Celebrating Birthdays in the month of May...

Sylvester (Hooley) Ahola, (May 24th, 1902), cornet/trumpet, work with Adrian Rollini, the California Ramblers, and the British bandleader, Ambrose

Hayes Julian Alvis, (May 1st, 1907), string bass/tuba/arranger, toured with Jelly Roll Morton (late 1927-early 1928), with Earl Hines (1928-1930), Jimmie Noone (1931), the Mills Blue Rhythm Band (1931-1935), Duke Ellington (1935-1938), Benny Carter (1939), Joe Sullivan (1940, 1942), Wilbur de Paris (1958)

Fernando Arbello, (May 30th, 1907) trombone, arranger, with Claude Hopkins (1931-1934), Chick Webb (1934-1935), Fletcher Henderson (1936-1937, 1941), Marty Marsala (1941), Jimmie Lunceford (1942-1946)

Adolphe Paul Barbarin (May 5th, 1899) drums and composer, with King Oliver (1924-1927), Luis Russell (1928-1932), Louis Armstrong (1935-1938), Henry "Red" Allen (1942-1943), Sidney Bechet (1944)


Sidney Joseph Bechet (May 14th, 1897), soprano sax/clarinet/composer.

Vic(tor) Berton (Cohen) (May 6th, 1896), drums/percussion/vibes. With Bix Beiderbecke and the Wolverines (1924), Roger Wolfe Kahn (1926), free lance recording with Joe Venuti, Eddie Lang, Red Nichols and others.

Jack Bland (May 8th, 1899) guitar/banjo. Founded the Mound City Blue Blowers with Red McKenzie and Dick Slavin.

Rod Cless (May 20th, 1907) clarinet. Performed with Muggsy Spanier's Ragtimers (1939), Art Hodes (1940-41), Wild Bill Davison (1943), Max Kaminski (1944)

Sidney De Paris (May 30th, 1905) trumpet/tuba. McKinney's Cotton Pickers (1929), Don Redman (1932-1936), Mezz Mezzrow (1937), Zutty Singleton (1939-1940), Benny Carter (1940-1941), Wilbur De Paris (1943, 1947 until the mid 1960's), freelance recordings with Jelly Roll Morton (1939), Sidney Bechet (1940) James P. Johnson, Edmond Hall (1944).

Edwin "Eddie" Edwards (May 22nd, 1891), trombone/violin. Performed with the Original Dixieland Jazz Band.

George Murphy "Pops" Foster (May 18th, 1892), string bass/tuba. With Kid Ory (1908, 1923-1925,), Fate Marable (1917-1921), Luis Russell / Louis Armstrong (1929-1940), Sidney Bechet (1945), Art Hodes (1945-1946), Mezz Mezzrow (1948), Bob Wilber-Jimmy Archey (1948-1952), Papa Celestin (1954), Earl Hines (late 1950s), Elmer Snowden (1963-1964)


Harold Eugene "Gene" Gifford, (May 31st, 1908), guitar/arranger. Arranged for Jean Goldkette (1928-1929), and the Casa Loma Orchestra (1929-1938)

Benjamin David "Benny" Goodman (May 30th, 1909) clarinet/saxes/occasional cornet. With Ben Pollack (1926-1929), Red Nichols (1929-1930), Ben Selvin (early 1930s) before becoming the King of Swing in 1935.

Edmond Hall (May 15th, 1901), clarinet/baritone sax. With Buddie Petit (1921-1923), Claude Hopkins (1929-1935), Joe Sullivan (1939), Teddy Wilson (1941-1944), led bands at Cafe Society plus freelance recordings (1944-1946), Eddie Condon (early 1950's), Louis Armstrong and his All Stars (1955- 1958).

Edgar Hayes (May 23rd, 1904), pianist/arranger with the Mills Blue Rhythm Band (1931-1936)

Thomas J. "Tommy" Ladnier (May 28th, 1900) trumpet. With King Oliver (1924-1925), Sam Wooding (1935-1926, 1928-1929), Fletcher Henderson (1926-1927), Noble Sissle (1930-1931), Sidney Bechet (1932-1933)

John Rhea "Yank" Lawson (May 3rd, 1911) trumpet. Performed with Ben Pollack (1933-1934), Bob Crosby (1935-1938, 1941-1942), Tommy Dorsey (1938-1939) co-leader of the World's Greatest Jazz Band with Bob Haggart.

Castor McCord (May 17th, 1907), tenor sax and clarinet. Performed with the Mills Blue Rhythm Band (1929-1930, 1932-1934)

Albert Nicholas (May 27th, 1900) clarinet. With King Oliver (1924-1926), Luis Russell (1928-1933), Louis Armstrong (1937-1939)

Ernest Loring "Red" Nichols (May 8th, 1905) cornet. Leader of the Five Pennies, which included at various times Miff Mole, Fud Livingston, Benny Goodman, Jack Teagarden, Eddie Condon, Pee Wee Russell, etc.

Floyd O'Brien (May 7th, 1904), trombone. With Phil Harris (1935-1939), Gene Krupa (1939), Bob Crosby (1940-1942)

Joseph "King" Oliver (May 11th, 1885) cornet and composer. Leader of the Creole Jazz Band and Dixie Syncopators.

Artie Shaw (Arthur Jacob Arshawsky) (May 23rd, 1910) clarinet. Prior to his leading a big band, Shaw worked with Willie "the Lion" Smith (1929-1930), Red Nichols (1931), Roger Wolfe Kahn (1931-1933), Wingy Manone (1934), Bunny Berigan (1936)

Frank Signorelli (May 24th, 1901), piano and composer. Founder-member of the Original Memphis Five. Recorded with Joe Venuti, Eddie Lang, Bix Beiderbecke, etc. Co-composer of "I'll Never Be the Same"

Arthur James "Zutty" Singleton (May 14th, 1898), drums. Performed with Fate Marable (1921-1923), Jimmie Noone (1927), Louis Armstrong (recordings and with Carroll Dickerson) (1928-1929), Fats Waller (1931), Roy Eldridge (1936), Mezz Mezzrow's Disciples of Swing (1937), led own bands.

Warren Doyle Smith (May 17th, 1908) trombone. With Bob Crosby (1936-1940, 1945), Jess Stacy (1950), Nappy Lamare (1951), Joe Darensbourg (1957-1960), Red Nichols (early 1960s)

Frank Trumbauer (May 30th, 1901) c-melody saxophone/reeds. Collaborator with Bix Beiderbecke. Performed with Jean Goldkette and Paul Whiteman. While with Whiteman, led the Three T's with Jack and Charlie Teagarden.

Thomas Wright "Fats" Waller (May 21st, 1904) piano, organ, composer. Performed/composed for the show, "Keep Shufflin'" with James P. Johnson. Recorded with Fletcher Henderson, Jack Teagarden, McKinney's Cotton Pickers and Ted Lewis prior to his leading his famous "Fats Waller and his Rhythm" recordings

Newell "Spiegle" Wilcox (May 2nd, 1903) trombone. With Paul Whiteman's Collegians (1924), California Ramblers (1925), Jean Goldkette (1925-1927). Took part in Carnegie Hall tribute to Bix Beiderbecke in 1975 which resurrected his career.

Mary Lou Williams (May 8th, 1910) piano, arranger and composer. Arranged for Andy Kirk and his Clouds of Joy from 1931-1942. Arranged for other big bands, notably Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, and Louis Armstrong.