Louis Cottrell, Jr.
Louis Albert Cottrell Junior ( born March 7, 1911 in New Orleans, † March 21, 1978 ) was an American clarinetist and tenor saxophonist of the New Orleans jazz. He led the Heritage Hall Jazz Band in New Orleans.
Life and work
Cottrell was involved as the son of the influential jazz drummer Louis Cottrell senior early into the music scene in New Orleans. He learned clarinet with Barney Bigard and Lorenzo Tio. As a student of Tio he favored the Albert system clarinet of the game as many Creole musicians in New Orleans.
Cottrell played from the mid-1920s in the Golden Rule Orchestra, with Polo Barnes (1925 ), Chris Kelly and Kid Rena. In 1929 he played on the Mississippi steamer SS Queen Iceland with the Young Tuxedo Brass Band by Lawrence Marrero and then with the orchestra of Don Albert, with whom he recorded for Vocalion in 1935 and with whom he toured until 1939 by the United States. He then returned to New Orleans, where in 1940 he began a collaboration with Paul Barbarin, which continued well into the 1950s and 1960s ( he took with him in 1951 and 1955 and renewed with him in 1960, the Onward Brass Band ). In 1941 he played with Armand Piron and 1942-1947 in Sidney Desvigne.
After the success of inclusion in the Living Legends series in 1961, he continued his continuing shaped for receiving trio. The by him and Barbarin 1960 reinvigorated Onward Brass Band, he headed to his death in 1969. Cottrell led the Onward Brass Band until his own death in 1978, after which it fell apart. In 1967 he worked for the U.S. troops support in Vietnam. In 1971 he founded the Heritage Hall Jazz Band, which formed a competition with better-known Preservation Hall Jazz Band and with which he appeared at Carnegie Hall in 1974 and recorded.
As a sideman he played among others with Peter Bocage, Jim Robinson, Sweet Emma Barrett and Paul Barbarin.
He was active as a trade unionist and organized the subdivision for colored musicians in the Local 496 of the American Federation of Musicians. In 1956 he became its president. He was as well known as a trade unionist as a musician in New Orleans and sat tirelessly for equal treatment of musicians regardless of race one.
As a composer he wrote with Lloyd Glenn and Don Albert You Do not Love Me (True), the earlier a rhythm and blues hit with Paul Gayten was. His recording of Big Lip Blues is in music for the film Pretty Baby by Louis Malle (1978).
His grandson, Louis Cottrell is a jazz drummer in New Orleans (including the Young Tuxedo Brass Band ).
Discography
- New Orleans: The Living Legends, Riverside Records, 1961 ( with McNeal Breaux, Alcide Pavageau, Emanuel Sayles )
- Dixieland Hall presents Louis Cottrell and his New Orleans Jazz Band, 1963 Nobility
- New Orleans Heritage Hall Jazz Band, GNP Crescendo Records 1973
- Louis Cottrell 's Heritage Hall Jazz Band Live at Carnegie Hall, Viko 1974 ( with Blanche Thomas, vocals)