A solid section player who occasionally soloed, Jerome Pasquall was a high-quality journeyman musician during the 1920s,'30s and '40s. He grew up in St. Louis and played mellophone in local brass bands early on. Pasquall was in the Army in 1918, at first playing mellophone in the 10th Cavalry Band before switching to clarinet. After being discharged, he picked up experience working with Ed Allen (1919), Charlie Creath and Fate Marable; the latter two on riverboats. Pasquall moved to Chicago, attended the American Conservatory and worked with Doc Cook's Dreamland Orchestra on tenor. After studying at the New England Conservatory, Pasquall played alto with Fletcher Henderson from 1927-28. He moved to Chicago and led his own group, also playing with Freddie Keppard, Dave Peyton, Jabbo Smith (1931), Tiny Parham, Fess Williams, the Blackbirds of 1934 Revue (which toured Europe), Eddie South, Henderson again (1936) and Noble Sissle's Orchestra (1937-44). After leaving Sissle, Pasquall freelanced in New York, worked with Tony Ambrose's Orchestra and gradually faded out of the music scene. Pasquall never led his own record date. ~ Scott Yanow, Rovi