Biography
Musicians sharing a genre and an identical surname often invite confusion, particularly when their instruments differ and one carries the substantial moniker "Kid" as a distinguishing label. Among two New Orleans natives named Valentine, the key distinctions lie in their respective eras and chosen instruments. Far better known, Kid Thomas Valentine emerged as a second-generation figure whose key recordings took place during the 1950s and 1960s. Thomas Valentine belonged to an earlier generation, joining the initial wave of New Orleans jazz musicians who relocated to California in the early 1920s. San Francisco’s Barbary Coast, with its raucous jazz clubs and dance halls, offered abundant employment for performing musicians during that pre-disco period.
Valentine settled in Los Angeles, where he joined an early ensemble led by pianist and bandleader Sonny Clay. The banjoist participated in the group’s debut recordings for the Sunset label in 1923. Clay named the unit the California Poppies, a designation he revived for a 1928 Australian tour from which Valentine was fortunate to be absent. The earlier lineup also included legendary New Orleans trumpeter and cornet player Ernest Coycault, trombonist Leon White, clarinetist Leonard Davidson, alto saxophonist Bob Farrell, tenor saxophonist Johnny King, and drummer Willie McDaniel. Selections such as the exuberant “What a Wonderful Time” and the nonchalant “Lou” blend beyond strict New Orleans jazz into a hybrid style whose improvised ensemble sections form a ragtime patchwork reminiscent of Scott Joplin.
The banjo’s function within these styles remains largely supportive, its rhythmic precision often lost amid the limitations of primitive 1920s recording technology. This supporting role highlights the essential contrast with “Kid” Thomas Valentine, whose trumpet placed him in the lead position within the New Orleans ensemble and yielded numerous solos prominently captured by early microphones. By comparison, the banjo Valentine’s contributions evoke the muted resonance of an empty chocolate box.
Additional ensembles linked to the banjoist encompass Paul Howard’s Quality Serenaders, whose “New Kinda Blues” achieved notable international recognition as a jazz recording. The group cut sides for Victor in 1929 and 1930, several featuring a young Lionel Hampton on drums. Standout tracks include the exotic “Burma Girl” and the confident “Quality Shout,” both elevated by the rich trombone work of Lawrence Brown.
Valentine settled in Los Angeles, where he joined an early ensemble led by pianist and bandleader Sonny Clay. The banjoist participated in the group’s debut recordings for the Sunset label in 1923. Clay named the unit the California Poppies, a designation he revived for a 1928 Australian tour from which Valentine was fortunate to be absent. The earlier lineup also included legendary New Orleans trumpeter and cornet player Ernest Coycault, trombonist Leon White, clarinetist Leonard Davidson, alto saxophonist Bob Farrell, tenor saxophonist Johnny King, and drummer Willie McDaniel. Selections such as the exuberant “What a Wonderful Time” and the nonchalant “Lou” blend beyond strict New Orleans jazz into a hybrid style whose improvised ensemble sections form a ragtime patchwork reminiscent of Scott Joplin.
The banjo’s function within these styles remains largely supportive, its rhythmic precision often lost amid the limitations of primitive 1920s recording technology. This supporting role highlights the essential contrast with “Kid” Thomas Valentine, whose trumpet placed him in the lead position within the New Orleans ensemble and yielded numerous solos prominently captured by early microphones. By comparison, the banjo Valentine’s contributions evoke the muted resonance of an empty chocolate box.
Additional ensembles linked to the banjoist encompass Paul Howard’s Quality Serenaders, whose “New Kinda Blues” achieved notable international recognition as a jazz recording. The group cut sides for Victor in 1929 and 1930, several featuring a young Lionel Hampton on drums. Standout tracks include the exotic “Burma Girl” and the confident “Quality Shout,” both elevated by the rich trombone work of Lawrence Brown.
Albums
