Tommy Ladnier facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tommy Ladnier
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Thomas James Ladnier |
| Born | May 28, 1900 Mandeville, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Died | June 4, 1939 (aged 39) Harlem, Manhattan, New York |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Instruments | Trumpet |
| Years active | 1921–1939 |
Thomas James Ladnier (born May 28, 1900 – died June 4, 1939) was an American jazz trumpeter. He was a very important musician in the early days of jazz. A famous French jazz expert, Hugues Panassié, once said that Ladnier was the second-best trumpet player after the legendary Louis Armstrong.
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Early Life and Music Beginnings
Tommy Ladnier was born in Mandeville, Louisiana, a town on the north side of Lake Pontchartrain. Across the lake is the famous city of New Orleans, which is known as the birthplace of jazz music.
When he was about 14 years old, in 1914, Tommy started playing in a band called the Independence Band. They performed at the Dew Drop Dance Hall in Mandeville. A famous trumpet player named Bunk Johnson sometimes played with this band and even gave young Tommy lessons. Other musicians in the band included clarinet players, trombonists, and drummers.
In 1917, Tommy moved with his mother to Chicago. He worked in the Chicago Stock Yards for a while before becoming a full-time musician.
Starting a Music Career
Around 1921, Tommy Ladnier became a professional musician. He played in St. Louis with a musician named Charlie Creath. By 1923, he was playing in Chicago and recording many songs. He made recordings for Paramount Records with pianist Lovie Austin. He also played with famous blues singers like Ma Rainey, Ida Cox, and Alberta Hunter.
Tommy Ladnier even played with one of his biggest inspirations, King Oliver. He was known for copying Oliver's unique trumpet style in songs like "Play that Thing" in September 1923.
Touring and Famous Bands
In 1925, Tommy Ladnier joined pianist Sam Wooding for a big tour across Europe. They visited countries like Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Spain, and Russia. His orchestra even recorded music in Berlin.
After this tour, he came back to New York. From 1926 to 1927, he became a featured soloist for the Fletcher Henderson orchestra, which was a very popular band at the time.
He then went on another tour with the Sam Wooding Orchestra. This time, they traveled to Germany, Austria, Turkey, Switzerland, Italy, and France. In January 1929, he decided to stay in Paris and work as a freelance musician. He also toured Spain and led an orchestra for a dancer named Louis Douglas.
In the summer of 1930, he joined the Noble Sissle dance band. They performed in Paris and London.
Back in the U.S. and Later Years
Tommy Ladnier returned to the U.S. at the end of 1930 and continued to play with Noble Sissle until January 1932. The Sissle orchestra made several recordings in London and New York.
In 1932, Tommy Ladnier and another famous jazz musician, Sidney Bechet, formed their own band called the New Orleans Feetwarmers. During the Great Depression, a difficult time for many people, they tried to open a tailor shop in Harlem. However, they were much better at music than at running a business!
Tommy left New York and played music in different parts of the eastern U.S. He even gave trumpet lessons. For about a year, he lived in Stamford, Connecticut.
In 1938, Hugues Panassié, the French jazz expert who admired Tommy, visited New York. He found Tommy and arranged for him to record some songs with Sidney Bechet and Mezz Mezzrow. These recordings became known as the Panassié Sessions. Tommy Ladnier and Sidney Bechet also played in the first From Spirituals to Swing concert in December 1938, which was a very important event in jazz history.
Tommy Ladnier's last recording was on February 1, 1939, in New York City. He played as a sideman (a supporting musician) with singer Rosetta Crawford. He was joined by other talented musicians like James P. Johnson on piano, Teddy Bunn on guitar, Elmer James on double bass, and Zutty Singleton on drums.
His Passing
Tommy Ladnier passed away unexpectedly on June 4, 1939, at the age of 39. He died from a heart attack while staying at his friend Mezz Mezzrow's apartment in Harlem, New York.
Mezz Mezzrow helped arrange Tommy's burial. A memorial service was held on June 9, 1939. Tommy Ladnier was buried at Frederick Douglass Memorial Park on Staten Island, which is an African American cemetery. For many years, his grave did not have a marker. However, thanks to the efforts of Mezzrow and friends, a special granite marker was placed on his grave almost 69 years later.
Images for kids
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Tommy Ladnier, a famous jazz trumpeter.
