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The Reliance Brass Band
performed from the 1888i1 until the
1917 . It was a white brass band, althought some
black musicians (light skinned) were playing in the band to.
From this musicians it's known that they played in the
Brass Band:
Cornet/trumpet
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Trombone
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Clarinet
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Bariton horn
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Alto horn
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Bass horn
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Snare drum
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Mike Stevens ( - (member first
Reliance BB "Jazzmen"), Tim Harris
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Bass drum
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??? drum
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Leader
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George Vetiala (Vitelle) "Papa Jack" Laine (Jazzmen10
tells that Manuel Marlow was the first leader), Achille Baquet '(son of Theogene; leader of the Excelsior
BB) and Dave Perkins, arranged tunes for the
band and were the teachers of it.
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Jack Laine began in the 1890s a career as a
band manager and entrepreneur, organizing a series of brass bands. The
small brass bands were hired for parades, circuses, tent shows etc.1
According to Rudi Blesh (Shining Trumpets) Johnny Lala, Manuel Marlow (Mello?) (cnt),
Jules Casoff (tb), Alcide Nunez (cl), Mike Stevens (sn dm), Jack laine (b
dm) were original personnel when Laine started the brassband. Blesh gave
1892/1893 as the year for the first organized Reliance Brass Band.14,p205
Ca 1900:
1900 – Influenced by his Cuban wife, Blanche Nuñez, Dixieland
bandleader Jack “Papa” Laine includes a number of Cuban and Mexican musicians in
his Reliance Brass Band. Brothers Manuel J. and Leonce Mello, once workers in
the Cuban sugar industry, later form their own jazz band in New Orleans.i3
1906:
1910:
Left to right:
Manuel Mello, Yellow Nunez, Leonce
Mello,
Seated: Jack "Papa"Laine, Baby Laine, Chink Martin, Tim
Harris.i1
1913:
501-509 Opelousas Avenue is the Metropolitan
tabernacle (First Baptist Church of Algiers). This fabulous old building was
formerly Philip Foto’s Folly Theater, a venue that opened in 1915 presenting
vaudeville, silent movies, minstrel and musical acts including the ALGIERS
JUVENILE ORCHESTRA, featuring a young EMMETT HARDY, who played here in 1916.
Many Jazz musicians played in minstrel and vaudeville shows. The Folly was built
on the site of Algiers’ first playground that opened in 1913 to the sounds of
“PAPA” JACK LAINE’S RELIANCE BAND. This band had many local listings. The
theater originally seated 900 people, but as its popularity grew, Mr. Foto
expanded the building to hold 2000 in 1920.i2
1914:
Jack Laine's Reliance Brass Band was filmed by French Gaumont in
a Mardi Gras film.v1
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this song, please let us know.
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