Lloyd Hunter's Serenaders were one of several black
territory bands that played venues in the African American community of the
Near North Side of Omaha from the early 1920s through the
big band era. In 1924, Hunter formed his first six-piece band. In 1927 it became an 8-piece band with Lloyd Hunter on trumpet,
Elmer Crumbley on trombone,
Noble Floyd on clarinet and alto sax,
Bob Welch on trombone, tenor saxophone and bass sax;
Burton Brewer on piano;
Julius Alexander on banjo;
Wallace Wright on tuba, and;
Amos Clayton on drums. As was usual, the band toured the area playing one night stands. By 1929, the band was heard on radio stations KGBZ in
York, Nebraska;
KFAB in
Lincoln, Nebraska; and
WOW in Omaha. He recorded only once, near the beginning of a ten-month national tour with then prominent blues singer
Victoria Spivey. The record,
Sensational Mood, included Lloyd Hunter, Reuben Floyd, and George Lott or Ted Frank on trumpets; Elmer Crumbley or Joe Edwards on trombone; Horace "Noble" Floyd and Archie Watts on alto saxophones; Harold Arnold or Dick Lewis on tenor saxophone; George Madison, piano; Herbert Hannah, banjo; Robert Welch or Wallace Wright, bass, and Pete Woods or
Jo Jones on drums. It was recorded April 21, 1931, in New York. Originally issued on
Vocalion 1621 (The other side was a Victoria Spivey blues vocal with the band providing accompaniment.) The saxophonist
Preston Love got his start with Lloyd Hunter in the early 1940s, as well as
Johnny Otis on drums. While describing North Omaha's music scene, Love once suggested that Hunter relied on that community's talent for his own success.
Anna Mae Winburn was an early collaborator with Hunter.
Nat Towles' band once out-played The Serenaders to make their own name in Omaha's music history. Hunter's band was also once the target of a "raid" by a major label attempting to construct their own version of
Count Basie's band, which was also formed after one-such raid. ==Legacy==