Clora Bryant

Clora Bryant was billed as the female Louie Armstrong in the era of the Ed Sullivan variety show. Her raspy-voiced imitations were a big favorite among viewers but the gimmick often over- shadowed her incredible talents as a trumpeter. Most music lovers don’t like to think about how Clora had to struggle. Being a black female jazz musician was not easy and in some places it was impossible. In Los Angeles it was possible to play and not only did she play, she became a chief architect of the LA jazz sound beginning in the 1940s. She continued to perform until the 1990s and even after that still made personal appearances teaching younger audiences the value of expressing yourself through music.