Section from chapter 1910-13: The Impact of the Blues   [ return to introduction ] By Mervyn Cooke • 325 illustrations, 82 in full color • 256 pages • 8-1/2 x 8-1/2" Cloth • ISBN 0-7892-0399-5 • U.S. $45.00 Add to Shopping Cart The Onward Brass and in New Orleans, c. 1913. From 1903 to 1930 this celebrated ensemble was led by cornetist and cigar-maker Manuel Perez (far left), who also played at Storyville's Mahogany Hall. [ view larger image ] (Institute of Jazz Studies, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey) Marching Bands New Orleans at the turn of the century was a flourishing hub of musical activity. Predominant among black ensembles were the celebrated marching bands, which provided music for funeral ceremonies and other outdoor events. Many early jazz musicians gained their formative musical experiences by playing in these groups, which offered one of the few sources of paid employment to black musicians. A typical band comprised cornets, trombones, clarinets, tubas and drums. Not surprisingly, these instruments (all cheaply available second-hand) were soon favored in the make-up of early jazz ensembles. Somber music accompanied the procession to the cemetery, but an exuberant version of ragtime--a style itself originally based on marches (• p. 20)--would be performed on the return trip and at the prolonged feasting afterward.

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