LOUIS DUMAINE'S JAZZOLA EIGHT

Biography

Louis Dumaine's Jazzola Eight was a prominent New Orleans jazz ensemble led by cornetist and bandleader Louis Dumaine (1889-1949), active in the 1920s during the golden era of traditional jazz and ragtime. Dumaine, who served as a bugle boy in the U.S. Army during World War I, emerged as a key figure in the city's brass and marching band scene before forming the Jazzola Eight. The group exemplified authentic New Orleans jazz with its driving ensemble work, spirited solos, and blues-inflected ragtime style, capturing the raw energy of the era's street parades and dance halls.[1][2][3][4]

In March 1927, Victor Recording Company traveled to New Orleans to record the band, producing five tracks: 'Franklin Street Blues' (composed by Louis Dumaine and Eddie Jackson), 'Red Onion Drag' (Dumaine and Eddie Jackson), 'Pretty Audrey' (Dumaine and Morris Rouse), 'To-Wa-Bac-A-Wa' (Dumaine and Eddie Jackson, an early version of 'The Bucket's Got a Hole in It'), and a folk tune. These recordings, featuring Dumaine's mellow cornet leadership, clarinet fluidity, and tight teamwork, remain celebrated historical documents of 1920s New Orleans jazz, influencing traditional jazz revivalists.[3][4][7][8]

Dumaine led various brass bands alongside the Jazzola Eight until his death in 1949. The group's legacy endures through these rare Victor sides, preserved on compilations like 'The Very Best Of' and 'Really The Blues?: A Blues History,' highlighting their role in preserving the unpretentious, collective polyphony of early jazz.[3][5]

Fun Facts

• Louis Dumaine served as a bugle boy in the U.S. Army during World War I before becoming a renowned New Orleans jazz bandleader.
• The 1927 Victor recordings were made on location in New Orleans, a rare event that captured the band's live energy directly from the city's jazz scene.
• 'To-Wa-Bac-A-Wa' is an early version of the standard 'The Bucket's Got a Hole in It,' showcasing the band's role in evolving classic tunes.
• Dumaine appeared as a tall, smartly dressed figure in his only known photo, leading brass bands in addition to the Jazzola Eight.

Musical Connections

Key Collaborators

• Louis James - clarinet, tenor sax, and string bass player; core member on 1927 recordings (1927 Victor sessions including 'Red Onion Drag') [1926-1927]
• Earl Humphrey - trombone; one of the Humphrey brothers (1927 Victor sessions) [1920s]
• Morris Rouse - piano and composer ('Pretty Audrey' (co-composed with Dumaine), 1927 Victor sessions) [1920s]
• Willie Joseph - clarinet (1927 Victor sessions) [1920s]
• Leonard Mitchell - banjo and vocals (1927 Victor sessions) [1920s]
• Joe Howard - tuba; veteran of early New Orleans bands like Celestin's (1927 Victor sessions) [1920s]
• James Willigan - drums (1927 Victor sessions) [1920s]
• Yank Johnson - trombone; band member but not on recordings (Jazzola Eight performances) [1920s]

External Links

• Spotify