Narvin Kimball
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Narvin Kimball, born in New Orleans, Louisiana (March 2, 1909 - March 17, 2006) was a jazz musician who played banjo and sang.
The left-handed virtuoso banjo player, son of Henry Kimball (string bass), and former husband of the pianist Jeannette Kimball (née Salvant) played with Papa Celestin's Original Tuxedo Orchestra from late 1920s through the Great Depression.
In the 1930s Kimball switched to string bass in swing bands but music did not provide enough money; started a brand new career as a mailman.
Thanks to the New Orleans Jazz Revival he was back playing his banjo and since mid 1950s worked as a bandleader in New Orleans and toured both U.S.A. and Europe.
Narvin Kimball was the last surviving original member of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, started in 1966 as a collection of 120 New Orleans old-time musicians playing in a French Quarter art gallery. When Narvin Kimball at age 57 joined the original Band, he was its youngest member at the nightly performances while delivering U.S. mail during the day.
As a mail carrier for thirty-five years, he never missed a single day without pay and was late only three times. The pride of his tenure with the Post Office and his professionalism with the PHJB showed as he was immaculately attired in his appropriate mail or musician uniform with shoes shined and shirts cleaned and pressed.
Playing professionally since the 1920s, he made his recording debut in 1928 on Columbia Records with Celestin's band.
Decades later, he was told to "wait his turn" to be the PHJB leader, as senior band members preceded him in that role. These included Willie and Percy Humphrey, Dede and Billie Pierce, Jim Robinson, Cie Frasier, Kid Thomas Valentine, and George Lewis. They, and others, have all passed on, leaving Narvin Kimball as its sole original practitioner.
During the 1920’s while playing with the highly regarded Fate Marable Band on Mississippi River boats, he established musical relationships with musicians he would perform with for decades. One was Willie Humphrey, another original member of the PHJB and with whom Narvin would play for over 60 years before Willie's passing in 1996.
From 1935-1960, he played the string bass with popular swing groups including the Sidney Desvigne orchestra.
In 1960 he returned to his banjo playing. Narvin’s playing and singing quickly became a favorite of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, which started a few years later. With the PHJB he performed throughout the world and with the country’s major symphony orchestras, including the San Francisco Symphony.
When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, Ben Jaffe and his wife evacuated him to Baton Rouge. This episode is related in Douglas Brinkley's book The Great Deluge.
A virtuoso soloist and an accomplished rhythm man, he was still active and swinging into his nineties, until his death at age 97.
[edit] Reference
- Obituary by Peter Vacher, The Guardian, 25 March 2006 [1]
