The Excelsior Brass Band was a brass band

Brass band

A brass band is a musical ensemble generally consisting entirely of brass instruments, most often with a percussion section. Ensembles that include brass and woodwind instruments can in certain traditions also be termed brass bands , but are usually more correctly termed military bands, concert...

 from New Orleans. It was one of the earliest recognized brass bands on the New Orleans jazz

New Orleans Jazz

New Orleans Jazz may refer to:*Dixieland, a style of jazz music*New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park*Utah Jazz, a professional National Basketball Association franchise that was previously based in New Orleans and known as the New Orleans Jazz, in recognition of the jazz music of New Orleans*A...

 scene.

The Excelsior was founded in 1879 by Théogène Baquet, who led it until 1904; following this it was led by George Moret (1904-1922) and then Peter Bocage

Peter Bocage

Peter Edwin Bocage was a New Orleans jazz musician.Best known as a cornet player, he also played violin professionally, as well as sometimes trombone, banjo, and xylophone...

, who led it from 1922 until its dissolution in 1931. The band typically held ten to twelve members, including three 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...

s or trumpets, two trombones, two clarinets, an alto horn

Alto horn

The alto horn is a brass instrument pitched in E...

, a baritone horn

Baritone horn

The baritone horn is a member of the brass instrument family. The baritone horn has a predominantly cylindrical bore as do the trumpet and trombone. A baritone horn uses a large mouthpiece much like those of a trombone or euphonium, although it is a bit smaller. Some baritone mouthpieces will sink...

, a tuba, a snare drum, and a bass drum. Their repertory included marches, dance pieces, dirge

Dirge

A dirge is a somber song expressing mourning or grief, such as would be appropriate for performance at a funeral. A lament. The English word "dirge" is derived from the Latin Dirige, Domine, Deus meus, in conspectu tuo viam meam , the first words of the first antiphon in the Matins of the Office...

s, and hymn

Hymn

A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...

s. Among its members were John Robichaux

John Robichaux

John Robichaux, sometimes Robechaux , was an American jazz bandleader, drummer, and violinist. He was the uncle of Joseph Robichaux....

, George Baquet

George Baquet

George Baquet was an American jazz clarinetist, known for his contributions to early jazz in New Orleans.His father, Theogene Baquet, was also a clarinetist, as were his brothers, Achille and Harold...

, Alphonse Picou

Alphonse Picou

Alphonse Floristan Picou was an important very early jazz clarinetist who also wrote and arranged music....

, Luis Tio (Lorenzo Tio

Lorenzo Tio

Lorenzo Tio Jr. was a master clarinetist from New Orleans, as were his father Lorenzo Tio Sr. and uncle Louis "Papa" Tio...

's uncle), Lorenzo Tio, Sr. (Lorenzo Tio's father), Honore Dutrey

Honoré Dutrey

Honoré Dutrey was a dixieland jazz trombonist born in New Orleans, Louisiana, probably best known for his work in King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band....

, Sam Dutrey, Sr. (Sam Dutrey

Sam Dutrey

Sam Dutrey was an American jazz clarinetist and saxophonist.Dutrey's father had played clarinet in the Excelsior Brass Band and worked on riverboats with Fate Marable. His uncle was Honore Dutrey. He played with Isaiah Morgan, then with Sidney Desvigne and John Robichaux in the 1930s and 1940s...

's father), Isidore Barbarin

Isidore Barbarin

Isidore John Barbarin was an American jazz cornet and alto horn player. He was a mainstay of the New Orleans jazz scene in the decades around the turn of the 20th century....

, Albert Snaer

Albert Snaer

Albert Snaer was an American jazz trumpeter.Snaer studied with Paul Chaligny in New Orleans early in his life. He worked on riverboats on the Mississippi River in the 1920s, playing in the bands of Fate Marable, Dewey Jackson, and George Augustin. With Augustin, he co-led a band called the...

, Louis Cottrell, Sr.

Louis Cottrell, Sr.

Louis Cottrell was an influential American jazz drummer. "Old Man" Cottrell was the father of Louis Cottrell, Jr. and great-grandfather of New Orleans jazz drummer Louis Cottrell....

, and Willie Humphrey

Willie Humphrey

Willie James Humphrey was a New Orleans jazz clarinetist. Willie Humphrey was born in a musical family, the son of prominent local clarinetist and music teacher Willie Eli Humphrey; his brothers Earl Humphrey and Percy Humphrey also became well known professional musicians.After establishing...

.