Darnell Howard

Darnell Howard ( born July 25, 1905 in Chicago, † September 2, 1966 in San Francisco) was an American clarinetist, violinist and jazz alto saxophonist of the New Orleans Jazz.

Darnell Howard was the son of musicians and played violin at age seven and later learned clarinet and saxophone. Still at school in 1912, he began playing professionally as a musician. 1913 to 1916 he was at Ginger Orchestra by John H. Wick Cliffe, 1917 went to New York City in 1919 and played violin with WC Handy in Memphis (Tennessee), with whom he recorded also. In 1921, he was with Charles Elgar and 1923 he was with James P. Johnson and came to Europe with the Plantation Days revue. In 1924 he was back in Europe with the Singing Syncopators. After this tour, he went to Chicago to 1925/26, with King Oliver to play in the Dixie Syncopators. He also played with Erskine Tate and Carroll Dickerson and was in Shanghai with the New York Singing Syncopators (he played there with Teddy Weatherford ). In 1928, he was with the Dixie Landers by Jimmy Wade and had his own quartet. 1929/30, he was with Dave Peyton. From 1931 to 1937 Howard was a member of Earl Hines Orchestra. Here, he mainly played clarinet ( Wolverine Blues, Darkness, 1934), but also alto saxophone and violin ( influenced by Eddie South ). He also participated at this time records with Jimmy Blythe (1931 ), Roy Palmer, and under his own name ( 1932).

In 1941 he was short in Fletcher Henderson and Coleman Hawkins and led from 1943 to 1945 his own band in Chicago. In 1945, he was in California with Kid Ory ( Weary Blues, Maple Leaf Rag, Down Home Rag, 1944), was back in Chicago, where he played with Doc Evans. 1948 to 1952 he was with Muggsy Spanier in California. He then briefly played with Bob Scobey and Jimmy Archey and was then from 1955 to 1962 in the Dixieland band by Earl Hines in San Francisco, he left due to illness. He also took on record with Don Ewell (1956 /7), Baby Dodds, Miff Mole and Barbara Dane. In 1966 he fell ill during a European tour in the New Orleans All-Stars and died in San Francisco a few months later.

Howard's clarinet playing is heavily influenced by Jimmie Noone. He took only once under his own name, 1950 in San Francisco with his Frisco Foot Warmers ( the band of Bob Scobey, who also starred ).