra, or The Cotton Club Orchestra. Jimmy Smith is at the tuba, R.Q. Dickerson at the trumpet, Leroy Maxey on drums, Andy Brown on clarinet; EB De Priest Wheeler on trombone... All of them belonged to this orchestra. Not sure about Andy Preer on violin." That info was kindly provided by Jean-François Pitet, who has his own site devoted to Cab Calloway, check it out HERE.
Yo! You with the clarinet! Didn't your mama tell you not to stand on the furniture? via
As Shakespeare said, all the truck's a stage. Moore County, North Carolina, ca. 1920s Tufts Archives, Pinehurst, NC via
Once again, the Original Dixieland Jazz Band. What are they doing with that sugar tin?
This photo was kindly sent to me by Marc Rosenberg, whose grandfather was the drummer for the Northland Dance Band!
Note: the fellow at left with the large collection of saxophones is playing a bassoon, rather unusual!
Note: the fellow at left with the large collection of saxophones is playing a bassoon, rather unusual!
This was the Aimores Jass Band. They were the band of the Aimores leper colony. via
OK, now, first, this is just the most wonderful picture ever. Second, they were called the Razzy Dazzy Spasm Band, which is just unbeatable and fabulous as all get-out. They played in the streets of Storyville in the 1890s and early 1900s. Read about 'em here.
Here's Hitch's Happy Harmonists, kings of alliteration, featuring none other than Hoagy Carmichael! via
Here's a lively bunch from Brisbane, Australia.
Proof positive that syncopation was at least acknowledged as a concept in Pennsylvania.
This was one of the first Conceptual Music bands of the 1920s. They never actually played any music, they just arrived at the gig, piled all their instruments on the stage and simply stared at the audience. Reviews at the time were mixed. via
Another King Oliver publicity shot. They were so dynamic! via
Buddie Petit (the apostrophe S was an afterthought) New Orleans Jazz Band. via
A rare "mixed" band. A rather odd effect, with the inset faces (mostly so somber!) and the four count 'em FOUR accordions!
These fellows were leaning toward agreement.
Can you teach me to... swaaaaaang?
Erskine Tate's Vendome Orchestra via
Art Hickman on drums, and his Orchestra, 1919. The sax player kneeling down on the right hand side is Bert Ralton, who went on to lead a band of his own at the Savoy Hotel in London, 1921-1923 Kind thanks to Nick Dellow for providing this information.
Note the upside down bass fiddle, and one of the banjo players with his banjo in violin position. Har har.
The photo below, obviously from the same session, gives us a better view of Hickman's drums.
Note the upside down bass fiddle, and one of the banjo players with his banjo in violin position. Har har.
The photo below, obviously from the same session, gives us a better view of Hickman's drums.
Yet another King Oliver band shot, this one from 1931 (via), and much more sedate than the sidewalk promo shot from 10 years earlier. Check the double-neck acoustic guitar! Unusual! Couple of nice big Chinese tack-head tom toms the drummer is sporting on that drum kit, along with the row of Chinese temple blocks and "trap" table mounted atop the bass drum. For much more on the drum sets of this time, see my Vintage Drum Kits page, where you'll find a wealth of info.
The "4 New Orleans Jazz Babies". Drummer was a lefty. via
Hey, watch the banjo head with that trombone, buddy!
Once again, it's King Oliver! The most photographed man in early jazz! That's none other than Louis Armstrong behind the drums!
The Frisco Jazz Bend. via
Mike Denzi's Red Devils. Rather unusual painting on that bass drum head.
Bennie Moten's Radio Orchestra, 1922. Dig those snazzy outfits! via
And here's Bennie Moten once again, with a larger ensemble. Drummer on the left! via
Jelly Roll Morton and his Red Hot Peppers, 1926
Dave Lewis's Jazz Boys, from Kansas City, have a special place in my heart for putting the drummer UP FRONT! Yeah! He's got a xylophone too, which is rather unusual. Looks like the banjo player is keeping an eye on him to make sure he doesn't take another
bite out of his cymbal. And must've been quite a challenge for the keyboard player to reach the notes between all those FEET! via
bite out of his cymbal. And must've been quite a challenge for the keyboard player to reach the notes between all those FEET! via
Now, the Paul Banks Syncopating Orchestra seem to come off as more stately, more dignified than their Kansas City competition just above. One imagines they might've played slightly more high tone, upper crust events than Dave Lewis's crew. via
Well, here's Paul again (at the piano) with a bigger band, and, hey, he seems happier! I bet they sounded great! via
St. Mahlberg's Serenaders: Wisconsin jazz at its HOTTEST! 1923
Here's another outfit from the great state of Wisconsin. A jazz hotbed! Don't know why they thought it a good idea to keep that odd frame structure there in the photo: maybe that was a Wisconsin thing... Interestingly, one rarely sees a Chinese tack-head tom tom mounted on the dead center of a bass drum. They are almost always mounted to one side or the other. This guy had his own system.
Much, much more on the drum kits of that era at my vintage drum sets of the 20s and 30s page.
Much, much more on the drum kits of that era at my vintage drum sets of the 20s and 30s page.
Hey hey hey! Nobody swings harder than those Lansing, Michigan boys! via
Well, OK, then, what say we get the hell outta Michigan and mosey on down to Memphis, huh? Sound good? Alright! Jug band time!
Cannon's Jug Stompers, featuring the great Noah Lewis on harmonica. via
Dixieland Jug Blowers via
Jed Davenport's Beale Street Jug Band, Memphis, Tennessee via
Ballard Chefs Jug Band, Louisville, Kentucky via
Beale Street Jug Band, Memphis via
Now that's what I call a JUG band! I would SO love to hear this. via
Wonderfully posed band picture of the George E. Lee Singing Novelty Orchestra. To my man on bari sax: DUCK! via
King Carter's Jazzing Orchestra, Houston, Texas via
Early New Orleans jazz band. Note the BIG sax and the BIG Chinese tom tom. via
Band members: "Maybe we should HOLD our instruments for the picture?" Bandleader: "Nah, fellows, just throw 'em in a big pile!" via
Some info on Walter Page's Blue Devils here.
Some info on Walter Page's Blue Devils here.
Albert Kersey's Solo Band. All eyes on Albert!
Note how the drummer has removed the Chinese tom tom from the kit and placed it to the side of the bass drum for the photo.
The Fletcher Henderson Band, 1925. The bass drum, with its lovely, characteristic landscape painting on the front head, still exists, in the collection of the Percussive Arts Society. There's a color photograph of it if you care to view, at my Vintage Drum Kits gallery.
Best. Band. Name. EVER. After the Scrap Iron Jazzerinos, and the Razzy Dazzy Spasm Band, that is.
Australian jazz band, 1930s. The piano player would appear to be sitting on an accordion, which, of course, was the norm for Aussie piano players of that time. And accordion players were, in the parlance of the day, said to be "squeezing the bench". via
Make no mistake, these were the ORIGINAL revelers. There was apparently no revelry before 1938.
Band on a boat. via