Louis Nelson (trombonist)

Louis Hall Nelson (born September 17, 1902 in New Orleans , † April 5, 1990 ibid) was an American jazz trombonist in the New Orleans Tailgate style.

Louis Nelson 1981

Life

Nelson grew up in Napoleonville , Louisiana. His mother was a math teacher at the Boston Conservatory and his father was a doctor. He played in a local band, married in 1922, and moved to New Orleans. In the 1920s he played a. a. with Buddy Petit , Kid Rena , Chris Kelly , Papa Celestin and his Original Tuxedo Orchestra and with Kid Howard . In 1928 his wife (with whom he had two children) died and he joined the Sidney Desvigne band . With her he played in front of white audiences in the New Orleans Country Club and Southern Yacht Club (and on two evenings only for black audiences) and on the Mississippi steamer SS Capitol . He was in a State Works Progress Administration band during the Great Depression and in a Navy band during World War II. From 1945 he played in the band of Kid Thomas Valentine , which gave him greater fame. However, he had to take on other odd jobs to stay afloat. In 1949 he made his first recording with Big Eye Louis Nelson , Johnny St. Cyr and others.

From 1961 he played in the Preservation Hall Orchestra in New Orleans (and the band named after Billie Pierce and Dee Dee Pierce ), which he continued until shortly before his death as a result of a car accident (hit-and-run). He played twice a week with Kid Sheik and on Sundays with his own bands. Nelson was the last surviving musician in the original Preservation Hall Band .

He also played at Dixieland Hall on Bourbon Street, toured with New Orleans musicians around the world (for example with George Lewis in 1963) and made numerous recordings. He has appeared in many documentaries about New Orleans and taught New Orleans classical jazz in schools.

Web links

• Obituary in The New York Times
• biography