Freddie Keppard, born on February 27, 1890 in New Orleans, Louisiana, was an American jazz cornetist. Raised in a musical household, Keppard initially played violin and mandolin before switching to cornet at age 16. He began his career by organizing the Olympia Orchestra around 1905, which featured Alphonse Picou on clarinet. In late 1911 or early 1912, Keppard joined Bill Johnson's Original Creole Ragtime Band, later known as the Original Creole Orchestra, becoming one of the first musicians to take New Orleans jazz outside the city. The band toured extensively, performing at venues like the Orpheum Theatre circuit and the Winter Garden in New York. In 1914, they performed in Canada, marking one of the earliest jazz performances outside the United States. He passed away on July 15, 1933.
