The Luis Russell Orchestra started in Chicago and then moved to New York. They were one of the most innovative bands of their day, but never had the commercial success that they deserved. They are generally considered to be one of the first Swing bands. The outfit featured some of the best hot musicians from New Orleans, such as Barney Bigard, Omer Simeon and Pops Foster.

The band first backed up Louis Armstrong in 1929 on the record “Mahogany Hall Stomp“. By 1935 Louis Armstrong had taken over the orchestra altogether and for the next eight years they functioned solely as back-up band for Armstrong, with Luis Russell acting as the musical director.

Many Jazz historians bemoan the fact that Russell “sold out” and chose to support Armstrong rather than developing his own distinct style, but we should remember that all of this happened during the height of the Depression, when so many great African-American musicians were forced to leave the music business altogether. Not to mention that they were playing with one of the world’s greatest artists, Louis Armstrong.