Armand J. Piron
| Armand John Piron | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Armand John Piron |
| Also known as | A.J. |
| Born | August 16, 1888 |
| Died | February 17, 1943 (aged 54) |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Instruments | Violin |
Armand John "A.J." Piron (August 16, 1888 – February 17, 1943)[1] was an American jazz violinist, band leader, and composer.
In 1915, Piron and Clarence Williams together started the Piron and Williams Publishing Company, and in their first year of business published Piron's composition, “I Wish That I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate”, which became his biggest hit. After touring briefly with W.C. Handy in 1917, he started an orchestra under his own name, which soon included such notables as Lorenzo Tio and Steve Lewis.[2] Piron's New Orleans Orchestra quickly became the best paid African American band in New Orleans, for Piron landed regular jobs at both the Spanish Fort amusement park and the exclusive white New Orleans Country Club. The theme song of the orchestra was "The Purple Rose of Cairo", written by Piron and Steve Lewis.[3][2]
In 1923, Piron took his band to New York City[4] as part of his ambition to make the group nationally known. He succeeded in making a hit there, landing a residency at the Roseland Ballroom, and making recordings for three different companies, Okeh, Victor and Columbia. The influence of Piron's band on the New York scene can be heard in the records of other New York bands of that time, such as Fletcher Henderson's (although Piron's influence on New York music would be eclipsed a year later when Louis Armstrong arrived in the city). In early 1924, some of Piron's band members were finding the cold northern winter and unfamiliar food and culture objectionable. Piron put the matter to a vote and, to Piron's frustration, the majority of the band voted to return home.
Back in New Orleans, he again lined up good jobs, returning to the Country Club, playing at Tranchina's Restaurant and on the excursion steamships Capital and President into the 1930s; in about 1935, he decided to dramatically change the sound of his orchestra to swing, in line with popular taste.
References
- ↑ Morton, Brian; Cook, Richard (2010-11-04). The Penguin Jazz Guide: The History of the Music in the 1000 Best Albums. Penguin UK. ISBN 9780141959009.
- 1 2 "French Creoles | Jazz". www.frenchcreoles.com. Retrieved 2017-07-30.
- ↑ "Purple Rose of Cairo | Tulane University Digital Library". digitallibrary.tulane.edu. Retrieved 2017-07-30.
- ↑ "Armand Piron | Biography & History | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 2017-07-30.