Big Bill Bissonnette (February 5, 1937 – June 26, 2018) was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a majo ...

trombonist, drummer, and record producer. He was a strong advocate of

New Orleans jazz New Orleans Jazz may refer to: * Dixieland, a style of jazz music (New Orleans Jazz) * * New Orleans Jazz (NBA team), professional basketball team that relocated and became the Utah Jazz *New Orleans Jazz football club New is an adjective referri ...

as played by veteran African-American musicians. In the 1960s, he led his own group, the Easy Riders Jazz Band, formed his own label, Jazz Crusade, and organized northern tours for

Kid Thomas Valentine Kid Thomas (1896–1987), born Thomas Valentine, was an American jazz trumpeter and bandleader. Kid Thomas was born in Reserve, Louisiana and came to New Orleans in his youth. In the early 1920s, he gained a reputation as a hot trumpet man. S ...

, George Lewis, and Jim Robinson. He produced over 100 recorded jazz sessions for Jazz Crusade and appeared as trombonist or drummer on over 50 recording sessions of New Orleans jazz. The Easy Riders Jazz Band was one of the most acclaimed revival bands of the 1960s. Bissonnette brought Sammy Rimington to the United States. During his career, he worked with Alvin Alcorn,

Red Allen Henry James "Red" Allen, Jr. (January 7, 1908 – April 17, 1967) was an American jazz trumpeter and vocalist whose playing has been claimed by Joachim-Ernst Berendt and others as the first to fully incorporate the innovations of Louis Arms ...

, Jimmy Archey,

Polo Barnes Paul D. "Polo" Barnes (November 22, 1901 – April 3, 1981, New Orleans) was an American jazz clarinetist and saxophonist. He was the brother of Emile Barnes and was a mainstay of the New Orleans jazz scene of the 1920s and 1930s. Career Barn ...

, Albert Burbank,

Alex Bigard Alexander Louis Bigard, Jr. (September 25, 1899, New Orleans - June 27, 1978, New Orleans) was an American jazz drummer. He was the brother of Barney Bigard and a cousin of Natty Dominique and A.J. Piron, and was involved for decades with the Ne ...

, Don Ewell,

Pops Foster George Murphy "Pops" Foster (May 19, 1892 – October 30, 1969) was an American jazz musician, best known for his vigorous slap bass playing of the string bass. He also played the tuba and trumpet professionally. Biography Foster was born t ...

, George Guesnon,

Edmond Hall Edmond Hall (May 15, 1901 – February 11, 1967) was an American jazz clarinetist and bandleader. Over his career, Hall worked extensively with many leading performers as both a sideman and bandleader and is possibly best known for the 1941 cha ...

, Bob Helm, Tuba Fats Lacen, George Lewis, Fred Lonzo, Alcide Pavageau,

George Probert George Arthur Probert, Jr. (March 5, 1927 – January 10, 2015) was an American jazz clarinetist, soprano saxophonist, and bandleader active principally on the Dixieland jazz revival circuit. He was born in Los Angeles. Probert was an autodidac ...

, Kid Sheik,

Zutty Singleton Arthur James "Zutty" Singleton (May 14, 1898 – July 14, 1975) was an American jazz drummer. Career Singleton was born in Bunkie, Louisiana, United States, and raised in New Orleans. According to his ''Jazz Profiles'' biography, his unusual ...

Victoria Spivey Victoria Regina Spivey (October 15, 1906 – October 3, 1976), sometimes known as Queen Victoria, was an American blues singer and songwriter. During a recording career that spanned 40 years, from 1926 to the mid-1960s, she worked with Louis A ...

Gregg Stafford Gregory Vaughan "Gregg" Stafford (born July 6, 1953, New Orleans) is an American jazz cornetist and trumpeter. He has been a jazz music educator in New Orleans since the 1980s and has led the Young Tuxedo Brass Band for more than thirty years. S ...

, Michael White, and

. Bissonnette came in first place as "New Young Artist" in the 1965 Jazzology Jazz Poll. Over 30 years later he placed No. 5 among all jazz trombonists in the same poll. After a period out of music, he published his memoir, ''The Jazz Crusade'', in 1992, reactivated his label, and began to play again. He spent much of the 1990s documenting the British jazz scene with his "Best of the Brits" album series. He retired in 2006 and died a dozen years later, in June 2018 at the age of 81.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bissonnette, Big Bill 1937 births 2018 deaths Jazz musicians from New Orleans American jazz trombonists Male trombonists American male jazz musicians