Clyde Hart
Source: Discogs
Born sometime in 1910 in Baltimore, Maryland, pianist, Clyde Hart, began his professional career in 1930 with Gene Coy, also playing with Jap Allen. The next year he joined Blanche Calloway's orchestra, making his first recordings with her Joy Boys. in Camden, New Jersey, on March 27, 1931: 'Just a Crazy Song', 'Sugar Blues', 'I'm Getting Myself Ready for You' and 'Loveless Love'. Hart joined Blanche in three more sessions in 1939, after which Tom Lord shows a gap of four years until he held his next session on 6 November 1935, again with Blanche on such as 'You Ain't Livin' Right' and 'Louisiana Liza'.
'Just a Crazy Song'
Clyde Hart (piano) w Blanche Calloway & Her Joy Boys
27 March 1931 in Camden NJ Matrix 68938-2 Victor 22661
Trumpet: Joe Keyes / Edgar Battle (arrangement) / Clarence Smith (vocal)
Trombone: Alton "Slim" Moore
Alto sax: Booker Pittman (clarinet) / Leroy Hardy
Tenor sax: Ben Webster Banjo / guitar: Andy Jackson
Tuba: Joe Durham Drums: Cozy Cole Vocal: Blanche Calloway
Composition: Bessie Smith / Clarence Williams
'I Got What It Takes'
Clyde Hart (piano) w Blanche Calloway & Her Joy Boys
18 Nov 1931 in Camden NJ Matrix 69786-1 Victor 22866
Trumpet: Henry Mason / Edgar Battle (arrangement) / Clarence Smith
Trombone: Alton "Slim" Moore
Alto sax: Ernest Purce (clarinet) / Leroy Hardy
Tenor sax: Charlie Frazier Banjo / guitar: Andy Jackson
Tuba: Joe Durham Drums: Cozy Cole Vocal: Blanche Calloway
Composition: Blanche Calloway / Clarence Williams
Upon leaving Calloway's operation in New York City in 1935, Hart began doing session work. Among the numerous luminaries with whom he recorded was Billy Holiday whose band he joined on 29 September 1936 toward such as 'A Fine Romance' and 'Let's Call a Heart a Heart'. He began supporting tracks by violinist, Stuff Smith, beginning in October of 1936 into 1938, reuniting in 1944. Hart got mixed with Hot Lips Page starting in 1941, also supporting Page's orchestra in 1944. He first recorded with Roy Eldridge in Chu Berry's band on 10 November 1938. He would back Roy's orchestra in 1940, 1941 and 1944. He and Chu would support Lionel Hampton's orchestra on a few occasions in 1939 before Hart backed Chu's band again in 1941. Clyde first made records with both Coleman Hawkins and Dizzy Gillespie in Hampton's band in September of 1939. He supported Hawkins' orchestra in 1944, also backing other operations like Cozy Cole's together. He recorded with Dizzy on several occasions in the next six years since 1939.
'Upstairs'
Clyde Hart (piano) w Stuff Smith and His Onyx Club Boys
18 Nov 1931 in Camden NJ Matrix 69786-1 Victor 22866
Trumpet: Jonah Jones Clarinet: Buster Bailey
Violin: Stuff Smith Guitar: Bobby Bennett
Bass: Mack Walker Drums: Cozy Cole Vocal: Blanche Calloway
Composition: Blanche Calloway / Clarence Williams
'Wizzin' the Wizz'
Clyde Hart (piano) w the Lionel Hampton Orchestra
5 April 1939 in NYC Matrix 035706-2 Victor 26233
Tenor sax: Jerry Jerome / Chu Berry Piano: Hampton
Guitar: Allen Reuss
Bass: Milt Hinton Drums: Cozy Cole
Composition: Hampton
'Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You'
Clyde Hart (piano) w Chu Berry and His Jazz Ensemble
28 Aug 1941 in NYC Matrix 4181 or 4181-2
Commodore 1508 or XFL15353
Trumpet / vocal: Hot Lips Page Tenor sax: Chu Berry
Guitar: Al Casey Bass: Al Morgan Drums: Harry Jaeger
Composition: Don Redman / Andy Razaf 1929
Clyde backed harmonica by Larry Adler in John Kirby's orchestra in January of 1944. Among other highlights of his career was Mildred Bailey for whom he worked per the CBS broadcast, 'Mildred Bailey and Company', on July 26, 1944. Several CBS broadcasts with Bailey followed into 1945. Hart also had occasion to work with Charlie Parker, commencing with the Tiny Grimes Quintet in September of 1944, then with his own All Stars in January of 1945, again the next month with the Dizzy Gillespie Sextet.
'Tiny's Tempo'
Clyde Hart (piano) w the Tiny Grimes Quintette
15 Sep 1944 in NYC 1 of 3 takes all issued on Savoy MG12001
Alto sax: Charlie Parker Guitar: Tiny Grimes
Bass: Jimmy Butts Drums: Doc West
Composition: Clyde Hart / Tiny Grimes
'I'll Always Love You Just the Same'
Clyde Hart (piano) w the Tiny Grimes Quintette
15 Sep 1944 in NYC Matrix S5711-1 or S5711-3
Savoy S5J5500 or SJL2201
Alto sax: Charlie Parker Guitar / vocal: Tiny Grimes
Bass: Jimmy Butts Drums: Doc West
Composition: Tiny Grimes
'Romance Without Finance'
Clyde Hart (piano) w the Tiny Grimes Quintette
15 Sep 1944 in NYC 1 of 4 takes Savoy S5J5500
Alto sax: Charlie Parker Guitar / vocal: Tiny Grimes
Bass: Jimmy Butts Drums: Doc West
Composition: Tiny Grimes
Hart didn't start running bands until his Hot Seven in 1944 followed by his All Stars in 1945. His last recordings were with the Dizzy Gillespie Sextet: 'Groovin' High', 'All the Things You Are' and 'Dizzy Atmosphere'.
'Smack That Mess'
Clyde Hart (piano) and His Hot Seven
19 Dec 1944 in NYC Matrix S5768 Savoy 542
Trumpet: Benny Harris
Alto sax: Herbie Fields Tenor sax: Budd Johnson
Guitar: Chuck Wayne
Bass: Oscar Pettiford Drums: Denzil Best Vocal: Joe Gregory
Composition: ?
'Dee Dee's Dance'
Clyde Hart (piano) and His Hot Seven
19 Dec 1944 in NYC Matrix S5769 Savoy 598
Trumpet: Benny Harris
Alto sax: Herbie Fields Tenor sax: Budd Johnson
Guitar: Chuck Wayne
Bass: Oscar Pettiford Drums: Denzil Best
Composition: Denzil Best
'Little Benny'
Clyde Hart (piano) and His Hot Seven
19 Dec 1944 in NYC Matrix S5770 Savoy 598
Trumpet: Benny Harris
Alto sax: Herbie Fields Tenor sax: Budd Johnson
Guitar: Chuck Wayne
Bass: Oscar Pettiford Drums: Denzil Best
Composition: Benny Harris
'Shoot the Arrow to Me Cupid'
Clyde Hart (piano) and His Hot Seven
19 Dec 1944 in NYC Matrix S5771 Savoy 542
Trumpet: Benny Harris
Alto sax: Herbie Fields Tenor sax: Budd Johnson
Guitar: Chuck Wayne
Bass: Oscar Pettiford Drums: Denzil Best Vocal: Joe Gregory
Composition: ?
'What's the Matter Now'
Clyde Hart and His All Stars backing Rubberlegs Williams
4 Jan 1945 in NYC Matrix W3301 Continental C6013
Trumpet: Dizzy Gillespie Trombone: Trummie Young
Alto sax: Charlie Parker Tenor sax: Don Byas
Piano / arrangement: Hart Guitar: Mike Bryan
Bass: Al Hall Drums: Specs Powell
Composition: Hart
'That's the Blues'
Clyde Hart and His All Stars backing Rubberlegs Williams
4 Jan 1945 in NYC Matrix W3301 Continental C6013
Trumpet: Dizzy Gillespie Trombone: Trummie Young
Alto sax: Charlie Parker Tenor sax: Don Byas
Piano: Hart Guitar: Mike Bryan
Bass: Al Hall Drums: Specs Powell
Composition: Rubberlegs Williams / Morty Shad
'Sorta Kinda'
Clyde Hart (piano) w James "Trummie" Young's All Stars
4 Jan 1945 in NYC Matrix W3307 Continental C6005
Trumpet: Dizzy Gillespie Trombone / vocal: Trummie Young
Alto sax: Charlie Parker Tenor sax: Don Byas
Piano: Hart Guitar: Mike Bryan
Bass: Al Hall Drums: Specs Powell
Composition: Trummie Young
'Good Bait' Clyde Hart (piano) w the Dizzy Gillespie Sextet
9 Jan 1945 in NYC Matrix W1224-W Manor 1042
Trumpet: Dizzy Gillespie Trombone: Trummie Young
Tenor sax: Don Byas
Bass: Oscar Pettiford Drums: Shelly Manne
Composition: Tadd Dameron / Count Basie 1944
'All the Things You Are'
Clyde Hart (piano) w the Dizzy Gillespie Sextet
From Hart's last-known session
28 Feb 1945 in NYC Matrix G556 Musicraft 488
Trumpet: Dizzy Gillespie Alto sax: Charlie Parker
Tenor sax: Don Byas Guitar: Remo Palmieri
Bass: Slam Stewart Drums: Cozy Cole
Composition: Jerome Kern / Oscar Hammerstein II
Sadly, Clyde was ill with tuberculosis and died on March 19, 1945, only 35 years old.
Sources & References for Clyde Hart:
VF History (notes)
Scott Yanow (All Music)
Recordings: Catalogs:
RYM (Clyde Hart)
RYM (Clyde Hart All Stars)
Recordings: Sessions:
DAHR (1931-44)
Jan Evensmo (solography / 1931-45)
Tom Lord: leading 3 of 108 sessions 1931-45
Bibliography:
Leonard Feather / Ira Gitler (The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz / Oxford University Press / 2007)
Authority Search: VIAF
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