John Baptiste “Bat” Mosley

Drummer John Baptiste “Bat” Mosley (1893-1965) was born in Algiers, Louisiana, and was the brother of drummer Edgar Mosley. Bat began playing at age nine when his father gave him a snare drum but did not work professionally until about 1923, with Tom Albert, then Joe Harris’ Royal Jazz Band, and later with Kid Howard. Throughout his career Bat Mosley also performed regularly with brass bands, including Kid Rena’s, Henry Allen’s, and the Eureka.