The Present
Today, the Excelsior Band continues not only to perform, but to protect and carry forward a living tradition of Mobile jazz ensuring that its sound, history, and cultural significance are never lost.
What we do today
The Excelsior Band remains a living, working part of the community leading parades, performing at celebrations, and providing the soundtrack to life in Mobile. As the official band for both the Mobile Area Mardi Gras Association and the Mobile Carnival Association, the band plays a vital role in the city’s Mardi Gras traditions keeping the sound of Mobile jazz alive in the streets.
Through Excelsior Band Preservation, we are working to safeguard the legacy of the Excelsior Band by documenting performances, preserving artifacts, and supporting the musicians who keep the tradition alive.
Why Preservation Matters
The story of the Excelsior Band is one of the most important traditions in Mobile jazz yet much of its early history was never formally recorded. This makes jazz preservation essential.
Every photograph, newspaper article, recording, and memory helps protect a cultural legacy that has survived since 1883. Without these efforts, future generations may never fully understand the impact of the Excelsior Band.
Oral History Collection
Our celebration of 140 years continues with an opportunity for the community to get to know our current membership a little better. Please enjoy these interviews from our oral history project started in partnership with The Black Ink Coalition and the University of South Alabama Doy Leale McCall Rare Book and Manuscript Library.
Aaron Colvin, Trumpet
Ronnie Hunter, Drums
Herb Nelson, Saxophone
Luquen Cannon, Trombone
Bradley Cooper, Trumpet
Sean Thomas, Tuba
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.