Bunk Johnson (cornet) with Jim Robinson, George Lewis, George Baquet, Lawrence Marrero, Slow Drag, and Baby Dodds in Philadelphia.
George Baquet
George Baquet (1881-1949)
Baquet was an American jazz clarinetist and known for his musical contributions to early jazz in New Orleans.
Formative Years
George’s father, Theogene V. Baquet, was a famous New Orleans clarinetist and educator. He taught George and his brothers, Achille and Harold, music and the clarinet.
Professional Career
In 1897, still a teenager, George started playing professionally in the Lyre Club Symphony Orchestra. He then went on the road with P.T. Wright’s Nashville Students Company. He also joined the Georgia Minstrels but eventually returned to New Orleans to play with Buddy Bolden.
In the early 1900s, Baquet played on and off with several musicians like Joe Robichaux, Freddie Keppard, and the Onward Brass Band. He also played with the Original Creole Orchestra in Los Angeles, CA. Both Baquet and Keppard worried about music privacy and finances.
In 1923, Baquet played in New York City at Coney Island and eventually joined Sam Gordon and the Lafayette Players in Philadelphia, PA. He assembled several of his own bands like the New Orleans Nighthawks and George’s Bakey’s Swingsters. He recorded with Bessie Smith in 1929, Jelly Roll Morton and Sidney Bechet in 1940s. George lived in Philadelphia until he died.