Paul Howard

Born on 20 September 1895 in Steubenville, Ohio, this Paul Howard (not the hillbilly guitarist of the Cotton Pickers born about the same time: Chadbourne) was a multi-instrumentalist, though focused on clarinet less only than tenor saxophone. In 1911 he headed for Los Angeles and started his professional career in 1916, first joining Wood Wilson's Syncopators, then Satchel McVea's Howdy Entertainers. Tom Lord's jazzography finds Howard with the Quality Four led by Harvey Brooks circa February of 1924. Tunes in that session commenced with a couple takes of 'Mistreatin' Daddy' with vocalist, Jessie Derrick. Other titles with Derrick among instrumentals were 'Who Will Get It?' and "If You'll Come Back'.

In 1925 Howard signed on with Sonny Clay for a bit before forming the Quality Serenaders. The Serenaders didn't record anything until April of 1929. The band's first issues were from its second session on the 28th: 'The Ramble' and 'Midnight Blues'. The Serenaders released about thirteen tracks during its existence into 1930.

Upon disbanding the Serenaders Howard played in various bands, including Lionel Hampton's in 1935, who had been the drummer in the Serenaders. In 1939 Howard formed the house band at a place called Virginia's in Los Angeles, performing there until 1953. Lord traces him during this period to only a couple of sessions, his last in Lord, in 1944 as one of the Sepia Tones with drummer and vocalist George Vann. The Sepia Tones were organist, Nina Russell, and pianist, Mata Roy, who performed at The Last Word in Los Angeles with violinist, Ginger Smock, who joined them in 1943. Smock didn't record with them. 'Boogie #1" is the Sepia Tones first recording of two sessions which comprise their entire presence on disc. That was also the first matrix for Art Rupe's Juke Box Records launched that year.

Howard spent the obscure last quarter century of his life in Los Angeles before there dying on 18 Feb of 1980.