Wilbur de Paris
Wilbur de Paris (January 11, 1900 – January 3, 1973) was a trombone player and band leader known for mixing Dixieland jazz with swing.
Also recorded as Wilbur De Paris
Wilbur de Paris

William P. Gottlieb · http: section=ver01 size=1024 from= · Public domain
- Name
- Wilbur De Paris
- Born
- 11 January 1900
- Birthplace
- Crawfordsville, Indiana, U.S.
- Died
- 3 January 1973
- Occupation
- Trombonist, band leader
- Place of death
- New York, New York, U.S.
- Nationality
- United States
- Fields
- jazz
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Documentary summary
Wilbur de Paris (January 11, 1900 – January 3, 1973) was a trombone player and band leader known for mixing Dixieland jazz with swing.
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Note VALÉORINE
Wilbur de Paris (1900–1973) was an American bandleader, composer and conductor, among other activities. Born in Crawfordsville, the bandleader died in Manhattan. Genres include jazz.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 26 September 2026
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Documentary evidence
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Authority files
gnd · 1235247635 · wikidata · Q362737 · wikipedia · Wilbur de Paris
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Wilbur De Paris • Born — 11 January 1900 • Birthplace — Crawfordsville, Indiana, U.S. • Died — 3 January 1973 • Genre — Dixieland, swing • Occupation — Trombonist, band leader • Instrument — Trombone • Years Active — 1912–1972 • Place of death — New York, New York, U.S.
Career
Career
Wilbur de Paris was born January 11, 1900, in Crawfordsville, Indiana. His father, Sidney de Paris Sr., was a musician and taught him and his brother Sidney how to play music. He played alto saxophone in his father's circus band. In 1919, de Paris began his career in Philadelphia in a small band. He visited New Orleans in 1922 and worked with Louis Armstrong and Armand J. Piron. Throughout the 1920s, he worked in Philadelphia and New York, including as band leader. During this time he permanently switched from saxophone to trombone. Among the musicians de Paris worked with were Stuff Smith, Dave Nelson, Noble Sissle (with whom he toured Europe), and Edgar Hayes. De Paris toured with Teddy Hill's orchestra from 1936 to 1937 and recorded with the Mills Blue Rhythm Band. Again he joined Louis Armstrong, playing with him from the end of 1937 until the end of the decade. While De Paris remained an obscure figure during this era, his brother Sidney achieved fame as a trumpet soloist. In 1944, the brothers recorded together for the first time as The DeParis Brothers for Commodore Records, producing four songs. He briefly toured with Ella Fitzgerald and Roy Eldridge before leading his own small band. In late 1945, de Paris broke up his group to join Duke Ellington with whom he stayed until 1947. Sponsored by the U.S. State Department, de Paris toured Africa in 1957 as part of the President's International Program for Cultural Relations. His music is present in the films of Woody Allen, including "In a Persian Market" in The Curse of the Jade Scorpion.
Death
Death
De Paris died in Beekman Downtown Hospital, New York on 3 January 1973. He was survived by two sons and two daughters.
Identity and overview
Identity and overview
The following is established of the heading itself.
Origins and background
Origins and background
On origins, the institutional record states the following. Born in 1900 at Crawfordsville. It is also recorded that wilbur de Paris died in 1973 at Manhattan.
Works and production
Works and production
The following works and productions are recorded by name or by count. Recorded with the occupation jazz musician. Institutional cataloguing adds that wilbur de Paris is recorded with the occupation bandleader. Recorded with the occupation conductor. Institutional cataloguing adds that wilbur de Paris is recorded with the occupation composer. Recorded with the occupation musician. Institutional cataloguing adds that wilbur de Paris was born on 11 January 1900. It is also recorded that wilbur de Paris is recorded as a citizen of United States. It is also recorded that wilbur de Paris is recorded with the gender male. Paris died on 3 January 1973. Institutional cataloguing adds that wilbur de Paris is classed in the genre jazz.
![en:Wilbur de Paris Wilbur de Paris Gottlieb, William P., 1917-, photographer. [Portrait of Claude Jones and Wilbur De Paris, Aquarium, New York, N.Y., ca. Nov. 1946] 1 negative: b w; 3 1/4 x 4 1/4 in.](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c8/Claude_Jones_and_Wilbur_De_Paris%2C_Aquarium%2C_New_York%2C_N.Y.%2C_ca._Nov._1946.jpg/800px-Claude_Jones_and_Wilbur_De_Paris%2C_Aquarium%2C_New_York%2C_N.Y.%2C_ca._Nov._1946.jpg)
en:Wilbur de Paris Wilbur de Paris Gottlieb, William P., 1917-, photographer. [Portrait of Claude Jones and Wilbur De Paris, Aquarium, New York, N.Y., ca. Nov. 1946] 1 negative: b w; 3 1/4 x 4 1/4 in.
The Library of Congress · [Portrait of Claude Jones and Wilbur De Paris, Aquarium, New York, N.Y., ca. Nov. 1946] (LOC)

Wilbur De Paris and Sidney De Paris, Onyx, New York
William P. Gottlieb · http: section=ver01 size=1024 from=
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Crawfordsville.
Birth place
Manhattan.
Death place
Primary material
Documents and archives
scholarly publication
- De Paris, Wilbur (1900-1973), jazz trombonist, American National Biography Online, 2000
Scholarly · Crossref registry · 2000
authority file
- Gemeinsame Normdatei 1235247635, Wilbur de Paris and his New Orleans Jazz.
General reference · Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q362737: Wilbur de Paris
General reference · Wikidata
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Colin Larkin. The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Guinness Publishing. 654. 1992. 0-85112-939-0.
- 2.Carr, Ian. The Rough Guide to Jazz. Rough Guides. 44–. 2004. 978-1-84353-256-9.
- 3.Yanow, Scott. Wilbur DeParis: Profiles in Jazz. syncopatedtimes.com. 31 May 2020.
- 4.Kenney III, William H. De Paris, Wilbur. Grove Music Online. 20 January 2002. 978-1-56159-263-0.
- 5.WILBUR DE PARIS, BANDLEADER, 72. The New York Times. 1973-01-06. 0362-4331.
- 6.Yanow, Scott. Wilbur De Paris. AllMusic.
- 7.Chilton, John. Who's Who of Jazz: Storyville to Swing Street. London:Papermac. 90–91. 1989. 978-0-333-48375-6.
- 8.Wilbur De Paris. The Black Perspective in Music. 1. 2. 198. 1973. 0090-7790.
- 9.Music from the Films of Woody Allen - 3 Cd Set. Jazz Messengers.
- 10.OBITUARIES. Variety. 1973-01-10.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
scholarly publication
De Paris, Wilbur (1900-1973), jazz trombonist, American National Biography Online, 2000Crossref registry
Institutional witnessauthority file
Gemeinsame Normdatei 1235247635, Wilbur de Paris and his New Orleans Jazz.Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
Secondary witnessauthority record
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
Further particulars
Held on the record
Further particulars
Open the remaining particulars
This entry is compiled from 12 catalogued sources across 7 independent registers. The registers consulted are Crossref registry, Internet Archive, Wikipedia, Wikidata, The Art Institute of Chicago, Deutsche Nationalbibliothek and Wellcome Collection. Every statement above is held against the register that stated it; where the registers are silent, the entry is silent.
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
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