Floyd O'Brien

Floyd O'Brien (May 7, 1904 – November 26, 1968) was an American jazz trombonist.[1]

He was born in Chicago, Illinois, United States.[2] O'Brien first played in Chicago in the 1920s with the Austin High School Gang; later in the decade he played with Earl Fuller, Floyd Town, Charles Pierce, Thelma Terry, and Husk O'Hare.[1] During 1930-31 he worked in a pit band at a theater in Des Moines, Iowa.[1] He moved to New York City and played with Mal Hallett, Joe Venuti, Smith Ballew, Mike Durso (1933–34), Phil Harris (1935–39), Gene Krupa (1939–40), and Bob Crosby (1940–42).[1]

In 1943, he relocated to Los Angeles and played with Eddie Miller, Bunk Johnson, Shorty Sherock, Jack Teagarden, and Wingy Manone.[1] In 1948, he moved back to Chicago and there worked with Bud Freeman, Art Hodes and Danny Alvin.[1] O'Brien had recorded with Freeman as early as 1928; other recordings include with Eddie Condon (1933 and later), Fats Waller, Mezz Mezzrow, George Wettling (1940), Charles LaVere (1944), Albert Nicholas (1959), and Smokey Stover.[1] His lone session as a bandleader yielded two singles for Jump Records in 1945, which were also released under LaVere's name.[1]