Roppolo, Leon (Joseph)

Roppolo, Leon (Joseph) , New Orleans clarinetist, composer; b. Lutcher, La., March 16, 1902; d. La., Oct. 5, 1943. He had his first music lessons from his father, who was a clarinetist, also learned guitar which he played occasionally throughout his career. His cousin Feno was also a clarinetist. He did early gigs at Buck-town, Lake Pontchartrain, with Georg Brunis, later working with pianist Eddie Shields and with Santo Pecora in various clubs in New Orleans, and played residency at Tore’s Club (c. 1917). He left New Orleans in a band accompanying vocalist Bea Palmer; subsequently worked with Carlisle Evans’s Band on river-boats and played residencies in Davenport, Iowa. Roppolo moved to Chicago with boyhood friends Georg Brunis and Paul Mares to join the Friars’ Inn Society Orch. (c. 1921), later named The New Orleans Rhythm Kings. After 18 months he traveled to N.Y. with Paul Mares and joined Al Siegal’s Orch. at Mills Caprice in Greenwich Village. He moved to Tex. and joined Peck. Kelley’s Bad Boys (summer 1924), then rejoined Carlisle Evans in St. Paul, was taken ill at Marigold Gardens, Minn., and returned to New Orleans. After playing in a revived New Orleans Rhythm Kings (with Paul Mares) in New Orleans (spring 1925), Roppolo subsequently suffered severe breakdown and was committed to a La. mental home. Despite his breakdown, he continued to play regularly, mainly on tenor sax; he organized a band in the mental institution. He was temporarily released in the early 1940s; returned home to New Orleans, played two nights for Santo Pecora on the S. S. Capitol and sat in with Abbie Brunies on tenor sax. He was an inventive player, and also took composer/co-composer credits, “Farewell Blues,” “Milenberg Joys,” and “Tin Roof Blues.”

—Lewis Porter