New Orleans cornetist Oscar “Papa” Celestin (1884-1954) was a jazz giant in New Orleans and especially on Bourbon Street with his Original Tuxedo Jazz Band from 1910 right up until his death in 1954. Stars in his band included Louis Armstrong, Peter Bocage, Bebe Ridgley, Lorenzo Tio, Jr. and Isidore Barbarin. One of their greatest numbers was “Original Tuxedo Rag”

I have a special reason for presenting this YouTube of “Original Tuxedo Rag” played by Baby Jools & The Jazzaholics in September at the 2014 Autumn Jazz Parade in Hemsbsy, Norfolk. As well as Baby Jools (drums) the band includes young bloods Karl Hird (clarinet) and Jim Swinnerton (bass) playing alongside “old timers” Denny Ilett (trumpet), Brian Mellor (banjo) and Mike Owen (trombone). Jools played alongside Denny with Max Collie’s Rhythm Aces and Mike has recently returned from a longish stint in Denmark.

It’s great to see younger and older musos mixing it together. Come to that, it’s also good to catch glimpses of “older” fans dancing.

The Future of Jazz
In recent Jazz&Jazz posts I’ve featured fans’ and musicians’ views on the future of jazz and received a staggering response. Two comments that especially struck me were:

“I must admit that as a “young person” I wouldn’t go to jazz clubs…. it would have to be presented in places where only young people are, e.g. student union bars. Otherwise it would be like having a night out with the grandparents. Start with having good, exciting young bands performing at 6th form colleges and music conservatoires and see what happens. Encouraging oldies to bring young people to normal jazz clubs is just going to kill the music even more…”

“There seems to be two diverging scenes. 1) Keeping the old jazz clubs going for the declining numbers of ageing members and musicians; 2) A revival of the jazz of the early to mid 1900s played by young, trained musicians in their own style and for their contemporaries. It would be nice if they could overlap but it appears the old and the young don’t necessarily mix well.”

Dynamic Baby Jools

Closing the Jazz Generation Gap
Despite these comments I have a plea! Let’s not give up on younger and older fans sharing venues and gigs.  If Baby Jools and his band are happy to play at Festivals like the Hemsby Autumn Jazz Parade, why shouldn’t we aim to get their younger fans involved.

I also have this message for the “oldies”. The younger, new generation of jazz bands are going places. They are recapturing the jazz of the 1920s and 30s as well as later eras. We began featuring these bands on Jazz&Jazz some months ago. So if they are playing at venues near you, why not recapture some of your youth and get along and join in the fun! Because they are the future of jazz.

Shortly, I’ll post a feature discussing the role Jazz Festivals could play in a fully fledged UK Jazz Revival.

See also: “Jazz Has A Great Future”

New Generation of Jazz Bands Featured on Jazz&Jazz to date:

The list is already long and growing yet longer:

New York’s Hot Sardines “Celebrating Hot Jazz in High Style”

Left to right: Jason Prover, Evan “Bibs” Palazzo, Joe McDonough, Miz Elizabeth, Nick Myers, Alex Raderman, Evan “Sugar” Crane, “Fast Eddy” Francisco

Adrian Is Back!
Featuring the Adrian Cox Quartet at Botany Bay
Old Hat Jazz Band – “Capturing the Quintessential Sound of Early Jazz”
Hot News: Old Hat Jazz Band EP Launch

Old Hat Jazz Band

Graham Hughes’ Sunshine Kings Jazz Band [This post will soon be updated] – Revitalising the Jazz Scene
TJ Johnson’s Band Ignites The Crypt
“TJ” in The Crypt!
A Combustible Combination! The Martyn Brothers & Sammy Rimington at The 100 Club
The Fallen Heroes
Rich Bennett’s Band Brings the House Down at The Autumn Parade
They Came, They Saw, They Conquered … All in the Nick of Time!

Dom, Sophie Smiles and Tony Rico

Dom Pipkin & The Ikos – Introducing “New Orleans in London” – Seeds for a UK Jazz Revival?
Ikos at The Alleycat
Olney Jazz Club Features Ben Holder, Master of the Jazz Fiddle!
Speakeasy Bootleg Band to Star at Liverpool’s Riverboat Shuffle Music Festival
Introducing The Jake Leg Jug Band

The Jake Leg Jug Band

Setting the Pace for Jazz: The Irresistible Magnetism of the Sant Andreu Jazz Band
Outstanding London Debut For Young Catalonian Jazz Star Andrea Motis
Introducing Tuba Skinny! Flying the Flag for a New Era of New Orleans Jazz Bands
“Oriental Strut” – Tuba Skinny at Fest Jazz
Tuba Skinny Echo Bunk Johnson with Big Chief Battle Axe

Tuba Skinny

Introducing Canada’s Incredible “Eighth Street Orchestra”!
Introducing “The Bardi Manchot”

Toulouse based “Le Bardi Manchot”

Magnificent Seven Jazz Band – Sheer Dynamite!
Getting the Younger Generation Involved in Jazz
Rising Jazz Stars
Next @ The Ent Shed, Bedford
Jazz @ The Ent Shed, Bedford

Peter Mark Butler
Editor & Proprietor, Jazz&Jazz

Keep posted – more to come ……… !

Photos & YouTube © Peter M Butler, Jazz&Jazz