Grading the Kids

[Brownian Motion]

Kid Thomas Valentine

Kid Avery Howard

Kid Shots Madison

Kid Henry Rena

Kid Sheik Cola

This is a list, not necessarily all-inclusive, of New Orleans jazz trumpet players active in roughly the mid 20th Century who suffered the designation "Kid". According to jazz CW circa 1960: to be so designated was a mark of merit--a kid was one step down from a New Orleans trumpet "King", like King Oliver or King Freddie Keppard or King Louis Armstrong.

But if you examine the work of Kid Howard, for instance, who recorded extensively with NO clarinetist George Lewis, it's easy to arrive at a different take for the appellation Kid, namely that it was a mildly derisive term for the uninspired and semi-competent. And indeed, Alvin Alcorn and John Brunious and Ernest Cagnolatti and Thomas Jefferson were never known as Kids, yet seem, on the basis of aural evidence, to be the class of the NO field.

Anyone have any familiarity with the work of these trumpeting kids?

[jeffcrom]

I was poking around to see what there was on the board about King Oliver when I came across this thread, which seems to have died on the vine. Yes, I'm familiar with the work of all these "Kids." My understanding of the nickname is simpler - it was given to musicians who started gigging at a young age. Here's a rundown on each Kid:

Kid Thomas Valentine - His style never changed from his first recording in 1951 until his death in 1987 - it was crude and simple; straight lead, rough tone, sometimes violent vibrato. Valentine's playing is definitely an acquired taste, which I embraced when I realized how similar some of Lester Bowie's playing was. Kid Thomas played in the little dance halls of New Orleans for years and never thought of himself as a "jazz" musician. Listen to The Dance Hall Years (American Music CD48) - not a jazz standard to be found; the Kid plays "On the Bayou," "Blueberry Hill," and "Shake, Rattle and Roll!" His two Riverside albums are very good.

Kid Avery Howard - The most inconsistent of the great New Orleans lead trumpet players. His playing may have been uninspired at times (he liked his cocktails), but at its best it was strong and somewhat Armstrong-inspired. He was in bad shape for much of the fifties, but got his act more together in the early sixties - try some of his recordings from that period. I've always thought that Kid Howard at the San Jacinto Hall (GHB CD 23) contains some of the most inspired collective improvisation recorded in New Orleans.

Kid Shots Madison - He recorded as second trumpet with Oscar Celestin's Tuxedo Orchestra in 1925 and with Bunk Johnson's Brass Band in 1945, but his only real exposure on records is the 1944 American Music session with George Lewis issued on George Lewis With Kid Shots (American Music CD 2). These sides show his to be a modest, competent lead trumpeter who only occasionally catches fire ("Sheik of Araby" & "Dumaine Street Drag" on the CD, maybe) - not spectacular, but very good.

Kid Rena - When he was young, he was said to be good enough to rival Louis Armstrong or the legendary, unrecorded Buddy Petit. He only recorded late in his short life. The recordings, for the Delta label, are considered the first recordings of the so-called New Orleans Revival. Rena's playing on them has been panned by many critics, but I like it for what it is - a simple, straight New Orleans lead. There is certainly nothing there (Prelude to the Revival Vol. II - American Music CD 41) that would justify the claims of his youthful prowess.

Kid Shiek Colar - The only one of these guys I heard in person, near the end of his career. His style was similar to Kid Howard's, but he was more consistent. I think he still sounds pretty good in his seventies on the 1982 album The Sheik of Araby (504 Records). I think it's been reissued on CD, but it's probably going to be hard to find - you might try Hopes Hall New Orleans 1963 (American Music CD 256) to hear Kid Sheik at his best.

One thing to remember when you're listening to New Orleans trumpeters is the traditional role of the trumpet in the ensemble. The trumpet played the lead and tended not to stray too far from the melody. Louis Armstrong's Hot Five recordings are not conventional New Orleans-style recordings in this respect. If you listen to any of the "Kids" expecting fireworks, you might be disappointed. But no, I don't think the theory that "Kid" implies a lesser talent really holds up. I like all the Kids.

Edited May 25, 2009 by jeffcrom

[paul secor]

Thanks for posting that, Jeff - interesting, arcane - these days, anyway - music. Kid Thomas Valentine looks like a good start.

[MomsMobley]

Edited January 11, 2013 by MomsMobley

[paul secor]

Kid Thomas (the blues harp one) may well have had the best pompador conk on the planet.

Edited January 11, 2013 by paul secor