A Tribute To Kid Ory by Mike Owen

"Kid" Ory was born in LaPlace, Louisiana — a town not far from New Orleans — on December 25, 1886. Ory was the greatest of all New Orleans trombonists with an unparalleled career. He was featured on many legendary recording sessions in the 1920s, with Louis Armstrong's Hot Five, Jelly Roll Morton's Red Hot Peppers and King Oliver's Dixie Syncopators, among others. These recordings are models for many contemporary traditional jazz bands and Ory's contributions to them are immeasurable.

Kid Ory's Creole Jazz Band spearheaded the revival of traditional jazz in the early 1940s, retaining the discipline and musicianship of Ory's previous bands. Tight arrangements, dynamics and a rhythm section which was irresistible to dancers made the band an immediate success. They were featured on Orson Welles' Mercury radio broadcasts and soon achieved widespread popularity. Long-running engagements followed at venues such as the Beverly Cavern in Los Angeles. In addition, the band played on the soundtrack of the motion picture "Crossfire" and Ory appeared along with Louis Armstrong and Billie Holiday in the movie "New Orleans." The Kid Ory band recorded some of its best studio sessions in the '40s and these recordings are still highly regarded.

In the '50s, Ory relocated to San Francisco, playing a long-running engagement at Club Hangover in that city. He also toured Europe twice, including a tour with Henry "Red" Allen on trumpet, performing to full houses across the continent. Ory and the band played an important on-screen role in the film "The Benny Goodman Story" and continued to record for the GOOD TIME JAZZ and VERVE labels.

After a stint as a nightclub owner and bandleader in San Francisco in the early '60s, Ory pared down his musical career to concentrate on raising his daughter. He continued to make occasional public appearances, such as his guest spots with the Young Men From New Orleans at Disneyland. (The band can be seen in the film "Disneyland After Dark," currently being shown on the Disney cable television channel). From San Francisco, Ory moved his family to Hawaii and the Kid retired from music. However, he made a final appearance at the New Orleans Jazz And Heritage Festival in 1971 and passed away in Honolulu in 1973.