Biography
National recognition arrived first for a twelve-piece Texas ensemble that operated successfully from a San Antonio headquarters for roughly five years beginning near 1928. The group’s title itself hinted at its principal engagement, and OKeh talent scouts confirmed the suspicion upon entering the Plaza Hotel, where the unit was delivering full-throated swing. Like other African American jazz orchestras of the period, the band anchored its rhythm section with tuba, banjo, drums, and piano, while moderating its volume slightly to suit the white clientele of the downtown landmark. Sensing market prospects, the label dispatched a recording engineer who captured several dates, one of which yielded the two-part “Dreamland Blues.” Economic pressures later dissolved the organization, although greater prosperity might have followed had the ensemble appeared after radio networks had matured enough to disseminate big-band styles nationwide. Despite favorable notices from jazz commentators across the country, the resulting royalties and local engagements proved insufficient to sustain most members. The leader eventually withdrew to operate a pool hall, yet numerous sidemen persisted with swing performances in the region; among them, tenor saxophonist Herschel Evans achieved the most prominent trajectory, trading phrases regularly with Lester Young in a partnership many reed players would have envied. Jazz collectors still regard the group’s work as both distinctive and historically significant, and it can be heard on various anthologies, among them the New World collection Sweet and Low Blue devoted to 1920s big bands and territory bands.