George Baquet
Encyclopedia
George Baquet was an American jazz
clarinet
ist, known for his contributions to early jazz in New Orleans.
His father, Theogene Baquet, was also a clarinetist, as were his brothers, Achille
and Harold. (Hal Baquet was stabbed to death, and the murder was once thought to have been carried out by Clarence Williams.)
Baquet's professional career began in 1897 while he was still in his early teens. He played in the Lyre Club Symphony Orchestra and then on the road with P.T. Wright's Nashville Student Minstrels. He then joined the Georgia Minstrels, but returned to New Orleans in 1905, where he played with Buddy Bolden
. In the 1900s and early 1910s he played off and on with John Robichaux
, Freddie Keppard
, and the Onward Brass Band
. Baquet and Keppard played in Los Angeles
with the Original Creole Orchestra, an ensemble Baquet remained in until 1916. Both Keppard and Baquet considered recording at this time, but didn't; Keppard worried about the theft of his musical ideas, and Baquet had financial concerns.
Later in the decade Baquet played in New York City
at Coney Island
. In 1923 he joined Sam Gordon and his band, the Lafayette Players, in Philadelphia; Baquet lived there until his death. He assembled several of his own groups, including the New Orleans Nighthawks and George Bakey's Swingsters (sic). In the 1920s, Baquet recorded with Bessie Smith
; in 1929, he recorded with Jelly Roll Morton
, and in the 1940s with Sidney Bechet
.
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
ist, known for his contributions to early jazz in New Orleans.
His father, Theogene Baquet, was also a clarinetist, as were his brothers, Achille
Achille Baquet
Achille Joseph Baquet was an American jazz clarinetist and saxophonist. He was an early musician on the New Orleans jazz scene....
and Harold. (Hal Baquet was stabbed to death, and the murder was once thought to have been carried out by Clarence Williams.)
Baquet's professional career began in 1897 while he was still in his early teens. He played in the Lyre Club Symphony Orchestra and then on the road with P.T. Wright's Nashville Student Minstrels. He then joined the Georgia Minstrels, but returned to New Orleans in 1905, where he played with Buddy Bolden
Buddy Bolden
Charles "Buddy" Bolden was an African American cornetist and is regarded by contemporaries as a key figure in the development of a New Orleans style of rag-time music which later came to be known as jazz.- Life :...
. In the 1900s and early 1910s he played off and on with John Robichaux
John Robichaux
John Robichaux, sometimes Robechaux , was an American jazz bandleader, drummer, and violinist. He was the uncle of Joseph Robichaux....
, Freddie Keppard
Freddie Keppard
Freddie Keppard was an early jazz cornetist.Keppard was born in the Creole of Color community of downtown New Orleans, Louisiana. His older brother Louis Keppard was also a professional musician. Freddie played violin, mandolin, and accordion before switching to cornet...
, and the Onward Brass Band
Onward Brass Band
The Onward Brass Band was the name of two brass bands active in New Orleans for extended periods of time.-Onward Brass Band :This incarnation of the Onward Brass Band played often in its early history at picnics, festivals, parades, and baseball games...
. Baquet and Keppard played in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
with the Original Creole Orchestra, an ensemble Baquet remained in until 1916. Both Keppard and Baquet considered recording at this time, but didn't; Keppard worried about the theft of his musical ideas, and Baquet had financial concerns.
Later in the decade Baquet played in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
at Coney Island
Coney Island
Coney Island is a peninsula and beach on the Atlantic Ocean in southern Brooklyn, New York, United States. The site was formerly an outer barrier island, but became partially connected to the mainland by landfill....
. In 1923 he joined Sam Gordon and his band, the Lafayette Players, in Philadelphia; Baquet lived there until his death. He assembled several of his own groups, including the New Orleans Nighthawks and George Bakey's Swingsters (sic). In the 1920s, Baquet recorded with Bessie Smith
Bessie Smith
Bessie Smith was an American blues singer.Sometimes referred to as The Empress of the Blues, Smith was the most popular female blues singer of the 1920s and 1930s...
; in 1929, he recorded with Jelly Roll Morton
Jelly Roll Morton
Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe , known professionally as Jelly Roll Morton, was an American ragtime and early jazz pianist, bandleader and composer....
, and in the 1940s with Sidney Bechet
Sidney Bechet
Sidney Bechet was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer.He was one of the first important soloists in jazz , and was perhaps the first notable jazz saxophonist...
.