Our Story
When you see the suits, the horns, and the sousaphone with “1883” painted boldly across its bell, you know the Excelsior Band is coming. For generations, this cornerstone of Mobile jazz has led parades through the streets of Mobile setting the tone for everything that follows.
The Beginning (1883)
The Excelsior Band was founded in 1883 by John Alexander Pope, a fireman, undertaker, and community leader. What began as informal music among members of the Creole Fire Company No. 1 became something lasting when Pope gathered friends to celebrate the birth of his son. From that moment, the Excelsior Band was born.
The band marched their first mardi gras parade in 1883 and quickly earned recognition, performing across the Gulf Coast and in New Orleans, and becoming a staple of Mardi Gras as early as the 1900s.
A Sound That Shaped a City
The Excelsior Band quickly gained recognition across the Gulf Coast, performing in parades, traveling to nearby cities, and becoming a central force in Mobile jazz culture.
Their music has marked life’s most meaningful moments Mardi Gras celebrations, weddings, jazz funerals, and community gatherings, embedding the band deeply into the identity of Mobile.
Over time, the band evolved from a family tradition into a broader brotherhood of musicians. By the mid-20th century, it had become a cornerstone of jazz preservation in Mobile, with generations of talented performers contributing to its sound.
Membership became one of the highest honors in Mobile jazz, with musicians dedicating decades to the band.
James Seal’s Collection
James M. Seals, Jr., was a long serving member and former Director of the Excelsior Band. He was a band director in the Mobile County Public School System and at Bishop State Community College, and President of the Down the Bay Community Organization. The James M. Seals, Jr. Park and Community Center in the Down the Bay community are named in his honor.
He provided an oral and photographic history of the Excelsior Band to the University of South Alabama. We thank our friends in the Doy Leale McCall Rare Book and Manuscript Library for their kind assistance in partnership for information about this collection. You may visit or contact the team at the McCall Library by selecting either of the links below.
Preserving The History
Much of the Excelsior Band’s history has never been formally recorded—and that means parts of this story still live in personal collections, family archives, and memories across the community. Through Excelsior Band Preservation, we are working to protect and document these pieces of history so they are not lost to time.
If you have old photographs, newspaper clippings, instruments, or memorabilia connected to the Excelsior Band or Mobile jazz, we invite you to be part of this effort.