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Phil Napoleon

Phil Napoleon (born Filippo Napoli; 2 September 1901 – 1 October 1990) was an early jazz trumpeter and bandleader born in Boston, Massachusetts. Ron Wynn observed that Napoleon "was a competent, though unimaginative trumpeter whose greatest value was the many recording sessions he led that helped increase jazz's popularity in the mid-'20s." Richard Cook and Brian Morton, writing for The Penguin Guide to Jazz, refer to Napoleon as "a genuine pioneer" whose playing was "profoundly influential on men such as Red Nichols and Bix Beiderbecke."

Napoleon began with classical training, and was performing publicly by age 5. In the 1910s, he was one of the first musicians in the northeastern United States to embrace the new "jass" style brought to that part of the country by musicians from New Orleans, Louisiana. With pianist Frank Signorelli he formed the group "The Original Memphis Five" in 1917. He became one of the most sought after trumpeters of the 1920s. The group were very prolific, one of the most prolific in New York City at the time, and in 1922-1923 alone made over a hundred recordings. Napoleon's 1927 version of "Clarinet Marmalade" was a particular success. The Original Memphis Five split in 1928. During the 1930s, Napoleon mainly worked as a session trumpeter, working in the RCA Radio Orchestra in the early 1930s, and in 1937 unsuccessfully tried to form his own orchestra. He also worked as a network house conductor and trumpet soloist for NBC from around 1929 to 1937. He recorded with the Cotton Pickers and the Charleston Chasers and also worked with blues singers Leona Williams and Alberta Hunter.

Napoleon joined Jimmy Dorsey's then Los Angeles-based group in the mid-1940s, and he appeared with the band in the film Four Jills in a Jeep. Parting with Dorsey in 1947, he moved back to New York and worked as a studio musician at NBC until 1949-1950 when he reformed The Original Memphis Five. During the early 1950s the group became noted for their performances at Nick's in New York City. He also worked frequently with his nephew Marty Napoleon, a jazz pianist. On July 3, 1959, Napoleon and The Five performed at the Newport Jazz Festival, later released as an album. In 1966, he opened up his own club named "Napoleon's Retreat" in Miami, Florida where he lived until his death, although continued to perform Dixieland jazz in the club up until the 1980s.

Birth and Death Data: Born September 2, 1901 (Boston), Died September 30, 1990 (North Miami)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1922 - 1950

Roles Represented in DAHR: trumpet, composer, leader, cornet, songwriter, director, arranger, piano

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 76-100 of 123 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Edison 11629 10-in. 4/6/1927 La lo la Phil Napoleon Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader  
Edison 11630 10-in. 4/6/1927 Underneath the weeping willow Phil Napoleon Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader  
Edison 18027 10-in. 11/11/1927 Moon of Japan Phil Napoleon Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader  
Edison 18028 10-in. 11/11/1927 Five pennies Phil Napoleon Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader  
Edison 18557 10-in. 6/1/1928 No parking Palais D'Or Orchestra ; B. A. Rolfe Jazz/dance band songwriter  
Edison S-19 10-in. 1928 Five pennies - Test recording Phil Napoleon Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader  
Edison N-284 10-in. 6/1/1928 No parking Palais D'Or Orchestra ; B. A. Rolfe Jazz/dance band songwriter  
Gennett 8705 10-in. 1/17/1924 The one I love belongs to somebody else Bailey's Lucky Seven Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Gennett 8706 10-in. 1/17/1924 Lovey came back Bailey's Lucky Seven Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Gennett 8707 10-in. 1/17/1924 Where the lazy daisies grow Bailey's Lucky Seven Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Gennett 8720 10-in. 1/24/1924 Mindin' my business Bailey's Lucky Seven Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Gennett 8721 10-in. 1/24/1924 Hula Lou Bailey's Lucky Seven Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Gennett 8722 10-in. 1/24/1924 Soothing lullaby Bailey's Lucky Seven Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Gennett 8723 10-in. 1/24/1924 If you'll come back Bailey's Lucky Seven Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Gennett 8788 10-in. 3/20/1924 What'll I do? Bailey's Lucky Seven Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Gennett 8789 10-in. 3/20/1924 Lazy Bailey's Lucky Seven Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Gennett 8790 10-in. 3/20/1924 Worried Bailey's Lucky Seven Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Gennett 8823 10-in. 4/3/1924 It had to be you Bailey's Lucky Seven Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Gennett 8824 10-in. 4/3/1924 After the storm Bailey's Lucky Seven Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Gennett 8825 10-in. 4/3/1924 There's yes! yes! in your eyes Bailey's Lucky Seven Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Gennett 8872 10-in. 5/7/1924 Oh baby (Don't say no, say maybe) Bailey's Lucky Seven Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Gennett 8873 10-in. 5/7/1924 Oriental love dreams Bailey's Lucky Seven Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Gennett 8874 10-in. 5/7/1924 Never again Bailey's Lucky Seven Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Gennett 8906 10-in. 5/28/1924 Wait'll you see my girl Bailey's Lucky Seven Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Gennett 8907 10-in. 5/28/1924 I can't get the one I want Bailey's Lucky Seven Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
(Results 76-100 of 123 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Napoleon, Phil," accessed November 1, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/106417.

Napoleon, Phil. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 1, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/106417.

"Napoleon, Phil." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 1 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/106417

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