Harvey, Louisiana
Harvey is a census-designated place (CDP) in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States. Harvey is on the south side (referred to as the "West Bank") of the Mississippi River, within the New Orleans– Metairie–Kenner metropolitan stati ...
Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a U.S. state, state in the Deep South and South Central United States, South Central regions of the United States. It is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 20th-smal ...
), better known as Monk Hazel, was a
jazz drummer
Jazz drumming is the art of playing percussion (predominantly the drum kit, which includes a variety of drums and cymbals) in jazz styles ranging from 1910s-style Dixieland jazz to 1970s-era jazz fusion and 1980s-era Latin jazz. The techniques an ...
and
cornetist
The cornet (, ) is a brass instrument similar to the trumpet but distinguished from it by its conical bore, more compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B, though there is also a sopra ...
.Rye, Howard; Barry Kernfeld. "Hazel, Monk". ''Grove Music Online''. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
Career background
In addition to being a drummer, Hazel occasionally took solos
cornet
The cornet (, ) is a brass instrument similar to the trumpet but distinguished from it by its conical bore, more compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B, though there is also a so ...
and
mellophone
The mellophone is a brass instrument typically pitched in the key of F, though models in E, D, C, and G (as a bugle) have also historically existed. It has a conical bore, like that of the euphonium and flugelhorn. The mellophone is used as the ...
. Hazel performed with several bandleaders in and around New Orleans in the 1920s, among them
Abbie Brunies
Albert "Abbie" Brunies (January 19, 1900 - October 2, 1978) was an American jazz cornetist.
Brunies came from a famous New Orleans musical family, which counted among its members George Brunies and Merritt Brunies. Brunies was the leader of the ...
Johnny Wiggs
Johnny Wiggs (born John Wigginton Hyman, July 25, 1899 - October 10, 1977) was a jazz musician and band leader.
Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States, Wiggs started his music career on the violin. He soon adopted the cornet and mov ...
.
Hazel's father was a drummer as well. Early on Monk played drums with Emmett Hardy, who gave him his first cornet, and then with Stalebread Lacombe. In the 1920s, Hazel worked with many bands including those led by
Abbie Brunies
Albert "Abbie" Brunies (January 19, 1900 - October 2, 1978) was an American jazz cornetist.
Brunies came from a famous New Orleans musical family, which counted among its members George Brunies and Merritt Brunies. Brunies was the leader of the ...
(the Halfway House Orchestra), Tony Parenti (with whom he recorded in 1928) and
Johnny Wiggs
Johnny Wiggs (born John Wigginton Hyman, July 25, 1899 - October 10, 1977) was a jazz musician and band leader.
Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States, Wiggs started his music career on the violin. He soon adopted the cornet and mov ...
.
From the late 1920s to the early 1930s, Hazel led his own Bienville Roof Orchestra (which played atop the Bienville Hotel at Lee Circle, and made recordings in 1928) and then spent time in New York playing with Johnny Wiggs, Jack Pettis and with his own group (1929–31).
Hazel was in
Hollywood
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywoo ...
for a period (working with
Gene Austin
Lemeul Eugene Lucas (June 24, 1900 – January 24, 1972), better known by his stage name Gene Austin, was an American singer and songwriter, one of the early "crooners". His recording of " My Blue Heaven" sold over 5 million copies and was for a ...
) but eventually came back to New Orleans, performing with Joe Caprano (1937) and the Lloyd Danton Quintet. Hazel spent 1942-43 in the Army and then worked for a time outside of music.
During his final 20 years, Hazel was once again active in New Orleans, recording with his own band in 1945 and performing with
Sharkey Bonano
Joseph Gustaf "Sharkey" Bonano (April 9, 1904 – March 27, 1972), also known as Sharkey Banana or Sharkey Bananas, was an American jazz trumpeter, band leader, and vocalist. His musical abilities were sometimes overlooked because of his lo ...
(1949-52),
George Girard
George Girard (October 7, 1930 – January 18, 1957) was a New Orleans jazz trumpeter. He was known for his great technical ability, playing in a style that combined traditional New Orleans Dixieland jazz with the big-band-style trumpet, and ...
Santo Pecora
Santo Pecora (born Santo Joseph Pecoraro, March 21, 1902 – May 29, 1984) was an American jazz trombonist known for his longtime association with the New Orleans jazz scene.
He was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Pecora changed hi ...
and virtually every other important name in New Orleans jazz.
As a leader, Monk Hazel recorded four titles in 1928 for
Brunswick Records
Brunswick Records is an American record label founded in 1916.
History
From 1916
Records under the Brunswick label were first produced by the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company, a company based in Dubuque, Iowa which had been manufacturing prod ...
and a full album for
Southland Records
Southland Records is a record label in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States specializing in blues and jazz.
Southland Records was founded in 1953 by Joe Mares, a clarinetist and younger brother of trumpeter Paul Mares. He created the label aft ...
in 1954;
Pete Fountain
Pierre Dewey LaFontaine Jr. (July 3, 1930 – August 6, 2016), known professionally as Pete Fountain, was an American jazz clarinetist.
Early life and education
LaFontaine was born to Pierre, Sr. and Madeline, in a small Creole cottage-style f ...
and
Al Hirt
Alois Maxwell "Al" Hirt (November 7, 1922 – April 27, 1999) was an American trumpeter and bandleader. He is best remembered for his million-selling recordings of "Java" and the accompanying album '' Honey in the Horn'' (1963), and for the them ...