New Orleans History

Kid Ory was the greatest trombone player in the early years of Jazz. He originally played banjo, but then switched to trombone. Perhaps his banjo playing helped shape the "tailgate" style of playing he later developed on the trombone. In the "tailgate" style, the trombone plays a rhythmic line underneath the trumpets and cornets. From 1912 to 1919 he led one of the most popular bands in New Orleans. Ory's Band featured many of the great musicians who would go on to define the Hot Jazz style. At various times King Oliver, a young Louis Armstrong, Johnny Dodds, Sidney Bechet and Jimmie Noone all played in Ory's band. In 1919 Ory relocated to California for health reasons. He assembled a new group of New Orleans musicians on the West Coast and played regularly under the name of Kid Ory's Creole Orchestra. In 1922 they became the first African-American jazz band from New Orleans to record. They used the name of "Spike's Seven Pods of Pepper Orchestra" and recorded the songs "Ory's Creole Trombone" and "Society Blues". In 1925 he moved to Chicago, and played regularly with King Oliver, Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five and Hot Seven and with Jelly Roll Morton and several other Chicago groups. During the Depression Ory played very little and ran a chicken ranch with his brother. When the Dixieland revival occurred in the 1940's, Ory found his style of music back in vogue. He revived Kid Ory's Creole Orchestra in 1943 and was able to continue to play, tour and record Jazz until he retired in 1966.

Spike's Seven Pod of Pepper Orchestra

Kid Ory relocated to California from New Orleans in 1919 when his doctor advised him to move to a dry climate, because of his poor health. Ory formed his Original Creole Jazz Band (they sometimes were billed as Kid Ory's Brown-Skinned Babies) the same year and played residencies in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Oakland up until 1925. Spike's Seven Pods of Pepper Orchestra was the name that Kid Ory's Original Creole Jazz Band recorded under in 1922 for the Sunshine label, which only released three records, all which featured Ory's band. The records were also released under the name of the Sunshine Band. The label was run by two brothers, John and Reb Spikes. The record was only sold in their music store at 12th and Central Avenue in Los Angeles . Although only 5000 of these records were printed, the two tracks were the first jazz recordings made by an African-American band from New Orleans and they are a fine example of the New Orleans ensemble style of playing. It is interesting to compare this 1922 version of Ory's Creole Trombone with the version of Ory's Creole Trombone that he recorded five years later with Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five. The band also recorded two Blues records a month earlier on the Sunshine label. The first under the name of Ruth Lee accompanied by Ory's Sunshine Orchestra and the other being Roberta Dudley accompanied by Ory's Sunshine Orchestra.

Title Recording Date Recording Location Company
Ory's Creole Trombone
(Kid Ory)
7-1922 Los Angeles, California Nordskog 3009 A
Nordskog 5001-A
Sunshine 3003
Society Blues
(John C. Spikes)
7-1922 Los Angeles, California Nordskog 3009 B
Nordskog 5001-B
Sunshine 3003
Artist Instrument
Ben Borders Drums
Mutt Carey Cornet
Ed Garlands Bass
Dink Johnson Clarinet
Kid Ory Trombone
Fred Washington Piano


Kid Ory's Creole Jazz Band

Title Recording Date Recording Location Company
1919
(Traditional)
9-8-1945 Los Angeles, California Crescent 4
(1013)
Ballin' The Jack
(Chris Smith)
2-12-1945 Los Angeles, California Exner 4
EX8
Blanche Touquotox
(Kid Ory / O. Ory)
3-21-1945 Los Angeles, California Decca
25134
Blues For Jimmy
(Kid Ory)
8-3-1944 Los Angeles, California Crescent 2
(CPM 10342A)
Bill Bailey Wont You Please Come Home 10-16-1946 Columbia
37276
Bucket Got A Hole In It 10-21-1946 Columbia
37274
Careless Love
(W.C. Handy)
8-5-1945 Los Angeles, California Crescent 5
(1009)
Creole Bo Bo 10-21-1946 Columbia
37276
Creole Song
(C'est L'Autre Cancan)

Vocal by Kid Ory

(Kid Ory)
8-3-1944 Los Angeles, California Crescent 1
(CPM 10352A)
Dippermouth Blues
(King Oliver / Louis Armstrong)
2-12-1945 Los Angeles, California Exner 3
EX5
Do What Ory Say
(Clarence Williams)
8-5-1945 Los Angeles, California Crescent 5
(1010)
Down Home Rag
(Wilbur Sweatman)
9-8-1945 Los Angeles, California Crescent 4
(1018)
Eh La Bas 10-21-1946 Columbia
37275
Eh! La Bas 10-7-1949 Los Angeles, California
Farewell To Storyville 10-16-1946 Columbia
37277
Get Out Of Here
(And Go On Home)

(Kid Ory / Bud Scott)
8-3-1944 Los Angeles, California Crescent 2
(CPM 10321A)
High Society
(Clarence Williams)
2-12-1945 Los Angeles, California Exner 4
EX7
High Society 3-21-1945 Los Angeles, California Decca
25134
High Society
with Jimmie Noone
3-1944 Los Angeles, California Carousel
2501

(MU 603)
Joshua Fit De Battle Of Jericho 10-16-1946 Columbia
37275
Maryland
(traditional)
9-8-1945 Los Angeles, California Crescent 3
(1015)
Muskrat Ramble
(Kid Ory / R. Gilbert)
3-21-1945 Los Angeles, California Decca
25133
Mutt's Blues
with Jimmie Noone
3-1944 Los Angeles, California Carousel
2501

(MU 604)
Oh Didn't He Ramble?
(W.C. Handy)
9-8-1945 Los Angeles, California Crescent 3
(1015)
Original Dixieland One-Step
(Nick LaRocca)
11-1945 Los Angeles, California Cresent 6
(1022)
Ory's Creole Trombone
(Kid Ory)
11-1945 Los Angeles, California Cresent 6
(1025)
Panama
(Will H. Tyers)
8-5-1945 Los Angeles, California Crescent 7
(1006)
Savoy Blues
(Kid Ory)
2-12-1945 Los Angeles, California Exner 3
EX6
South
(Bennie Moten / Hayes)
8-3-1944 Los Angeles, California Crescent 1
(CPM 10331A)
The Girls Go Crazy About The Way I Walk 3-21-1945 Los Angeles, California Decca
25133
Twelth Street Rag
(Euday L. Bowman)
10-7-1949 Los Angeles, California
Tiger Rag
(Nick LaRocca)
10-16-1946 Columbia
37274
Tiger Rag 2
(Nick LaRocca)
10-7-1949 Los Angeles, California
Savoy Blues
(Kid Ory)
10-7-1949 Los Angeles, California Columbia
38955
The World's Jazz Crazy, Lawdy So Am I 10-21-1946 Columbia
37277
Under The Bamboo Tree
Vocal by Bud Scott

(Cole / Johnson)
8-5-1945 Los Angeles, California Crescent 7
(1011)
Weary Blues
(Artie Matthews)
3-1944 Los Angeles, California Jazz Society
558
Artist Instrument
Barney Bigard Clarinet
Ted Buckner Trumpet
Mutt Carey Trumpet
Joe Darensbourgh Clarinet
Ed Garland Bass
Lloyd Glenn Piano
Minor Hall Drums
Darnell Howard Clarinet
Jimmie Noone Clarinet
Cecile Ory Vocals
Kid Ory Trombone, Vocals
Omer Simeon Clarinet
Alton Redd Drums
Bud Scott Guitar, Vocals
Helen Andrews-Williams Vocals
Buster Wilson Piano

Spike's Seven Pods of Pepper Orchestra Kid Ory's Creole Orchestra
Ruth Lee accompanied by Spikes Seven Pods Of Pepper Orchestra Roberta Dudley accompanied by Ory's Orchestra