THE JAZZ ARCHIVIST A NEWSLETTER OF THE WIWAM RANSOMHOGAN JAZZ ARCHNE VOL VI, 2 (DECEMBER 1991) Portrait of Payen's Mexican Military Band taken from sheet music cover of 'Beautiful Gems.' The Mexican barracks are pictured in the background. THE MEXICAN BAND LEGEND: MYTH, REALITY, AND MUSICAL IMPACT; A PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION When the origins or history of New Orleans jazz instruments discarded by the band were available at are discussed there is quite often a reference to "the bargain prices at the close of the fair; 2) The band Mexican Band.• The Mexican Band referred to is introduced a plucking method of playing the string bass ostensibly the Eighth Cavalry Mexican Band under the which became the predominant jazz mode of playing direction of Sig. Encarnacion Payen, playing at the that instrument; 3) Sobre las 0/as (Over the Waves) was World's Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition first introduced at the Exposition by the Band, and which opened in New Orleans on December 16, 1884. ultimately became a permanent part of the New Orleans Various connections between the presence of this band jazz repertoire even though it was a waltz; 4) Its and the ultimate development of jazz in New Orleans are composer Juventino Rosas was the concert master of often cited. the band; 5) Rosas was also the son-in-law of Band leader Encarnacion Payen; 6) The band broke up in The following assertions are the accepted "facts· New Orleans and many members of the band remained used to support such connections: 1) Surplus musical in the City and became part of the first generation of Published semiannually by the EDITORIAL BOARD Hogan Jazz Archive Dr. John Joyce, Ednor Howard-Tltton Memorial Library Dr. Bruce B. Raeburn, Curator GUEST CONTRIBUTOR Tulane Richard B. Allen, Oral Historian Jack stewart Phi/Ip E. Leinbach, Unlver,lty Librarian jazz musicians. It was often thought that Luis MEXICAN MUSIC. and Lorenzo Tio studied at the Conservatorio CULOC. • .,_....,.._.,._.,...,.w.T.n--..... _ .... ......, ....... ,,_ _,"""1-r�-.......�o...... Nacional de Musica in Mexico City and came .A. .KEDIA NOOl.rE.. a..r-""!�:;:.�.�"'.°.��-��-��-�:=...i.to:_ a,u,::,tlOO 01.tA..'"'f'D W.A.LT'"L to New Orleans with the Mexican Band (They .NIMllo:l_,...._... i..w.1w.i.&w•� ... o...-.•• X.lLol'lo-■t Pl'lrao?toi,.... UOit'E8 A.ND TlTOUl'Oil. • ,....,,... 1-o ,.. ....... t.... •\l •li ""'"--"�..... � did neither, but the Tio family history, with its ,._,...,.,_-r.r,..._ ,,......... .......... ...l't-»C.... UA.lllA 11.AZOVll-KA. •._.11■_,._,__ .... ,..� ...... ,11.--...�-,.:- New Orleans-Mexico-New Orleans odyssey, is PU:8:t..:J:SHE� BY ,,_ __ .,.._._ ......ftwa('e,a .. , ,�,. .,,,..,.WOilllll 180N.t...""00 (D..-.iil,..J H,A..ZOUt:kl<.A.. more fascinating than the legend). Bunk JUNIUS ::a:..A.R,T, ......lla!r, ... ,...., ...... ,..,o,1u,,.-•:,I,.__,,,, ., .........o,,.to, !'On:W Oru.F..ANM. n..-.�-::!...,W:.l,,::::;;�_,,..._e-_ Johnson had a Mexican music teacher named CAMTANEDA.. ••.DJl)JU,."' (.S� �-. \\". T. Fft.D�it&, - - - - 71) OM.la � .. --�--='=-�;r,�.::�:.�rac.,,. Wallace Cutchey. Chink Martin played string .. JOB�'YGET\"OURlll\lRCUT,•£ T, WUUa.m., 50CM.. , EL NO.l•AL ('n- 0--.-) ft..�;.::.�.�!.�.�--=-�.��..::.CMII W.T• ..._ .......... ··-·••.,,,..._.c-i. ....,.,.._.,._�,---n,.., QA.OTU)!I (.t,"2o,pa :oi l) KAZOl:Tt:UC:.;1,.. instruments in a Mexican band and ,1,n-o ...... �.._............... .., ............... �...�-....---- 1'".--. ,1u-..-"'1ao""�'�••"--•-...... ..... ... ,,_,,,,, ___ ··•····�--····-·,__ •o-• --�.. ·-······ ......-�---··· ......... -....... 0... tt,�w,,1-...�(W.... ........ .. )'7WT,-_ ····•·-···· r-•o.• CA.OTO• { El N•s,&I) W..a.,,r,n-.1 ,.. remembers the whole northeastern part of the ,,....,C..htll)Mn,,.(.__.,__,.,_.Tf'-.. ,.__, ..0-.. -...wo.BMlln.•_..................... ...._.,.� ,m, hit,, ttC.llt t.....iv.a�-;_�";";,"C.,�.'.".�:::':�.�-c.i. .......... ,..,., .......... ,.,...,(......, o-i.. ... ltarcM1 MF.LA.N'OIIOLV J"IQ,VTUJ. French Quarter as being inhabited by �WT.....,._,,,.,,,.,,. •-• -• ........ C-.0 ..i- ...."._.,. 1-w.�..._.............. PMrJIWl,taac-o-o) W.. "7T IL� .. ,_..,....._Liellt .... 11o1o....------.-�" •.T,,,._._., .. , ...... --.. ••••·..... .._. c... .. ... .... 1,jYT,.,...._,••••••••• _,.,,. ··••••••••,.,,_•C:- D.4.NOlll or TITE ANOE.Lit. ,......_ w..-1,jitn.�LM-., IIIIIIIM'tlltr..X.O,CY--,..,,,,,,,.rwt. ..i>eM Spaniards, Mexicans, and Puerto Ricans. Doii-.lMlli-■•-G�,OM-.tlU � ...... _,.......... l'noi.l.tn..;0.1'Ma1.t• .-_.-,....._ll.orb. -..."i'J•��.. LAM.ll!:IN"L'OS \V .A.LT'L (L.ment. Wais..> l•cfl,,l,--10..-W..__,,,.,,,..... -•.•• -•••••.P.,it,,->o..,"° �.---.i;.i.t:r..:..�=�'-':�.::'.:�7:'.�.�=-"'c..a- Also, Eddie Edwards remembered one of his �"'""- .,,...� .......... ......... !Jo,si.. ,..._......W,K-,di. -1 WT'. "--•---•••••··•••.,•••,'••-·•••",W.Ti Ollllio n..-•-'"-.ll.t1k•�•-■-1•......... �u.,- &..ololoWal.._ lli7'� ..,.. ............- ••..•••.••...•••..•.••..••.hioN1'J,C:-loO �W.o.lM .._,a,1,.wi., (Wal\4) �W.T.................................... - .... r.t..?J C-i. music teachers, trombonist Manuel Guerra, as 0...•U.W- tW'fJU)., ,._MO...loO _.,..,._,_..,P"'!:,.i.,.,, Al...,---...... , ..... ,.......... , ..... ...... ..,.a...a....................................... -·-·······, ...•c..to ov:m:e. ,.......,loli.,."7 .. �.-········· .. -·.. •······· ......... .._.. o..,, being Mexican. Louis no, Jr. noted a close �-.... �, .. 111.................................................... ,.,.. .. o.... �--o,.a.,. i.,.:,t....._ .............-..... ............... _._,._ o.,,.,.. �-.,_� "7lllbnla................. _........... -... ,,.,,..._NO..to family friendship with •Mexican Band• member ----•.i"",.,..... .........._......_ ..... _.................. _ ..-""-ffO-to .. ._ ... (6. ... ..............,... , .. _.,•• .,. ........ OM 200,000 C0¢ea A�aady Sold! Louis Chaligny, who remained in New •"""""""�W.T"""' �tif'hWt,�llO. ........... ..... -...................... n.... -•pu1ofQie�tflJlil�)l.u:.i-,.JI� ..................................,_..... .... :BA.I.,-,,.U 8eM oa ..... ., ,aroz. Orleans. Florencio Ramos is also supposed �---...... to have arrived with "the Mexican Band" and to have been New Orleans' first saxophone Broadside advertising offerings of New Orleans music publisher Junius Hart, especially player. When speaking of "the Mexican titles associated with 'the Great Mexican National Band.' Band,· Monk Hazel mentions a cornet player named Lopez who came with the band and remained in New Orleans for a few years. Finally, Jack Laine and Jake Sciambra remembered money, going to an instrument sale after the fair, and three musicians who played with the Mexican band: purchasing all the surplus instruments left by the Vascaro, a saxophonist; an uncle of Alcide "Yellow• Mexican Band. (Al Rose recalls this as being told to him Nunez; and Ramos's father. (Sciambra's reference to by Laine, but he thinks that one should put more Ramos's father is an enigma. However, it is not a credence in other accounts given by Laine on several personal recollection, but rather second-hand different occasions.) This story conflicts with a more information which he got from Charlie Wagner. As such reasonable version that Laine relates in several there is a good possibility of some degree of error interviews, that his father went to a general sale on the having crept into the account. Also, earlier in the fairgrounds after the Exposition and came back with a interview Laine corrected Sciambra concerning Nunez's field drum for him, and that he was eleven years old at uncle rather than his father. Additionally, it must be the time. noted that this was not a formal interview but actually a casual conversation.) The perennial story of the pizzicato string bass technique being introduced by the Mexican Band is not Although I initially accepted these specific very feasible if the band is Payen's, since their connections (as unproven as some were) as fairly photograph shows that that band did not have string reasonable, I finally decided to address them and basses. Also, this connection or derivation is not several of the other influences that are the most mentioned in either of two articles dealing with New important long-term consequences of the Mexican Orleans string bass playing. However, this story Band's visit. This article containing the initial findings of becomes more probable if the use of the term ihe my research is presented with the hope that more Mexican Band• meant, among New Orleans musicians, information may surface as a result. several Mexican Bands, visiting and residing in New Orleans over a thirty-five year period. Peripheral to this The surplus instruments story has Jack Laine (but definitely on the subject of Mexican lineage of New and Dave Perkins raising a considerable amount of Orleans string bass playing) is a biographical entry on PAGE 2 THE JAZZ ARCHIVIST VOLUMEVl:2 Paul Dominguez, Sr., whose father Rafael came from biography also has Rosas as being unmarried until his Mexico in 1864. It notes that Dominguez was •a early death at age thirty in 1894. However, he did classical musician who frequently played jobs with experience a tragic romance which could have possibly jazzmen. Did not pluck, but bowed the string bass. been with Payen's daughter as he quit the referenced Frequently seen with John Robichaux in the early military band before his enlistment terminated. 1900s. • However, since Dominguez, the musician, was References in other more complete biographies tend to not from Mexico, this is largely