Biography
Although Wynton Marsalis might first come to mind as a young jazz trumpeter devoted to a genre whose creative summit occurred during his infancy, the individual in question was Lu Watters, a principal figure among the New Orleans revivalists active during the 1940s. A devoted admirer of King Oliver's Original Creole Jazz Band, which featured a youthful Louis Armstrong, Watters assembled the Yerba Buena Jazz Band to replicate the two-trumpet front line that Oliver had popularized. Along with fellow white revivalists, Watters upheld the superiority of early jazz—specifically the New Orleans music created by black musicians in the 1910s and 1920s—while rejecting later developments such as swing and bop.
The Yerba Buena Jazz Band originated in 1939 when Watters recruited its personnel from a sizable swing ensemble he had directed in Oakland, California. His goal was to revive the Oliver approach, an aim he achieved with notable effectiveness. While numerous Dixieland revival groups emerged throughout the 1940s, the Yerba Buena Jazz Band distinguished itself through its fidelity to the source material and played a key role in disseminating the movement internationally.
The ensemble began its engagement at the Dawn Club in San Francisco in 1939, a residency that lasted until Watters entered military service in 1942. After the war the musicians reassembled, resumed performances at the Dawn Club, and achieved widespread local acclaim. In 1947 the group relocated to Hambone Kelly's in El Cerrito and continued there until Watters disbanded the unit in 1950.
On the band's most significant recordings, captured in the mid-1940s, the lineup comprised Watters on first trumpet, Bob Scobey on second trumpet, Harry Mordecai on banjo, Bob Helm on clarinet, Turk Murphy on trombone, Bill Dart on drums, Wally Rose on piano, and Dick Lammi on tuba. Both Scobey and Murphy subsequently formed their own successful Dixieland ensembles. In addition to drawing from the traditional repertoire, Watters contributed original arrangements and compositions.
Watters withdrew from full-time performance in 1957 to pursue studies in geology and eventually work as a chef. He resumed playing in 1963, appearing with Turk Murphy's group at anti-nuclear events across Northern California, and completed one final recording before stepping away again.
The Yerba Buena Jazz Band originated in 1939 when Watters recruited its personnel from a sizable swing ensemble he had directed in Oakland, California. His goal was to revive the Oliver approach, an aim he achieved with notable effectiveness. While numerous Dixieland revival groups emerged throughout the 1940s, the Yerba Buena Jazz Band distinguished itself through its fidelity to the source material and played a key role in disseminating the movement internationally.
The ensemble began its engagement at the Dawn Club in San Francisco in 1939, a residency that lasted until Watters entered military service in 1942. After the war the musicians reassembled, resumed performances at the Dawn Club, and achieved widespread local acclaim. In 1947 the group relocated to Hambone Kelly's in El Cerrito and continued there until Watters disbanded the unit in 1950.
On the band's most significant recordings, captured in the mid-1940s, the lineup comprised Watters on first trumpet, Bob Scobey on second trumpet, Harry Mordecai on banjo, Bob Helm on clarinet, Turk Murphy on trombone, Bill Dart on drums, Wally Rose on piano, and Dick Lammi on tuba. Both Scobey and Murphy subsequently formed their own successful Dixieland ensembles. In addition to drawing from the traditional repertoire, Watters contributed original arrangements and compositions.
Watters withdrew from full-time performance in 1957 to pursue studies in geology and eventually work as a chef. He resumed playing in 1963, appearing with Turk Murphy's group at anti-nuclear events across Northern California, and completed one final recording before stepping away again.
Albums
