Early jazz and dance band pianist born in Newport News, Virginia on December 25 of 1891.

It's likely that Briers received his first piano lessons as a kid, and later studied at some conservatory.

Briers married his sweetheart Evelyn Russell Groeble on September 6 of 1913 before the 2 newlyweds moved to New York, where Larry Briers obtained employment at the Rector Cafe from the 4th Street, place where he decided to use the artistic name of Larry Briers. It was there when he met clarinet player, violinist & future alto saxophonist Joseph Samuels, who hired him for his orchestra that also played in the Rector Café. Briers did his very first recordings with Samuels's Orchestra for the US branch of Pathé (which later became Pathé Actuelle) on January of 1919, and also recorded with Samuels for Okeh, Emerson, Lyric, the Plaza group (renamed ARC), Gennett, the NYRL group (including Paramount, Puritan, etc.), Arto, Bell, Grey Gull, Edison & Federal among other labels.
In addition to recording with the above mentioned Joseph Samuels's Orchestra (& his subset Synco Jazz Band (aka the Tampa Blue Jazz Band, Porter's Blue Devils (Gennett sessions from August 31 of 1923, October 11 of 1923 & November 12 of 1923) & Joseph Samuels's Jazz Band), Briers also managed to record with the Rega Orchestra for Okeh, Nathan Glantz's Orchestra (both under Glantz's own name & several pseudonyms such as The Merry Sparklers, for example) for several labels, the Blue Ribbon Trio for Okeh, Harry Reser's orchestra & trio (1922 to March of 1923), the Green Brothers Novelty Band (for Edison, Gennett & Okeh among other labels), etc.
Briers also accompanied the Harmonizers, Mamie Smith, Clarence Williams & many more vocalists & vocal groups, in addition to appearing on several of Joseph Samuels's violin recordings, some of Harry Reser's earliest banjo solos with piano accompaniment, etc.
And if that's not enough, he composed several tunes such as Just Suppose, Dew Drop, Satisfied, Oh, Joe (Please Don't Go), Parson Jenks, Page Paderewski (co-written with his boss Joseph Samuels & legendary pianist Pete Wendling), Fine Feathers & of course, Brother Low-Down, which can be considered Briers's greatest hit if we have in mind that it was recorded among others by Bert Williams for Columbia, Al Bernard for Victor, Edison & Brunswick, and of course, Joseph Samuels's (Synco) Jazz Band as the Tampa Blue Jazz Band for Okeh that also included Briers himself at the piano.

By 1940, Briers was now living in Franklin, Ohio with his wife Evelyn Russell Groeble & their son James L. Briers (born on 1924).

Briers is presumably dead in the period from 1960 or 1970 onwards.

ALBUMS


APPEARANCES +


Peacherine Ragtime Society Orchestra*, Andrew Greene
Elite Syncopations (Favorites From The Ragtime Era)
2017, CD, Album, Rivermont
Rudy Wiedoeft
Kreisler Of The Saxophone
1997, CD, Comp, Clarinet Classics,
Daisy Martin & Ozie McPherson
Complete Recorded Works 1921-1926 In Chronological Order
1997, CD, Comp, RM, Document Records (2),
Various
Female Blues Singers Volume 4: C (1921-1930)
1996, CD, Comp, Document Records (2)
Various
Boogie Woogie Story Vol. 2 (1923-1926)
1993, CD, Comp, Milan Jazz
Clarence Williams
1921-1924
1992, CD, ,
Swing/Piano Blues
Various
Early Ragtime Piano - 1913-1930
1977, LP, Album, Comp, RBF Records, Folkways Records
Jesse Fuller
Brother Lowdown
1972, ,
Country Blues
Ladd's Black Aces
Ladd's Black Aces
1968
Jesse Fuller
San Francisco Bay Blues
1965
The Merry Sparklers / Atlantic Dance Orchestra
There's Yes! Yes! In Your Eyes / Lazy
1924, Edison Disc, Edison Records
Nathan Glantz And His Orchestra / Ernest Stevens' Dance Orchestra
Tweet Tweet / There Are Some Things You Never Forget
1924, Edison Disc, Edison Records,
Nathan Glantz And His Orchestra
Mamma Loves Papa, Papa Loves Mamma / Easy Melody
1924, Edison Disc, Edison Records
The Merry Sparklers
There's Yes! Yes! In Your Eyes
1924, Cyl, 4min, Edison Blue Amberol Record
Lucky Strike Orchestra
She Wouldn't Do (What I Asked Her To) / Maybe (She'll Write Me, She'll Phone Me)
1924, Shellac, 10", The New Emerson
The Merry Sparklers, Arthur Hall (2) / Nathan Glantz And His Orchestra, Arthur Hall
Monkey Doodle / When Katinka Shakes Her Tambourine
1924, Edison Disc, Edison Records
The Top Notchers, Nathan Glantz And His Orchestra
Oklahoma Indian Jazz / Hula Lou
1924, Edison Disc, Edison Records
Glantz And His Orchestra* / Emerson Dance Orchestra
Tonight's The Night (I Should Be With You) / Driftwood
1924, Shellac, 10", The New Emerson
Maxsa's New-York Orchestra
Tea for Two / Back Where Back The Daffodils Grow
1924, Shellac, 10", Maxsa, ,
Dixieland
Willie Eckstein
Dizzy Fingers / Fine Feathers
1924, Shellac, 10", Okeh
Pete Wendling / Rudy Wiedoeft
Page Paderewski / Valse Yvonne
1924, Shellac, 10", Okeh
Glantz And His Orchestra* / The Melody Syncopators
Oh! Sarah! / Hinky Dinky Parlay Voo
1924, Shellac, 10", The New Emerson,
Fletcher Henderson And His Orchestra / Missouri Jazz Band*
Charley, My Boy / Doodle-Doo-Doo
1924
Lanin's Arcadians / Jos. Samuels' Music Masters*
A Smile Will Go A Long Long Way / Why Did I Kiss That Girl
1924
New Synco Band*
Do Doodle Oom / Land Of Cotton Blues
1924,
Lasses White* / Al Bernard
Sweet Mamma, Tree Top Tall / Parson Jenkins
1923, Shellac, 10", Columbia
Nathan Glantz And His Orchestra
Marcheta / La Mome Tango
1923, Shellac, 10", Gennett, ,
Tango
New Synco Jazz Band
House Of David Blues / Black Sheep Blues
1923, Shellac, 16", 120, Pathé Actuelle
Joseph Samuels' Orchestra
Page Mr. Paderewski / Dusting The Keys
1923, Shellac, 10", Perfect (3)
Blue Ribbon Trio
The First Waltz
1923, Shellac, 10", Okeh
Nathan Glantz And His Orchestra
Marcheta / La Mome Tango
1923, Shellac, 10", Starr Gennett
Georgia Jazz Band, Majestic Dance Orchestra
Louisville Lou / Long Lost Mamma
1923, Shellac, 10", Silvertone
Joe Samuels' Jazz Band*
Runnin' Wild / Loose Feet
1923
Joseph Samuels' Music Masters
Every Night I Cry Myself To Sleep Over You / Stealing To Virginia
1923, Shellac,
Lena Wilson And Nubian Five
Memphis Tennessee/ He Used To Be Your Man But He's My Man Now
1923
Mamie Smith And Her Jazz Band*
Sweet Cookie / Oh, Joe (Please Don't Go)
1922, Shellac, 10", Okeh
Helen Clark And Joseph Phillips*
Just Suppose
1922, Cyl, 4min, Edison Blue Amberol Record
Daisy Martin, Clarence Williams
Brown Skin (Who You For) / If You Don't Want Me (Please Don't Dog Me 'Round)
1922, Shellac, 10", Okeh
Reiser Trio*
Georgette / Kitten On The Keys
1922, Shellac, 10", Gennett
Apex Trio
Kitten On The Keys / One Sweet Smile
1922, Shellac, 10", Bro, Apex (3)
Billy Jones (4) - Vaughn De Leath / Helen Clark - Joseph Phillips*
Sweet Lady / Just Suppose
1922, Shellac, 10", Okeh
Mamie Smith And Her Jazz Band*
Down Home Blues / Arkansas Blues (A Down Home Chant)
1922
Bailey's Lucky Seven / Joe Samuels And His Master Players
Sweet Indiana Home / The Sneak
1922
Bailey's Lucky Seven / Joe Samuels And His Master Players
Hot Lips / Rosa
1922
Joseph Samuels' Jazz Band / Tampa Blue Jazz Band
13 I'm So Unlucky 13 / Dying With The Blues
1922
Reser Trio*
Lovin' Sam / Plantation Home
1922
Bailey's Lucky Seven / Joe Samuels And His Master Players
'Neath The South Sea Moon / I Wish I Knew
1922,
Joseph Samuels' Jazz Band
Pullman Porter Blues / Oh! Boy (I've Found The Baby For Me)
1921, Shellac, 10", Okeh
Joseph Samuels
Witch Of The Wave
1921, Cyl, 4min, Edison Blue Amberol Record
Mamie Smith & Her Jazz Band
Mamma Whip! Mamma Spank! / I'm Free, Single, Disengaged, Looking For Someone To Love
1921, Shellac, ,
Vocal
Al Bernard, Frank Kamplain, Ernest Hare
Oh, Joe (Please Don't Go) / The Moon Shines On the Moonshine
1920, Edison Disc, Edison Records
Joseph Samuels / John J. Kimmel
The Devil's Dream Medley / Haste To The Wedding
1920
Waldorf-Astoria Singing Orchestra* / The Synco Jazz Band*
Tell Me / Breeze (Blow My Baby Back To Me)
1919
Emerson Military Band / George Hamilton Green's Novelty Orchestra
I'm Homesick For You / My Cuban Dream
1918, Shellac, 10", Emerson Records (2)
Harry Reser
Echoes Of The Roaring Twenties (The Banjo King And His Jazz Pilots)
2xLP, Comp, Odeon, ,
Ragtime
Village Dance Trio / Village Dance Trio
Turkey In The Straw / Old Time Jigs And Reels
Shellac, 10", Sunrise (13)
Wabash Trio*
Turkey In The Straw / Arkansas Traveler