Cladys "Jabbo" Smith, was born Dec. 24, 1908 in Georgia. He was enrolled in the Jenkins Orphanage in Charleston, SC. Jabbo played in the Jenkins' Band, a brass band of black orphans who played and danced on the streets of America to raise money for the orphan house.
At age 17, Jabbo "ran away" from the Orphanage and within a year was considered the hottest trumpet player in New York. He recorded with Duke Ellington, Charlie Johnson, Jelly Roll Morton and James Johnson.
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