Wendell Eugene

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Wendell Eugene (2013). Photography of Amosgalils

Wendell Albert Eugene (born October 12, 1923 in New Orleans - † November 7, 2017 ) was an American jazz trombonist of New Orleans jazz .

Live and act

Wendell Eugene received his first instrument from his older brother Homer Eugene Jr., a trombonist, guitarist, and banjos player; at the age of 15 he was already performing as a professional musician. During the Second World War, he did military service in the US Navy. Stationed in California, he performed in marching and concert bands in the Navy; at the USO show in 1943 with Louis Armstrong . After the war he toured with Lucky Millinder and Buddy Johnson , but then worked as a postman from 1949 to support his family. He also taught trombone at the Grunewald School of Music in New Orleans and performed as a musician at night and on weekends; He also toured with the Onward Brass Band , Olympia Brass Band , Tuxedo Brass Band and Andrew Hall's Society Jazz Band during his vacation time .

Eugene's first recordings were made in 1952 with Freddie Kohlman . In the following years there followed in the field of jazz and rhythm & blues recordings with Dave Bartholomew , Punch Miller (1961), Paul Barbarin 's Onward Brass Band, Franz Jackson / Onward Brass Band (1968), Alvin Alcorn (1970), in in the 1980s and 1990s mostly with Harold Dejan's Olympia Brass Band, as well as with Doc Houlind's New Orleans Allstars Band, also with Lionel Ferbos , Kermit Ruffins and Brian Carrick , including numerous productions by Allen Toussaint .

When Eugene retired from the Postal Service in 1979, he returned to working full-time. As early as 1978 he had recorded his first album under his own name, West Indies Blues , which was released by NOLA; In Wendell Eugene's New Orleans Band , Albert Walters (Korneet), Raymond Burke (clarinet), Jeanette Kimball (piano), Emanuel Sayles (banjo, vocals), Les Muscutt (banjo, guitar), Chester Zardis (bass) and Chester Jones ( Drums). His second album, Wendell Eugene & His Mardi Gras Band, followed in New Orleans in 2006, recorded with Jamie Wight (trumpet), Brian Carrick (clarinet), Andrew Hall (piano), Louis Lince (banjo), Gerald Adams (bass) and Ernest Elly (Drums)

Eugene also performed at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and the first French Quarter Festival . At 91, he was still playing in Lionel Ferbos' Palm Court Jazz Band, Andrew Hall's Society Jazz Band and Gregg Stafford's Tuxedo Brass Band. At the age of 90 he recorded his last album as a band leader, If I Had My Life to Live Over . In the field of jazz he was involved in 48 recording sessions between 1952 and 2013.

Web links

Commons : Wendell Eugene  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d Keith Spera: Wendell Eugene, traditional New Orleans jazz trombonist, dies at 94. November 9, 2017, accessed on November 11, 2017 (English).
  2. ↑ a b c Tom Lord : The Jazz Discography (online, accessed November 11, 2017)
personal data
SURNAME Eugene, Wendell
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Eugene, Wendell Albert
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American jazz musician
DATE OF BIRTH October 12, 1923
PLACE OF BIRTH New Orleans
DATE OF DEATH 7th November 2017