[Dixielandjazz] Who is Claude Trenier?

[Don Ingle]

Their biggest single hit was "Ooh, looky there ain't she pretty." Great
early R&B appoach.
Caught them in L.A. when I was still a teen and remember them well.
Don Ingle
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Stephen Barbone" <barbonestreet at earthlink.net>
To: "Dixieland Jazz Mailing List" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Wednesday, November 19, 2003 5:15 PM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Who is Claude Trenier?


> John Farrell asked who Claude Trenier was after Kay Wade posted that Mr.
> Trenier had passed away. Here is a VERY SHORT Bio. Claude also worked
> with Louis Prima and Keely Smith in Las Vegas etc.
> Very well known and highly regarded in USA cabaret circles, especially
> Las Vegas. Broad musical talent having performed with musicians from
> Barney Bigard to Charles Mingus.
>
> Cheers,
> Steve Barbone
>
> Claude and Cliff Trenier, The Trenier Twins, as they were more commonly
> known, were the heart of the group. They were born in Moblie, Alabama on
> July 14th, 1919. Music was in their blood, being that their father had
> been a horn player in the old street bands of New Orleans, and their
> mother played the piano. So by the time Claude and Cliff headed to
> Alabama State College in 1939, their older brother, Buddy was already
> singing in clubs around Mobile. Claude and Cliff quickly got in good
> with other musicians, such as sax player, Don Hill, and piano player,
> Gene Gilbeaux. They were all part of the college band, The Alabama State
> Collegians. But since Claude, Cliff and the others quickly found they
> playing music was more fun than studying, the college kicked them out in
> 1941. But they also took the band with them. It wasn't long before the
> draft put a crimp in their plans, but by 1944, Claude had got hired by
> band leader Jimmy Lunceford, and a couple years later, during the
> Christmas Holidays, Claude made his first recording, "I'm Gonna See My
> Baby", and, "That Someone Must Be You" with the Jimmie Lunceford
> Orchestra. Soon after, Lunceford also hired twin brother Cliff, and in
> 1945 the twins recorded together for the first time singing Lunceford's
> "Buzz Buzz Buzz". After the war Cliff returned to Mobile, and Claude had
> made the move to Los Angeles, which has been the Trenier home ever
> since. He did some recordings with Barney Bigard and Charlie Mingus. In
> 1947, he had Cliff come to Los Angeles, along with Don Hill and Gene
> Gilbeaux, added a drummer and bass player, and that was the birth of THE
> TRENIER'S. But they were first billed as THE TRENIER TWINS & The Gene
> Gilbeaux Quartet. Later it got shortened to just THE TRENIER TWINS. And
> as they say.......the rest is history......
>
>
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