Jim Cullum Sr. was a great musical inspiration and influence in the life of bandleader Jim Cullum Jr.  Although he was not involved in the Riverwalk Jazzradio series, he certainly deserves recognition for the part he played in introducing young Jim to the music and mentoring him in the beginning.

Jim Cullum Sr. was a Dallas-born reedman who worked with Jack Teagarden, Jimmy Dorsey, and others during the Swing Era. He formed the Happy Jazz Band in 1962 with Jim Jr. on cornet.

 

In 1963 a group of San Antonio investors helped the Cullums open a nightclub called The Landing. It was only the second business to open on San Antonio’s Riverwalk.

 

When Jim Sr. passed in 1973, the band was renamed The Jim Cullum Jazz Band, and Jim Jr. continued their mission to play classic American jazz at its best.