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Jazz Age: Phil Napoleon & His Orch. - Clarinet Marmalade, 1927

2,190 views · Published 9 December 2018 · 3:00 · Indexed 2 October 2026

Channel: 240252 · 2018 · Music

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Phil Napoleon & His Orchestra – Clarinet Marmalade, Fox-Trot  (L. Shields – H.W.Ragas), Victor 1927 (USA)

NOTE: Phil NAPOLEON (né Filippo Napoli 1901 in Boston, Massachusetts – d. 1990 in Miami, Florida).  Napoleon began with classical training, and was performing publicly by age 5. Through the 1910s, he became one of the first jass trumpet players in northeastern United States and in 1917 with pianist Frank Signorelli he formed the group "The Original Memphis Five". With the musicians like Miff Mole (trombone) Jimmy Durante and Frank Signorelli (pianos), Earl Oliver (trumpet) Nick Lucas (banjo) or  Jimmy Lyttell (clarinet, alt-sax) in later years also the Dorsey Brothers, Joe Venuti or Eddie Lang, the Napoleon’s band was one of the most popular and prolific outfits of the 1920's and became a progressive force that moved the “jass” music beyond the style of the Original Dixieland Jazz Band and towards the more sophisticated White Jazz of  Bix Beiderbecke and Red Nichols. 

The Original Memphis Five waxed hundreds records under Phil’s own name as well as variety of a pseudonyms, including Bailey's Lucky Seven, The Southland Six, Ladd's Black Aces, Jazzbo's Carolina Serenaders, Charleston Chasers and Napoleon's Emperors. The Original Memphis Five broke up in 1928 and Phil began making his living as a studio musician until 1937 when again he formed his own orchestra, but without much success  and he soon returned to studio work. In 1946 Phil Napoleon joined Jimmy Dorsey who needed a trumpet player, and stayed with Dorsey until 1947  when he re-formed The Original Memphis Five and played in New York City for the next six years. In 1956 Phil opened his own club called 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.

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