JIMMIE NOONE'S APEX CLUB ORCHESTRA

Biography

Jimmie Noone's Apex Club Orchestra was an influential Chicago jazz ensemble led by clarinetist Jimmie Noone, who was born on April 23, 1895, in Cut Off, Louisiana, and died on April 19, 1944.[2] Noone began his musical career in New Orleans, where he studied clarinet with Lorenzo Tio and the young Sidney Bechet at age 15, eventually switching from guitar.[2] He gained early professional experience playing with prominent New Orleans bandleaders including Freddie Keppard, Buddy Petit, Kid Ory, and Papa Celestin before joining Keppard's Original Creole Orchestra in 1917.[1][2] When the Storyville district closed in 1917, Noone relocated to Chicago, where he worked with Doc Cook's band from 1920 to 1926, establishing himself as one of the finest clarinetists of the 1920s.[1][2]

In 1926, Noone formed his own group at Chicago's Apex Club, creating Jimmie Noone's Apex Club Orchestra, which became notable for its innovative and unusual instrumentation for the era.[1][2] The quintet featured Noone on clarinet, alto saxophonist Joe Poston, piano, guitar, and drums, with tuba added in mid-1928.[1] This ensemble was remarkable for preserving New Orleans musical concepts without using brass instruments, creating a bridge between traditional New Orleans jazz and emerging swing styles.[2] The band's most celebrated recordings occurred in 1928-1929, featuring pianist Earl Hines, whose virtuosic right-hand playing and trumpet-style solos complemented Noone's clarinet work.[1][3] These recordings, including classics like "Sweet Lorraine," "Apex Blues," and "Four or Five Times," are considered Noone's finest works and represent a crucial transition in jazz history.[3]

The Apex Club Orchestra remained active until Prohibition violations forced the venue to close in 1929, though Noone continued recording prolifically through the 1930s with various record labels including Vocalion and Decca.[1][2] Unlike many Chicago jazz musicians of the era, Noone chose to remain in Chicago rather than relocate to New York, maintaining his distinctive style while adapting to jazz's evolution.[1] In 1943, he moved to Los Angeles, where he performed with various ensembles and made his only film appearance, playing "Apex Blues" and "Boogie Woogie" with a quartet.[1] Though largely forgotten outside hardcore traditional jazz circles today, Noone's Apex Club Orchestra recordings remain influential examples of early jazz innovation and the transition from New Orleans ensemble playing to modern swing.

Fun Facts

• Jimmie Noone was only 18 years old when he began playing professionally, succeeding Sidney Bechet with Freddie Keppard's band in 1913.[1]
• The Apex Club Orchestra was unique for preserving New Orleans jazz traditions without using any brass instruments—an unusual approach for the era that influenced the transition from ensemble jazz to swing.[2]
• Earl Hines, one of jazz's greatest pianists who also recorded frequently with Louis Armstrong during the same period, had his regular nightly gig at the Apex Club as Noone's pianist, making the venue a hotbed of jazz innovation.[1]
• Jimmie Noone made his only film appearance in a B-movie while in Los Angeles, performing 'Apex Blues' and 'Boogie Woogie' with a quartet in 1943.[1]

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Lorenzo Tio - Classical clarinet instructor who taught Noone in New Orleans (Clarinet technique and fundamentals) [circa 1910-1912]
• Sidney Bechet - Young jazz musician and fellow clarinet student who influenced Noone's early development (Jazz clarinet style and improvisation) [circa 1910-1912]
• Franz Schoepp - Classical clarinetist who provided advanced instruction to Noone in Chicago (Advanced clarinet technique) [1920s]

Key Collaborators

• Joe Poston - Alto saxophonist and clarinetist who formed the frontline with Noone in the Apex Club Orchestra (Jimmie Noone's Apex Club Orchestra recordings) [1926-1935]
• Earl Hines - Pianist whose virtuosic playing and trumpet-style solos were a major asset to the Apex Club Orchestra (Apex Club Orchestra recordings including 'Sweet Lorraine,' 'Apex Blues,' 'Four or Five Times') [1928-1929]
• Bud Scott - Banjo and guitar player in the Apex Club Orchestra (Apex Club Orchestra recordings) [1928-1929]
• Johnny Wells - Drummer in the Apex Club Orchestra (Apex Club Orchestra recordings) [1928-1929]
• Freddie Keppard - Cornetist and bandleader who employed Noone early in his career in New Orleans and Chicago (Original Creole Orchestra, vaudeville circuit performances) [1913-1917]
• King Oliver - Jazz cornetist with whom Noone recorded (King Oliver's Jazz Band recordings including 'Chattanooga Stomp' and 'Camp Meeting Blues') [1923]
• Doc Cook - Bandleader with whom Noone worked for six years before forming his own group (Doc Cook's band recordings) [1920-1926]
• Kid Ory - Trombonist and bandleader who employed Noone in New Orleans and later collaborated with him in California (New Orleans bands, later California performances) [1913-1943]

Artists Influenced

• Joe Williams - Singer who made his professional debut with Noone's big band (Noone's big band) [1937]

Discography

Albums

Top Tracks

1. Let's Sow a Wild Oat (The Naughty 1920s: Red Hot & Risque Songs of The Jazz Age, Vol. 1)
2. My Monday Date (The History Of Jazz Vol. 1 (Jazz Club))
3. Apex Blues (The Best of New Orleans Where Jazz Was Born)
4. I Know That You Know (The Best of New Orleans Where Jazz Was Born)
5. Apex Blues (The Legend Of New Orleans)
6. I Know That You Know (The Legend Of New Orleans)
7. Apex Blues (New Orleans Where Jazz Was Born)
8. I Know That You Know (New Orleans Where Jazz Was Born)
9. Apex Blues (Vintage Jazz)
10. Travlin' All Alone (100 Vocal & Jazz Classics - Vol. 2 (1928-1931))

External Links

• Spotify
• [Wikipedia](Not found in search results)