Page "Wellman Braud" Paragraph 1

Born in St. James Parish, Louisiana, Braud came to New Orleans, in his early teens.

He was playing violin and the upright bass and leading a trio in venues in the Storyville District before 1910.

He moved to Chicago, Illinois in 1917.

In 1923 he went to 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.

His vigorous melodic bass playing, alternately plucking, slapping, and bowing, was an important feature of the early Ellington Orchestra sound 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 on that instrument on some sides with Ellington.