Charles Anthony Elgar (June 13, 1879 – August 1973) was an American violinist, musician, teacher and

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

bandleader.

Early life and education

Elgar was born in

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

, Louisiana on June 13, 1879. He played violin as a child from age 5. He also played trumpet. He studied music in Wisconsin and Illinois.

Later life and career

Elgar played in Chicago from 1903 with the Bloom Theater Philharmonic Orchestra, returning to New Orleans late in the decade of the 1900s until about 1913, when he returned to Chicago. He put together a band in Chicago in 1913. His band played at the Navy Pier Ballroom, Hattie Harmon's Dreamland Ballroom from 1917 until 1922 and opened the old

Savoy Ballroom The Savoy Ballroom was a large ballroom for music and public dancing located at 596 Lenox Avenue, between 140th and 141st Streets in the Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. Lenox Avenue was the main thoroughfare through upper Harlem ...

in 1928. This band toured in the revue '' Plantation Days'' and traveled to London, though Elgar did not accompany it on this trip. However, he did play with

Will Marion Cook William Mercer Cook (January 27, 1869 – July 19, 1944), better known as Will Marion Cook, was an American composer, violinist, and choral director.Riis, Thomas (2007–2011)Cook, Will Marion ''Grove Music Online.'' Oxford Music Online. Retrieved ...

's Orchestra in Europe. He led later bands in

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee ...

, 1925–1928, making several recordings with Elgars Creole Orchestra that he led at the Wisconsin Roof Gardens in Milwaukee and again in Chicago, 1926-30. His sidemen included Manuel Perez,

Lorenzo Tio Lorenzo Tio Jr. (April 21, 1893 – December 24, 1933) was an American clarinetist from New Orleans, Louisiana, United States, as were his father Lorenzo Tio Sr. (1867–1908) and uncle Louis "Papa" Tio (1862–1922). Their method of playing the ...

Louis Cottrell, Jr. Louis Albert Cottrell Jr. (March 7, 1911 - March 21, 1978) was a Louisiana Creole jazz clarinetist and tenor saxophonist. He was the son of the influential drummer Louis Cottrell, Sr., and grandfather of New Orleans jazz drummer Louis Cottrell ...

, Barney Bigard,

Darnell Howard Darnell Howard (July 25, 1895 in Chicago – September 2, 1966 in San Francisco) was an American jazz clarinetist and violinist. Early life Howard began playing violin at age seven, picking up clarinet and saxophone later in his youth. Caree ...

, and

Omer Simeon Omer Victor Simeon (July 21, 1902 – September 17, 1959) was an American jazz clarinetist. He also played soprano, alto, and baritone saxophone and bass clarinet. Biography The son of a cigar maker, Omer Simeon was born in New Orleans, Louisian ...

. He made four recordings as leader of the Creole Orchestra. He concentrated on teaching in the 1930s, and worked as a union official later in his life. He was a founder and charter member of the local branch of the American Federation of Musicians, AFL-CIO, Local 2018. He died in Chicago in August 1973.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Elgar, Charlie 1879 births 1973 deaths American jazz bandleaders Jazz musicians from New Orleans Musicians from Chicago Jazz musicians from Illinois