The Camelia Brass Band (also in sit-down variation the Camelia Dance Orchestra) was a
-style
brass band, founded by
Wooden Joe Nicholas around 1917 or 1918 in New Orleans.
The Camelia Brass Band was named after a
steamboat
A steamboat is a boat that is marine propulsion, propelled primarily by marine steam engine, steam power, typically driving propellers or Paddle steamer, paddlewheels. Steamboats sometimes use the ship prefix, prefix designation SS, S.S. or S/S ...
, the ''S.S. Camelia''. The group generally featured about ten members, with trumpet, trombone, clarinet, tuba, snare drum, and bass drum. In some of its engagements it played in reduced numbers as a dance band, with six members on trumpet, trombone, clarinet, banjo, bass, and drums. The ensemble featured
Buddy Petit
Buddie Petit (born Joseph Crawford; ca. 1897 – July 4, 1931), also spelled Buddy Petit, was an American early jazz cornetist.
His early life is somewhat mysterious, with dates of his birth given in various sources ranging from 1887 to 1897. H ...
,
Joseph Petit,
Alphonse Picou
Alphonse Floristan Picou (October 19, 1878 – February 4, 1961) was an important very early American jazz clarinetist of New Orleans, Louisiana, who also wrote and arranged music.
Early life and education
Alphonse Picou was born into a prosper ...
,
Billy Marrero, and
Lawrence Marrero
Lawrence Henry Marrero (October 24, 1900 – June 6, 1959) was an American jazz banjoist.
Early life
Marrero was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on October 24, 1900. He grew up in a musical family: three brothers became musicians – Eddie (bass) ...
as members.
In the 1920s, D'Jalma Thomas Garnier took leadership of the group, and thereafter made appearances both under its own name and under Ganier's name. The original spelling of the French Creole family name contains the "r": Garnier, and his descendants maintain that original spelling. For the sake of correct pronunciation, however, D'Jalma Garnier (Ganier) left out the "r" to facilitate the correct French pronunciation, which is used today whether there is an "r" in the name or not. Garnier is the grandfather of zydeco/Cajun musician, composer, and pedestrian scholar
D'Jalma Garnier III.
D'Jalma Thomas Garnier, the bandleader, played trumpet, piano, and violin. He is rumored to have taught
Louis Armstrong
Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and Singing, vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and se ...
at the New Orleans Boys Home for Colored Waifs.
[Gray, Michael. Bob Dylan Encyclopedia. 2006. ]
References
*Schafer/Kernfeld, "Camelia Brass Band". ''
Grove Jazz'' online.
*R.H. Knowles, ''Fallen Heroes:A History of New Orleans Brass Bands'', 1996, p. 120.
{{Authority control
American jazz ensembles from New Orleans
Brass bands from New Orleans
Musical groups established in the 1910s