The Camelia Brass Band (also in sit-down variation the Camelia Dance Orchestra) was a
-style
brass band, founded by
Wooden Joe Nicholas
Wooden Joe Nicholas (September 23, 1883 – November 17, 1957) was an American jazz trumpeter and cornetist, active on the early New Orleans jazz scene.
He was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Nicholas began playing professionall ...
around 1917 or 1918 in New Orleans.
The Camelia Brass Band was named after a
steamboat
A steamboat is a boat that is marine propulsion, propelled primarily by marine steam engine, steam power, typically driving propellers or Paddle steamer, paddlewheels. Steamboats sometimes use the ship prefix, prefix designation SS, S.S. or S/S ...
, the ''S.S. Camelia''. The group generally featured about ten members, with trumpet, trombone, clarinet, tuba, snare drum, and bass drum. In some of its engagements it played in reduced numbers as a dance band, with six members on trumpet, trombone, clarinet, banjo, bass, and drums. The ensemble featured
Buddy Petit
Buddie Petit (born Joseph Crawford; ca. 1897 – July 4, 1931), also spelled Buddy Petit, was an American early jazz cornetist.
His early life is somewhat mysterious, with dates of his birth given in various sources ranging from 1887 to 1897. He ...
,
Joseph Petit
Joseph Petit (1873 or 1880, in New Orleans – 1946, in New Orleans) was an American jazz trombonist. He was the stepfather of Buddy Petit, and played in many early New Orleans jazz groups.
Joseph Petit played in the Olympia Orchestra, the Camel ...
,
Alphonse Picou,
Billy Marrero
Billy may refer to:
* Billy (name), a name (and list of people with the name)
Animals
* Billy (dog), a dog breed
* Billy (pigeon), awarded the Dickin Medal in 1945
* Billy (pygmy hippo), a pet of U.S. President Calvin Coolidge
* Billy, a young ...
, and
Lawrence Marrero as members.
In the 1920s, D'Jalma Thomas Garnier took leadership of the group, and thereafter made appearances both under its own name and under Ganier's name. The original spelling of the French Creole family name contains the "r": Garnier, and his descendants maintain that original spelling. For the sake of correct pronunciation, however, D'Jalma Garnier (Ganier) left out the "r" to facilitate the correct French pronunciation, which is used today whether there is an "r" in the name or not. Garnier is the grandfather of zydeco/Cajun musician, composer, and pedestrian scholar
D'Jalma Garnier III.
D'Jalma Thomas Garnier, the bandleader, played trumpet, piano, and violin. He is rumored to have taught
Louis Armstrong
Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...
at the New Orleans Boys Home for Colored Waifs.
[Gray, Michael. Bob Dylan Encyclopedia. 2006. ]
References
*Schafer/Kernfeld, "Camelia Brass Band". ''
Grove Jazz'' online.
*R.H. Knowles, ''Fallen Heroes:A History of New Orleans Brass Bands'', 1996, p. 120.
{{Authority control
American jazz ensembles from New Orleans
Brass bands from New Orleans
Musical groups established in the 1910s