People, Locations, Episodes

Jimmie Noone, Clarinetist born

Jimmie Noone

This date marks the birth of Jimmie Noone in 1895. He was a Black jazz clarinetist.  He was born on a farm in Cut Off, Louisiana, to Lucinda (née Daggs) and James Noone.  He grew up in Hammond, Louisiana, where he started playing guitar.

He is one of the three principal clarinetists of early jazz, the other two being Johnny Dodds and Sidney Bechet. Born near New Orleans, La., Noone studied with Bechet and began his career with New Orleans bands, including important ones led by Freddie Keppard, Kid Ory, and Buddy Petit. In 1918 he settled in Chicago, where he played with Doc Cooke's band and studied with classical clarinetist Franz Schoepp.  He recorded with King Oliver's Creole Band in 1923.

By the late 1920s, he also led his group at the Apex Club and other Chicago locations. Despite some touring, he remained largely in Chicago throughout the 1930s and led a big band in 1939. About 1943, he resettled in California, leading a band and playing on recordings and radio programs with Ory. A great ensemble player in the traditional New Orleans style, Noone also proved an adept partner for the more modern Louis Armstrong, as the two accompanied singer Lillie Delk Christian's 1928 recordings. Noone's greatest impact was as a soloist.

His full sound, melodic fertility, and graceful command of instrumental technique influenced other early jazz players and swing-era clarinetists, most notably Benny Goodman. The 1928 recordings of his Apex Club band, featuring his interplay with alto saxophonist Joe Poston, are a transition between the early jazz ensemble and the more modern swing style, as represented by the solos of Noone and his pianist Earl Hines. Some of them include Apex Blues, Four or Five Times, Sweet Sue, and I Know That You Know.  Jimmie Noone noted for his lyricism and technique refinement, died in Los Angeles, California on April 19, 1944.

To Become a Musician or Singer