Emmett Hardy
Emmett Louis Hardy ( born June 12, 1903 in Gretna (Louisiana ), † June 16, 1925 in New Orleans) was an American cornetist of early jazz.
Life and work
Hardy's parents were both musicians; he first played piano, guitar, cornet from the age of twelve. He took lessons in New Orleans in Papa Jack Laine and played in his band from 1917 and then in the orchestra by Norman Brownlee. He played from December 1920 in New Orleans in the backing band of vaudeville artist and Shimmie Queen Bee Palmer. With her he went on tour in 1921. He worked on the resolution of her band in 1921 in Davenport ( Iowa) in the band of Carlisle Evans, on a Mississippi paddle steamer (SS Capitol ) was dedicated. He should have in Davenport ( Chicago next pier of the Mississippi steamboat ) influenced the young Bix Beiderbecke, when he played in the backing band of Bee Palmer and 1921 alongside the clarinetist Leon Roppolo was one of the attractions in the band of Carlisle Evans. From this emerged backing the later New Orleans Rhythm Kings, and Hardy played with them, as they were in 1921 engaged in the Friar's Inn in Chicago. He played in the Friar's Society Orchestra, the second cornet by Paul Mares and played in Chicago in smaller formations with violinist Oscar Marcour, the Boswell Sisters and Monk Hazel. Even before the first recording session of the band Hardy returned due to problems with the musicians ' union back to New Orleans, where he led his own group, but took no plates. He played briefly in Norman Brownlee's Orchestra and was the last year of his life inactive before he died of tuberculosis at the age of only 22 years.
Shortly before his death made Hardy and some of his friends still private recordings on a wax cylinder. When Hardy's tuberculosis worsened and his death was imminent, it was decided to store the recordings. From the cylinders is still obtain a copy, said to have been stored in the Jazz Archive at Tulane University, but so far remained untraceable.
Similar to Buddy Bolden, who also no recordings exist, formed around his game a legend. He should have a cutting contest held and won by Louis Armstrong in 1919 and have been a model for example Beiderbeckes play around the lead note, which was again denied by other witnesses. Among his admirers was the young Red Allen, who together with Hardy had lessons. Chris Kelsey honored him with the album In Search of Emmett Hardy published in 2000.
Lexical entry
- John Chilton: Who's Who of Jazz. Macmillan 1972