JONES AND COLLINS ASTORIA HOT EIGHT

Biography

Jones and Collins Astoria Hot Eight was a short‑lived but historically significant New Orleans jazz band active around 1928–1929. The group took its name from the Astoria Gardens, the dance hall room of the Astoria Hotel on South Rampart Street in New Orleans, where it served as the house band during this period.[1][2][3] Led by cornetist Lee Collins and tenor saxophonist/arranger David Jones, the band brought together a number of prominent local musicians who were already active in the city’s brass bands and dance orchestras, capturing a vivid snapshot of late‑1920s New Orleans jazz just as the recording industry was beginning to document the style more extensively.[1][3][8]

The ensemble recorded only once, in a single session at the Italian Hall in New Orleans on November 15, 1929 (some discographical sources give December 15, 1929).[1][5] From this date came four issued sides: “Astoria Strut” paired with “Duet Stomp” on Victor Records, and “Damp Weather” paired with “Tip Easy Blues,” which later appeared on Bluebird reissues.[1][2][3] Although clarinetist Big Eye Louis Nelson and trombonist Nat Story were members of the band, they did not appear on the recordings; clarinetist Sidney Arodin was brought in to substitute on the session.[1] The full recording personnel included Lee Collins (cornet), David Jones (tenor saxophone), Theodore Purnell (alto saxophone), Sidney Arodin (clarinet), Joseph Robichaux (piano), Emanuel Sayles (banjo), Al Morgan (bass), and Joe Strode (drums).[1][8] Their small recorded legacy, characterized by tightly arranged ensemble passages, bluesy melodies, and driving dance rhythms, has been praised by later critics as an outstanding example of New Orleans ensemble jazz at the close of the 1920s.[2][3][8]

Though the band existed under this name for recording purposes for essentially a single day, its members went on to substantial careers and thereby extended the group’s influence. Collins later worked with bands in Chicago and New York and recorded under his own name, while Jones became known in discographies as both a tenor saxophonist and composer, including credit for “Astoria Strut.”[5][7][8] Banjoist Emanuel Sayles and bassist Al Morgan would also record widely in the ensuing decades.[1][8] Modern jazz historians and revivalists have singled out the Jones and Collins Astoria Hot Eight as both a prime document of authentic New Orleans dance‑hall jazz and an example of how ad‑hoc studio groups could preserve the sound of working bands that otherwise left little trace, giving the ensemble a legacy far larger than its brief lifespan and tiny discography would suggest.[2][3][8]

Fun Facts

• Despite being a working house band at the Astoria Gardens dance hall, the Jones and Collins Astoria Hot Eight existed as a recording group for essentially a single day, documenting its entire known discography in one session at Italian Hall in New Orleans in November 1929.[1][2][3]
• Two of the band’s listed members—clarinetist Big Eye Louis Nelson and trombonist Nat Story—never appeared on its famous recordings; clarinetist Sidney Arodin was brought in as a substitute for the session, and no trombone is heard on the issued sides.[1]
• The group’s signature title “Astoria Strut” not only commemorates the Astoria Hotel dance hall where they played but also lists co‑leader David Jones in discographies as both performer and composer, giving a rare composer credit to a New Orleans tenor saxophonist of the era.[1][5]
• Although the band left only four issued sides, modern critics have described these records as among the finest examples of authentic New Orleans dance‑hall jazz from the late 1920s, helping secure the posthumous reputations of members like Lee Collins, Emanuel Sayles, and Al Morgan.[2][3][8]

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Earlier New Orleans brass band and dance‑hall traditions - Collective influence on the band’s ensemble style, repertoire, and use of cornet‑led front line typical of 1910s–1920s New Orleans jazz (Reflected in titles such as “Astoria Strut,” “Duet Stomp,” “Damp Weather,” and “Tip Easy Blues”) [c. 1910s–1920s (stylistic background for members before forming the Astoria band)]

Key Collaborators

• Lee Collins - Co‑leader and cornetist of the band; directed the front line and contributed to the group’s overall sound (All four recorded titles: “Astoria Strut,” “Duet Stomp,” “Damp Weather,” “Tip Easy Blues”) [House band at Astoria Gardens 1928–1929; recording session November/December 1929]
• David Jones - Co‑leader, tenor saxophonist, and composer/arranger; credited as a composer on the session (“Astoria Strut” and other session titles listed in discographies) [House band at Astoria Gardens 1928–1929; recording session November/December 1929]
• Sidney Arodin - Clarinetist who substituted for regular member Big Eye Louis Nelson on the recording date (Appears on “Astoria Strut,” “Duet Stomp,” “Damp Weather,” “Tip Easy Blues”) [Recording session November/December 1929]
• Big Eye Louis Nelson - Regular clarinetist in the band’s working lineup at Astoria Gardens, though absent from the recording session (Live performances at Astoria Gardens dance hall (no surviving recordings with the group)) [House band tenure 1928–1929]
• Nat Story - Trombonist listed as a member of the band but not present on the recording date (Live performances with the Astoria band (no issued recordings with this ensemble)) [House band tenure 1928–1929]
• Theodore Purnell - Alto saxophonist providing reed section support and ensemble lines on the recordings (All four recorded titles from the 1929 session) [House band 1928–1929; recording session November/December 1929]
• Joseph Robichaux - Pianist whose playing underpinned the group’s harmonic and rhythmic foundation (All four recorded titles from the 1929 session) [House band 1928–1929; recording session November/December 1929]
• Emanuel Sayles - Banjoist supplying rhythmic drive and chordal accompaniment typical of New Orleans dance bands (All four recorded titles from the 1929 session) [House band 1928–1929; recording session November/December 1929]
• Al Morgan - Bassist anchoring the ensemble’s beat and contributing to its propulsive dance feel (All four recorded titles from the 1929 session) [House band 1928–1929; recording session November/December 1929]
• Joe Strode (Joe Stouger) - Drummer providing rhythmic support and accenting ensemble figures (All four recorded titles from the 1929 session) [House band 1928–1929; recording session November/December 1929]

Artists Influenced

• Later New Orleans jazz revivalists and historians - Record collectors and historians have cited the band’s four titles as classic examples of late‑1920s New Orleans ensemble jazz, influencing how the style is studied and re‑created. (Reissue compilations and scholarly discussions that highlight “Astoria Strut,” “Duet Stomp,” “Damp Weather,” and “Tip Easy Blues” as key reference recordings) [Post‑1940s jazz revival and subsequent historical scholarship]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia