Leo McConville

Leo McConville (December 10, 1900—February 1968) was an American jazz trumpeter, cornetist, and musician. He played with many well-known musicians of the time, including Alabama Red Peppers, Eddie Lang, Frank Farrell, Sam Lanin, Joe Venuti, Ben Selvin, Miff Mole, Red Nichols, Roger Wolfe Kahn, Fred Hall, Arthur Schutt, Manny Klein, Cornell Smelser, Paul Specht, Rex Cole's Mountaineers, Tommy Dorsey, and Jimmy Dorsey.

He also toured with vaudeville revues.

English audio engineer John R. T. Davies commented about McConville that he was overshadowed by Red Nichols.

Leo McConville was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on December 10, 1900. He was a member of Baltimore's community of historic jazz musicians of Irish descent.

His career began at age 14 with local bands in the Baltimore area. His first professional break came in 1919 with the Dixieland jazz band Louisiana Five. In the following years, McConville worked with bandleader Jean Goldkette at Greystone Ballroom in Detroit, Michigan.

In March 1928, McConville played on Red Nichols' recording of "Can't Yo' Hear Me Calling, Caroline?" with Art Miller (double bass), Vic Berton (drums), Carl Kress(guitar), Dudley Fosdick (mellophone), Arthur Schutt (piano), Fud Livingston (tenor saxophone), Miff Mole (trombone), Manny Klein (trumpet), and Murray Kellner (violin). 

The following year in April, he played trumpet for Nichols on "Dinah" with Art Miller (double bass), Gene Krupa (drums), Carl Kress (guitar), Arthur Schutt (piano), Jimmy Dorsey (reeds), Benny Goodman (clarinetist), Irving "Babe" Russin (tenor saxophone), Glenn Miller (trombone), Jack Teagarden (trombone), and Manny Klein (trumpet). With Red Nichols & His Five Pennies, he recorded "Original Dixieland One-Step" alongside Manny Klein, Miff Mole, Fud Livingston, Carl Kress, Chauncey Morehouse and Dudley Fosdick.

In June 1928, McConville recorded "God's River Blues" (lyrics by Billy Baskette) with Emmett Miller's band Georgia Crackers on Parlophone records (R198).

From 1928 to 1931, he played in Donald Voorhees & His Orchestra. He also received several recording session assignments and played on the radio.

In 1930, McConville recorded with Buck Wilson & his Rangers ("They Cut down the Old Pine Tree" and "The Lonesome Trail") and with Eddie Younger & his Mountaineers ("I'm Looking Ahead" and "I'm in Heaven").

In the mid-1930s, McConville took a break from music and became a chicken farmer in the rural locality of Reisterstown, Maryland. He came back to playing music at some point (year not known) and continued to perform with local bands in Maryland (Bob Craig Band and an orchestra conducted by Bob Iula) until his death in 1968.

Between 1923 and 1931, McConville was involved in 177 recording sessions.

McConville died in Baltimore, Maryland, in February 1968, at age 67.