Big Bill Bissonnette

A strong advocate of New Orleans jazz as played by veteran Black musicians, Big Bill Bissonnette ran his own group (the Easy Riders Jazz Band), formed his own label (Jazz Crusade) in the 1960s, and organized Northern tours for such veteran players as Kid Thomas Valentine, George Lewis, and Jim Robinson. After a period off the scene, with the successful publication of his 1992 memoirs The Jazz Crusade (which has many stories about New Orleans musicians), Bissonnette reactivated his label and began to play again. Although a somewhat primitive trombonist, Bissonnette (whose idol is Jim Robinson) is a boisterous player with plenty of spirit. ~ Scott Yanow