Billy Arnold was an American pianist who was active in the New York area before he traveled to England to play dance music at the Hammersmith Palais de Danse (242 Shepherds Bush Road) in London in 1920. The band then headed for Paris in December of 1921. Arnold recorded again in the early 1930s as Billy Arnold et son Orchestre. When Django Reinhardt was just twelve years old he used to hang out in front of the l'Abbaye de Thélème resturant at Place Pigalle listening to Arnold's Band play. This was probably the first jazz that Django heard played live.

Thanks to Yves Francois and Luis Contijoch for thier help with this page.