The Tuxedo Brass Band, sometimes called the Original Tuxedo Brass Band, was one of the most highly regarded 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...

s 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...

 in the 1910s and 1920s.

It was led by Papa Celestin

Papa Celestin

Oscar "Papa" Celestin was an American jazz bandleader, trumpeter, cornetist and vocalist.-Life and career:...

 starting about 1910. Many noted 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...

 greats played in the band. The group never recorded (though the Original Tuxedo Jazz Band, a dance band using some of the same musicians, did record in the mid-1920s).

Personnel varied; as with most such New Orleans brass bands of the era, a group no larger than three trumpet

Trumpet

The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...

s or cornets, two trombones, one or two clarinets, alto horn, baritone horn, bass horn, snare drum, and bass drum considered sufficient for most jobs. The team of Papa Celestin playing a driving lead, Manuel Perez

Manuel Perez

Manuel Perez may refer to:*Manuel Perez , Boxing Prospect in the Lightweight division*Manuel Perez , California State Assemblyman, 80th District*Manuel Pérez , President of Nicaragua 1843-1844...

 with sweet variations and Joe Oliver's hot bluesy counter melodies was remembered by many musicians of the era as the finest brass band trumpet team heard in the city.

Other notables who played in the band included Louis Armstrong

Louis Armstrong

Louis Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....

, 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...

, Mutt Carey

Mutt Carey

Thomas "Papa Mutt" Carey was a New Orleans jazz trumpeter.Carey was born in Hahnville, Louisiana, and moved to New Orleans with his family in his youth. His older brother Jack Carey was a trombone player and bandleader; Mutt was playing cornet in his brother's band by about 1912. Carey toured the...

, Louis Dumaine, Eddie Atkins, Harrison Barnes

Harrison Barnes

Harrison Bryce-Jordan Barnes is an American college basketball player. He is a sophomore at North Carolina and was one of the top rated basketball players in the class of 2010. Barnes is sometimes known by the nickname "Black Falcon."...

, Sunny Henry, Jim Robinson

Jim Robinson (trombonist)

Jim Robinson, also known as Big Jim Robinson was an American jazz musician, based in New Orleans, renowned for his deep, wide-toned, robust "tailgate" style of trombone playing, which enabled him to achieve a wide swoop between two notes as he moved the slide—while continually buzzing air...

, John Casimir

John Casimir (clarinetist)

John Casimir was a New Orleans jazz clarinetist and bandleader, best remembered as the leader of The Young Tuxedo Brass Band for some 20 years up to his death....

, Johnny Dodds

Johnny Dodds

Johnny Dodds was an American New Orleans based jazz clarinetist and alto saxophonist, best known for his recordings under his own name and with bands such as those of Joe "King" Oliver, Jelly Roll Morton, Lovie Austin and Louis Armstrong. Dodds was also the older brother of drummer Warren "Baby"...

, Jimmie Noone

Jimmie Noone

Jimmie Noone was an American jazz clarinetist.- Background :...

, Alphonse Picou

Alphonse Picou

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

, George Guesnon

George Guesnon

Creole George Guesnon was an American jazz banjoist, guitarist, composer, and singer....

, 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....

, Louis Keppard

Louis Keppard

Louis Keppard was an American jazz guitarist and tubist. He was the brother of Freddie Keppard....

, Chinee Foster, Black Benny Williams, and Zutty Singleton.

A group of younger musicians formed the Young Tuxedo Brass Band

Young Tuxedo Brass Band

The Young Tuxedo Brass Band is a brass band from New Orleans, which was influential on the New Orleans jazz scene in the years after World War II....

, which is still in existence.