Jean Omer (September 9, 1912,

Nivelles Nivelles (; nl, Nijvel, ; wa, Nivele; vls, Neyvel) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. The Nivelles municipality includes the former municipalities of Baulers, Bornival, Thines, and Monstre ...

– May 30, 1994,

Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

) was a Belgian

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 major ...

reedist and bandleader. Omer played violin before switching to clarinet and saxophone, playing with local groups in

Strassburg Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label=Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label=Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the Eur ...

and Brussels. He worked in France in the band of Billy Smith, then played with the Golden Stars and in René Compère's band. Omer participated in a recording session with Gus Deloof in 1931. Following a tour with Fud Candrix's Carolina Stomp Chasers, he founded his own group, which included at times

Lauderic Caton Lauderic Caton (31 August 1910 – 19 February 1999) was a Trinidadian guitarist who settled in Britain in 1940. He was an early proponent of the use of electric guitar in Britain, particularly in jazz music. According to Val Wilmer, "he exercis ...

and

Jean Robert Jean Robert (June 25, 1908, Brussels - February 28, 1981, Hilversum) was a Belgian jazz saxophonist. Robert started out on piano before switching to tenor saxophone, and played early in his career with Peter Packay, Gus Deloof, Chas Remue, and ...

. He and Robert De Kers accompanied

Josephine Baker Josephine Baker (born Freda Josephine McDonald; naturalised French Joséphine Baker; 3 June 1906 – 12 April 1975) was an American-born French dancer, singer and actress. Her career was centered primarily in Europe, mostly in her adopted Fran ...

in the mid-1930s, and played in a group with

Ernst van 't Hoff Ernst van 't Hoff (13 July 1908 – 17 May 1955) was a Dutch jazz pianist and bandleader. Ernst Van 't Hoff was born on 13 July 1908 in Zandvoort, Netherlands. He played with his own orchestra in the late 1920s, and in 1934 joined Robert De Kers ...

late in the decade. In 1941, he recorded with

Rudy Bruder Rudy or Rudi is a masculine given name, sometimes short for Rudolf, Rudolph, Rawad, Rudra, Ruairidh, or variations thereof, a nickname and a surname which may refer to: People Given name or nickname *Rudolf Rudy Andeweg (born 1952), Dutch politi ...

. He settled in Brussels and led a band into the 1960s which played at the club Le Boeuf sur le Toit.

References

* Robert Pernet, "Jean Omer". '' The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz''. 2nd edition, ed.

Barry Kernfeld Barry Dean Kernfeld (born August 11, 1950) is an American musicologist and jazz saxophonist who has researched and published extensively about the history of jazz and the biographies of its musicians. Education In 1968, Kernfeld enrolled at U ...

. Belgian jazz bandleaders Belgian jazz clarinetists Belgian jazz saxophonists 1912 births 1994 deaths 20th-century saxophonists {{Belgium-musician-stub