Who was Kid Ory, the father of jazz?
Kid Ory was a blues musician and singer. He was born in a community called Montz, Louisiana, and learned to play music at the age of five. His family were sharecroppers, considered the poorest of the poor. He was very popular in the 1920s to 1930s The Kid’s real name was Alfred Doyen Jr. He got his “Kid” nickname from Jimmie Noone’s Kid Noone Original New Orleans Jazz Band after they both played with King Oliver in Chicago in 1923. He began his professional career playing music with his brother at a local plantation and restaurant in 1912. He subsequently traveled around the country performing. Thus, he played in various bands throughout his life and had a successful solo career.
Kid Ory’s legacy is still felt through his music today, as he played such an important role in shaping jazz music. In particular, he and other artists such as WC Handy, Bessie Smith and Louis Armstrong popularized his music.
Kid Ory’s childhood
Kid Ory’s youth was marked by the cultural and social struggles of the time.
His early years were spent working as a sharecropper, picking cotton and singing in church. He began playing drums at the age of eight or nine, before moving to New Orleans with his family at the age of thirteen. As can be seen, his musical training began when he was just eight, when he started playing clarinet and then learned to play drums and piano. Even so, Kid Ory’s early musical training was more of a self-taught process. Indeed, he learned to read music from a study book, and from there he went on to learn to play the cornet, guitar, banjo, mandolin and fiddle.
Later, his musical training came through his involvement with the city’s only brass band, the Young Men Brass Band of New Orleans. He learned to play the cornet at the age of 16, and soon after joined Lovie Austin’s touring theater company touring the southern U.S. as the first man on any job.
His career
Early in his career as a trumpeter, he played with many famous musicians, including Louis Armstrong. He is often compared to the latter.
Ory had a difficult childhood, with his father an alcoholic and the family going through difficult financial times. His mother died when he was 9, after which he took up the clarinet to express his grief. He would play on street corners to change his clothes or perform at dances for a bit of money.
Kid Ory was an American jazz musician and bandleader. He is often cited as the father of Dixieland jazz.
Ory’s career began in the late 1910s, when he joined Fate Marable’s Original Creole Jazz Band. Ory was not only an instrumentalist, but also became known for his voice. After Marable’s death in 1922, Ory put together a new band and continued to perform.
Ory is often cited as one of the first jazz musicians to play both string and brass instruments.
Pianist Lovie Austin gave Kid Ory his chance when she hired him for her band in 1926.
He went on to form his own group in 1928 called The Louisiana Rhythm Boys with guitarist Charles “Slim” Jones and bassist Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup.
Kid Ory’s first professional gig was with Doc Cook’s band in Los Angeles, California.
He played with the Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra.
In 1910, Kid Ory joined King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band, which quickly became one of the most influential jazz groups in history.
In 1918, as the popularity of his Creole Jazz Band waned due to World War I and the economic difficulties that followed New Orleans, Kid Ory disbanded his group and moved to Chicago, where he pursued a solo career.
He is best known for “Muskrat Ramble” and “Crawfishin’ Blues”. The latter has become an anthem for Louisiana’s Cajun culture.
Kid Ory’s special features
Kid Ory was an American jazz musician who played the trombone. He was the only person who could play this instrument, so he often substituted for other instruments if they were missing. His extraordinary musical abilities were evident from an early age, and they helped him land a gig with Lovie Austin at the age of 16. That’s how he earned his nickname “Kid Ory”. But he’s best known for being the first jazz player to wear the oversized white hat that would later become a staple of jazz musicians.
Kid Ory’s musical contributions to the swing era
As the first jazz musician to play the trombone, Kid Ory had a significant impact on the music of the swing era. He was also an influential figure in the founding of Dixieland Jazz and the Swing Era.
Kid Ory was best known for his contributions to the band he led from 1919 to 1933. He is considered one of the most influential musicians of the swing era.
In 1919, Ory formed a nine-piece Dixieland band with banjo player Johnny St Cyr and clarinetist Leon Roppolo. His group was one of the most influential of the jazz era, particularly in California and Louisiana.
He died on January 23, 1973 in Hawaii, having retired from music in 1966. His wife Barbara died in 1977.
Kid Ory’s best albums
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