* New Orleans, La 1885 or 1879
† 1928                                    1935

As a brass band musician he played with: Bolden, Henry Allen, Pacific, Brass Band.

Born as James A. Palao, he's often called Jimmy and was also known as Jimmy Spriggs.

900 Verret is the site of an older house where Jimmy Palao (1879-1935) lived with his grandmother, Clara Spriggs, who raised him. Jimmy was also known as Jimmy Spriggs. He appears in the 1901 city directory at this address and is listed as a “musician” This was probably the year he played with Buddy Bolden. A violin player (who also played sax and alto horn) with some very important early Jazz bands – Buddy Bolden's band and the Imperial Orchestra in 1906. He was in Storyville to 1912 and then toured with the Original Creole Orchestra with such luminaries as Freddie Keppard, George Baquet, Bill Johnson, Norwood Williams, Dink Johnsson, and fellow Algerine Eddie Vincent. Eddie lived on Villere Street (now Morgan St., where the Courthouse is). Jimmy then went up to Chicago then to California with King Oliver. Around 1924 joined Fess Williams in Chicago.i1
 

By J. Singleton

Warm bloodied individuals thrush into the cold without proper clothing. Traveling on the road, not eating well, not sleeping, drinking too much ,living in unsanitary  

conditions, ridden with diseases and ailing. Yet ,enduring 
all the odds and driven by the senses and the God given-talent and desire to please others with that talent. Determine to share and give life to a new music for others to listen to and enjoy. 

People heard music like they never heard before. Thus the beginning of Jazz from  information gathered one previously silent figure, James (“Jimmie”) A. Palao, well known among his piers, springs forth as the creator of the term ‘Jaz’. 

James “Jimmie”, “Spriggs” A. Palao was born in 1885, in New Orleans. His Mother died when he was six years old. He was raised by his father Felix Palao and Aunt Spriggs. His father insisted James have music lessons and he hired one of the best teachers. James received his musical training from a male German teacher who taught him how to read, write and play several instruments. He played in the Sacred heart Of Mary’s Hall on Valiiette at Evelina [streets] with his Aunt Spriggs. He and Duson Manetta were childhood friends in Algiers In 1900 he went out on the road with his music. Some who knew Palao’s  Aunt Spriggs, (a Creole Lady high in the Sacred Heart Society)  called James “Spriggs”. .. [Manuel Mannetta, Reel IV] In 1910 he met and married.

       
Throughout the years Jimmie Palao played with many 
recognized bands and all of the Jazz “greats” of the day. He was clearly in demand, he became a well known violinist. He was a first class violin and mellophone player [W.R. Collection; Charles Love] and was also considered by many to be the best violinist around. [W. R. Collection; Eddie Dawson].
      
Jimmie Palao formulated his own band in 1900 [Jimmie Palao Band [picture]] was the leader of the Imperial Orchestra (Picture from 1905 [New Orleans Jazz]). The Pacific Brass Band, [WR Collection], and The Original Creole Jazz Band which was the first to gain national prominence, and the first to come to Chicago (Picture from Defender 1911 [Jazzmen] and he was the leader of several other bands. He rejoined the Creole band and  this group shook the rafters as Jazz took hold, setting up a chain reaction, as they appeared in 75 cities over the US. [The Creole Band] He loved the music so that often he made  others look good. Keppard couldn’t read music, but he could really blow. Palao was an excellent reader so he played the melody straight and high on the violin and Keppard improvised from Palao’s lead. [Combo USA] He was multi talented, he played the saxophone, the alto, the mellophone [WR Collection] and the banjo, and he mastered them all.

      
From 1900 thru1922; Palao played with Henry Allen’s Brass Band, The Imperial Band, John Wickcliffs-Ginger Band, Buddy Bolden, “Big Eye” Louis Nelson, Manuel Perez, Dink Johnson, Eddie Vincent [incorrect spelling, Vinson], Norwood Williams, Ed Garland, Peter Bocage, George Baquet, Eddie Dawson, Pops Foster, Manuel Manetta, Freddie Keppard, Joe Oliver, Bill Johnson, Lawrence Duhe, Louis Armstrong, Lil Hardin and many, many more, There was always a need for him. 

      
Palao’s wife often mentioned how beautifully Jimmie played the violin. She said he taught Buddy Bolden and Eddie Vincent how to play their instruments She said he from the very first time he mentioned music, he always referred to the music he played as “Jaz”. [Interview Lawrence Gushee]. James also had a love for classics. [ William Russell Collection, Eddie Dawson]. It was stated about Palao that “he too could go back into the alley.” [Combo USA]. “ Jimmie’s violin sighed and wheezed, while he scratched the strings with his bow.”  “I had never 
heard a band like that; they made goose pimples break out all over me. I’m telling you they played loud and long” The band was a sensation from the first night at the DeLuxe Café, so much so that there were no available seats after 9 P.M. and a line waiting outside that kept King Jones yelling to the high heavens that soon there would be seats. But this was New Orleans jazz, and the people ate it up. Ah, what fun! Everybody in town falling in to dig... (Jazz)  [Hear me Talking to ya;] (Lil Armstrong)].

    
Through my research no other musician of this time is found in every major band. There is constant mention of friendships developed, Freddie Keppard, Eddie Vincent, Pops Foster,[Pops Foster;], Ed (Red) Garland, he grew up with Victor and Manuel Manetta and Eddie Duson [WR Collection], He had a real quiet sweet personality and a catchy way of talking, spreading the word “Jaz”. He was well liked and he certainly influenced others. The one copy of music we found is devoted to his friend George Baquet. According to the Gushee interview, there is more music we are still looking for copyright information. Jimmy Palao played with all the “Top Cats”. According to records [Combo USA] he played two and three gigs a day and set in with many groups. He also played vaudeville and marching bands. It is clear he had greater access to circulate his business card than the average musician.

No other musician is given the credit for having the very first mention of the term “Jaz”  found on his business card, Town Topics, as early as 1908, ;[Jazz, A History Of Jazz : the New York Scene] [Al Rose supplied a copy of 1908 business card], all of this information adds to the theory that James Palao was the first to use the word “Jaz” to describe the music that comes from New Orleans. The joy of sharing and developing Jazz took it’s toil on “Jimmie's" health. His wife remained dutiful and loving and stayed by his side until death 1928. Even after death, Jimmie Palao remained the love of her life. She often spoke of him until her death, age 104.

Left New orleans to tour in vaudeville with the Original Creole Orchestra. In 1919, he played in Chicago in the Deluxe Café.16

Sources (internet):
i1 http://algierspoint.org/AHS/jazz_tour_2.html

Sources (brassband history):
5 In search of Buddy Bolden by Donald Marquis
16 New Orleans Jazz, family album by Al Rose and Edmond Souchon