Jazz Quiz
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Answer to Last week's quiz
Paul Barbarin
He
was born in New Orleans on May 5th, 1899. He became one of the most
famous and best drummers in the Crescent City. With his father, an established
brass player and member of the Onward Brass Band, and three brothers all playing
jazz, he could hardly have done anything but become a jazz musican. Still in his
teens he moved to Chicago where he worked with Joe King Oliver and Jimmy Noone.
From 1928 he worked mainly in New York with Luis Russell’s band which—in 1935
came under the nominal leadership of Louis Armstrong. In 1939, he returned to
New Orleans and, apart from occasional trips to Chicago in the 40’s and 50’s
when he played with Henry Red Allen and Sidney Bechet, he led his own band. It
was in New Orleans that he stayed and played and enjoyed life as an elder
statesman of jazz. He was—the man who composed "Bourbon Street Parade",
continued family tradition when, like his father before him, he became leader of
the Onward Brass Band. It was, in fact, while leading this band in a New Orleans
Street Parade that he collapsed and died in February 1969.
This week's quiz
Who is he ?
One of the finest swing pianists and a prodigy, he was playing piano and writing important arrangements for Benny Goodman by the time he was 18. He had previously played with Bobby Hackett, George Brunis and Zutty Singleton., was the intermission pianist at Nick's, and worked in the short-lived Muggsy Spanier big band. After a period working for the CBS Orchestra under Raymond Scott, , he was one of the stars of the Glen Miller Army Air Force Band After decades of work as a well-respected serial composer, he returned to jazz for cruises in 1986 and 1987 that were recorded by Chiaroscuro. He continued composing and performing even after being diagnosed with muscular dystrophy, and was awarded a Pulitzer Prize in 1990. Eight years later, on April 24, he died in the Los Angeles area.