Kid Ory

• Genre: Traditional Jazz/Dixieland
• Hometown: New Orleans

About

Kid Ory was one of the first innovators of jazz and the definitive New Orleans trombonist of the 1920s. His improvisations gave rise to the classic Dixieland style of trombone playing known as "tailgate," which consists of rhythmic, contrapuntal basslines behind the clarinet and trumpet. A master bandleader, Ory's classic ensembles were the training ground for the great trumpeters King Oliver and Louis Armstrong, as well as the clarinetists Sidney Bechet and Jimmie Noone. His band could sound sweet and tender, raucous and bawdy, or fast and furious; a generous leader, Ory gave his soloists many opportunities to explore and develop. After a decade out of music during the Depression, Ory made a comeback in the 1940s during the New Orleans revival, and continued to play Dixieland until his death in 1973.

- Noah Enelow