The Original Tuxedo Jazz Band is the city's oldest continuously performing jazz group, representing a direct thread between the birth of jazz and the present day. An early iteration was formed in 1910 by legendary cornetist Oscar 'Papa' Celestin, who named the band after Storyville's Tuxedo Dance Hall. Celestin led the band — eventually renamed the Original Tuxedo Jazz Band — for 44 years.
After Celestin's death in 1954, trombonist Eddie Pierson led the band until 1958, followed by famed banjo player Albert 'Papa' French (1958–1977), his son, drummer Bob French (1977–2012), and today Albert's grandson Gerald French. The band's early alumni include some of jazz's most revered pioneers: Louis Armstrong, Joe 'King' Oliver, Manuel Perez, Johnny St. Cyr, Baby Dodds, Zutty Singleton, Alphonse Picou, and Lorenzo Tio, Jr.
The band played dance halls and fancy parties, held a long-time gig at the Paddock Lounge on Bourbon Street, played the inauguration of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, and tours Europe and beyond to this day. At home they can be heard at festivals and clubs around New Orleans, including a weekly gig at the Jazz Playhouse. Their 2012 release 'A Tribute to Bob French' met with critical acclaim. WWOZ notes the band's precise genesis is a matter of some debate, but calls it one of the true keepers of the New Orleans jazz tradition.
