Life
Some details of his early life remain obscure. He was born into a Creole of Color family of Spanish, French and African descent. One of his ancestors was an officer of the free black regiment which fought in the Battle of New Orleans.
At the turn of the century, Perez became a member of the Onward Brass Band, leading it from 1903 to 1930. He also started his own brass band, called the Imperial Orchestra, whic operated from 1901–1908. The Onward Brass Band was one of the most respected of its day. Some of the best-known players in New Orleans were a part of the group, including King Oliver, Peter Bocage, Henry Kimball, Lorenzo Tio, Luis Tio, George Baquet, Isidore Barbarin, and Benny Williams. The Perez and Oliver two cornet, or "trumpet" team, was one of the most renowned in New Orleans. Perez was known for his beautiful tone, staying close to the lead, while Oliver improvised variations as a second cornet part.
Later, Perez went north to Chicago in 1915, playing with Charles Elgar’s Creole Orchestra at the Arsonia Cafe and also with the Arthur Sims Band. Although Elgar and his Creole Orchestra recorded a few sides (albums) during this period, Perez is not heard on any of these early recordings.
Returning to the Crescent City in the 1920s, he played in the District (Storyville), on steamboat excursions with Fate Marable, and in parades with the Maple Leaf Orchestra. Perez suffered a stroke in 1930. During this period, he worked with his brother, who owned a moving company, while he ran the used furniture store.
Sidney Bechet said of him in the early 1940s:
“I was down in New Orleans and I saw Manuel before he died. I saw him and I couldn’t bear to see him; it was something awful. He just began to slobber at the mouth when you spoke to him...And when he looked at you there wasn’t anything in his eyes … it was like they were missing from his face, and his face, it had just come apart.”
Perez had suffered a series of strokes that left him disabled and caused his death in 1946.
Read more about this topic: Manuel Perez (musician)
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