Raymond Burke (clarinetist)

[1] Burke rarely left the city except for out-of-town gigs or tours with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band later in life.

His friend and jazz enthusiast Al Rose said Burke spent no more than ten weeks outside of New Orleans.

[2] Burke was the nephew of Jules Cassard, a jazz trombonist who played with the Reliance Brass Band, and the cousin of Dixieland musician Harold Peterson.

[4] His first job in music came in 1913 when he panhandled on the kazoo with future New Orleans Rhythm Kings drummer Leo Adde who played percussion on a cigar box.

[7] In the 1940s and '50s he played with Alvin Alcorn, Sharkey Bonano, and frequently in a trio with pianist Jeff Riddick and bassist Sherwood Mangiapane.

Burke's shop was in a residential section of Bourbon Street which had light pedestrian traffic and generated very little business.

Burke also refused to let contemporary music influence his sound for commercial reasons, and played in what many considered an outdated style.

Since New Orleans jazz is typically associated with the African American population in that city, "Second Line" can be used negatively to refer to white musicians who have imitated and simplified this style.

[13] Thus, Charles Suhor argues that Burke, as well as other talented white New Orleans Jazz musicians, was neglected throughout much of his early career and not taken seriously.

According to John Steiner, 1939 was an important year for the discovery of Burke's music, as well as for other relatively low key jazz musicians.

New York Times reviewer, John S. Wilson claimed that Burke "used mellow, woodsy lower notes to build delightfully catchy little phrases and runs.

Although the reviewer claims that the group was prone to "ragged endings" and occasional uncertainty and hesitation, he applauds Burke's ability to play with Hodes and feed off his spontaneity.

The reviewer notes Burke's economic solo lines and argues that he was a master of spreading out musical ideas.

Burke would often begin a solo line with an unexpected high note, then proceed down in pitch until he reached this register.

[23] Because many of these players were elderly, Mills conceived of Preservation Hall as a place to practice and gain back their skills in front of an audience.

Mills hoped that, if the musicians were not worried about appealing to tourists or needy club owners, they would regain their creativity.

For instance, in a Second Line magazine article, Rose recalls suggesting to musician George Girard that he adopt Burke into his band.