Nat Towles
Encyclopedia
Nat Towles was an African American
musician, jazz
and big band
leader popular in his hometown of New Orleans, Louisiana
, North Omaha, Nebraska
and Chicago, Illinois. He was also music educator in Austin, Texas
. The Nat Towles band is considered one of the greatest territory band
s of all time by musicians who played in it and by others who heard it.
on August 10, 1905. Starting his musical career as a guitar
ist and violin
ist at age eleven, Towles switched to the bass at the age of thirteen. He performed in New Orleans through his teenage years with Gus Metcalf's Melody Jazz Band, eventually playing with a number of bands, including those of Buddie Petit
, Henry "Red" Allen, Jack Carey
, and the Original Tuxedo Jazz Orchestra.
In 1923 he formed The Nat Towles' Creole Harmony Kings. This jazz
band became one of the prominent territory band
s in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska. In 1925 he played bass for Fate Marable
, and reformed his own band the next year. In 1934 Towles began teaching music at Wiley College
in Austin, Texas
. Towles also worked a club circuit in Dallas during this period, reportedly working for a gangster who owned 26 nightclub
s throughout the city. During this period T-Bone Walker
and Buddy Tate worked for Towles.
In the 1930s Towles transformed his band into The Nat Towles Dance Orchestra, signed with the National Orchestra Service
, and focused on swing music through the 1930s and '40s. In 1934 Towles took up residence in North Omaha, Nebraska
, where his band was stationed for the next 25 years. With this outfit Towles dueled with Lloyd Hunter
for dominance over the much-contested Near North Side
in North Omaha, where he was held over at the Dreamland Ballroom for several weeks. In 1936 and 1937 Towles' band held residence at Omaha's Krug Park
.
In 1943 he also held a three-month stint at the Rhumboogie Club
in Chicago, and later that year took up residency again in Omaha's Dreamland Ballroom. Billy Mitchell
played with him during that period. That year Towles also played extensively throughout New York City
, including an appearance at the Apollo Theater
. Notable players in the dance orchestra included trombonist Buster Cooper
and saxophonists Red Holloway
, Buster Bennett
and Preston Love
. Towles continued leading bands throughout the 1950s.
In 1959 Towles retired to California
to open a bar. He died in Berkeley, California
of a heart attack in January 1963.
magazine that lists Towles as producing "Best Patronage Reaction," Towles' work never found true national recognition. He feared the limelight would then steal away his best players. For this reason there are very few recordings of Nat Towles' Band.
In his role as their bandleader, Towles is credited with influencing a variety of musicians including Sir Charles Thompson
and Neal Hefti
, as well as superior saxophonists Jimmy Heath
, Oliver Nelson
and Paul Quinichette
. As an educator Towles influenced many younger musicians such as pianist Duke Groner
and trombonist Buddy McLewis.
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
musician, jazz
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...
and big band
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
leader popular in his hometown of New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
, North Omaha, Nebraska
North Omaha, Nebraska
North Omaha is a community area in Omaha, Nebraska, USA. It is bordered by Cuming and Dodge Streets on the south, Interstate 680 on the north, North 72nd Street on the west and the Missouri River and Carter Lake, Iowa on the east, as defined by the University of Nebraska at Omaha and the Omaha...
and Chicago, Illinois. He was also music educator in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
. The Nat Towles band is considered one of the greatest territory band
Territory band
Territory bands were dance bands that crisscrossed specific regions of the United States from the 1920s through the 1960s. Beginning in the 1920s, the bands typically had 8 to 12 musicians. These bands typically played one-nighters, 6 or 7 nights a week at venues like VFW halls, Elks Lodges,...
s of all time by musicians who played in it and by others who heard it.
Early life
The son of string bassist Phil "Charlie" Towles, Nat was born in New Orleans, LouisianaNew Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
on August 10, 1905. Starting his musical career as a guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
ist and violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ist at age eleven, Towles switched to the bass at the age of thirteen. He performed in New Orleans through his teenage years with Gus Metcalf's Melody Jazz Band, eventually playing with a number of bands, including those of Buddie Petit
Buddie Petit
Buddie Petit or Buddy Petit was a highly regarded early jazz cornetist.His early life is somewhat mysterious, with dates of his birth given in various sources ranging from 1887 to 1897; if the later date is correct he was evidently a prodigy, regarded as one of the best in New Orleans, Louisiana...
, Henry "Red" Allen, Jack Carey
Jack Carey
Jack Carey was a United States trombonist, the leader of the Crescent City Orchestra. The authorship of the famous Tiger Rag tune is attributed to him by some.-References:...
, and the Original Tuxedo Jazz Orchestra.
In 1923 he formed The Nat Towles' Creole Harmony Kings. This jazz
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...
band became one of the prominent territory band
Territory band
Territory bands were dance bands that crisscrossed specific regions of the United States from the 1920s through the 1960s. Beginning in the 1920s, the bands typically had 8 to 12 musicians. These bands typically played one-nighters, 6 or 7 nights a week at venues like VFW halls, Elks Lodges,...
s in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska. In 1925 he played bass for Fate Marable
Fate Marable
Fate Marable was a jazz pianist and bandleader.Marable was born in Paducah, Kentucky, and learned piano from his mother. At age 17, he began playing on the steam boats plying the Mississippi River...
, and reformed his own band the next year. In 1934 Towles began teaching music at Wiley College
Wiley College
Wiley College is a four-year, private, historically black, liberal arts college located on the west side of Marshall, Texas. Founded in 1873 by the Methodist Episcopal Church's Bishop Isaac Wiley and certified in 1882 by the Freedman's Aid Society, it is notable as one of the oldest predominantly...
in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
. Towles also worked a club circuit in Dallas during this period, reportedly working for a gangster who owned 26 nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
s throughout the city. During this period T-Bone Walker
T-Bone Walker
Aaron Thibeaux "T-Bone" Walker was a critically acclaimed American blues guitarist, singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, who was one of the most influential pioneers and innovators of the jump blues and electric blues sound. He is the first musician recorded playing blues with the...
and Buddy Tate worked for Towles.
In the 1930s Towles transformed his band into The Nat Towles Dance Orchestra, signed with the National Orchestra Service
National Orchestra Service
The National Orchestra Service, Inc. , was the most important booking and management agency for territory bands across the Great Plains and other regions from the early 1930s through 1960...
, and focused on swing music through the 1930s and '40s. In 1934 Towles took up residence in North Omaha, Nebraska
North Omaha, Nebraska
North Omaha is a community area in Omaha, Nebraska, USA. It is bordered by Cuming and Dodge Streets on the south, Interstate 680 on the north, North 72nd Street on the west and the Missouri River and Carter Lake, Iowa on the east, as defined by the University of Nebraska at Omaha and the Omaha...
, where his band was stationed for the next 25 years. With this outfit Towles dueled with Lloyd Hunter
Lloyd Hunter
Lloyd Hunter was a trumpeter and big band leader from North Omaha, Nebraska. He led band across the Midwest from 1923 until his death. Hunter had also worked with Jessie Stone in Kansas City, Missouri.-Biography:...
for dominance over the much-contested Near North Side
Near North Side (Omaha, Nebraska)
The Near North Side of Omaha, Nebraska is the neighborhood immediately north of downtown. It forms the nucleus of the city's African-American community, and its name is often synonymous with the entire North Omaha area...
in North Omaha, where he was held over at the Dreamland Ballroom for several weeks. In 1936 and 1937 Towles' band held residence at Omaha's Krug Park
Krug Park (Omaha)
Krug Park was an amusement park located at 2936 North 52nd Street in the Benson neighborhood of Omaha, Nebraska, USA at the turn of the 20th century. In 1930, Krug Park was the site of the worst roller coaster accident in the nation up to that time.- History :Charles Tietz, an early Omaha...
.
In 1943 he also held a three-month stint at the Rhumboogie Club
Rhumboogie Café
The Rhumboogie Café, also referred to as the Rhumboogie Club, was an important, but short-lived nightclub at 343 East 55th Street, Chicago....
in Chicago, and later that year took up residency again in Omaha's Dreamland Ballroom. Billy Mitchell
Billy Mitchell (jazz musician)
Billy Mitchell was an American jazz tenor saxophonist known for his close association with fellow Detroiter Thad Jones and work with a variety of big bands including Woody Herman when he replaced Gene Ammons in his band...
played with him during that period. That year Towles also played extensively throughout New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, including an appearance at the Apollo Theater
Apollo Theater
The Apollo Theater in New York City is one of the most famous, and older, music halls in the United States, and the most famous club associated almost exclusively with Black performers...
. Notable players in the dance orchestra included trombonist Buster Cooper
Buster Cooper
George "Buster" Cooper is an American jazz trombonist.Cooper was born in St. Petersburg, Florida. He played in a territory band with Nat Towles in Texas in the late 1940s, and gigged with Lionel Hampton in 1953. He played in the house band at the Apollo Theater in New York City in the mid-1950s,...
and saxophonists Red Holloway
Red Holloway
James W. "Red" Holloway is an American jazz tenor saxophonist.-Biography:Holloway started playing banjo and harmonica, switching to tenor sax when he was twelve years old...
, Buster Bennett
Buster Bennett
Buster Bennett was an American blues saxophonist and vocalist. At various times in his career, he played the soprano saxophone, the alto, and the tenor. He was known for his gutbucket style on the saxophone...
and Preston Love
Preston Love
Preston Haines Love was a renowned alto saxophonist, bandleader and songwriter from Omaha, Nebraska.-Biography:Preston Love grew up in North Omaha and graduated from North High....
. Towles continued leading bands throughout the 1950s.
In 1959 Towles retired to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
to open a bar. He died in Berkeley, California
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
of a heart attack in January 1963.
Influence
Despite an 1940 issue of BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
magazine that lists Towles as producing "Best Patronage Reaction," Towles' work never found true national recognition. He feared the limelight would then steal away his best players. For this reason there are very few recordings of Nat Towles' Band.
In his role as their bandleader, Towles is credited with influencing a variety of musicians including Sir Charles Thompson
Charles Thompson
Charles Thompson is the name of:* Sir Charles Thompson, 1st Baronet , British admiral* Charles Thompson , Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation* Charles Thompson , former quarterback of the Oklahoma Sooners...
and Neal Hefti
Neal Hefti
Neal Hefti was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, tune writer, and arranger. He was perhaps best known for composing the theme music for the Batman television series of the 1960s, and for scoring the 1968 film The Odd Couple and the subsequent TV series of the same name.He began arranging...
, as well as superior saxophonists Jimmy Heath
Jimmy Heath
James Edward Heath , nicknamed Little Bird, is an American jazz saxophonist, composer and arranger. He is the brother of bassist Percy Heath and drummer Albert Heath.-Biography:...
, Oliver Nelson
Oliver Nelson
Oliver Edward Nelson was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, arranger and composer.-Early life and career:...
and Paul Quinichette
Paul Quinichette
Paul Quinichette was a jazz tenor saxophone musician. He was known as the Vice President or Vice Prez for his uncanny emulation of the breathy style of Lester Young, known as Prez. Young, who affectionately called everyone "Lady ****" , called him "Lady Q"...
. As an educator Towles influenced many younger musicians such as pianist Duke Groner
Duke Groner
Edward "Duke" Groner was an American jazz bassist and vocalist.Groner was born in Ardmore, Oklahoma to a musical family, and began on violin as a child but quickly gave it up in favor of piano. He attended Wiley College, where he sang in college music organizations, then joined the band of Nat...
and trombonist Buddy McLewis.