Early Jazz & Freddie Keppard

Freddie Keppard

Source: Yester Century Pop

Born on 27 February of 1890 in New Orleans, Freddie Keppard was a cornet player who knew Buddy Bolden, the generally acknowledged father of jazz when it was called jass and of whom no recordings exist. Thirteen years Bolden's junior, Keppard is said to have performed much in Bolden's style. Keppard first played accordion, violin and mandolin. It was the mandolin he played when at about the age of ten he began performing duos with his older brother, Louis. He didn't take up the cornet until he was sixteen, about the same year he formed his first band, the Olympia Orchestra. He then took Bolden's vacated spot not only in the Eagle Band but in general, as his playing was similar. He inherited Bolden's place in New Orleans jazz when the latter was permanently hospitalized with schizophrenia in 1907.

About the cusp of 1911-12 Keppard toured the States with the Original Creole Ragtime Band, which became the Original Creole Orchestra in 1913. He was offered his first recording deal in 1915 by the Victor Talking Machine Company in NYC. But Keppard turned it down, considering the $25 payment (standard for musicians not well known) insufficient. These would have been the first jazz recordings preceding the Original Dixieland Jazz Band by a couple of years. He may also have had an inordinate fear of being copied. Keppard was known to hide his fingering beneath a handkerchief to protect it from thieves, or so he explained what might also have been some amusing jive.

About 1917 Keppard settled in Chicago where, upon the dissolution of his orchestra in 1918, he pursued a solo career. His first recording session arrived in 1918 with Bill Johnson's Creole Jass Band, an unissued test of 'Tack 'Em Down'. In 1923 Keppard contributed cornet to a couple tracks with Erskine Tate's Vendome Orchestra: 'Cutie Blues' and 'Chinaman Blues'.

Keppard began recording with Doc Cook in 1924. Lord has him performing on 'Old Man Blues' in pianist, Jimmy Blythe's, Birmingham Bluetette, in 1926, but this is contested by Brian Rust. In September 1926 Keppard put down his only tracks as a leader, those with his Jazz Cardinals ('Stock Yards Strut', 'Messin' Around' and two takes of 'Salty Dog').

Keppard is found on a couple of tracks by Jasper Taylor and his State Street Boys in 1927 ('Stomp Time Blues' and 'It Must Be the Blues'). Come Frankie Half Pint Jaxon in 1928 which session was his last as traced by Lord.

Keppard was gradually taken down by alcoholism and tuberculosis, no longer able to perform by latter 1932. He died of tuberculosis in Chicago on 15 July 1933.