We Yanks originally used the shepherd's crook cornets too for brass band and community band concerts back in the true "glory days" peak of the brass band craze around the world in the late 1880s through the early 20th century.

Like you guys, we despised the shrill, vulgar-sounding "pea-shooter" trumpets of that era and no self-respecting hot-shot of a soloist-level American brass player would be caught dead playing the trumpet! Just a few were found in American wind ensembles, and were typically played by the weaker-gifted guys.

The beautiful, soaring parts though, were played on the sweet sounding (shepherd's crook) cornets. Many a young girls heart was stolen by a handsome hotshot soloist fronting a band at a county fair or cornet competition.

You were right too . . . there was NO NEED to call 'em shepherd's crook cornets either . . . for all cornets had the crook held over from the cornopeans.

THEN CAME THE AMERICAN WHORE HOUSE/HONKY-TONK MUSIC CRAZE . . .
When that bawdy Dixieland Jazz took off, in the whorehouses of New Orleans in the 1920's , it was soon discovered that the gentle, sweet and very dignified "shepherd's crook" cornets simply lacked the punch and power to rise above the shouts and conversations drunken masses who were there to have a good time. There were no electronic PA systems back then either to amplify the instruments . . . and even the sternest and most wilting British stare could have made the rowdy audiences be quiet and listen.

Then Louis Armstrong and others playing cornets in the brothels switched to the "vulgar" trumpets, in order to be heard better, and suddenly lots of Americans who dug jazz started taking up the trumpet.

I guess it was a natural trend, but Conn and other American makers started putting "trumpet bells" on "cornets." Doing so, a kid starting out could STILL be able to play the better "cornet" parts in school bands, unlike if he'd bought a trumpet . . . and yet could get more power and projection than the other cornetists, almost like if playing a trumpet! My 1939 Conn Victor immediately comes to mind . . . its an American long bell cornet that, I'll swear, sounds just like a trumpet.

Heck, a long bell "cornet" could get "bawdy" in a honky tonk on a Saturday night . . . and play all sobered up and dignified at church on Sunday too!

Eventually, some American "cornets," especially a few models by the biggest company (Conn), differed from the identical-looking trumpet model ONLY by what receiver was placed on the leadpipe. One of 'em (the "A" model) took a "cornet" mouthpiece and the other ("B" model) took a trumpet mouthpiece. BIG DIFFERENCE!

Alas, by the '60s we Yanks were all playing our "cornets" using cornet mouthpieces with Bach trumpet tops too! They had bright-sounding, trumpet-type "C" cups . . . and the "American long bell Cornet" became virtually indistinguishable in blind tests from the F. Besson type trumpets most all of us play today.

Since a long bell cornet lacks a little power vs. it's trumpet counterpart, and with the rise of Maynard, Bill Chase, Al Hirt, Bud B., Herb Alpert and many more into popular music in the '60s, the old mixed breed long bell cornet quickly fell from grace in America school band programs and died.

HEY . . . MAYBE WE YANKS HAVE SOME CLASS AFTER ALL!

Well, today we have powerful amplified sound systems and microphones, and no longer do brass players have to blow their chops through their mouthpiece to be heard. So . . . maybe if ol' Louis had a sound system in the brothel back in the '20s he'd have remained on the sweet, sweet "shepherd's crook" cornet.

I don't know if we'll ever see the vast numbers of beginning school players start switching back to short cornets though. Kids want their girl friends and mommas to hear 'em over the roar at the ol' half time of our "football games." THAT . . . will not go away . . . and our "rude" crowds at halftime during the games is just as rude and noisy as the bands play as the patrons Louis had to deal with in the whorehouses and honky tonks!

In any event, more of us adult players are discovering the sweet, sweet sound of the shepherd's crook cornet! When I signed on as a US Army bandsman in 1971, they forbid me from playing cornet and I was issued a trumpet. I didn't touch another cornet until falling in love with a gorgeously restored 1911 Boston 3-Star in 1999. I just HAD to have it. IT WAS ALSO THE FIRST "SHORT" CORNET I'D EVER PLAYED!

Wow, what a sound. Later I was able to travel 300 miles round trip per week to play a season with the Georgia Brass Band. MAN, THE CRESCENDOED SOUND OF ALL THOSE SWEET CONICAL INSTRUMENTS TO ff WILL RAISE THE HAIR ON YOUR ARM!

Today I play my short cornets as much as I do my trumpet! My favorite one is a modern Flip Oakes short model that has more power than the 100 year old ones, but the same sweet sound. I use it on commercial jobs and combo jobs a lot too . . . through a sound system.

Like the old "Prodigal Son," the American high brass players are sowing their seeds on the trumpet . . . but then "coming home" to the "real" cornet!