Don Albert

For the architect, see Don Albert & Partners.

Don Albert
Background information
Birth nameAlbert Dominique
Born(1908-08-05)August 5, 1908
New Orleans, Louisiana, US
DiedJanuary 1980
San Antonio, Texas
GenresJazz
Occupation(s)Musician, bandleader
Instrument(s)Trumpet

Albert Dominique, better known as Don Albert (August 5, 1908, New Orleans – January 1980, San Antonio, Texas) was an American jazz trumpeter and bandleader.[1]

Albert's uncle was Natty Dominique.[2] He got his start playing in parade brass bands in New Orleans at the beginning of the 1920s.[2] He toured with the territory band of Alphonse Trent in 1925,[1] then played with Troy Floyd at the Shadowland Ballroom in San Antonio from 1926 to 1929.[2]

Albert led his own territory bands out of Texas in the 1930s and 1940s, with sidemen that included Alvin Alcorn, Louis Cottrell, Jr., and Herb Hall.[1] After 1932 he acted more in a manager's capacity than as a performer.[2] His bands played in Mexico and Canada, and won positive reviews from newspapers, but recorded only eight sides.[2] He disbanded this group around 1937 due to economic conditions, and found work in civil service and managing a nightclub called the Keyhole Club in San Antonio in the early and mid-1940s; his club was shut down in 1948 by local authorities.[2] In 1950, he opened a second location at 1619 West Poplar.[3] He led a group at the Palace Theater in New York in 1949.[2]

In the 1950s he continued performing part-time, playing in small groups into the 1970s.[1][2] He recorded again in the 1960s and appeared at the New Orleans Jazz Festival in 1969.[2]

References
  1. Koch, Lawrence (2003). "Albert, Don [Dominique, Albert]". Grove Music Online (8th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-1-56159-263-0. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  2. Chadbourne, Eugene. "Don Albert". AllMusic. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  3. Garcia, Juan (2014-11-30). "An Eastside Story: Don Albert and The Keyhole Club". San Antonio Report. Retrieved 2021-11-18.

Further reading
  • Interviews with Don Albert, January 15-18, 1980, February 1-8, 1980, University of Texas at San Antonio: Institute of Texan Cultures: Oral History Collection, UA 15.01, University of Texas at San Antonio Libraries Special Collections.
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