Arnold Loyacano

Arnold "Deacon" Loyacano (August 13, 1889—October 1962) was an American Dixieland jazz bassist and pianist active in the New Orleans and Chicago jazz scene. He was active from the mid-1910s to the mid-1950s and also made a few recordings.

Born on August 13, 1889, Arnold Loyacano began his professional music career in New Orleans, Louisiana, with Papa Jack Laine's band.

In 1915, he moved to Chicago and began working in the band of trombonist Tom Brown (brother of bassist Steve Brown) at Lamb's Cafe at Clark and Randolph Streets. Loyacano played piano and bass alongside Ray Lopez (cornet and manager), Gussie Mueller (clarinet), and Billy Lambert (drums). Until their gigs in Chicago, Brown's band played on the back of a wagon and were used to playing loud. Playing with the mic in a formal venue, they had to soften their vocals.

In 1919, two New Orleans-born musicians—cornetist Paul Mares and trombonist George Brunies—were performing on a riverboat in Chicago. The two teamed up with clarinetist Leon Roppolo and shortly after they recruited Loyacano, pianist Elmer Schobel, drummer Frank Snyder, and banjoist Lou Black. In 1921, the group began performing at Friar's Inn in Chicago, a famed jazz music venue of the time, as "Friar's Society Orchestra". One of their regular attendees at Friar's Inn was famed cornetist Bix Beiderbecke, who often got to perform with the band.

After their gig at Friar's Inn ended in 1922, they renamed the group "New Orleans Rhythm Kings" (NORK). In 1922 and 1923, NORK made a series of recordings on Gennett Records. On August 29, 1922, NORK recorded "Eccentric", "Farewell Blues", "Discontented Blues" and "Bugle Call Blues". The tracks are available on NORK's compilation album Complete Recordings 1922-1925, released in 2018 on Rivermont Records (BSW-1170).

NORK disbanded in the late 1920s/early 1930s.

In 1927, Loyacano recorded on Columbia Records with Wingy Manone's band Harmony Kings alongside Hal Jordy (clarinet, alto saxophone), John Ryan (drums), Steve Brou (guitar), Johnny Miller (piano), Bob Sacks (tenor saxophone), and Earl Warner (vocals).

Not much information is available about Loyacano's work in the 1930s and 1940s.

In the 1950s, Loyacano worked with trumpeter Sharkey Bonano's band "Kings Of Dixieland" with Lester Bouchon, and Bujie Centobie (clarinet); Arthur "Monk" Hazel, and Abbe Brunies (drums); Stanley Mendelson, Jeff Riddick (piano); Jack Delaney, Santo Pecora (trombone); and Chink Martin (tuba). He played bass on three of Bonano's albums:

• 1953: "A Good Man Is Hard to Find" and "Salty Dog" with blues singer Lizzie Miles
• 1955: Sharkey's Southern Comfort (album)
• 1957: A Night in Old New Orleans (album)

Loyacano died in Louisiana in October 1962 at the age of 73.