Nat Towles and His Orchestra

Nat Towles (August 10, 1905 – January 1963) was an African-American musician, jazz and big band leader popular in his hometown of New Orleans, Louisiana, North Omaha, Nebraska and Chicago, Illinois. He was also music educator in Austin, Texas. The Nat Towles band is considered one of the greatest territory bands of all time by musicians who played in it and by others who heard it. Despite a 1940 issue of Billboard magazine that lists Towles as producing "Best Patronage Reaction," Towles' work never found true national recognition. He feared the limelight would then steal away his best players. For this reason there are very few recordings of Nat Towles' Band.