Thomas James Ladnier (May 28, 1900 – June 4, 1939) 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. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

trumpeter. Hugues Panassié – an influential French critic, jazz historian, and renowned exponent of New Orleans jazz – rated Ladnier, sometime on or before 1956, second only to

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 ...

Early years

Ladnier was born in Mandeville, Louisiana – located on the north shore of

Lake Pontchartrain Lake Pontchartrain ( ; ) is an estuary located in southeastern Louisiana in the United States. It covers an area of with an average depth of . Some shipping channels are kept deeper through dredging. It is roughly oval in shape, about from w ...

, with

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

on the opposite shore. Beginning 1914, Ladnier performed in Mandeville's Independence Band at the Dew Drop Dance Hall, led by clarinetist Isidore Frick ''(né'' Isidore Fritz; 1890–1940). Trumpeter

Bunk Johnson Willie Gary "Bunk" Johnson (December 27, 1889 – July 7, 1949) was an American prominent jazz trumpeter from New Orleans. Biography Birth Johnson gave the year of his birth as 1879, although Johnson stated on his 1937 application for Socia ...

sometimes played with this band and gave young Ladnier lessons. Other members of the band included Louis Fritz (trombone); Joe Fritz (bass); Klebert Cagnolatti (drums) – older brother of trumpeter Cag Cagnolatti (1911–1983); Claybear (sax); Leon Laurent (violin);

Buddy Petit Buddie Petit (born Joseph Crawford; most likely 1896 or 1897 — July 4, 1931), also spelled Buddy Petit, was an American early jazz cornetist. His year of birth has been given in various sources as ranging from 1887 to 1897. He gave December 2 ...

(1890–1931) (cornet); Lucien Fritz (drums),

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 ...

(1901–1967) (clarinet). In 1917, Ladnier moved with his mother to Chicago and worked in the stock yards.

Early career

Ladnier – on February 1, 1920, in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

– married Daisy Mathews ''(née'' Hazel B. Mathews; 1902–1979). Around 1921, he became a professional musician. Ladnier played for some time in St. Louis with

Charlie Creath Charles Cyril Creath (December 30, 1890, Ironton, Missouri – October 23, 1951, Chicago, Illinois), known as Charlie Creath, was an American jazz trumpeter, saxophonist, accordionist, and bandleader. Creath played in traveling circuses and ...

. Beginning in 1923, he played in Chicago and made many recordings for

Paramount Records Paramount Records was an American record label known for its recordings of jazz and blues in the 1920s and early 1930s, including such artists as Ma Rainey, Tommy Johnson (guitarist), Tommy Johnson and Blind Lemon Jefferson. Early years Paramoun ...

with pianist

Lovie Austin Cora "Lovie" Austin (September 19, 1887 – July 8, 1972) was an American Chicago bandleader, session musician, composer, singer, and arranger during the 1920s classic blues era. She and Lil Hardin Armstrong are often ranked as two of the best ...

, accompanying blues singers

Ma Rainey Gertrude "Ma" Rainey ( Pridgett; April 26, 1886 – December 22, 1939) was an American blues singer and influential early-blues recording artist. Dubbed the " Mother of the Blues", she bridged earlier vaudeville and the authentic expression of ...

Ida Cox Ida M. Cox ( Prather; February 26, 1888 or 1896 – November 10, 1967) was an American singer and vaudeville performer, best known for her blues performances and recordings. She was billed as "The Uncrowned Queen of the Blues".Harrison, Daphne Du ...

, and

Alberta Hunter Alberta Hunter (April 1, 1895 – October 17, 1984) was an American jazz and blues singer and songwriter from the early 1920s to the late 1950s. After twenty years of working as a nurse, Hunter resumed her singing career in 1977. Early life Hu ...

. For some time, Ladnier played with his inspiration,

King Oliver Joseph Nathan "King" Oliver (December 19, 1881 – April 10, 1938) was an American jazz cornet player and bandleader. He was particularly recognized for his playing style and his pioneering use of mutes in jazz. Also a notable composer, he wro ...

. He emulated Oliver's freak style on the solo in "Play that Thing" with Ollie Power's Harmony Syncopators in September 1923. On March 13, 1923, in Chicago, Ladnier's mother, Willie Ladnier ''(née'' Willie Williams; abt. 1879–1923) died from a gun shot at a party quarrel.

Career

Ladnier joined pianist

Sam Wooding Samuel David Wooding (17 June 1895–1 August 1985) was an American jazz pianist, arranger and bandleader living and performing in Europe and the United States. Career Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, between 1921 and 19 ...

in 1925 for an extensive tour (Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Spain, and Russia). This orchestra recorded in Berlin. He returned to New York and became the hot soloist for the

Fletcher Henderson James Fletcher Hamilton Henderson (December 18, 1897 – December 29, 1952) was an American pianist, bandleader, arranger and composer, important in the development of big band jazz and swing music. He was one of the most prolific black musical ...

orchestra from 1926–1927. He returned to the Sam Wooding Orchestra for another tour (Germany, Austria, Turkey, Switzerland, Italy, and France), then left in January 1929 to work freelance in Paris. A short tour with dancer Harry Fleming brought him to Spain, where he met dancer Louis Douglas and joined him shortly in November 1929 in Paris, acting as orchestra leader. He again free-lanced in Paris until summer 1930 when he joined the

Noble Sissle Noble Lee Sissle (July 10, 1889 – December 17, 1975) was an American jazz composer, lyricist, bandleader, singer, and playwright, best known for the Broadway musical ''Shuffle Along'' (1921), and its hit song "I'm Just Wild About Harry". Ea ...

dance band, performing in Paris and London. He returned to U.S. at the end of 1930 and stayed with Sissle until January 1932. The Sissle orchestra made some recordings in London and New York. Back in America in 1932, Ladnier and

Sidney Bechet Sidney Joseph Bechet ( ; May 14, 1897 – May 14, 1959) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer. He was one of the first important Solo (music), soloists in jazz, and first recorded several months before trumpeter Louis Ar ...

formed the New Orleans Feetwarmers. During the Depression, they tried to run a tailor shop in Harlem, but neither was interested in business. Ladnier left New York and played in the east, sometimes giving trumpet lessons. For a year, he lived in

Stamford, Connecticut Stamford () is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, outside of New York City. It is the sixth-most populous city in New England. Stamford is also the largest city in the Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut, Weste ...

. In 1938, Hugues Panassié, a French critic and record producer who met Ladnier in Paris in 1930, visited New York. He found Ladnier and recorded the Panassié Sessions with Sidney Bechet and

Mezz Mezzrow Milton Mesirow (November 9, 1899 – August 5, 1972), better known as Mezz Mezzrow, was an American jazz clarinetist and saxophonist from Chicago, Illinois. He is remembered for organizing and financing recording sessions with Tommy Ladnier ...

. Ladnier and Bechet participated in the first ''

From Spirituals to Swing ''From Spirituals to Swing'' was the title of two concerts presented by John Hammond in Carnegie Hall on 23 December 1938 and 24 December 1939. The concerts included performances by Count Basie, Benny Goodman, Big Joe Turner and Pete Johnson, ...

'' concert arranged by John Hammond in December 1938. Ladnier's last

studio recording A studio recording, or a recording session is any recording made in a studio, as opposed to a live recording, which is usually made in a concert venue or a theatre, with an audience attending the performance. Studio cast recordings In the cas ...

was on February 1, 1939, in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

as a sideman with singer Rosetta Crawford (de) accompanied by James P. Johnson's Hep Cats (

Decca Decca may refer to: Music * Decca Records or Decca Music Group, record label * Decca Gold, classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group * Decca Broadway, musical theater record label * Decca Studios, recording facility in West ...

7584). With

Johnson Johnson may refer to: People and fictional characters *Johnson (surname), a common surname in English * Johnson (given name), a list of people * List of people with surname Johnson, including fictional characters *Johnson (composer) (1953–2011) ...

(1894–1955) on piano, his sidemen were Teddy Bunn (1909–1978) (guitar); Elmer James (1910–1954) (double bass); and

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 ...

(1898–1975) (drums).

Death

At age 39, Ladnier, died unexpectedly of a heart attack June 4, 1939, while staying at

's apartment at 1 West 126th Street – a six-story, 48-unit residential building in the

Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater ...

neighborhood of

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

. It fell upon Mezzrow to take care of Ladnier's belongings and bury him. The memorial service was on Friday, June 9, 1939. Ladnier was buried at Frederick Douglass Memorial Park,

Staten Island Staten Island ( ) is the southernmost of the boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County and situated at the southernmost point of New York (state), New York. The borough is separated from the ad ...

, an African American cemetery. The first burials there were in 1935. Ladnier's grave is No. 58, range 13, Section H. Despite efforts by Mezzrow and friends, the grave remained unmarked for nearly 69 years. Then, grave marker – square, thick – was placed on Ladnier's grave. It was carved from Nero Granite with no grain structure and is attached to a concrete base. The marker was engraved by Bob Sprauge and was placed on site by Bob Lang.

References

External links

Tommy Ladnier (1900-1939)
at the Red Hot Jazz Archive {{DEFAULTSORT:Ladnier, Tommy 1900 births 1939 deaths People from Mandeville, Louisiana Jazz musicians from New Orleans American jazz trumpeters American male trumpeters Big band trumpet players Swing trumpeters Paramount Records artists 20th-century American trumpeters 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians