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“Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”
Pass Christian in Harrison County, Mississippi — The American South (East South Central)
 

Blues & Jazz in the Pass

 
 
Blues & Jazz in the Pass Marker (front) image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Mark Hilton, February 19, 2015
1. Blues & Jazz in the Pass Marker (front)
Inscription.
Front
The histories of blues and jazz are often traced along separate pathways, but, especially on the Gulf Coast, the two genres were intertwined from the earliest days. Blues was a key element in the music of Pass Christian’s illustrious native son Captain John Handy (1900-1971) and other locals who played traditional jazz or rhythm & blues. Pass Christian has celebrated its rich African American musical heritage with various festivals, including "Jazz in the Pass," first held here in 1999.

Rear
Captain John Handy is celebrated as a exemplary performer of traditional New Orleans jazz, but his innovative and forceful work on the alto saxophone also inspired rhythm and blues pioneers Louis Jordan and Earl Bostic. Handy began playing drums around age twelve in a band with his father, violinist John Handy, and his younger brothers Sylvester and Julius. In Pass Christian, where bands often entertained at beachfront resort hotels, the brothers worked as a trio, with John on mandolin, performing for dinner patrons at the Miramar Hotel, among others, and serenading locals at their homes. Handy later began playing clarinet and moved to New Orleans after World War I with local trumpeter and bandleader Tom Albert. In 1928 he took up alto saxophone and later he and his brother Sylvester formed the Louisiana
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Shakers and toured throughout the region. In New Orleans Handy collaborated with the Young Tuxedo Jazz Band, Kid Clayton, Lee Collins, Kid Sheik Cola, and others. Handy reputedly earned his nickname “Captain” from his authoritative style of bandleading and directing rehearsals. Widespread fame came late in life to Handy, who did not record until 1960, but during his last decade he recorded several albums and played often at Preservation Hall, in addition to touring the United States, Canada, Europe, and Japan.

Music was a family affair among other local musicians as well. The Watson Brothers–Harry, Eddie, Henry (“Gator”), and Charlie–had what was known in its early years as a "spasm band," featuring homemade instruments and gadgets. Eddie Watson later worked with Handy's Louisiana Shakers. At times the Watsons' group included pianists Anita Jackson and her brother, Joseph “Joe B.” Jackson, Jr., who also led his own group, "Jobie Jackson's Band," which featured John Handy on alto. The Jacksons' father, Joe, Sr., played with local bands including that of August Saucier. Pianist Jeannette Salvant Kimball also played with the Watsons before joining Papa Celestin's band in New Orleans. She later performed at the Dew Drop Inn and Preservation Hall.

A popular local blues, R&B, and rock 'n' roll band of the 1950s called
Blues & Jazz in the Pass Marker (Rear) image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Mark Hilton, February 19, 2015
2. Blues & Jazz in the Pass Marker (Rear)
the Claudetts included, at various times, brothers Lawrence ("Sonny") and Earl Wimberley (whose father, Johnny Wimberley, played in New Orleans’ Olympia Brass Band), Arthur Arnold, John Farris III, Joe Welch, Jackie Avery (later a prolific R&B songwriter), Roland Bowser, Nolan Harris, and Irven and James Baker. Sonny Wimberley, a singer and bassist, moved to Chicago, where he played in Muddy Waters' blues band and led his own group, the Sunglows. Saxophonist Donald "Cadillac" Henry also played with the Claudets and later worked in promotion and management with Z. Z. Hill, Otis Redding, and other artists. Among the local clubs that featured blues, jazz, and R&B were the Dixie, the Savoy, and the P. C. Club, where John Handy gave his final rousing performance at a jam session.
 
Erected 2011 by the Mississippi Blues Commission. (Marker Number 124.)
 
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African AmericansArts, Letters, MusicEntertainment. In addition, it is included in the Mississippi Blues Trail series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1999.
 
Location. 30° 18.976′ N, 89° 14.5′ W. Marker is in Pass Christian, Mississippi, in Harrison County. Marker is at the intersection of East Scenic Drive and Davis Avenue, on the
Blues & Jazz in the Pass Marker (Closeup) image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Mark Hilton, February 19, 2015
3. Blues & Jazz in the Pass Marker (Closeup)
Click on photo for closeup
right when traveling west on East Scenic Drive. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: East Scenic Drive, Pass Christian MS 39571, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Constitution of the United States of America (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Saucier-Bidwell-Pratt House (about 500 feet away); The Flag of the United States of America (about 500 feet away); The Liberty Bell (about 500 feet away); Declaration of Independence (about 700 feet away); The Star Spangled Banner (about 700 feet away); Independence Hall (about 700 feet away); Scenic Drive Historic District (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Pass Christian.
 
Also see . . .  The Mississippi Blues Trail. (Submitted on February 23, 2015, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.)
 
View of marker looking west on Scenic Drive image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Mark Hilton, February 19, 2015
4. View of marker looking west on Scenic Drive
View towards U.S. Highway 90 and the Gulf of Mexico. image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Mark Hilton, February 19, 2015
5. View towards U.S. Highway 90 and the Gulf of Mexico.
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on February 23, 2015, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 669 times since then and 13 times this year. Photos:   1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on February 23, 2015, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.

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Mar. 28, 2024