Ellis Stratakos (December 1, 1903 – January 25, 1961) was a Greek American band leader, trombonist, violinist, and drummer. He performed jazz music on the Gulf Coast and became known as a Gulf Coast jazz musician. He was associated with multiple bands as a leader, namely the Gulf Coast Jazzers, Pine Hills Orchestra, Buena Vista Orchestra, and Hotel Jung Orchestra.: "New Orleans Jazz Band Expand: A partial list of some of the popular bands in the city during the 1920s and 1930s included: Johnny Bayersdoffer Orchestra, Sharkey Bonano's Bienville Roof Orchestra, Norman Brownlee Orchestra, Johnny Dedroit Orchestra, Sidney Desvignes Orchestra, Louis Dumaine's Jazzola 8, Papa Celestin's Tuxedo Band, Bebe Ridgely Original Tuxedo Band, A. J. Piron Orchestra, Ellis Stratakos orchestra and Peter Bocage's Creole Serenaders." One of the earliest bands he was associated with was the Dixieland Roamers, where he played trombone. He also participated in several professional recordings of jazz music in the 1920s for Okeh Records, performing with the trombone for Johnny De Droit, Oliver Naylor, and Tony Parenti.
Ellis was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, to Louis Stratakos and Mary Louise Sophia Gruner. His father, Louis, was from Sparta, Greece. From an early age, Ellis showed an interest in jazz music. Growing up in Storyville, he was exposed to the new emerging music performed by black musicians. By the early 1920s, he briefly played drums in several bands, then switched to trombone before traveling to New York to perform with Johnny De Droit at the Balconades Ballroom.: "An Impression of Johnny DeDroit by Myra Menville Fall, 1976 "Here are some of Johnny DeDroit's words, spoken and selected at random: In 1924, my band was playing at the Balconades Ballroom in New York, down near Columbus Circle. We were an instant success. I was booked there through Vincent Lopez's office. We had some good men - Frankie Froeba on piano and Ellis Stratakos on trombone; Henry William on clarinet, George Barber on banjo and vocals, and so on. My agent was Myra Fuller, Earl Fuller's wife. He was a great bandleader. Anyhow, she was my agent for six months and the only one I ever had. While I was in New York, I dropped by the Arcadia Ballroom where Fletcher Henderson was playing, and I asked Louie Armstrong, if he was happy with the job." He eventually returned to Biloxi, Miss, by 1925, where he created a musical presence for himself performing with his different bands in the local region until 1928, despite their frequent national tours. By 1929, his band was performing at the Jung Hotel in New Orleans, a venue they booked for one year. Ellis also traveled to Memphis, Tennessee, in the early 1930s, frequently performing at the Memphis Silver Slipper.
Upon his death, his wife donated his belongings to the New Orleans Jazz Museum in 1961, including his trombone and mute. Ellis was honored by the Grand Lodge of the Mississippi Odd Fellows as Grand Patriarch. He was the secretary of the American Federation of Musicians Local 174 at the time of his death. He was buried at Greenwood Cemetery, in the city of New Orleans, Louisiana, where he was born, grew up, and thrived as a jazz musician.
Early life (1919-1925) Ellis George Stratakos was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on December 1, 1903, to candy shop owner Louis Stratakos and Mary Louise Sophia Gruner. His father, Louis, was from Sparta, Greece, and his mother's parents were both from Germany. From a young age, Ellis frequented Storyville's red-light district, attending a bar owned by John Peg Anstedt, where young musicians made it their headquarters while roaming Storyville listening to outstanding black musicians. Lulu White's tavern was also active during this period. The young man was attracted to the underground rebellious music known as jazz from an early age. Storyville was popular and bustling with jazz musicians until it was shut down on Nov. 12, 1917, but continued to flourish illegally. He eventually attended the Jesuit College in New Orleans.
The family migrated to Gulfport, Mississippi, where his father, Louis, opened a candy shop while Ellis was still attending school in New Orleans. In 1919, at the age of 16, Ellis was a member of the Gulfport Band led by and managed by Johnny Bertucci. The band was called the Imperial Jazz Band of Biloxi. It played various local venues, including the Elks Club dance in January 1920. Members of the band included Ellis (drums), Joe Loyocano (trombone), Avery Loposser (piano), Harry Tauzin (clarinet), and Johnny Bertucci, who was the leader and manager.
Ellis eventually became a prominent figure in the Gulf Coast jazz scene. Ellis began to play the trombone, and by August 1921, he was playing with Ray Bauduc's Dixieland Roamers, which was originally called the Nola Jazzers. It was the first band to broadcast live Dixieland in New Orleans. The band was: Ed Cathy, vocals; Pinky Gerbecht, trumpet; Ellis Stratakos, trombone; Eddie Powers, c-melody saxophone; Frank Mutz, piano; and Ray Bauduc, drums.: "According to the account of Michael Killalea in the Summer 1984 about Ray Bauduc: 'As Ray grew a little older, he started playing more regularly. He was a founder of the Six NOLA Jazzers, which, after some settling and rearrangement later on, became the Dixieland Roamers. This group was the first to broadcast live Dixieland in New Orleans around 1923, and with great success, to judge from the grateful letters that poured in requesting encore performances. The band was: Ed Cathy, vocals; Pinky Gerbecht, trumpet; Ellis Stratakos, trombone; Eddie Powers, c-melody saxophone; Frank Mutz, piano; and Ray Bauduc, drums.'" Ellis married Sarah Rogillio during the same period on December 22, 1923.
Ellis was now a professional trombone player well known among jazz musicians. Johnny De Droit was performing in New York City and specifically requested Ellis to replace Russ Papalia (trombone) in his band as early as September 1924. At this time, Johnny De Droit was playing at the Balconades Ballroom in New York around Columbus Circle. His band recorded Eccentric on October 29, 1924, and Lucky Kentucky and When My Sugar Walks Down the Street on January 12, 1925, featuring Ellis on trombone. In the interim, De Droit visited Fletcher Henderson and saw Louis Armstrong, whom he recommended that he get his own band and become a bandleader, which Louis eventually did.: "An Impression of Johnny De Droit by Myra Menville Fall, 1976 "Here are some of Johnny De Droit's words, spoken and selected at random: In 1924, my band was playing at the Balconades Ballroom in New York, down near Columbus Circle. We were an instant success. I was booked there through Vincent Lopez's office. We had some good men - Frankie Froeba on piano and Ellis Stratakos on trombone; Henry William on clarinet, George Barber on banjo and vocals, and so on. My agent was Myra Fuller, Earl Fuller's wife. He was a great bandleader. Anyhow, she was my agent for six months and the only one I ever had. While I was in New York, I dropped by the Arcadia Ballroom where Fletcher Henderson was playing, and I asked Louie Armstrong, if he was happy with the job."
Ellis continued to flourish with his band in Biloxi, Miss, now known as the Original Gulf Coast Jazzers. He played dance venues such as the Pavilion of the Hotel Riviera in Biloxi, Miss., during the summer of 1925. By early 1926, his band added well-known saxophone and clarinet player F. J. Curly Lizana (1903–1983).
Biloxi and Gulf Coast Jazz (1926-1928) Ellis began to form a presence in the Gulf Coast jazz scene, frequently performing in the lobbies and ballrooms of Biloxi's major hotels, tho his band did not have the same name for long. Between 1926 and 1928, Ellis gained experience as a performer. The year 1927 is possibly when Ellis performed the most across different venues.
The year 1926 began with performances at the Edge Water Park Pavilion around April, and the band was using the name Gulf Coast Jazzers. By May of 1926, the band secured a seasonal gig at the iconic Buena Vista Hotel in Biloxi, Mississippi. The band now took on the name of the Buena Vista Orchestra and some of the performers included Eddie Powers, who played saxophone and clarinet with Ray Miller's Orchestra, A. Hahn or (Sock Kahn), who played with the Battle House orchestra playing saxophone and violin, and Emanuel Nichelson on saxophone and clarinet.: "Another new name in bands is found in the Nov. 18th 1926 paper: 'Great orchestra coming Saturday. What's claimed to be the best orchestra that ever appeared visited Bogalusa will appear here Saturday evening and furnish music for the dance which will be given at the Old Elks Home. The Ellis Stratakos Orchestra, composed of 9 members. For the past several months they filled an engagement at the Buena Vista Hotel at Biloxi.'" Others included: Johnny Wiggs, Louis Prima, and Irving Fazola: "On Nov. 19 we read of the Buena Vista Orchestra lead by Ellis Stratakos, playing for a Dance in Ponchatoula on a Monday night. The Stratakos Orchestra's partial collection of personnel included: Johnny Wiggs, Louis Prima, Irving Fazola, and the Loyacano brothers, as well as many other early white jazz musicians." During that same summer, Ellis and his band performed on boat tours on the Mississippi Sound off the coast of Biloxi to the Isle of Caprice.
By November of 1926, his band was playing at the Hotel Avelez in Biloxi, Miss, before they set off on a 14-week jazz tour in three cars. By now, Ellis was listed as a violin and trombone player. Some of the members of the band included: Joe Fallo (piano), Tony Fallo (banjo), Sock Kahn (saxophone), Emanual Nichelson (saxophone), Sharkey Bonano aka Joe Sharkey (trumpet), and Ben Dablen (drums).
On Ellis' return from the long tour, he booked a frequent performance gig for his band at the Polka Dot Ballroom located at the City Park Pavilion in Biloxi, Mississippi, in January and February of 1927, and also continued to perform at the venue throughout the year. During that same period, Ellis and his band performed at the Pine Hills Hotel resort at the Bay of St. Louis in Pass Christian, Mississippi. The band became known as The Pine Hills Orchestra. At this point, Ellis may have had multiple bands, including the Gulf Coast Jazzers. Due to the multiple venues at different hotels and clubs, news sources would sometimes use party, hotel, or nightclub band names instead of the Gulf Coast Jazzers, with Ellis as the band leader. The bands continued to perform at venues such as the Hotel Avelez and the Pavilion of the Hotel Riviera in Biloxi, Miss, during the winter of 1927.
In March, the jazz musician secured performances at the Rendezvous Supper Club in Biloxi, Miss. In the spring, the band performed at Saenger Strand Theatre in Gulfport, Miss, and Cuevas Pavilion in Pass Christian, Mississippi. By the summer of 1927, the band arranged another hotel venue at the Markham Hotel in Gulfport, Miss. By the fall of that same year, Ellis is listed for the first time with his wife, Sadie Rogillio, performing a piano and violin solo.
In 1928, he played trombone on a record by Tony Parenti's New Orleanians in New Orleans on April 27, 1928. The tracks were In The Dungeon and When You And I Were Pals. The musicians were John Hyman aka Johnny Wiggs (cornet), Ellis Stratakos (trombone), Tony Parenti (alto clarinet), Buzzy Williams (piano), Jack Brian (vocals and guitar), and Monk Hazel (drums and vocals).: "According to an account by Tony Parenti: On the various recordings in New Orleans for Columbia, Victor, Okeh, and Brunswick, I had used Henry Knecht, Tony and Russ Papalia, Mario Finazzo, Jack Cohen, Frank Cuny, Leon Prima, George Triay, Vic Lubowsky, Al Famulair, Monk Hazel, Buzzy Williams, Ellis Stratakos, and John Hyman (known as Johnny Wiggs). I may have used Mike Holloway and Ray Bauduc, but I can't be certain of this."