Louis Cottrell Jr. facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Louis Cottrell Jr.
Louis Cottrell
Background information
Birth name	Louis Albert Cottrell Jr.
Also known as	"Prez"
Born	(1911-03-07)March 7, 1911 New Orleans
Died	March 21, 1978(1978-03-21) (aged 67) New Orleans
Genres	Traditional Jazz, Dixieland, New Orleans Jazz
Occupation(s)	Musician, bandleader, union leader
Instruments	Clarinet, tenor saxophone
Years active	c. 1925–1978
Labels	Riverside, GHB, Southland
Associated acts	Paul Barbarin, Onward Brass Band, Heritage Hall Jazz Band, The Louis Cottrell Trio, Dixieland Hall

Louis Albert Cottrell Jr. (born March 7, 1911, died March 21, 1978) was a famous Creole jazz musician. He played the clarinet and tenor saxophone. His father, Louis Cottrell, Sr., was a well-known drummer. Louis Cottrell III, a New Orleans jazz drummer, was his grandson. As the leader of the Heritage Hall Jazz Band, Cottrell Jr. even played at the famous Carnegie Hall in 1974.

Louis Cottrell Jr.'s Life Story

New Orleans: The Living Legends

Louis Cottrell Jr. was born into a musical family in New Orleans. His father, Louis "Old Man" Cottrell, Sr., was a celebrated drummer. Cornet player Manny Perez was his godfather. Young Cottrell grew up around many great musicians. These included Barney Bigard, John Robichaux, and A.J. Piron.

Cottrell learned to play the clarinet from Lorenzo Tio Jr. and Barney Bigard. He started his music career in the 1920s. He first played with the Golden Rule Orchestra. In 1925, he joined Paul "Polo" Barnes.

Early Career and Union Work

Later in the 1920s, Cottrell worked with Chris Kelly and Kid Rena. In 1929, he found work on the SS Island Queen riverboat. He played with Lawrence Marrero's Young Tuxedo Brass Band and Sidney Desvigne. During these years, he also became an important union organizer.

He soon joined Don Albert's orchestra. They recorded an album together in 1935 for the Vocalion label. Cottrell also tried writing songs. He helped write "You Don't Love Me (True)" with Lloyd Glenn and Albert.

Later, Rhythm and blues bandleader Paul Gayten recorded "You Don't Love Me." It became one of the first big hits in New Orleans R&B music. The song reached number 5 on the national R&B charts. Cottrell toured all over North America with Albert until 1939.

Returning to New Orleans

After leaving Albert's band, Cottrell went back to New Orleans. He started playing with Paul Barbarin in 1940. They worked together for many years. He also performed with A.J. Piron in 1941. Then, he played with Desvigne again from 1942 to 1947. In the 1950s, he rejoined Barbarin. They recorded albums in 1951 and 1955.

Cottrell first recorded as a band leader in 1961. He formed the Louis Cottrell Trio. They recorded for Riverside's "Living Legends" series. In 1960, Barbarin and Cottrell brought back the Onward Brass Band.

Cottrell also played with many other musicians. These included Peter Bocage (1960) and Jim Robinson (1961–64). He also played with Harold Dejan (1962) and Thomas Jefferson (1962). He performed with Paul Barbarin at Preservation Hall (1962) and Sweet Emma Barrett (1963). In 1967, Cottrell went on a U.S.O. tour. He entertained troops in Vietnam and Thailand. After Paul Barbarin passed away in 1969, Cottrell took over the Onward Brass Band.

Later Years and Carnegie Hall

In 1971, he started the Heritage Hall Jazz Band. He led this group until he died. Heritage Hall was a popular music venue in the French Quarter. It was similar to the more famous Preservation Hall. In 1974, Cottrell's Heritage Hall Jazz Band played at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Blanche Thomas was the singer for that concert. You can find a recording of this live show on Viko.

Cottrell also appeared on television. He was on Perry Como's Spring in New Orleans in 1976. He also appeared on The Mike Douglas Show. He recorded "Big Lip Blues" for the movie soundtrack "Pretty Baby" (1978). This soundtrack was nominated for an Academy Award. He also had a small role in the movie itself.

Louis Cottrell Jr.'s Passing

Louis Cottrell Jr. passed away suddenly at his home in New Orleans in 1978. He was 67 years old. He had been sick for a short time. He was honored with a traditional jazz funeral. Thousands of people gathered at a small Catholic church to say goodbye.

Cottrell's grandson, Louis Cottrell III, became a drummer. He played with the Young Tuxedo Brass Band and Dr. Michael White. He also performed with many other traditional jazz bands.

Working for Musicians' Rights

During the 20th century, America had racial segregation. This meant Black and white people were often kept separate. Chris Albertson, a music producer, remembered a time in 1961. A Black musician named McNeal Breaux owned a restaurant. Albertson and his friend had to enter through the back door because of their race.

From his teenage years, Cottrell worked hard to help musicians. He helped organize the Colored Musicians Union. This union became a part of the American Federation of Musicians, Local 496. He was elected president of this union in 1956. Cottrell was known for fighting for fair treatment for musicians. He wanted them to be paid fairly and treated equally. He saw the positive results of his efforts. Before he died, Cottrell told a friend how happy he was. New Orleans had become a city where musicians like him could make a living playing the music they loved.

Louis Cottrell Jr.'s Musical Style

Cottrell played traditional jazz, also called Dixieland. This was the earliest form of jazz music. It is known for its lively improvisation by trumpet, trombone, and clarinet players. This style of music started with the marching bands in New Orleans. These bands often played at funerals. The main instruments of these bands, brass and woodwinds, became the basic instruments of jazz.

Cottrell was a master of the clarinet and tenor saxophone. This allowed him to join and later lead these bands. These brass bands were very important to the culture of the time. They played at many different events. These included weddings, dances, and, most famously, the jazz funeral. Rose of Sharon Witmer wrote that the jazz funeral is a "living tradition." She added that it "owes a great debt to Louis Cottrell Jr."

Master clarinet player Lorenzo Tio Jr. taught Cottrell how to play using the Albert system. This is a special way of using the clarinet's keys and fingerings. The Albert system uses "roller" keys to switch between some notes. It also has fewer keys than the more common "Boehm" fingering system. You can hear Cottrell's amazing playing on the album Paul Barbarin's Onward Brass Band—in Concert. Cottrell leads the band during his favorite hymn, "What a Friend We Have in Jesus." His beautiful clarinet playing stands out on this album.

New Orleans: The Living Legends Project

In 1960-61, Riverside Records created a special series of albums. These albums featured jazz and blues legends. Some of the artists included Jim Robinson, Sweet Emma Barrett, and Alberta Hunter. The goal was to record the music of older musicians. This way, their amazing artistry would not be lost forever. Many of these musicians were no longer actively playing. Their union memberships had even expired. But the American Federation of Musicians understood how important this project was. So, they changed their rules to allow the recordings.

These "Living Legends" albums were first recorded in New Orleans. Later sessions took place in Chicago. The New Orleans recordings happened at Societé des Jeunes Amis Hall. This hall was built in the 1800s. It was a meeting place for a Creole group. The producer, Chris Albertson, said the hall was perfect. It had a great live sound. It also made the musicians feel comfortable. The hall's natural sound was exactly what he wanted to capture. It was similar to the sound of Bill Russell's 1940s recordings from San Jacinto Hall.

Louis Cottrell Jr. was one of the musicians invited to join. Cottrell put together a trio. It included McNeal Breaux and Alcide "Slow Drag" Pavageau. Emanuel Sayles also joined, playing guitar and banjo. The band was so popular that they kept playing together. The music on this album is described as "more polite and subtle." It is also called "an intimate, low-key delight." Cottrell's playing on the album has been highly praised:

In 1961, Cottrell recorded a masterpiece called New Orleans: The Living Legends. It was reissued in 1994. Listening to it makes you think of an elegant time gone by. It was created by a man who helped make that time special. From the first note of "Bourbon Street Parade," to the charming "Three Little Words," to the respectful "What a Friend We Have in Jesus," listeners hear the living history of jazz.

Discography

This is a list of albums Louis Cottrell Jr. recorded.

As leader

Other appearances

Compositions

Louis Cottrell Jr. also wrote some songs, including:

• "You Don't Love Me (true)"
• "Blues For Dixie"
• "Drag's Turnaround Blues"

The song "You Don't Love Me (true)" has been recorded by many artists. These include Paul Gayten, Roy Milton, Camille Howard, The Spiders, Jacques Gauthe, and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band.