“Bill “Bojangles” Robinson and Wellman Braud were like Jelly [Roll Morton]; they’d talk as long as anyone would listen and hung around outside the Band Box. After Braud got written up in Ripley’s “Believe It or Not” column, he was too big for anybody. Ripley said he could pick faster than any bass player. He quit Duke’s band and started one of his own. He got a nice little band together to play a place over in Jersey. He talked so much to the man who owned the place about where to put the tables and how things were in the wrong place, the man told him to get his band together and get the hell outta there. He was always talking himself in by showing the clipping from the column and then he’d talk himself right out again.”

George “Pops” Foster, The Autobiography of a New Orleans Jazzman

Wellman Braud [1891-1966]

Duke Ellington and his Orchestra, 1930

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The Indianapolis Star, 12 January 1935

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The recordings heard on this podcast episode:

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(CD: “Duke Ellington, The Centennial Edition” RCA Victor ‎– 09026-63386-2)

Washington Wabble – Recorded 6 October 1927, New York City

Bubber Miley, Louis Metcalf – trumpet; Joe Nanton – trombone; Edgar Sampson, Otto Hardwick – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Fred Guy – banjo; Wellman Braud – bass; Sonny Greer – drums.

Black and Tan Fantasy/Blues I Love to Hear – Recorded 26 October 1927, New York City

Bubber Miley, Louis Metcalf – trumpet; Joe Nanton – trombone; Edgar Sampson, Otto Hardwick – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Fred Guy – banjo; Wellman Braud – bass; Sonny Greer – drums.

Black Beauty/Jubilee Stomp – Recorded 26 March 1928, New York City

Arthur Whetsel, Bubber Miley, Louis Metcalf – trumpet; Joe Nanton – trombone; Barney Bigard, Otto Hardwick, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Fred Guy – banjo; Wellman Braud – bass; Sonny Greer – drums.

Freeze and Melt – Recorded 26 March 1928, New York City

Arthur Whetsel, Cootie Williams, Freddy Jenkins – trumpet; Joe Nanton – trombone; Barney Bigard, Johnny Hodges, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Fred Guy – banjo; Wellman Braud – bass; Sonny Greer – drums, chimes.

Old Man Blues – Recorded 20 August 1930, Los Angeles

Arthur Whetsel, Cootie Williams, Freddy Jenkins – trumpet; Joe Nanton, Juan Tizol – trombone; Barney Bigard, Johnny Hodges, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Fred Guy – banjo; Wellman Braud – bass; Sonny Greer – drums.

(CD: “The Complete 1933-1940 Brunswick, Columbia and Master Recordings of Duke Ellington and his Famous Orchestra” Mosaic Records #248)

Rose Room – Recorded 11 February 1932, New York City

Arthur Whetsel, Cootie Williams, Freddie Jenkins – trumpet; Joe Nanton, Juan Tizol – trombone; Barney Bigard, Johnny Hodges, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Fred Guy – guitar; Wellman Braud – bass; Sonny Greer – drums.

Harlem Speaks – Recorded 15 August 1933, New York City

Arthur Whetsel, Cootie Williams, Freddie Jenkins – trumpet; Lawrence Brown, Joe Nanton, Juan Tizol – trombone; Barney Bigard, Johnny Hodges, Otto Hardwicke, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Fred Guy – guitar; Wellman Braud – bass; Sonny Greer – drums.

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Tough Truckin’  (CD: “The Complete 1936-1940 Variety, Vocalion and Okeh Small Group Sessions” Mosaic Records #235)

Recorded 5 March 1938, New York City

Rex Stewart – cornet; Johnny Hodges – soprano sax; Harry Carney – baritone sax; Duke Ellington – piano; Wellman Braud, Billy Taylor – bass

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Portrait of Wellman Braud (CD: “New Orleans Suite” Warner Bros. 7411644)

Recorded 13 May 1970, New York City

Cootie Williams, Cat Anderson, Mercer Ellington, Fred Stone – trumpet; Booty Wood, Julian Priester, Chuck Connors – trumpet; Russell Procope, Norris Turney, Harold Ashby, Paul Gonsalves, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Joe Benjamin – bass; Rufus Jones – drums.

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— Our closing music—-

It’s Something You Ought To Know (Paul Gonsalves – “Ellingtonia Moods and Blues,” RCA Victor / RCA63562)

Recorded 29 February 1960, New York City

Paul Gonsalves- tenor sax; Johnny Hodges – alto sax; Ray Nance – cornet; Mitchell “Booty” Wood – trombone; Jimmy Jones – piano; Al Hall – bass; Oliver Jackson – drums.