Big Bands
In 1915, Noble Sissle gathered together 12 musicians to form an orchestra to play at the ballroom on the rooftop of the Severin Hotel in Indianapolis, Indiana. The band was a huge success, which enabled them to remain there for several weeks. The event was history in the making, because it was the first time an all black band played in any hotel in that city.
This engagement opened the door for Noble Sissle to get bookings in Baltimore, Maryland. Sissle met Eubie Blake while in Baltimore in 1916, and the two of them became a perfect music-writing team, with Sissle writing the lyrics and Blake composing the music.
World War I caused Sissle to leave his band and join the U.S. Army Infantry band for overseas duty in France. When the war ended, Sissle returned to the United States to renew his association with Eubie Blake.
Some of their collaborations were; "I'm Just Wild About Harry," "Love Will Find A Way," and the broadway musical show "Shuffle Along," in 1921. During that year Sissle formed a six-piece group that he called "Noble Sissle and his Sizzling Syncopators."
In 1934, with Sidney Bechet and Tommy Ladnier in the band as featured soloists, he changed the name to Noble Sissle and his International Orchestra." Lena Horne had joined the group as its vocalist, and the orchestra had an extended engagement at Billy Rose's Diamond Horseshoe in New York in 1952 which lasted four years.
Noble Sissle, a truly devoted musician with a deep love for his music, remained active until an illness forced him to disband his orchestra. He died in 1975 at the age of 86.
Fate Marable and his 11-piece Metropolitan Jazz Band, was mainly associated with the riverboats that made daily trips on the Mississippi River between St. Louis and New Orleans. Marable was so well liked by the owners of the Streckfuss Steamship Lines that they gave him an indefinite engagement.
Marable was a highly-schooled musician and maintained strict control of his band. He had a well organized, disciplined group that rehearsed in a professional manner. This band was unique in that it was one of the few all-black bands where the musicians could read music.
They played the music the riverboat crowd wanted to hear. There were waltzes, polkas, tangos, reels, fox-trots and hot jazz. Very often people would take a daily cruise just to listen to the band.
The band personnel included, Louis Armstrong, (trumpet), Sam Dutrey, (clarinet), Johnny St. Cry, (banjo), George "Pops" Foster, (bass), Warren "Baby" Dobbs, (drums), Davey Jones, (mellophone), Norman Mason, (saxophone), Boyd Atkins, (violin), and Fate Marable, (piano).
