Louis Cottrell, Sr.
Louis Cottrell Senior ( born December 25, 1878 in New Orleans, † October 17, 1927 ) was an American drummer of New Orleans jazz. He led the vortex game in the jazz and had a significant influence on other New Orleans drummer and the nickname Old Man Cottrell. His pupils included Baby Dodds, Cie Frazier, Freddie Kohlman, Alfred Williams, Louis Barbarin and Paul Barbarin.
Cottrell learned to read music in 1891 from the same age John Cornfelt. He played from 1900 to 1915 at the Olympia Orchestra in New Orleans and to 1909 in the band of John Robichaux. 1916 to 1918 he played in Chicago in the band of Manuel Perez and thereafter until his death in the band of Armand Piron in New Orleans, with whom he also recorded records 1923-1925.
He was the father of the clarinetist Louis Cottrell Jr. and great-grandfather of the jazz drummer Louis Cottrell from New Orleans.