Joe Darensbourg

Joe Darensbourg ranked among the most authentic solo voices in traditional jazz, acquiring foundational instruction from the legendary New Orleans clarinetist Alphonse Picou. Following stints with regional ensembles plus engagements alongside a medicine show and a circus band, he relocated to Los Angeles, where he joined Mutt Carey’s Liberty Syncopators. Between 1929 and 1944 Darensbourg remained in Seattle, performing aboard cruise ships, in after-hours clubs and roadhouses, and as accompanist for various non-jazz acts. In 1944 he returned to jazz, joining Johnny Wittwer’s traditional ensemble. Back in Los Angeles he cut sides with Kid Ory and spent a brief period alongside R&B bandleader Joe Liggins. From 1947 through 1953 he worked exclusively with Kid Ory before devoting the balance of his professional life to traditional groups that included Gene Mayl, Teddy Buckner, and Louis Armstrong’s All-Stars. Darensbourg also fronted his own bands and scored a hit with the recording “Yellow Dog Blues.” Between 1973 and 1975 he traveled as a member of the Legends of Jazz.