Papa Celestin

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Oscar Phillip Celestin, better known as Papa Celestin (1 January 1884 - 15 December 1954) was a New Orleans, Louisiana jazz bandleader, trumpeter and singer.

Celestin was born around Napoleonville, Louisiana and in his youth worked manual labor on rural Louisiana plantations. Eager for a better life, he worked as a cook for the Texas & Pacific railroad, saved up money and brought used musical instruments. He played guitar and trombone before deciding on cornet as his main instrument. He played with various small town bands before moving to New Orleans in 1906.

In New Orleans he played with the Imperial, Olympia, and Henry Allen Brass Bands, and Jack Carey's dance band; early in his career he was sometimes known as "Sonny" Celestin. About 1910 he landed a job as leader of the house band at the Tuxedo Dance Hall at the edge of Storyville. He kept the name "Tuxedo" for the name of the band after the Dance Hall closed. Dressing the band in tuxedos, the Tuxedo became one of the most popular bands hired for society functions, both black and white. For years Celestin co-led the Tuxedo Band with trombonist William Ridgely. They made their first recordings with the band during the Okeh Records field trip to New Orleans in 1925. Shortly after Ridgely and Celestin had a falling out and for about 5 years led competing "Tuxedo" bands. Celestin's Original Tuxedo Orchestra made an additional series of recordings for Columbia Records through the rest of the 1920s.

In addition to the Orchestra, Celestin led the Tuxedo Brass Band, one of the top brass bands in the city. Such notables as Joe Oliver and young Louis Armstrong played in the Tuxedo Brass Band with Celestin.

Celestin left full time music to work in a shipyard during World War II, then began playing regularly again in 1946. His band became a regular feature at the Paddock on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter, and made regular radio broadcasts and more recordings.

After Celestin's death the band was taken over by Papa Albert French.

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