Biography
Andrew Hilaire relocated to Chicago at an early stage and remained a steady presence there until declining health curtailed his career. His musical partnerships included stints with Lil Harden, whose band he joined in 1921, as well as recordings made alongside Doc Cook’s Gingersnaps from 1926 through 1928; he also performed with Jelly Roll Morton, Jerome Pasquall in 1930, and Eddie South the following year. After appearances with the Robert Dade Orchestra and periods leading his own ensemble in 1933 and again in 1935, the asthmatic drummer died at thirty-six. Hilaire is chiefly recalled for the three Jelly Roll Morton sessions he participated in during 1926, which produced the numbers “Black Bottom Stomp,” “The Chant,” “Dead Man Blues,” “Grandpa’s Spells,” and “Doctor Jazz.”