Big Chief Russell Moore

Moore belonged to the Pima Indian tribe.[2] At twelve he lived in Blue Island, Illinois, where he studied trumpet, French horn, trombone, piano, and drums.[2] During the 1930s he moved to Los Angeles and was a freelance musician with Eddie Barefield and Lionel Hampton.[2] At the end of the decade he moved to New Orleans and worked in bands with Oscar Celestin, Kid Rena, A.J. Piron, Paul Barbarin, Ernie Fields, Harlan Leonard, and Noble Sissle.[2] For three years in the 1940s he was member of the last big band of Louis Armstrong.[2] He found freelance jobs in the 1950s with Ruby Braff, Pee Wee Russell, Eddie Condon, Wild Bill Davison, Jimmy McPartland, Tony Parenti, Mezz Mezzrow, Sidney Bechet, and Buck Clayton.[2] He led a dixieland band and toured Canada with Cozy Cole and England with Keith Smith.[2]