Introductions

Willie Humphrey was a New Orleans jazz clarinetist. Born in 1900, he lived through much of the history of jazz, and was still performing until a few days before his death in 1994.

I am a saxophonist and composer based in Atlanta, 61 years old at the time I write this. My music leans toward avant-garde jazz, but I love all sorts of music, and traditional New Orleans jazz is one of my favorite musical "flavors." As a young man, I became fascinated with Willie Humphrey after hearing one of his recorded solos with the Eureka Brass Band (more about that in the second post), and set out to collect all of his recordings and to find out as much as I could about this extraordinary musician.

At one time, I was planning to write a book on Humphrey, examining his life and music. I eventually realized that for various reasons (time, temperament, other projects) I did not have a book in me. But in the meantime, the internet has provided a medium that now seems like a perfect way to share some of the information I have compiled about Willie, and to share some insights into his music. Biographical posts will be in roughly chronological order; posts about recordings and miscellaneous subjects will not be, for better "programming."

This blog is dedicated to the memory of my fellow Georgian, jazz historian Richard Allen (1927-2007). Richard, who spent most of his life in New Orleans studying, archiving, and promoting the jazz of that city, was incredibly kind and helpful to me in my journey to learn more about Willie Humphrey's life and music.

My blogging tends to be slow, but persistent. Check back regularly or subscribe to keep up with new posts. To continue reading in chronological order, find the "Newer Post" link below and click away. (The "Newer Post" link is a little hard to find - look under "Post a Comment.")

Willie Humphrey; photo by William Carter