On January 18, 1944 the “All American Jazz Band” played the first jazz concert ever presented at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York. The players were chosen as a result of a poll conducted by Esquire Magazine. This jam session was held in conjunction with the awarding of $10,000 in war bonds to these poll winners:
trumpet: Louis Armstrong (first), Cootie William (second)
clarinet: Benny Goodman, Barney Bigard
trombone: Jack Teagarden, Lawrence Brown
saxophone: Coleman Hawkins, Johnny Hodges
bass: Oscar Pettiford, Milton Hinton and Al Morgan (tied for second)
guitar: Al Casey, Oscar Moore
drums: Sidney Catlett, Cozy Cole
piano: Art Tatum, Earl Hines
odd instruments: Red Norvo and Lionel Hampton, tied
Armed Forces favorites: Artie Shaw, Willie Smith and Dave Tough (tied for second)
female vocalists: Billie Holiday, Mildred Bailey
male vocalists: Louis Armstrong, Leo Watson
The Mudd has Esquire Magazine’s Jazz Book from 1944, 1945 and 1946 containing information on the All-American Jazz Band plus articles on jazz, jazz players and jazz records.