Kid Howard

Listening to files featuring Child Howard could be very irritating because his alcoholism resulted in some very erratic playing. Howard began playing drums when he was 14, gigged with Chris Kelly (who provided him cornet lessons), and just a little afterwards switched completely to cornet and finally trumpet. He proved helpful in New Orleans using the Eureka Brass Music group, Allen’s Brass Music group, as well as the Tuxedo Brass Music group, amongst others. Howard led his very own group in the later ’20s and in addition used Sam Morgan, in the pit orchestra from the Palace Theater (1938-1943), with a number of dance rings and with Jim Robinson and Capt. John Handy. In 1943, Howard documented with George Lewis and sounded in best type, playing better and even more consistently than he’d for another twenty years. He freelanced in New Orleans (documenting as the first choice of the initial Zenith Brass Music group in 1946), and in 1952 joined up with George Lewis’ music group for nine years. Occasionally he sounded exuberant, various other times like an out-of-tune beginner; drinking often had taken precedence over playing. A significant disease in 1961 led to him departing Lewis although Howard retrieved enough therefore he could play at Preservation Hall in New Orleans, with other local locations up until quickly before his loss of life. Personal recordings released by American Music feature Child Howard playing within a Louis Armstrong-inspired design during 1937-1940. Usually he led albums during 1961-1965 for Icon, Mono, Jazzology, San Jacinto, Nobility, and japan Dan label.