Jerome Don Pasquall

Who was Jerome Don Pasquall?

Jerome Don Pasquall was an American jazz reed player.

Pasquall grew up in St. Louis, Missouri and played early in his life on the mellophone in brass bands. He served in the Army in 1918 in the 10th Cavalry Band, and picked up clarinet during this time. Following his discharge he played with Ed Allen in 1919 and then found work on riverboats playing with Charlie Creath and Fate Marable. He moved to Chicago to study at the American Conservatory, and played with Doc Cook's Dreamland Orchestra as a tenor saxophonist. He then departed for Boston, and attended the New England Conservatory of Music. In 1927-28 he played with Fletcher Henderson.

Following this he returned to Chicago and led his own ensemble, in addition to playing with Freddie Keppard, Dave Peyton, Jabbo Smith, Tiny Parham, Fess Williams, the 1934 Blackbirds tour of Europe, Eddie South, Henderson again in 1936, and Noble Sissle. After the mid-1940s he did freelance work in New York, with Tony Ambrose among others, and gradually receded from active performance. He never led his own recording session.