Marty Napoleon (1921-2015)

Marty Napoleon, a stride pianist who was as at home playing New Orleans and Chicago jazz as he was swing and who played with numerous bands and ensembles from the 1940s on, most notably Louis Armstrong and the All Stars, died on April 27. He was 93. [Photo above of Marty Napoleon and his late wife, Marie “Bebe" Napoleon. They were married for 67 years]

“Bebe" (nee Marie Giordano) Napoleon for 67 years.

Like Armstrong, Marty always had a smile on his face while performing, and he also had Armstrong's marvelous taste in notes. Louis loved hearing Marty behind him, setting up songs and driving the rhythm section. And what would Louis Armstrong and the All Stars be without Armstrong shining a light on his pianist on each set, announcing the pianist twice as “Mar-tee Nah-pol-yan, Mar-tee Nah-pol-yan!"

In my conversations with Marty, I found him a cheery force, a guy with a personality so sunny it was easy to see how he had befriended so many jazz stars over the years. But Marty was more than just a nice guy. He could play anything and with enormous grace and drive, treating the piano as a traditional rhythm instrument rather than as an opportunity to make a personal statement. And he never broke a sweat.

My last conversation with Marty was in December 2013, when we chatted about Charlie Ventura. Marty was in fine form, though I sensed he was tired. Jazz ran in Marty's family. His uncle was trumpeter Phil Napoleon and his older brother was pianist Teddy Napoleon, who was closely associated with Gene Krupa and his orchestra in the 1940s.

You can read my multipart JazzWax interview with Marty from 2011 here. Rather than wax on, here are six video clips that show you everything you need to know about Marty:

Here's Marty with Louis Armstrong in 1952, just after joining the All Stars (move the time bar up to 2:00)...



Here's Marty on TV's first Timex jazz show with Bobby Hackett in 1957...



Here's Marty with Jack Teagarden and Louis Armstrong on the same Timex show...



Here's Marty with Armstrong in 1966...



Here's Marty with Louis Armstrong at Fort Hood in Texas in 1967...



And here's Marty in 1968 playing Sunrise, Sunset from Fiddler on the Roof...



A special thanks to Geri Reichgut, a devoted friend of Marty's and a tireless supporter and promoter of the man and his music. I'll miss Marty.