Louis Cottrell Jr.

Louis Albert Cottrell, Jr. (1911-1978) was a Louisiana Creole jazz clarinetist and tenor saxophonist. Cottrell played traditional jazz also referred to as Dixieland.  He was the son of influential Louis Cottrell, Sr.  and grandfather of New Orleans jazz drummer Louis Cottrell.  As a leader of the Heritage Hall Jazz Band, Cottrell Jr. performed at famous Carnegie Hall in 1974.

Early Years 
Louis was born into an upper-middle class Creole musical family.  Throughout his youth, Louis was surrounded by great musicians like Barney Bigard, John Robichaux, Manuel “Manny” Perez, and A.J. Piron.  He began his musical career in the 1920s with Golden Rule Orchestra and then in 1925, he played with Paul “Polo” Barnes.

Success
In the late 1920s, Louis worked with Chris Kelly & Kid Rena then in 1929, he found work on the riverboat SS Island Queen with Lawrence Marrero’s Youth Tuxedo Bass Band & Sidney Desvigne.  This is also when Cottrell, Jr. was a prominent union organizer.

He joined Don Albert’s orchestra and recorded under the Vocalion label.  He wrote “You Don’t Love Me (True)” with Lloyd Glenn and Don Albert.  When Cottrell Jr. recorded this song with R & B bandleader Paul Gaylen, it was one of the first hits of the R & B New Orleans era.  This recording made it to the # 5 spot nationally on the R & B top ten charts and led Cottrell Jr. and Albert to tour North America until 1939.

After leaving Albert, Cottrell Jr. returned to New Orleans to play with Paul Barbarin in 1940.  He performed with A.J. Piron in 1941, then with Desvigne from 1942-1947, and in the 1950s he played and recorded with Paul Barbarin again.

In 1961, Cottrell Jr. recorded a masterwork entitled “New Orleans:  The Living Legend” that was internationally recognized and re-mastered in 1994.

In 1971, Cottrell Jr. formed the Heritage Hall Jazz Band & led the group until his death.  Heritage Hall, also located in the French Quarter, rivaled the better known Preservation Hall.  Conttrell Jr. also made several television appearances including Perry Como’s Spring in New Orleans in 1976 and The Mike Douglas Show.  He recorded “Big Lip Blues” on the Pretty Baby movie soundtrack in 1978 and even had a cameo appearance in the movie.

Cottrell Jr. died in 1978 and was honored with a jazz funeral.