Editing Wellman Braud

{{Short description|American jazz bassist}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2015}}
{{More citations needed|date=July 2012}}
{{Infobox musical artist 
| name                = Wellman Braud
| image               = 
| background          = non_vocal_instrumentalist
| birth_name          = 
| alias               = Wellman Breaux
| birth_date          = {{birth date|1891|01|25}}
 |birth_place         = [[St. James Parish, Louisiana|St. James Parish]], Louisiana, United States 
| death_date          = {{Death date and age|mf=yes|1966|10|29|1891|01|25}}
| death_place         = Los Angeles, California 
| instrument          = Double bass, trombone, tuba, violin
| genre               = [[Jazz]]
| occupation          = Musician, bandleader
| years_active        = 1910–1966
| label               = 
| past_member_of     = [[Duke Ellington]], [[Jimmie Noone]], [[Wilber Sweatman]], [[Spirits of Rhythm]] 
| website             = 
}}

'''Wellman Braud''' (January 25, 1891 – October 29, 1966) was an American [[jazz]] [[upright bass]]ist.<ref name="LarkinJazz"/><ref name="Book"/> His family sometimes spelled their last name "Breaux", pronounced "Bro".<ref name="LarkinJazz">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Guinness Who's Who of Jazz]]|editor=[[Colin Larkin (writer)|Colin Larkin]]|publisher=[[Guinness Publishing]]|date=1992|edition=First|isbn=0-85112-580-8|page=58}}</ref>

== Biography ==
Born in [[St. James Parish, Louisiana|St. James Parish]], [[Louisiana]], Braud settled in [[New Orleans]], in his early teens.<ref name="LarkinJazz" /> He was playing the violin and the upright bass and leading a trio in venues in the [[Storyville, New Orleans|Storyville]] District before 1910. He moved to [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]] in 1917.<ref name="LarkinJazz" /> In 1923, he visited London with the Plantation Orchestra, in which he doubled on bass and trombone. Next, he moved to New York City, where he played with [[Wilber Sweatman]]'s band before joining [[Duke Ellington]].<ref name="LarkinJazz" />

It has been observed by [[Branford Marsalis]] that Braud was the first to utilize the walking bass style, that has been a mainstay in modern jazz, as opposed to the 'two-beat' pattern the tuba plays in the New Orleans style. His vigorous melodic bass playing, alternately plucking, slapping, and bowing, was an important feature of the early Ellington Orchestra in the 1920s and 1930s. Braud's playing on Ellington's regular radio broadcasts and recordings helped popularize the slap style of string bass playing, as well as encouraging many dance bands of the time to switch from using a tuba to an upright bass. (Like many of his contemporary New Orleans bassists, Braud doubled on tuba, and he recorded with that instrument on some sides with Ellington).

In 1936, Braud co-managed a short-lived [[Harlem, Manhattan|Harlem]] club with [[Jimmie Noone]], and recorded with the group [[Spirits of Rhythm]] from 1935 to 1937. He played with other New York bands including those of Kaiser Marshall, [[Hot Lips Page]], and [[Sidney Bechet]], and returned for a while to Ellington in 1944. In 1956, he joined the [[Kid Ory]] Band.<ref name="LarkinJazz"/> In the late 1950s, he joined [[Barbara Dane]]'s trio alongside pianist/cornetist Kenny Whitson, turning down opportunities to return to Duke Ellington's band or tour with Louis Armstrong.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.barbaradane.net/|title=Home|website=Barbaradane.net|access-date=July 25, 2021}}</ref>

He is a distant relative of the Marsalis brothers on their mother's side.<ref name="pbs">{{cite web|title =Full Episode: Musicians Branford Marsalis and Harry Connick, Jr. |last=Gates Jr.|first=Henry Louis|work=Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates| url =https://www.pbs.org/wnet/finding-your-roots/video/branford-marsalis-and-harry-connick-jr/|year=2012 | access-date = 2012-02-07 }}</ref>

He died in [[Los Angeles]], [[California]], at the age of 76.<ref name="Book">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TL1JAgAAQBAJ&dq=wellman+braud.+died.+1966&pg=PA21-IA14|title=The Jazz Bass Book: Technique and Tradition|first=John|last=Goldsby|date=September 1, 2002|publisher=Backbeat Books|isbn=9781617132179|access-date=July 25, 2021|via=Google Books}}</ref>

Duke Ellington subsequently paid tribute to Braud, including the composition ‘Portrait of Wellman Braud' on his 1970 album ''[[New Orleans Suite]]''.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Internet Archive author |sname=Wellman Braud}}
* [https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/102897 Wellman Braud recordings] at the [[Discography of American Historical Recordings]]

{{Duke Ellington}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Braud, Wellman}}
[[Category:1891 births]]
[[Category:1966 deaths]]
[[Category:Jazz musicians from New Orleans]]
[[Category:African-American jazz musicians]]
[[Category:American jazz double-bassists]]
[[Category:American male double-bassists]]
[[Category:Louisiana Creole people]]
[[Category:Duke Ellington Orchestra members]]
[[Category:Slap bassists (double bass)]]
[[Category:20th-century American double-bassists]]
[[Category:American male jazz musicians]]
[[Category:Spirits of Rhythm members]]
[[Category:20th-century American male musicians]]