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* Ca. 1890 New Orleans, La16
† July 6 1924 New Orleans, La
As a brass band musician he played with:
Onward,
Camelia,
Tuxedo,
Henri "Kid" Rena, Kid Ory's,
Zulu Brass Band
Black Benny Williams
was a New Orleans based bass drummer of legendary status
who played in New Orleans brass bands in the early decades of the 20th
century. Black Benny was recalled by many New Orleans musicians of the
era, but left no recordings.
Black Benny grew up in a rough poor African/American
neighborhood of the Third Ward of New Orleans, in the area around Perdido and
Bolivar Street, known as "The Battleground". He played with notable brass
bands and with such leaders as Kid Ory,
Kid Rena, and
Wooden Joe
Nicholas.
Benny was in and out of jails all his life, and once shot a
bystander during a march on Canal Street, and reportedly was shot by a jealous
woman. In addition to his work as a drummer, Williams worked as a bouncer and a
prizefighter.
An early colleague of Louis Armstrong, Black Benny is
referred to in Armstrong's autobiography, and helped look after young Louis
during his tough childhood. Sidney Bechet also talks about Black Benny Williams
in his autobiography, as does Jelly Roll Morton in his Library of Congress
interviews. i1
A pupil of Black Benny, was Jim Mukes, who
played under Papa Celestin in the Tuxedo Brass Band. He was
even thought by some people to have been Benny's son.1
In his book " Brass Bands & New orleans Jazz, Richard H.
Knowles devotes a chapter on this immensly popular man. Danny Barker, in his
book "a life in Jazz", remembered him as a 6 feet 6 inches tall and 200 pounds
weighed man. Benny had also a reputation as a prize fighter and participate in a
brutal form known as "Battle Royal" .
Louis Armstrong told in " My life in new Orleans" that Benny made a living
driving coal carts for C.A. Andrews Coal Company. According to Kid Ory, Benny
(who was bass drummer in Ory's brass band,
took louis Armstrong under his wing. Ory said one time when Benny took Armstrong
to a picnic, where the Ory brass band was paying, Ory asked Louis to sit-in.
Louis played Ole Miss and everybody in the park went crazy.
Benny was a pretty criminal and minor underworld character and spent a lot of
time in the Parish Prison. One time, according to Louis Armstrong,
Bunk Johnson got him out of jail to
play a funeral with Frankie Dusen's Eagle Brass Band.
Henry "Booker T" Glass, who also played with him said, Benny was the first
person he saw use a wire beater for the cymbal.
Others, like Baby Dodds and
Paul Barbarin felt Benny was
overrated.
Benny was regular bass drummer with the Onward Brass Band from 1915
(according to Charters) until his death in 1924.
Because of his popularity Benny would get brass band jobs of
his own. Joe Rena said (interviewed on September 10, 1960) that Benny would
usually than used the Kid" Rena Brass Band.
According to the police report there was a fight took place at Benny Ventrola's
"soft drink place" at 1234 Gravier Street on July 2. 1924. Here Benny was
stabbed by a 24 year old prostitute called Helena Lewis. He was taken to Charity
Hospital. In the police report of July 6. 1924 it was reported that Benny had
died at the Charity Hospital.
Sources
(internet):
i1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Benny
Sources (brassband history):
1
Brass Bands & New Orleans
Jazz
16 New
Orleans Jazz, family album by Al Rose and Edmond Souchon
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