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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZORY, Kid(b Edward Ory, 25 Dec. 1886, La Prince LA; d 23 Jan. '73, Hawaii) Trombone, bandleader. Began on banjo at ten, organized a band playing home-made instruments; he played with Buddy Bolden, took his own band to New Orleans c'11, variously employed Mutt Carey, Louis Armstrong, King Oliver, Johnny Dodds, Jimmie Noone, Sidney Bechet, George Lewis in one of the most successful bands in the city. To West Coast '19 on doctor's advice; formed band there and was the first black jazz band to record '22 (see Jazz). Gave the group to Carey and went to Chicago '25 to record with Louis Armstrong on Hot Five sides incl. his own composition 'Muskrat Ramble', later a dixieland staple; played '25--7 with Oliver (on alto sax at first) and other bands, returned to West Coast '30, played with Carey, spent most of the decade running a chicken farm with his brother. He was a master of the New Orleans 'tailgate' trombone style, playing a rhythmic bass part in the front line, but also soloing in a gruff, hearty way. As the revival period got under way he came back to music with a Barney Bigard band mid-'42, played string bass, alto sax, cornet but went back to trombone after exposure on Orson Welles's radio programmes about jazz '44. He led successful bands through the '50s, mostly on West Coast, often at Disneyland, but also overseas tours, and jazz festivals; he retired and moved to Hawaii '66. He played in New Orleans at a festival '71. He appeared in films New Orleans '46 (reunited with Armstrong, also recorded with him again), also as bandleader in Crossfire '47, Mahogany Magic '50, The Benny Goodman Story '56. Albums on Good Time Jazz also feature him on occasional vocals: Kid Ory's Creole Jazz Band 1944--45 incl. Carey, Omer Simeon, Bud Scott on guitar, drummer Minor Hall and clarinettist Darnell Howard on some tracks; 1954 incl. Hall, Don Ewell, Alvin Alcorn on trumpet, George Probert on clarinet, Ed Garland on bass, Bill Newman on guitar; 1955 has Newman replaced by Barney Kessel; The Legendary Kid '55 has Alcorn, Hall, Wellman Braud on bass, three others; there are also several CDs on American Music and one on GHB. A much-loved veteran: during the revival, Ory didn't have to revive anything; he'd been there when it all happened. |