HMR Project: History of Music & Modern Recording

Swing Jazz & Midge Williams

Midge Williams

Photo: Bob Arnold Collection

Midge Williams was born somewhere in Oregon on 27 May 1915, but raised in Allentown, California. She began her music career in 1927 at age twelve as one of a vocal quartette formed with her three brothers which sang at churches in the Berkeley-San Francisco area. It was with pianist Roger Seguire that Williams toured China and Japan, making her debut recording in Japanese on 14 February 1934 in Tokyo, Japan ('St. Louis Blues'). Midge returned to California in April of 1934 where she found work in radio before moving to New York City in 1936.

'St. Louis Blues' Midge Williams w the Columbia Japanese Jazz Band

Williams' 1st recording to issue

14 Feb 1934 in Tokyo Matrix M38550 Columbia 28213

Trumpet: Fumio Nanri / Hisashi Moriyama / Masuo Obata

Trombone: Fujio Tsuruta Clarinet / arrangement: Thomas Missman

Tenor sax: Mitsuru Ashida / Jun Hashimoto / Shin Matsumoto

Piano: Roger Segure Guitar: Takashi Tsundoda

Bass: Ryo Watanabe Drums: Kazuo Tanaka

Composition: WC Handy 1914

'Dinah' Midge Williams w the Columbia Japanese Jazz Band

21 Feb 1934 in Tokyo Matrix M38568 Columbia 27874

Trumpet: Fumio Nanri / Hisashi Moriyama / Masuo Obata

Trombone: Fujio Tsuruta Clarinet / arrangement: Thomas Missman

Tenor sax: Mitsuru Ashida / Jun Hashimoto / Shin Matsumoto

Piano: Roger Segure Guitar: Takashi Tsundoda

Bass: Ryo Watanabe Drums: Kazuo Tanaka

Composition: Harry Akst / Samuel Lewis / Joseph Young

'Harlem on My Mind' Midge Williams

18 June 1936 in NYC 'The Fleischmann's Hour' radio broadcast for NBC

See Swing Time 2005 (CD)

Composition: Irving Berlin

'It Don't Mean a Thing / Mood Indigo' Midge Williams

25 June 1936 in NYC 'The Fleischmann's Hour' radio broadcast for NBC

See Swing Time 2005 (CD)

Composition (both titles): Duke Ellington / Irving Berlin

In 1937 Midge formed her own band, the Jazz Jesters. She enjoyed a stellar career in the latter thirties, playing Harlem venues such as the Cotton Club, the Apollo Theater [Wikipedia] and the Savoy Ballroom [Wikipedia] in New York City with a number of top-name musicians. She joined Louis Armstrong's operation in 1938 until hospitalized in Detroit for undetermined reasons. Returning to Armstrong's orchestra in 1943, she later worked clubs in NYC.

'I'm Getting Sentimental Over You' Midge Williams and Her Jazz Jesters

26 Feb 1937 in NYC Matrix M135-1 Variety 566

Trumpet: Dave Wade Clarinet: Pete Pumiglio

Tenor sax: Dave Harris Piano: Raymond Scott

Bass: Lou Shoobe Drums: Johnny Williams

Music: George Bassman 1932 Lyrics: Ned Washington

'In Any Language' Midge Williams and Her Jazz Jesters

10 June 1938 in NYC Matrix 23056-1 Vocalion 4177

Trumpet: Charlie Shavers Clarinet: Buster Bailey

Alto sax: Russell Procope Piano: Billy Kyle

Guitar: Danny Barker

Bass: Johnny Williams Drums: O'Neil Spencer

Composition: Harry Revel / Mack Gordon

'Why Is a Good Man So Hard to Find?'

Midge Williams w Lil Armstrong and Her Dixielanders

18 March 1940 in NYC Matrix 677333-A Decca 7803

Trumpet: Jonah Jones Alto sax: Don Stovall

Tenor sax: Russell Johns Piano: Lil Armstrong

Bass: Wellman Braud Drums: Manzie Johnson

Composition: Jimmy Davis

Williams headed for San Francisco in 1946 to sing at Mona's 440 Club. She made her her final recording on 17 April 1946 on the Jack Webb radio show. Come 1950 she was performing at the Longbar Showboat and Breakfast Club on Fillmore Street. She died of tuberculosis at only age 36 on 9 January of 1952.