The main types of cornet are the short model traditional model, also known as ‘Sheperd’s Crook’ shaped model, the long-model or ‘American-wrap’ cornet, and a third more rare and distinctive cornet, the ‘long cornet’. The Sheperd’s Crook shaped model are usually large-bore (having a large interior chamber) instruments with a rich mellow sound, and are preferred by cornet traditionalists. The American-wrap cornet has a smaller bore, brighter sound, and is visually closer to trumpets. The long cornet was produced by C.G. Conn and F.E. Olds in the mid-20th century, and looks nearly identical to a trumpet except for a receiver crafted to fit with cornet mouthpieces.

This early Conn cornett with both Elkhart and Worcester addresses was made shortly after the acquisition of Isaac Fiske’s shop (see Cornet in B flat with A bit (E 283) made by Isaac Fiske).

Some ensembles including cornets are brass bands, concert bands, fanfareorkests (found only in Netherlands, Belgium, Northern France, and Lithuania), jazz ensembles and symphony orchestras.

In old style jazz bands, the cornet was preferred to the trumpet, but since the swing era, it’s been largely replaced by the louder, more piercing trumpet. Cornets were phased out of big bands due to a growing taste for louder and more aggressive instruments, especially with the arrival of bebop post WWII. Jazz pioneer Buddy Bolden played the cornet, and Louis Armstrong started off on the cornet but his switch to the trumpet is often credited with beginning of the trumpet’s dominance in jazz.

A concise listing of influential cornetists is given by Michael West:

“Cornetists such as Bubber Miley and Rex Stewart contributed substantially to the Duke Ellington Orchestra’s early sound. Other influential jazz cornetists include Freddie Keppard, King Oliver, Bix Beiderbecke, Ruby Braff, Bobby Hackett, and Nat Adderley. Notable performances on cornet by players generally associated with the trumpet include Freddie Hubbard’s on Empyrean Isles by Herbie Hancock and Don Cherry’s on The Shape of Jazz to Come by Ornette Coleman. The band Tuba Skinny is led by cornetist Shaye Cohn.”

Listen to Armstrong’s Hot Five perform ‘Big Butter and Egg Man’ here: https://open.spotify.com/track/0jSwe2x5ALTfgSsx3uzQZ8?si=fc39b406042b41c8 The jazz song was written by Percy Venable for Louis Armstrong and May Alix. It was first recorded by Armstrong’s Hot Five; the original 1926 recording contains one of Armstrong’s most highly regarded cornet solos.