Armand John "A.J." Piron (August 16, 1888 –
February 17, 1943) was an American jazz violinist, band leader, and composer.
In 1915, Piron and Clarence Williams together started the
Piron and Williams Publishing Company, and in their first year of business
published Piron's composition, I Wish
That I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate, which became his biggest hit.
After touring briefly with W.C. Handy in 1917, he started an orchestra under
his own name, which soon included such notables as Lorenzo Tio and Steve Lewis.
Piron's New Orleans Orchestra quickly became the best paid African American
band in New Orleans , for Piron
landed regular jobs at both the Spanish Fort amusement park and the exclusive
white New Orleans Country Club.
Back in New Orleans ,
he again lined up good jobs, returning to the Country Club, playing at
Tranchina's Restaurant and on the excursion steamships Capital and President
into the 1930s; in about 1935, he decided to dramatically change the sound of
his orchestra to swing, in line with popular taste.
I really do wish that this record was in better shape.
Armand J. Piron vn, dir / Peter Bocage t / unknown c / John Lindsay tb / Lorenzo Tio, Jr. cl, ts / Louis Warnecke as / Steve Lewis p / Charles Bocage bj / Bob Ysaguirre bb / Louis Cottrell d.
Recorded in New York on January 8, 1924.
