Biography
Joseph Gustaf 'Sharkey' Bonano (April 9, 1904 – March 27, 1972), also known as Sharkey Banana or Sharkey Bananas, was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and vocalist born in the Milneburg neighborhood of New Orleans, Louisiana, near Lake Pontchartrain. Growing up at his brother-in-law's Quarella’s dance pavilion, he received his first trumpet from Buddie Petit in 1917 and marched in brass band parades with influences like Petit, Joe Oliver, and Sam Morgan. In the early 1920s, he played with local New Orleans bands led by Freddie Newman and Chink Martin, then moved to New York, auditioning unsuccessfully to replace Bix Beiderbecke in the Wolverines but joining Jimmy Durante and later the Jean Goldkette orchestra alongside Frankie Trumbauer and Beiderbecke. Learning to read music after his initial setback, Bonano returned to New Orleans in 1925 to lead his own band and record with Norman Brownlee.
Bonano's career peaked in the late 1920s and 1930s as he co-led the Melody Masters with Leon Prima, formed the Sharks of Rhythm featuring sidemen like Santo Pecora and Thurman Teague, and played with the Original Dixieland Jazz Band. His flamboyant stage presence—singing silly lyrics in a high raspy voice, dancing, wearing loud suits and derby hats, and exhorting his band with shouts—often overshadowed his solid trumpet playing, leading some critics to dismiss him as a mere showman akin to Wingy Manone or young Louis Prima. Post-World War II, amid the New Orleans jazz revival, he toured Europe, Asia, and South America, recorded extensively for Brunswick, and headlined Bourbon Street venues like the Roosevelt Hotel's Blue Room and Famous Door Bar into the 1960s.
Bonano's musical style blended New Orleans Dixieland jazz with energetic, joyful improvisation that captured 1920s white New Orleans playing, though his recordings were sparse early on. Active until ill health forced retirement, he died in New Orleans at age 67, leaving a legacy as a boisterous entertainer who preserved traditional jazz vitality through decades of performance and revival efforts.
Fun Facts
- Standing only 5'4", Bonano was known for his cocky, arrogant showmanship, wearing loud checkered suits, colorful derby hats, and constantly clapping and shouting 'C’mon!' and 'Keep goin!’ to urge his band.
- He failed his 1924 audition to replace Bix Beiderbecke in the Wolverines due to inability to read music but learned quickly and later joined Jimmy Durante.
- A 1950 photo of Bonano and his band in New Orleans was taken by a young Stanley Kubrick.
- Sometimes billed as Sharkey Banana or Sharkey Bananas, his raspy-voiced silly songs and onstage dancing often overshadowed his trumpet skills.
Associated Acts
- Brownlee’s Orchestra of New Orleans
- Sharkey’s New Orleans Boys
- Sharkey Bonano and His Sharks of Rhythm
Musical Connections
Mentors/Influences
- Buddie Petit - Gave him his first trumpet and early parade band inspiration (Brass band parades)
- Joe Oliver - Early stylistic influence in New Orleans parades (Brass band parades) [1910s-1920s]
- Sam Morgan - Parade band influence (Brass band parades) [1910s-1920s]
Key Collaborators
- Santo Pecora - Frequent sideman on trombone in Sharks of Rhythm and later sessions (Sharks of Rhythm recordings, 1949 sessions) [1930s-1950s]
- Thurman Teague - Bass player in Sharks of Rhythm (Sharks of Rhythm) [1930s]
- Leon Prima - Co-led Melody Masters (Melody Masters on steamer Greater New Orleans)
- Louis Prima - Band member in late 1920s group (Bonano-led band) [Late 1920s]
- Jimmy Durante - Band member after Wolverines audition (Durante's group)
- Bix Beiderbecke - Played alongside in Jean Goldkette orchestra (Jean Goldkette orchestra)
- Frankie Trumbauer - Played alongside in Jean Goldkette orchestra (Jean Goldkette orchestra)
Connection Network
External Links
Tags: #jazz
References
Heard on WWOZ
Sharkey Bonano has been played 4 times on WWOZ 90.7 FM, New Orleans' jazz and heritage station.