JOHN HYMAN'S BAYOU STOMPERS

Biography

John Hyman's Bayou Stompers was a New Orleans jazz band led by cornetist John Wigginton Hyman (later known as Johnny Wiggs), who was born in New Orleans on July 25, 1899. The group made its first recordings in 1927 on the Victor label, capturing the sound of traditional New Orleans jazz during a pivotal era. Hyman, who had started his musical career on violin before switching to cornet, drew his stylistic influences from Bix Beiderbecke and King Oliver, particularly Oliver's pre-recording work in New Orleans. The band represented the authentic New Orleans jazz tradition during the late 1920s, though their recordings did not achieve the commercial success of contemporaries like Louis Armstrong and Jelly Roll Morton.

Despite the quality of their recordings, John Hyman's Bayou Stompers faced the challenge of jazz's marginal social status during this period. The Orleans Parish School Board held an unfavorable attitude toward jazz, which eventually led Hyman to adopt the pseudonym "Johnny Wiggs" to protect his day job as a teacher of music and architectural drawing. He worked as a high school teacher, journalist, and merchant seaman while maintaining his musical career. The Bayou Stompers' recordings on Victor remain important historical documents of New Orleans jazz in the 1920s, preserving the sound of traditional jazz before the swing era transformed the genre. Though the band's commercial impact was limited, Hyman would later become a crucial figure in the New Orleans jazz revival of the 1940s, helping to found the New Orleans Jazz Club and mentoring a new generation of musicians, including the famous clarinetist Pete Fountain.

Fun Facts

• John Hyman had to change his performing name to 'Johnny Wiggs' because the Orleans Parish School Board disapproved of jazz, and he needed to protect his teaching job
• Even decades after he stopped teaching, locals continued to refer to him as 'Professor Hyman' in recognition of his educational career
• Before settling on the cornet, Hyman started his musical career as a violinist
• Despite making important recordings in 1927, Hyman worked multiple jobs including as a journalist and merchant seaman while pursuing his musical career

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Bix Beiderbecke - Major stylistic influence on Hyman's cornet playing (Influenced Hyman's approach to traditional jazz) [1920s]
• King Oliver - Primary influence; Hyman particularly admired Oliver's pre-recording New Orleans work (Oliver's early New Orleans performances) [1910s-1920s]

Key Collaborators

• Tony Parenti - Collaborated on early recordings (Columbia label recordings) [Late 1920s]

Artists Influenced

• Pete Fountain - Student of Johnny Wiggs; became one of his most famous pupils (Fountain's clarinet style and traditional jazz approach) [1940s-1950s]
• George Finola - Mentored by Johnny Wiggs during the jazz revival period (Traditional New Orleans jazz performances) [1940s-1960s]

Discography

Top Tracks

1. Alligator Blues (Take 2) (The Owl's Hoot)
2. Ain't love grand? (Unissued on 78s)
3. Alligator blues (Unissued on 78s)
4. Ain't Love Grand (Don't Get Funky) (New Orleans Dance Bands)
5. Ain't Love Grand? (Take 1) (The Owl's Hoot)
6. Ain't Love Grand? (Take 2) (The Owl's Hoot)
7. Alligator Blues (Take 1) (The Owl's Hoot)
8. Ain't Love Grand? (New Orleans In The Twenties)
9. Alligator Blues (New Orleans In The Twenties)
10. Alligator Blues (That Devilin' Tune: A Jazz History (1895-1950), Vol. 2 (1927-1934))

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia