Wilbur and Sidney de Paris

During the 1940s and 1950s, Wilbur (1900-1973) and Sidney (1905-1967) de Paris of Crawfordsville, Indiana, played a vital role in rejuvenating traditional New Orleans jazz. They helped create a music style known as “New New Orleans” jazz, which blended the Dixieland genre with elements of swing—a progressive twist that revitalized the traditional sounds of New Orleans while adapting to the era’s evolving jazz landscape. The de Paris Brothers collaborated with jazz legends, such as Louis Armstrong, Sidney Bechet, Duke Ellington, and Jelly Roll Morton, cementing their status within the broader jazz community. The de Paris Brothers legacy in the jazz world is marked by their dedication to honoring the genre’s origins and ensuring its continued growth and relevance through their “New New Orleans” jazz, which played an instrumental role in the rebirth of traditional New Orleans jazz with a tune that reflected a new era.