Johnny Wiggs

Johnny Wiggs (actually John Wigginton Hyman, born July 25, 1899 in New Orleans, † October 9, 1977 ) was an American jazz cornetist, and bandleader of Dixieland jazz.

Life and work

Johnny Wiggs began his career as a violinist, then switched to cornet and moved to New York, before returning back to New Orleans. Stylistically, he was heavily influenced by King Oliver and Bix Beiderbecke. In 1924/25 he played with Norman Brownlee, 1926 Happy Schilling. From the late 1920s he worked as a teacher in Louisiana and took next to jazz clubs in New Orleans. First recordings were made in the late 1920s when John Hyman 's Bayou Stompers. From the late 1940s Wiggs was again active as a full-time musician, various formations initiated (including with Frank Fröba ) and made ​​recordings, now under the stage name Johnny Wiggs. He was one of the few Jewish jazz musicians of the time.

He worked in the jazz revival in the 1940s with recordings by, inter alia, with Snoozer Quinn ( Melancholy Baby ), Santo Pecora, Armand Hug, Raymond Burke and Doc Souchon; Under his own name he played for the small label New Orleans Records 1948 Four title, Ultra Canal, Two Wing Temple in the Sky, Bourbon Street Bounce and Congo Square. In 1950 he took up the standard Baby Will not You Please Come Home for Commodore Records.

In the 1960s, Wiggs occurred only occasionally, though he remained active until the 1970s. From 1969 to 1974 he appeared at the New Orleans Jazz Festival and at the Manassas at Jazz Fest. He was a mentor of younger musicians such as George Finola, was involved in the founding of the New Orleans Jazz Club. Among his most famous pupils included Pete Fountain and George Girard.

Disco Graphical Notes

  • New Orleans Kings ( Southland, 1954 - 10 " LP)
  • Dixieland of Old New Orleans ( Golden Crest, 1957)
  • Sounds of New Orleans, Vol 2 ( Storyville Records, 1950-55 ) with Raymond Burke, Armand Hug, Doc Souchon, Phil Darois
  • New Orleans Jazz Chamber Music Session ( Paramount, 1956)
  • Chamber Jazz ( 1959)
  • Zutty Singleton & Johnny Wiggs: Jazz For The Seventies ( Fat Cat 's Jazz )
  • City of a Million Dreams (GHB, 1972) with Art Hodes, Claude Hopkins, Bob Greene
  • Doc Souchon & Johnny Wiggs, The Lakefront Loungers: New Orleans Daily Jazz ( GHB) with Edmond "Doc" Souchon, Sherwood Mangiapane, Raymond Burke, Johnny Wiggs, Paul Crawford, Knocky Parker, Paul Barbarin
  • Congo Square by Johnny Wiggs and other Vintage Material from 1948 & 1949 (GHB, 2010)

Lexigraphic entries

Frank Froeba Raymond Burke (clarinetist)
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