Harry Shields was an early jazz

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...

 clarinetist.

Harry Shields was born in uptown New Orleans, Louisiana

New Orleans, Louisiana

New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...

, the younger brother of noted clarinetist Larry Shields

Larry Shields

Lawrence James "Larry" Shields was an early American dixieland jazz clarinetist.Shields was born into an Irish-American family in Uptown New Orleans, on the same block where jazz pioneer Buddy Bolden lived...

. Harry spent almost his whole career in New Orleans. He played with the bands of Norman Brownlee, Sharkey Bonano

Sharkey Bonano

Joseph "Sharkey" Bonano was a jazz trumpeter, band leader, and vocalist....

, Tom Brown

Tom Brown (trombonist)

Tom Brown , sometimes known by the nickname Red Brown, was an early New Orleans dixieland jazz trombonist. He also played string bass professionally....

, Johnny Wiggs

Johnny Wiggs

Johnny Wiggs was a jazz musician and band leader.Born John Wigginton Hyman on in New Orleans, Louisiana, he started his music career on the violin. He soon adopted the cornet and moved to New York for some time before returning to New Orleans...

, and others. Many fellow musicians regarded Harry as superior to his more famous brother, Larry. Johnny Wiggs commented that Harry Shields was the only clarinetist he'd heard who could always play the right note without fail.