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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 101-123 of 123 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Gennett 8908 10-in. 5/28/1924 Maytime Bailey's Lucky Seven Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Gennett 9052 10-in. 8/22/1924 Cold mamas (Burn me up) Bailey's Lucky Seven Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Gennett 9053 10-in. 8/22/1924 Go Emmaline Bailey's Lucky Seven Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Gennett 9054 10-in. 8/22/1924 Lucille Bailey's Lucky Seven Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca 71693 10-in. 1/19/1944 I'm in love with someone Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca 71694 10-in. 1/19/1944 Holiday for strings-1 Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca 71695 10-in. 1/19/1944 Two again Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca 71773 10-in. 2/16/1944 Ohio Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca 71774 10-in. 2/16/1944 The champ-1 Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca 75968 3/15/1950 Fair Jennie's lament Phil Napoleon and his Memphis Five instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca 75969 3/15/1950 When the Saints go marching in Phil Napoleon and his Memphis Five instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca 75970 3/15/1950 The Blue Danube goes Dixieland Phil Napoleon and his Memphis Five instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca 75971 3/15/1950 Alabama blues Phil Napoleon and his Memphis Five instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca L 3212 10-in. 10/7/1943 My first love Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca L 3213 10-in. 10/7/1943 That wonderful worrisome feeling Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca L 3214 10-in. 10/7/1943 Besame mucho (Kiss me much) Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca L 3215 10-in. 10/7/1943 King Porter stomp Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca L 3216 10-in. 10/7/1943 Star eyes Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca L 3217 10-in. 10/7/1943 They're either too young or too old Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca L 3246 10-in. 10/27/1943 Do you know? Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca L 3247 10-in. 10/27/1943 My ideal Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca L 3248 10-in. 10/27/1943 Sack house stomp Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca L 3249 10-in. 10/27/1943 When they ask about you Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
(Results 101-123 of 123 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Napoleon, Phil," accessed November 21, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/106417.

Napoleon, Phil. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 21, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/106417.

"Napoleon, Phil." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 21 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

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