Emmett Hardy
Encyclopedia
Emmett Louis Hardy was an early jazz
cornet
player and one of the best regarded New Orleans musicians of his generation.
Emmett Louis Hardy was born in the New Orleans suburb of Gretna, Louisiana
, lived much of his life in the Algiers
neighborhood of the west bank of New Orleans. Hardy was a child prodigy, described as already playing marvelously in his early teens. Some New Orleans musicians remembered as a musical highlight of their lives a 1919 cutting contest where after long and intense struggle Hardy succeeded in outplaying Louis Armstrong
. (It is likely that Armstrong, although 2 years older than Hardy, had not yet hit his full stride at that time.)
Emmett Hardy was in the original incarnation of the New Orleans Rhythm Kings
(or NORK) under the direction of Bee Palmer
. For a time during its Friar's Inn
residency the NORK used a two cornet format; Paul Mares
leader and first cornet; Emmett Hardy second.(Note that as with other New Orleans jazz bands of that time, such as King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band and The Original Tuxedo Orchestra, the more creative player played the second part, the first cornet staying closer to the lead line.) Hardy did not appear on any of the Rhythm Kings recording sessions, never making any commercial recordings before his early death.
Back in New Orleans Hardy lead his own band and played in the band of Norman Brownlee.
Hardy's playing is described as being more lyrical than many of his New Orleans contemporaries but with a driving rhythm. His tone was much admired. Hardy was an important influence on Bix Beiderbecke
; Monk Hazel
said that Bix on the Wolverines records sounds very much like Hardy.
Hardy also did metal work, and made his own mouthpieces
for his horn, and modified his cornet to add an additional spit-valve.
A relative remembered Hardy as being somewhat shy and unassuming, with a good dry sense of humor; that he was easily frightened by sudden loud noises, and superstitious about passing by graveyards.
When advancing tuberculosis
started to make his breathing difficult, Hardy taught himself banjo
so he could continue playing music.
Hardy and some of his musician friends made some home recordings on wax phonograph cylinder
s for their own amusement. As Hardy's tuberculosis worsened and his death seemed inevitable, the friends decided to preserve the cylinders as a memento of Hardy's playing. At least one cylinder survived to the start of the 1950s; the relative who heard it then said Hardy's playing reminded him of Sharkey Bonano
. When Tulane University
's Jazz Archive was established in the late 1950s, however, a diligent search failed to turn up any of these recordings, which are, alas, presumed lost forever.
Hardy died in New Orleans shortly after his 22nd birthday and was buried in Gretna.
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
cornet
Cornet
The cornet is a brass instrument very similar to the trumpet, distinguished by its conical bore, compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B. It is not related to the renaissance and early baroque cornett or cornetto.-History:The cornet was...
player and one of the best regarded New Orleans musicians of his generation.
Emmett Louis Hardy was born in the New Orleans suburb of Gretna, Louisiana
Gretna, Louisiana
The city of Gretna is the parish seat of Jefferson Parish, in the US state of Louisiana. Gretna is on the west bank of the Mississippi River, just east and across the river from uptown New Orleans. It is part of the New Orleans–Metairie–Kenner Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, lived much of his life in the Algiers
Algiers, Louisiana
Algiers is a neighborhood within the city of New Orleans. It is the portion of Orleans Parish on the West Bank of the Mississippi River.Algiers is also known as the 15th Ward, one of the 17 Wards of New Orleans.-History:...
neighborhood of the west bank of New Orleans. Hardy was a child prodigy, described as already playing marvelously in his early teens. Some New Orleans musicians remembered as a musical highlight of their lives a 1919 cutting contest where after long and intense struggle Hardy succeeded in outplaying Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....
. (It is likely that Armstrong, although 2 years older than Hardy, had not yet hit his full stride at that time.)
Emmett Hardy was in the original incarnation of the New Orleans Rhythm Kings
New Orleans Rhythm Kings
The New Orleans Rhythm Kings were one of the most influential jazz bands of the early-to-mid 1920s. The band was a combination of New Orleans and Chicago musicians who helped shape Chicago Jazz and influenced many younger jazz musicians....
(or NORK) under the direction of Bee Palmer
Bee Palmer
Bee Palmer , was a United States singer and dancer. She was born Beatrice C. Palmer in Chicago.Palmer first attracted significant attention as one of the first exponents of the "shimmy" dance in the late 1910s...
. For a time during its Friar's Inn
Friar's Inn
Friar's Inn was a nightclub and speakeasy in Chicago, Illinois, a famed jazz music venue in the 1920s.Though some sources refer to it casually as "Friar's Club", it was not related to the Friars Club of New York....
residency the NORK used a two cornet format; Paul Mares
Paul Mares
Paul Mares , was an American early dixieland jazz cornet & trumpet player, and leader of the New Orleans Rhythm Kings.Mares was born in New Orleans. His father, Joseph E...
leader and first cornet; Emmett Hardy second.(Note that as with other New Orleans jazz bands of that time, such as King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band and The Original Tuxedo Orchestra, the more creative player played the second part, the first cornet staying closer to the lead line.) Hardy did not appear on any of the Rhythm Kings recording sessions, never making any commercial recordings before his early death.
Back in New Orleans Hardy lead his own band and played in the band of Norman Brownlee.
Hardy's playing is described as being more lyrical than many of his New Orleans contemporaries but with a driving rhythm. His tone was much admired. Hardy was an important influence on Bix Beiderbecke
Bix Beiderbecke
Leon Bismark "Bix" Beiderbecke was an American jazz cornetist, jazz pianist, and composer.With Louis Armstrong, Beiderbecke was one of the most influential jazz soloists of the 1920s...
; Monk Hazel
Monk Hazel
Monk Hazel was a jazz drummer.In addition to being a well regarded drummer, Hazel occasionally took solos on brass instruments, notably cornet and melophone. Monk Hazel was a fixture on the New Orleans music scene for decades. Hazel's father was a drummer as well...
said that Bix on the Wolverines records sounds very much like Hardy.
Hardy also did metal work, and made his own mouthpieces
Mouthpiece (brass)
On brass instruments the mouthpiece is the part of the instrument which is placed upon the player's lips. The purpose of the mouthpiece is a resonator, which passes vibration from the lips to the column of air contained within the instrument, giving rise to the standing wave pattern of vibration in...
for his horn, and modified his cornet to add an additional spit-valve.
A relative remembered Hardy as being somewhat shy and unassuming, with a good dry sense of humor; that he was easily frightened by sudden loud noises, and superstitious about passing by graveyards.
When advancing tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
started to make his breathing difficult, Hardy taught himself banjo
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
so he could continue playing music.
Hardy and some of his musician friends made some home recordings on wax phonograph cylinder
Phonograph cylinder
Phonograph cylinders were the earliest commercial medium for recording and reproducing sound. Commonly known simply as "records" in their era of greatest popularity , these cylinder shaped objects had an audio recording engraved on the outside surface which could be reproduced when the cylinder was...
s for their own amusement. As Hardy's tuberculosis worsened and his death seemed inevitable, the friends decided to preserve the cylinders as a memento of Hardy's playing. At least one cylinder survived to the start of the 1950s; the relative who heard it then said Hardy's playing reminded him of Sharkey Bonano
Sharkey Bonano
Joseph "Sharkey" Bonano was a jazz trumpeter, band leader, and vocalist....
. When Tulane University
Tulane University
Tulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...
's Jazz Archive was established in the late 1950s, however, a diligent search failed to turn up any of these recordings, which are, alas, presumed lost forever.
Hardy died in New Orleans shortly after his 22nd birthday and was buried in Gretna.