(1900 - 1948)

Wilton Crawley born in Virginia in 1900, was a clarinetist whose style noted for tongue slapping and animal sounds was very much in the vaudevillian novelty vein. He formed his first group with his reed playing brother Jimmy after their family moved to Philadelphia. By the 1920's, Crawley had created a successful variety act in which he doubled as a contortionist. In 1927 after spending time in Chicago he relocated to New York where he appeared on recordings with famous jazz artist such as Jelly Roll Morton, Luis Russell, Red Allen, and Eddie Lang.