Group & Last Name Index to Full History:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Tracks are listed in chronological order by year, then alphabetically.
Listings do not reflect proper order by month or day: later oft precedes earlier.
Find on Page = F3. Not on this page? See history tree below.
Featured on this page loosely in order of first recording if not record release (as possible).
Names are alphabetical, not chronological, per year:
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Caveats in the employment of this page: 1. It descends in chronological
order by the year the artist or band is first found on a commercial record
issue (ideally) by year only, alphabetical thereat. One musician above
another doesn't necessarily translate to earlier issue unless the year
changed. 2. Though release dates are the aim with links to YouTube, some
are recording dates and may not be everywhere clearly distinguished. 3.
Reissues are used to represent originals without much discussion. 4. Though
sweet dance orchestras aren't considered jazz proper they are included on
this page by association until later occasion permits more
distinct delineation. Until then they aren't that far off mark as they
were largely filled w jazz musicians and both got mixed along the way. |
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This page is not exhaustive. Other jazz musicians who began their careers during the period that this page covers are listed in Early Jazz 2, Swing and Modern Jazz. As for "jazz," it was once a sexual term as "jass". Both were used alternatively in early years until "jass" fell away to make "jazz" the common term. Both Webster's and the Oxford Dictionary of Music estimate its origin as of 1913. Its deeper roots may be purveyed by timelines at Jazz In America and All About Jazz. See also jazz history and theory at Jazz Standards; the Great American Songbook at 1, 2, 3; 20s Jazz; Scaruffi. At the origins of jazz are of two main stems, the one arising out of ragtime in New Orleans, with strong Creole and black influence. The other heralds largely from Chicago, also a transformation of ragtime, before moving onward to Harlem, St. Louis, Kansas City, etc.. New Orleans is generally considered the heart of jazz (come trumpet), where many musicians began their careers before merging with the Chicago limb (come sax). (This is true of the blues and boogie woogie as well, the Mississippi Delta the deep home of the blues, musicians often migrating to Chicago to join the blues scene there. Boogie woogie, the southern equivalent of ragtime, originated in eastern Texas, likely Marshall, about forty miles from Shreveport, Louisiana.) Though New York City was the third major hub of jazz, it is Hollywood that would wield the greater influence on the public due to film. Of all the major American musical genres perhaps the blues most eluded the influence of Hollywood. Sessions this page are largely Lord's Disco. See also Brian Rust's 'Jazz and Ragtime Records 1897 – 1942' at Mainspring Press. References to the Discography of American Historical Recordings (DAHR 1, 2) and Red Hot Jazz (RHJ 1, 2, 3) also point to sessions. See also Walter Bruyninckx' [1, 2, 3] '85 Years of Recorded Jazz 1917-2002 A-Z Complete' compared to Lord in 2011, Jørgen Grunnet Jepson, and Brian Rust 'Jazz and Ragtime Records 1897 – 1942' and 'Jazz Records 1917–1934'. A good source for lyrics for this period in jazz is Lyrics Playground. Ditto songwriting credits at Cafe Songbook, Jazz Standards, Songfacts and Second Hand Songs.
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| New Orleans is where
Buddy Bolden, considered by many to be the father
of jazz, transformed ragtime into jass and blues. Born in New Orleans in
Sep of 1877,
Buddy Bolden was the king of horn too early for recording, but he played with
many jazz musicians who held his abilities in high esteem when jazz was only
beginning to be called jass. Bolden had his own band in New Orleans for about
seven years before being committed, in 1907, to a mental institution, at age
thirty, for dementia praecox (schizophrenia). There he remained until his
death in 1931.
Jelly Roll Morton's
'Buddy Bolden's Blues' is based on Bolden's theme song, 'Funky Butt'. The
Baby Dodds Trio also did a
version. Among musicians
on this page of personal experience with Bolden are
Louis Armstrong,
Freddie Keppard,
King Oliver,
Kid Ory and
Bunk Johnson.
References: 1,
2,
3,
4. See also
HMR Project. Jelly Roll Morton 1939 Baby Dodds 1946 Buddy Bolden Blues Baby Dodds Trio Clarinet: Albert Nicholas Piano: Don Ewell
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Buddy Bolden Source: Off Beat
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Wilbur Sweatman Source: Berresford Rare Records |
Beyond Bolan and New Orleans,
we begin this page with a ragtime forbear to jazz. Born in 1882 in Brunswick,
Missouri,, bandleader
Wilbur Sweatman [1,
2,
3,
4] began his music career just
before the turn of the century, touring with circus bands. He was age 19 when
in 1901 he formed his first band. In 1903 or '04 Sweatman produced a cylinder
of 'Maple Leaf
Rag' (Scott Joplin) for
Metropolitan Music Stores. He also made one titled 'Peaceful Henry'
(Edward Harry Kelly). A clarinetist, he also played in minstrels and
vaudeville before recording on flat disc for the first time with Victor on
8 April 1913, that 'Down Home Rag' with the Victor Military Band. More
tracks following with Victor in '14 and '15, Sweatman would visit Victor
numerously over the years. In December of 1916, two takes each of 'Hawaiian Sunshine' and 'Down Home Rag'
went down for Emerson, first with the Emerson String Orchestra, next the Emerson String Trio. The next year Sweatman began recording for Pathe
with his Jass Band. In two sessions estimated in April or so Sweatman
recorded six tracks, among them 'Dance and Grow Thin' and 'Dancing an
American Rag'. Swetman issued above ten titles in both 1918 and '19.
Issues from 1919 alone exceeded 1,000,000 copies. Thenceforward, however,
he issued only slightly over ten titles throughout the twenties. He was
thought be a bit old-fashioned, more at novelty rag than progressive jazz.
Tom Lord's discography has Sweatman recording as late as two sessions on
March 26 and 27, 1935, for Vocalion: 'Battleship Kate', 'The Florida
Blues', 'Watcha Gonna Do' and 'The Hooking Cow Blues'. Among who played in Sweatman's band during its career
were Duke Ellington,
Cozy Cole and
Coleman Hawkins. Though
Sweatman may have been able to live on royalties alone he later worked as
a booking agent and music publisher. Sweatman died
in NYC, having lived in Harlem, in 1961. Discographies:
45Worlds,
DAHR,
Discogs,
RYM.
Wilbur Sweatman 1916 Composition: Sweatman Wilbur Sweatman 1918 Composition: Henry Ragas Composition: Hart Wand Composition: Turner Layton/Henry Creamer Composition: Lukie Johnson Composition: Joseph Robinson/Spencer Williams Composition: Robert King Composition: Victor Arden/Wheeler Wadsworth Wilbur Sweatman 1919 Composition: Euday Bowman Wilbur Sweatman 1924 Composition: Sweatman Wilbur Sweatman 1926 With the Dixie Trio Composition: Pearl With the Dixie Trio Composition: Billy Rose/Harry Woods
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Another ragtime forbear to jazz was James Reese Europe. Born in 1880, Europe is the earliest bandleader to play at Carnegie Hall, that with his Clef Club Orchestra in 1912. Though not quite a jazz band at the time, his was a ragtime orchestra that over a period of several years would embrace early jazz. After Europe's appearance at Carnegie Hall he changed the name of his band to the Society Orchestra and, with the assistance of dancers Irene and Vernon Castle, helped introduce the foxtrot [Louisiana Five] to the American public. Europe first recorded in 1913 with the Victor Talking Machine Company. He was well-known as the leader of the army band, the Hellfighters, during World War I. But peacetime was more dangerous for Europe than wartime, as in November of 1919 in Boston one of his drummers, Herbert Wright, stabbed him in the neck, killing him, having become impassioned during a conversation with Europe concerning his treatment of band members. References for Europe encyclopedic: 1, 2, 3, 4. All Music/ Parlor Songs/ University Nebraska. James Europe and World War I: 1, 2, 3. Catalogs: DAHR, Discogs. Facebook tribute page. Further reading: 1, 2. James Europe 1913 Composition: Cecil Macklin James Europe 1914 Composition: Europe James Europe 1919 How You Gonna Keep 'Em Down On the Farm Composition: Walter Donaldson
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James Reese Europe Source: Red Hot Jazz |
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| Bandleader
Meyer Davis
[1,
2,
3]
was born in Jan of 1893 in Ellicot City, Maryland, to form his first band in 1915.
Davis led hotel dance bands which weren't precisely jazz. But dance/hotel
bands were closely related such as with swing, and commonly accommodated jazz musicians.
As there is some measure of mesh I've presently
lumped such bands under jazz until the day I demarcate them better. Meyers became the band at the Chevy Chase
Lake amusement park the next year. Davis is documented to have made his first recordings
in 1916 as well: 'The Old Brick House', 'Pua I Mohala' and two versions of 'On
the Beach at Waikiki' [DAHR]. Unfortunately nothing earlier than 1925 is found
at YouTube. Davis made a long career of supplying
entertainment to country clubs and hotels on the East Coast. He and his
band appeared in the film short, 'Everybody Likes Music', in 1934.His bands
also performed at several Presidential inaugural balls. Though not
currently well known, Davis' career stretched six decades until his
death
on 5 April 1976. Catalogues: 1,
2. Meyer Davis 1925 Music: Billy Rose Lyrics: Cliff Friend Music: Ed Nelson/Larry Vincent Lyrics: Harry Pease Composition: Al Sherman/Jack Meskill/Raymond Klages Music: Walter Donaldson Lyrics: Cliff Friend Composition: Russell Tarbox Meyer Davis 1929 Composition: Silver/Sherman/Lewis Composition: Charles, Harry & Henry Tobias Meyer Davis 1930 Vocal: Scrappy Lambert Composition: Whiting Meyer Davis 1933 Did You Ever See a Dream Walking Music: Walter Donaldson Lyrics: Cliff Friend Composition: Irving Berlin Music: Harry Warren Lyrics: Al Dubin
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Meyer Davis Photo: University of Maine Source: Travalanche |
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| Born Theodore
Leopold Friedman in
1890 in Circleville, Ohio, clarinetist and vocalist
Ted Lewis
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5]
first recorded in 1917 with the Earl Fuller Jass Band. His first releases
with Fuller were 'Slippery Hank' and 'Yah-De-Dah' from a session on June 4
in New York City. By 1919 Lewis had his
own band and a recording contract with Columbia, largely to take on the
enormously popular
Original Dixieland Jass
Band recording for Victor. By the latter twenties Lewis' band
had come to rival
Paul Whiteman's claim to audience.
His first issues with his own band were 'Wond'ing' and 'Blues My Naughty
Sweetie Gives to Me' (Columbia A2798) from a session on September 5, 1919. Lewis began
to appear in films in 1929, adopting his trademark top hat (to become
exhausted) about that time. He and his band performed well into the
sixties, including Las Vegas. Lewis died in 1971 of lung failure. His
signature song had been the vaudeville tune, 'Me and My Shadow', composed
in 1927 by Billy Rose and Dave Dreyer. Though famously finishing
performances with 'Me and My Shadow', the only known recording of that by Lewis
was for an album cut or issued in July 1956 (RKO Records ULP-143 and Unique Records LP 108).
Catalogs for Lewis: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6.
Lewis on Broadway.
In visual media.
The earliest tracks below are Lewis on clarinet, vocals not a lot later. All tracks for
1917 below are with the Earl Fuller Jass Band. Ted Lewis 1917 Composition: Arthur Pryor Composition: Countess Ada De Lachau Arrangement: JL Burbeck With Earl Fuller's Famous Jazz Band Arrangement: Frank Panella With Earl Fuller's Famous Jazz Band Composition: F.H. Losey Ted Lewis 1919 Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives to Me 2nd recording issued as a bandleader Composition: Arthur Swanstone/Carey Morgan/Charles McCarron Ted Lewis 1920 Composition: George Mallen/Ted Lewis Composition: Johnny Noble Ted Lewis 1922 Composition: Henry Lange/Henry Busse Ted Lewis 1924 Composition: Abel Baer/Cliff Friend Ted Lewis 1925 Composition: Jelly Roll Morton/Leon Roppolo/Paul Mares Composition: Richard Fall/L. Wolfe Gilbert Ted Lewis 1926 Vocal: Sophie Tucker Composition: Shelton Brooks 1910 Composition: W. C. Handy Music: Bill Munro Lyrics: Andrew Sterling/Ted Lewis Ted Lewis 1927 Composition: Irving Berlin Composition: Shelton Brooks 1917 Ted Lewis 1928 Composition: Larry Shields/Henry Ragas (ODJB) Music: Ted Fiorito Lyrics: Sam Lewis/Joe Young Ted Lewis 1929 Composition: Elmer Schoebel/Leon Roppolo/Paul Mares Ted Lewis 1930 Composition: W. C. Handy On the Sunny Side of the Street Music: Jimmy McHugh Lyrics: Dorothy Fields Rights possibly sold to McHugh by Fats Waller Ted Lewis 1931 Piano & vocal: Fats Waller Music: Hart Wand Lyrics: Lloyd Garrett Music: J. C. Johnson Lyrics: Andy Razaf Composition: Walter Doyle Short film Trumpet: Red Nichols Trombone: Jack Teagarden Piano & vocal: Fats Waller Composition: Fats Waller/Alexander Hill Text German: Julius Brammer 1924 Music: Leonello Casucci 1928 Text English: Julius Brammer 1929 Piano & vocal: Fats Walle Composition: Clarence & Spencer Williams Ted Lewis 1933 Music: Hoagy Carmichael Lyrics: Johnny Mercer Ted Lewis 1934 Composition: Mort Dixon/Allie Wrubel Ted Lewis 1943 Film: 'Is Everybody Happy?' Ted Lewis 1956 Music: Dave Dreyer Lyrics: Billy Rose Possibly Al Jolson
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 Ted Lewis
Source: Wkikwand |
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Original Dixieland Jazz Band Source: Riverwalk Jazz |
It was about the time of World War I that ragtime made the major shift form jass to jazz (albeit slightly sooner in the South, such as New Orleans). Among the earliest to record jazz was the Original Dixieland Jazz Band (Original Dixieland Jass Band), its first release in 1917 with 'Livery Stable Blues' (Victor 18255). The same year they appeared in the silent film, 'The Good for Nothing'. By 1919 the band was plenty popular to head to London where they also recorded. The next year they began touring the United States until 1924. Despite their name, the Dixieland Jazz Band had been formed in Chicago in early 1916 as Stein's Dixie Jass Band, first performing at Schiller's Cafe on March 3, 1916, consisting of Johnny Stein (drums), Alcide Nunez (clarinet), Eddie Edwards (trombone), Henry Ragas (piano) and Frank Christian (cornet), the last soon replaced by Nick LaRocca [1, 2, 3] who became leader and main composer of what eventually became the ODJB (Original Dixieland Jass Band) to play its first gig at Reisenweber's Cafe in Manhattan in early 1917. Stein had been replaced at drums in June of '16 by Tony Sbarbaro. Clarinetist, Larry Shields, had replaced Nunez in October of '16. Ragas would die flu the next year on February 18, 1919, his replacement J. Russell Robinson. The group dissolved in 1925, upon a nervous breakdown by LaRocca, though later versions of the band reformed until 1946. References: 1, 2, 3, 4. Discos w various credits: 1, 2, 3. Sessions per Brian Rust. Archived recordings. RYM. Smithsonian. Current ODJB. Per below, personnel on 'Original Dixieland One-Step' was Nick LaRocca (cornet), Larry Shields (clarinet), Eddie Edwards (trombone), Henry Ragas (piano) and Tony Sbarbaro (drums). "One-Step" is an alternate designation for the foxtrot. Original Dixieland Jazz Band 1917 Composition: Nick LaRoca 1917 Composition: Shelton Brooks 1917 Composition: Nick LaRocca RHJ adds J. Russel Robinson/Joe Jordan Original Dixieland Jazz Band 1918 Clarinet: Larry Shields Composition: Larry Shields/Henry Ragas Original Dixieland Jazz Band 1920 Composition: Con Conrad/J. Russel Robinson Composition: Con Conrad/J. Russel Robinson Original Dixieland Jazz Band 1921 Composition: Tom Delaney Original Dixieland Jazz Band 1923 Composition: Shelton Brooks
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| Born in 1889 in Indianapolis,
Noble Sissle, bandleader and vocalist,
had sung in a couple quartets during and after graduating from high
school. He attended De Pauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, on
scholarship and Butler University in Indianapolis. Sissle had formed his
first band by 1915 to perform at the Severin Hotel in Indianapolis. He is perhaps
most famous for his partnership with
Eubie Blake early in his
career.
Blake and Sissle first
worked together in 1915 in Baltimore in Joe Porter's Serenaders. They
collaborated as songwriters, their first being 'It's All Your Fault'.
Sissle's first known recording may have included
Blake on piano, that about
April of 1917 under the direction of Domenico Savino: 'Mammy's Little
Choc'late Cullud Chile' (Pathe cylinder 20210), composed by Sissle and
orchestrated by
Blake. Sissle recorded
several more tunes with Pathe in 1917 before joining
James Europe's
369th Regimental Band in 1918 as a violinist, vocalist and forming member,
they having joined the U.S. Army together during World War I. After the
War, Europe and Sissle made
more recordings as Sissle formed another songwriting partnership with
Blake. They co-authored
'On Patrol in No Man's Land' for issue by Europe in '19.
Blake and Sissle also
worked on vaudeville together as
the Dixie Duo. Tom Lord's discography
has them recording again circa December, 1919, on 'I'm Just Simply Full of
Jazz' and 'Ain't Cha Coming Back, Mary Ann, to Maryland?'.
Blake wrote the music and
Sissle the lyrics to their musical, 'Shuffle Along', premiering in
Washington DC in March of 1921. In 1923 the pair
starred in a couple of Lee DeForest's Phonofilms titled 'Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake' and 'Sissle and Blake Sing Snappy Songs'.
Sissle released recordings steadily throughout his career, many occurring
in England in 1925-26 and 1928-30. Sissle gave
Lena Horne one of the big breaks
of her early career by hiring her to tour with his orchestra circa 1936.
During World War II Sissle entertained troops in Europe. He played at
Eisenhower's inauguration in 1953. Lord's discography has
Blake and Sissle recording
together again in 1958 and 1969. Sissle died in Tampa, FL, on 17 Dec 1975 after working as a disc jockey.
References encyclopedic: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Musicals. Discos for Sissle w various
credits: 1,
2,
3.
For Sissle & Blake: 1,
2.
For Sissle & his Sizzling Syncopators: 1,
2.
For Sissle & his Orchestra: 1,
2. For Sissle's
Swingsters: 1,
2.
LOC.
Sissle in visual media.
Other profiles: 1,
2,
3. Noble Sissle 1919 With James Reese Europe Noble Sissle 1921 Piano: Eubie Blake Composition: Perry Bradford Noble Sissle 1923 Piano: Eubie Blake Composition: Alberta Hunter/Lovie Austin Piano: Eubie Blake Composition: Billy Baskette Noble Sissle 1929 Composition: Sissle Composition: Walter Donaldson/Edgar Leslie Composition: Sissle I'm Crooning a Tune About June Composition: Davis/Cooke Noble Sissle 1930 Composition: Sissle You Can't Get to Heaven That Way Composition: Irving Caesar/Seymour Simons Noble Sissle 1931 Pathetone performance Composition: Jack Yellen/Milton Ager Pathetone performance Composition: Walter Donaldson Noble Sissle 1933 Composition: W.C. Handy 1914 Noble Sissle 1936 Vocal: Lena Horne Composition: Billy Rose Vocal: Lena Horne Composition: Fred Rose/Ed Nelson Noble Sissle 1938 Sissle's Swingsters Composition: Sidney Bechet/Rousseau Simmons
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Noble Sissle Photo: Carl Van Vechten Source:: Wikiwand |
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| Born in 1893 in France, then spending his
childhood in Greece and Russia, bandleader Jean Goldkette
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5]
emigrated to the United States with an uncle in 1911. Studied in classical piano, Goldkette
is reported to have made at least one
piano roll
in 1916 ('La Seduccion')
for a company called Imperial. On 17 June 1918 he made a trial recording
in NYC of 'Aunt Patsy' with saxophonist, Duane Sawyer. This appears in
Victor ledgers without a matrix number, nothing else about it known [DAHR].
Goldkette did, however, issue recordings in 1918, backing Sawyer on
'Sinbad' and 'Going Up' per
Gennett 8512-B. When this session went down is
obscure but the disc was advertised in the 31 August 1918 edition of the
Saturday Evening Post
[see also multiple undated Sawyer in the
Gennett Sound Recording Collection of 1917-1930]. Goldkette became a U.S. citizen
by joining the U.S. Army in 1918 toward the end of World War I. Upon
discharge in 1920 he headed for Chicago where he formed his first
orchestra to perform at the roof garden of the
La Salle Hotel. That
configuration included himself at piano, two violins, xylophone, cello and
Sawyer at saxophone. Sometime in 1920 or 1921 Goldkette acquired
employment as music director of the
Detroit Athletic Club where he
gathered together a band of twelve members. Remaining musical director of
the DAC for nearly twenty years, this is probably where Goldkette's
orchestra did its first recordings for Victor in Detroit. Goldkette
purchased the
Graystone Ballroom
with Charles Horvath toward its grand
opening on 27 Feb 1922 [At Detroit Forum
/
Music Origins Project /
Setlist].
This is where the Jean Goldkette Orchestra performed when not as the
Victor Recording Orchestra. Costing about six quarters for a couple to buy
entrance to this dance venue, the Graystone would be Detroit's major
ballroom for decades to come. Goldkette also acquired residency at the
rooftop of the
Book-Cadillac Hotel perhaps as early as 1924, that
skyscraper of 33 stories built to completion the year before. Albeit Goldkette was a fine pianist, arranger and director he soon less performed
with his orchestra than worked at the business of locating venues for
bands that he formed, to become more than twenty of them under the
umbrella of 'Jean Goldkette's Orchestras and Attractions' which office was
located at the Book-Cadillac where Owen A. Barlett directed Goldkette's
Book-Cadillac Orchestra. Goldkette made his earliest known recordings w
his orchestra in March of 1924 [Lord]. Gone down in Detroit on the 27th were 'In the
Evening' (Victor 19308), 'Where the Lazy Daisies Grow' (Victor 19308), 'My
Sweetheart' (Victor 19313) and 'Eileen' (Victor 19327). The next day
witnessed 'Fox Trot Classique' (Victor 19345) and 'Cover Me Up with
Sunshine' (Victor 19317) 'Chanson Bohemienne' unissued. Dates later in
November in Detroit saw such as 'I Want to See My Tennessee' (Victor
19548) and the waltz, 'Honest and Truly' (Victor 19528). Lord's drops
Goldkette in '25 but has him recording numerously in '26 in NYC and
Chicago commencing w 'The Rose Brought Me You' and 'After I Say I'm Sorry'
on 27 Jan in NYC, those unreleased. 'After I Say I'm Sorry' went down
again on the 28th with 'Dinah' for issue on Victor 19947. Goldkette's
orchestra employed
numerous big names in early jazz including
Bix Beiderbecke,
Joe Venuti,
Eddie Lang,
Pee Wee Russell and
Spiegle Willcox. Goldkette
had also put together the Cotton Pickers and
Glen Gray's Orange Blossoms, which
would become the Casa Loma Orchestra under
Gray. Goldkette's industry in business was
with an appetite to attempt more than he could chew. Beginning to
experience inability to pay his musicians, many migrated to the orchestra
of Paul Whiteman in 1927. Beiderbecke joined them, though perhaps more for
reason that he didn't read music, which was a necessity with Goldkette's
type of operation. Goldkette held his last known studio session for the
next thirty years on 27 July 1929 in Chicago. The last recorded to see
issue was 'An Old Italian Love Song'. Goldkette's organization at the Graystone had been the major light of the Roaring Twenties in Detroit since at least 1922. This wasn't to last, as in 1935 he declared bankruptcy and left the industry of popular dance. He didn't, however, cease to form orchestras, for in the latter thirties he returned to classical piano and organized the American Symphony Orchestra in 1939 to debut at Carnegie Hall. Three decades after his last recordings in 1929 he returned to popular genre once more, putting together an orchestra toward the 1959 album, 'dance hits of the 20's in stereo', which are thought his final tracks. Goldkette moved to California in 1961 and died of heart attack the following year on 24 March 1962 in Santa Barbara. Sessions: 1, 2, Tom Lord. Discographies: 1, 2, 3. Jean Goldkette 1924 Composition: Clarence Jones W. R. Williams (Will Rossiter) Composition: Walter Donaldson Jean Goldkette 1926 Composition: Harry Akst/Sam Lewis/Joe Young I'd Rather Be the Girl in Your Arms Composition: Walter Donaldson/Abe Lyman Composition: Ned Miller/Chester Conn Jule Styne/Benny Krueger Composition: Frank X. Galvin/Robert E. Spencer Jean Goldkette 1927 Composition: Walter Donaldson/Abe Lyman Composition: Arthur Sizemore/George Little Composition: Phil Charig/Ira Gershwin Jean Goldkette 1928 Composition: Buddy De Sylva/Lew Brown/Ray Henderson That's What I Call Sweet Music Jean Goldkette 1929 Music: Harry Akst Lyrics: Grant Clarke Painting the Clouds with Sunshine Music: Joe Burke Lyrics: Al Dubin For the film 'Gold Diggers of Broadway' Composition: Richard Whiting/Neil Moret
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Jean Goldkette Source: Michihisa Ishikawa |
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Clyde Doerr Source: Vitaphone Varieties |
Saxophone player,
Clyde
Doerr [1,
2,
3],
had been born in Kinderhook, Michigan, in 1894. He studied violin by day at the King Conservatory in San Jose,
CA, while cruising
the watering holes by night, the latter convincing him that it was saxophone he ought pursue. Though after graduation he had worked as a conductor
he began his career in dance music as a member of a combo at the Techau Tavern in
San Francisco. Doerr first recorded in 1919 with the
Art Hickman Orchestra. (In
the sample below he is indistinguishable, joining Bert Ralton, also on
sax.) His first releases as a bandleader occurred in 1921. Doerr's career
largely consisted of leading hotel bands while recording both in his own
name and as a sessions player. His issue of 'Suez' in 1922 charted at #5
in January 1923. Doerr doesn't show up on the charts again, but his
combination of running dance bands and recording in whatever capacity must
have been lucrative, for he lost $50,000 upon the stack market crash of
1929. Doerr quit the music business around 1939 to study chiropractic for four years.
But chiropractic didn't work for Doerr so he moved back to California in
1943. By the end of World War II he was a tool and die maker at Schlage
Lock in Oakland until retirement, after which he began to sell real estate
in Foster City (southwest across the Bay) about 1969. Doerr
died in obscurity in San Mateo, California, on August 6, 1973. Discographies w various
credits: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6. Clyde Doerr 1919 With the Art Hickman Orchestra Composition: Herbert Claar Clyde Doerr 1921 Composition: Albert Von Tilzer Composition: Ted Snyder Clyde Doerr 1922 Composition: Frank Anderson/Harry Bryant/Robert Spencer Composition: Clyde Doerr Composition: Ferde Grofé/Peter de Rose Composition: Justin Ring When the Leaves Come Tumbling Down Composition: Richard Howard Clyde Doerr 1927 What Do We Do On a Dew Dew Dewey Day Composition: Al Sherman/Charles Tobias/Howard Johnson You Can't Cry Over My Shoulder Composition: Alex Marr/Will Mahoney/Bobby Heath You Sing That Song to Somebody Else Clyde Doerr 1928 Music: Vivian Ellis Lyrics: Collie Knox
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Ted Fio Rito Source: Wikiwand |
Born Teodorico Salvatore Fiorito in 1900 in
Newark, New Jersey, Ted Fio Rito
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8,
9], pianist, bandleader
and composer, is thought to have first recorded in January of 1919 with an
ensemble led by Harry Yerkes [1,
2] called the Novelty Five. That tune was
'Bo-la-bo' for the Little Wonder label [Lord's]. Fio Rito appeared on
numerous recordings with Yerkes well into 1920, the same year he began to
record with both the Green Brothers Jazz Band and the Happy Six. It isn't
certain if Fio Rito contributed to the composition, 'Toot, Toot, Tootsie',
in 1921, otherwise credited to Dan Russo, Gus Kahn and Ernie Erdman.
'Toot, Toot, Tootsie' was written for the musical, 'Bombo', premiering on
October 6, 1921 by Al Jolson. This composition would become something of
the banner tune of the Roaring Twenties, reaching #9 on the charts in
February of 1923 as recorded by Billy Jones & Ernest Hare on Okeh 4726. In
the meantime, in latter 1921 Fio Rito joined a band led by Russo [1,
2], of which he became co-leader
the following year, the Oriole (Terrace) Orchestra, playing at the Oriole
Terrace in Detroit. They also recorded in 1922, their first issue 'Oriole
Blues' recorded in June. Fio Rito's composition, 'Soothing', had
been recorded the previous month by the All Star Trio; All Star Trio
Orchestra. In February of '24 Ampico issued Fio Rito's piano roll
performance of 'Sleep'. The meanwhile he and Russo continued
leading the Oriole Orchestra, Russo leaving in
1928, after which Fio Rito took the ensemble on tour, renaming it the Edgewater
Beach Hotel Orchestra upon ending up at the Mark Hopkins Hotel in San Francisco.
His first releases with that orchestra occurred the same year in 1929. Fio
Rito's claim to fame was largely via radio in the thirties. Though his popularity
diminished in the forties he continued to perform in Chicago, Arizona and
Las Vegas until his death of heart attack on June 27, 1971, in Scottsdale.
Among numerous of his contributions to composition were titles co-authored
w Gus Kahn [1,
2,
3] such as 'Drifting Apart' for the Jean Goldkette Orchestra in
'26 and 'Nothin' On My Mind' for the Ted Weems Orchestra in '28.
Discographies w various credits at 1,
2,
3,
4.
Fio Rito in visual media.
Ted Fio Rito 1919 With Harry Yerkes' Novelty Five Thought to be Fio Rito's 2nd recording Composition: Maceo Pinkard Ted Fio Rito 1923 Composition: Spencer Williams Ted Fio Rito 1924 Composition: Charlie Davis/Walter Melrose Composition: Art Kassel/Vic Burton Ted Fio Rito 1925 Vocal: Mark Fisher Music: James Monaco Lyrics: Sidney Clare Ted Fio Rito 1929 Vocals: The Mariners Music: Ted Fio Rito Lyrics: Gus Kahn Music: Ted Fio Rito Lyrics: Sam Lewis/Joe Young Ted Fio Rito 1932 Composition: Green/Bryan/Monaco Vocal: Muzzy Marcellino Composition: Ann Ronell Ted Fio Rito 1934 Music: Richard Rodgers Lyrics: Lorenz Hart Freckle Face, You're Beautiful Composition: Cliff Friend/Carmen Lombardo Music: Harry Warren Lyrics: Al Dubin Vocal: Muzzy Marcellino Composition: Edgar Leslie/Fred Ahlert Ted Fio Rito 1936 Composition: Charles & Nick Kenny Vocal: Muzzy Marcellino Ted Fio Rito 1937 Composition: Géo Koger/Henri Varna Rudy Vallee/Vincent Scotto Ted Fio Rito 1939 From the film 'Idiot's Delight' Music: Earl Brent/Herbert Stothart Lyrics: Gus Kahn From Prozorovsky's 'Kak Stranno' Ted Fio Rito 1942 Film: 'Rhythm Parade' Composition: Will Harris/Victor Young Ted Fio Rito 1950? Vocal: Joy Lane Music: Poss Ted Fio Rito/Dan Russo Lyrics: Prob Gus Kahn/Ernie Erdman
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|
| Born in 1886 in Oakland, CA, bandleader
Art Hickman
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5], also a drummer and pianist, was among
the first to expand the small hotel dance band (typically a quintet or sextet) into
a full hotel dance orchestra. This is about the time that swank hotels
began to become major venues for the foxtrot-inclined on a Saturday night.
Hickman began his career as a bandleader at the St. Francis Hotel (335
Powell Street) in San Francisco in 1914 [Gracyk]. Starting with a sextet,
his band would gradually grow to 21 members.
Hickman also composed or collaborated on numerous titles. He and Harry Williams
wrote 'Rose Room' in 1917, issued by Prince's
Military Band the next year. DAHR traces Hickman with his Orchestra to as
early as 15 September 1919 per 'Rose of Mandalay' (Herbert Claare), the
first matrix of several that day (78653 toward Columbia A2917). Hickman
played in the 1920 and 1926 editions of the
Ziegfeld Follies. Like
Paul Whiteman below, Hickman's
was among the first to transition from a hotel dance band toward a hotel "sweet" band, that is,
geared for popular dance, but making room for the inevitable influence of
jazz. Good later examples of a
"sweet" band are the swing orchestras of
Benny Goodman or
Sammy Kaye. Hickman died of Banti's syndrome
on 16 January 1930.
Discographies w various credits: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Art Hickman 1919 Composition: Oliver Wallace Composition: W. C. Handy Composition: George Hulton Composition: Neil Moret/Harry Williams Music: Charles Johnson Lyrics: James Royce Composition: Maceo Pinkard Art Hickman 1920 Composition: Louis Silvers/Chris Schonberg Composition: Louis Hirsch Composition: Vincent Rose/Frank Magine/Phil Goldberg Composition: Phil Goldberg/Frank Magine Composition: Irving Berlin Composition: John Schonberger Art Hickman 1921 Art Hickman 1925 Composition: Nacio Herb Brown Art Hickman 1927 Composition: Ted Fio Rito
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Art Hickman Source: Discogs |
|
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Louisiana Five Photo: Collection of Eugene Nunez Source: Wikimedia Commons
|
The Louisiana Five [1, 2] originated in New York City. Their first recordings were in latter 1918 for issue the next year, but the group would disband in 1920. Drummer Anton Lada was the group's leader. Other members were pianist Joe Cawley, trombonist Charlie Panelli, banjoist Karl Berger and clarinetist Alcide "Yellow" Nunez. Like many of the musicians on this page, one of the reasons for the popularity of such as the Dixieland Jazz Band and the Louisiana Five was dancing, in particular the foxtrot (aka One-Step [1, 2]). In music, melody that moves the mind or provokes a tear is one thing; inspiring people to shake a limb is another. Thus a few brief words as to dance are due at the fore of this history. Ballroom dancing (ballet and the jig as well, for that matter) had been around since the 16th century. Come the minuet in the 17th century, popular especially with the French nobility, the square dance for folks with barns in England about the same period, that to go country in the US and country western upon the influence of jazz. In the latter 18th century Charles III had allowed Spanish gypsies to present flamenco to the general public. In the early 19th century came the waltz as formal dance spread from palaces to the general population [See Johann Strauss I]. The waltz remains popular to this day (as well as the tango [1, 2, 3], originating in Argentina at about the same time). But the waltz never gained the popularity of the foxtrot in association with ragtime [1, 2, 3]. The invention of the foxtrot is often credited to vaudeville actor, Harry Fox, in 1914. The dance was also introduced to the American public by ballroom dancers Irene and Vernon Castle about the same time. The foxtrot followed ragtime into jazz 'til come the jitterbug [1, 2] with swing. Major to rock n roll some twenty years later was the twist [1, 2] in the early sixties. Other early jazz musicians who addressed the foxtrot included King Oliver, Paul Whiteman, Jelly Roll Morton and Rudy Vallee. As for the Louisiana Five, discos w various credits: 1, 2, 3. Archived recordings. Other profiles: HMR Project. Louisiana Five 1919 Composition: Eddie Green Composition: Albert Von Tilzer Composition: Russel Robinson/Spencer Williams Composition: Anton Lada/Yellow Nuñez/Joe Cawley Composition: Anton Lada/Yellow Nuñez/Joe Cawley
|
Harry Fox Foxtrot Initiator Source: Wikipedia
Irene & Vernon Castle Foxtrot Initiators Source: Ballroom Chick
|
| Born in 1898 in Roosevelt, New York,
Dixieland trombonist Miff Mole
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5], may
have first recorded as a member of the Original New Orleans Jazz Band
circa March, 1919. Those tracks on Gennett 4508 were 'Ja-Da Medley' and 'He's Had No
Lovin' for a Long, Long Time'. Lord's comments he may have been a possible
replacement for Frank Lhotak. Discogs prefers Lhotak on those. Lord's next has Mole backing Leona Williams (not
easily
confused with the later C&W singer) on six tunes in three sessions in 1922
before his first tracks with the Original Memphis Five recorded in April 1922:
'Gypsy Blues' and 'My Honey's Lovin' Arms'. Mole was in big demand backing
countless groups and musicians in the twenties, including Ladd's Black
Aces, Jazzbo's Carolina Serenaders, the Ambassadors, Sam Lanin, the Cotton
Pickers, Bailey's Lucky Seven, Ray Miller, the Hottentots, Lou Gold,
Perry's Hot Dogs and
Roger Wolfe Kahn. Mole
played alongside
Red Nichols on cornet or
trumpet in
many of those groups: Bailey's Lucky Seven, Sam Lanin, the Cotton Pickers,
the Hottentots and Lou Gold. Mole also recorded with
Red Nichols' Red Heads in
November of '25, issuing 'Fallen Arches', 'Nervous Charlie' and 'Headin'
for Louisville'. Nichols
began supporting Mole's Molers the next year, they also beginning to work
together as Nichol's Five Pennies. Mole began working
in radio in 1927, first WOR in New York City, then NBC until 1938. He then
joined Paul Whiteman's orchestra
for a couple of years, followed by working with
Benny Goodman until 1943. Mole
performed largely in Chicago after that, until 1954. He died on 29 April 1961 in NYC.
Discographies: 1,
2,
3,
4.
At RedHotJazz: 1,
2,
3,
4.
HMR Project. Miff Mole 1919 With the Original New Orleans Jazz Band Possibly Mole if not Frank Lhotak Composition: William Tracey/Maceo Pinkard With the Original New Orleans Jazz Band Possibly Mole if not Frank Lhotak Composition: Bob Carleton Miff Mole 1922 With the Original Memphis Five Composition: M.K. Jerome/Harry De Costa Miff Mole 1923 With the Cotton Pickers Composition: Bowen/Berbedeaux With the Cotton Pickers Composition: J. Russel Robinson Miff Mole 1924 With Sophie Tucker Music: Roy Ingraham Lyrics: King Zany/Billy Du Val Miff Mole 1925 Composition: Phil Napoleon/Frank Signorelli Composition: Elmer Schoebel With the Original Memphis Five Composition: Phil Napoleon/Frank Signorelli Miff Mole 1926 Cornet: Red Nichols Composition: Randolph Cornet: Red Nichols Composition: Jack Yellen/Milton Ager/Lew Pollack Miff Mole 1927 With Sophie Tucker Music: Turner Layton Lyrics: Henry Creamer With Sophie Tucker Composition: Roger Graham/Spencer Williams With Roger Wolfe Kahn and His Orchestra Composition: Al Dubin/Roger Wolfe Kahn Composition: Fud Livingston Guitar: Eddie Lang Composition: Maurice Gunsky/Nat Goldstein Guitar: Eddie Lang Composition: Paul Dresser Cornet: Red Nichols Composition: Ralph Lillard/Teddy Krise Miff Mole 1928 Composition: Richard Rodgers Composition: Buddy De Sylva/Lew Brown/Ray Henderson Miff Mole 1929 Clarinet: Jimmy Dorsey Composition: Henry Creamer/Turner Layton Cornet: Red Nichols Music: Lew Pollack 1914 Miff Mole 1930 With Irving Mills & his Hotsy Totsy Gang Composition: Henry Creamer/Turner Layton
|
Miff Mole Photo: William P. Gottlieb Source: Wikipedia |
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| Bandleader
Isham Jones
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6]
grew up in a mining family in Michigan to trade coal for tenor saxophone.
Born in 1894 in Coalton, Ohio, he put together his
first orchestra in 1911. His first of 52 titles to reach the Top Ten was
'Kismet' in Oct 1920 at #4. His initial of six to ring the bell at #1 was 'Wabash Blues' in
Dec 1921, that selling a million copies. Recording prolifically during his
career, his was the
orchestra backing Al Jolson's
'California, Here I Come!' when it reached #1 in May of 1924. Jones later
backed both Bing Crosby
and the Three X Sisters
on tracks in 1932. Clarinetist,
Woody Herman, was a member of
Jones' band in the mid thirties. Among his major collaborators were
lyricists, Gus Kahn [1,
2,
3]
and Charles Newman. Jones died on 19 Oct 1956 of cancer in
Hollywood, Florida. Discographies w various credits: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
Jones in visual media.
HMR Project. Isham Jones 1920 Composition: Joseph McCarthy/Harry Tierney 'Introducing 'Soft and Low" Composition: Magine/Biese/Westphal Isham Jones 1921 Composition: Earl Burtnell Composition: Nathaniel Shilkret Composition: Brahen/Weeks Composition: Fred Meinken Isham Jones 1923 Composition: Gene Rodemich/Larry Conley Composition: Jules Buffano Composition: Leland Roberts Music: Isham Jones Lyrics: Gus Kahn Composition: Ted Snyder Isham Jones 1924 Music: Isham Jones Lyrics: Gus Kahn In the Land of Shady Palm Trees Composition: Lyman/Arnheim/Freed Music: Isham Jones Lyrics: Gus Kahn Music: Isham Jones Lyrics: Gus Kahn Composition: Elmer Schoebel/Billy Meyers Gus Kahn/Ernie Erdman Composition: Gus Kahn/Phil Spitalny/Stubby Gordon Isham Jones 1925 Composition: Bud Green/Harry Warren Composition: Walter Donaldson Composition Cecil Mack/James P. Johnson Isham Jones 1930 I'll Be Blue, Just Thinking of You Composition: George Whiting/Pete Wendling Composition: Charles O'Flynn/Max Rich/Al Hoffman Vocal: Eddie Stone Music: Isham Jones Lyrics: Charles Newman Music: Isham Jones Lyrics: Charles Newman Isham Jones 1932 Composition: Fred Coots/Roy Turk Composition: Bernie/Jones/Newman Sentimental Gentleman from Georgia Music: Frank Perkins Lyrics: Mitchell Parish Isham Jones 1933 Isham Jones 1934 Music: Richard Rodgers Lyrics: Lorenz Hart Isham Jones 1947 Vocal: Curt Massey Music: Isham Jones 1911 Lyrics: Gus Kahn 1922
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Isham Jones Source: Second Hand Songs |
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|
Born in 1898 in Newport, Kentucky, sax player Andy Kirk released his first recordings with Clouds of Joy in 1929. Raised in Denver, Kirk began playing professionally in the band of George Morrison, he found on Morrison's issue of 'I Know Why' in 1920, recorded in NYC. Kirk also performed in Terrence Holder's band called the Dark Clouds of Joy, which Kirk changed to Clouds of Joy [1, 2, 3] upon assuming leadership in 1928. Pianist Mary Lou Williams was an original member of that twelve-piece band which played their first gigs in Kansas City (relocated from Dallas). She is found with Kirk on the first tracks he laid with his Clouds of Joy in September of '29: 'Mess-a-Stomp', 'Blue Clarinet Stomp' (two takes) and 'Cloudy'. Kirk recorded steadily with one version or another of his orchestra into latter 1946, though they issued tracks as late as '49 and '56. Among releases in '56 was the album, 'A Mellow Bit of Rhythm' (reissued as 'Clouds from the Southwest' the same year). Though Kirk thereafter remained professionally active he had to take employment as a hotel manager as well, also working in real estate. Kirk died on 11 Dec 1992 in NYC. References: 1, 2, 3, 4. Discographies: Discogs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8; DAHR; 45Worlds. Other profiles: 1, 2, 3. Andy Kirk 1920 With George Morrison Kirk's 1st recording issued Composition: Davis/Morgan/Warshauer Andy Kirk 1929 Composition: Kirk Composition: Kirk Composition: Kirk Composition: Mary Lou Williams/Kirk Composition: Mary Lou Williams Composition: Mary Lou Williams/John Williams Andy Kirk 1930 Composition: Alexander Hill/Bob Causer Andy Kirk 1931 Composition: Mary Lou Williams Andy Kirk 1936 Until the Real Thing Comes Along Composition: Sammy Cahn/Saul Chaplin/Lawrence Freeman Andy Kirk 1944 Composition: Mary Lou Williams
|
Andy Kirk Source: Big Band Library |
|
| Born in 1903 in New York City,
Adrian Rollini
[1,
2,
3,
4] was
a multi-instrumentalist band leader, playing drums, piano,
bass saxophone, xylophone, etc.. Though Rollini may have made earlier
piano rolls (for such as Aeolian, DeLuxe and QRS), his first documented
instance thus identified is 'I've Got the Blues for My Kentucky Home' made
for Republic in 1920. Brian Rust traces Rollini on flat disc to as early
as April 1922 with the California Ramblers in NYC. The California Ramblers
had been formed by vocalist, Ed Kirkeby, for Columbia Records and led by
banjoist, Ray Kitchenman. Kirkeby would also variously direct. The
California Ramblers scratched their first tracks on 17 November 1921 per
'(Sheik of) Araby' and 'Georgia Rose' issued in January of 1922 on
Vocalion 14275 [45Worlds]. As Kirkeby managed the group Kitchenman
remained with the band while leadership passed to violinist, Arthur Hand.
Rust finds Rollini playing bass sax with the California Ramblers on 3
April 1922 for 'Tell Her at Twilight'. 'My Honey's Lovin' Arms' and
'Little Grey Sweetheart of Mine' followed on the 6th and 7th. Hand would
depart from the Ramblers in 1925, leaving leadership
of the band to Rollini, who continued forming subgroups like the Five
Birmingham Babies, the Varsity Eight, the Vagabonds, the Little Ramblers, the Goofus Five,
and the University Six. In addition to leading bands Rollini was in high demand as a session musician with a long thread of big
name musicians. He also arranged, composed and performed in clubs and
hotels. Beyond music, Rollini's love was boating, both speed and fishing.
Upon retiring in the fifties Rollini invested in hotels. In 1956 Rollini
was involved in an auto accident requiring hospitalization for a nigh
severed foot. Sometime during the next eighteen days at the James Arthur
Smith Hospital in Homestead, Florida, he was exposed to mercury, then died
of poisoning the fifteenth of May. Rollini was inducted into the Big Band
and Jazz Hall of Fame in 1998. Discographies w various credits: 1,
2,
3.
At RedHotJazz: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
Select compilations: 1,
2.
Rollini in visual media.
Another of those musicians who thought he
had to play every instrument made, Rollini performs on piano and vibes in
latter examples below. Adrian Rollini 1922 The California Ramblers Composition: Herman Ruby/Joseph Meyer Adrian Rollini 1924 The Little Ramblers Composition: Anton Lada/Spencer Williams The California Ramblers Composition: Charlie Davis The California Ramblers Composition: Charles Bates The California Ramblers Composition: George Meyer Golden Gate Orchestra Composition: Irving Brodsky/Bill Moore Golden Gate Orchestra The Varsity Eight Composition: Brown/Beda/Egen Golden Gate Orchestra Composition: Arthur Sizemore/George Little/Larry Shay Adrian Rollini 1925 The Little Ramblers Composition: Ray Henderson/Billy Rose/Lew Brown The Little Ramblers Composition: Haegncy/Reed/Steele/Schafer Adrian Rollini 1926 The California Ramblers Composition: Benny Davis/Harry Akst/Harry Richman The Five Birmingham Babies Composition: Adrian Rollini The Goofus Five Composition: Holden/O'Brien/Roberts The California Ramblers Composition: Ray Henderson Adrian Rollini 1927 The Goofus Five Composition: Harry Warren/Henry Creamer The California Ramblers Music: Milton Ager Lyrics: Jack Yellen Composition: Buddy DeSylva/Lew Brown/Ray Henderson The California Ramblers Music: Milton Ager Lyrics: Jack Yellen The Goofus Five Composition: Gus Meuller/Bert Johnson/Henry Busse Adrian Rollini 1928 Under the Moon With Fred Elizalde Composition: Ev E. Lyn/Francis Wheeler/Ted Snyder Adrian Rollini 1934 Composition: Bix Beiderbecke Vocal: Ella Logan Music: Isham Jones Lyrics: Gus Kahn Composition: Joe Young/Ned Washington/Victor Young Composition: Rose/Webster/Loeb Composition: George Gershwin Buddy De Sylva Ballard MacDonald Composition: Edna Alexander/Maceo Pinkard/Sidney Mitchell Composition: Nick LaRocca (ODJB) Music: Al Goodhart Lyrics: Ralph Freed Adrian Rollini 1935 The Tap Room Gang Vocal: Jeanne Burns Adrian Rollini 1937 Bass sax: Rolliniy Piano: Jackie Russin Drums: Buddy Richy Music: Jerome Kern Lyrics: P. G. Wodehouse Adrian Rollini 1938 Composition: W. C. Handy 1914 Film Music: Sholom Secunda Lyrics: Sammy Cahn/Saul Chaplin Adrian Rollini 1948 Live Composition: Gabriel/Marie/Raymond Scott Loch Lomond Live Composition: Flora Donaldson 1900 Live Composition: Friedrich von Flotow Live Contrabass: George Hnida Guitar: Allen Hanlon Composition: Chopin (Op.64 No. 1) Adrian Rollini 1949 Liza Recorded radio broadcast Music: George Gershwin Lyrics: Ira Gershwin/Gus Kahn Recorded radio broadcast Composition: Johnnie Camacho/Noro Morales
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Adrian Rollini Source: Hit & Run |
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Paul Whiteman Source: Big Band Library
|
Band leader and composer Paul Whiteman, was born in 1890 in Denver. His father was a music supervisor for Denver Public Schools, his mother a former opera singer. As Paul played viola and violin, he was employed by the Denver Symphony Orchestra by 1907, trading that for the San Francisco Symphony in 1914. Joining the Navy in 1918, he led a military band at Mare Island in California through World War I. Whiteman formed a band upon discharge from active duty, then took it to New York City in 1920 as a popular dance operation. Whiteman was leading his Ambassador Orchestra at the Ambassador Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey, when on August 9 of 1920 he recorded 'Wang Wang Blues' to issue on Victor 18694 and HMV B-1178 (UK), other titles not released. DAHR has him recording thirteen titles to issue from August through December of 1920. Whiteman, a huge name in music, was called the King of Jazz "with certainty and dignity" by Duke Ellington, which should settle any quibble that Whiteman wasn't Louis Armstrong. Jazz has been a widely accommodating genre concerning which various jazz purists have ever severed the "real" jazz from the peripheral. First it was early musicians like James Europe or Wilbur Sweatman whom some thought never quite made it to jazz, basically remaining ragtime musicians, the real stuff beginning with Buddy Bolden in New Orleans. Then during the swing era there were those who swung, like Cab Calloway at the Cotton Club in Harlem or Ella Fitzgerald just getting out of bed vs those who delivered nice watered down liquor in the form of the hotel dance band with "sweet" jazz between by such as Sammy Kaye. Such blurred rifts most notably occurred upon the rise of popular music, especially with the emergence of film. One variety of jazz purism rejected the freestyle, ranging from but noise to pieces highly difficult to perform, that arose in the sixties, Albert Ayler perhaps the most notorious. There were the popular crooners from Perry Como to Dean Martin whom some choked to hear being called jazz alongside such as, say, Cannonball Adderley (who ventured into freestyle). As for Whiteman, his own concerns with jazz were in the greater atmosphere of orchestrating for the dance venue, and popular he definitely was. He is perhaps most famous for his performance of George Gershwin's 'Rhapsody in Blue' (composed 1924) in the 1930 film 'King of Jazz'. Between 1920 and 1934 Whiteman scored 32 No. 1 spots on the charts, his last two in 1934: 'Smoke Gets In Your Eyes' and 'Wagon Wheels'. It was Whiteman who launched the careers of Bing Crosby (: 'Old Man River' w Bix Beiderbecke in '28) and Mildred Bailey (: 'All of Me' and 'When It's Sleepy Time Down South' in '31) along the way of arranging more than 3000 tunes. He died 29 Dec in 1967 in Pennsylvania. More Whiteman under Bing Crosby. References encyclopedic: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Musical: 1, 2, 3, 4. Red Hot Jazz: 1, 2. Archived recordings. Discos w various credits: 1, 2, 3, 4. Whiteman in visual media. Whiteman on Broadway. Paul Whiteman Orchestra members. Further reading: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. See also Volumes 1 and 2 of 'Paul Whiteman: Pioneer in American Music' by Dan Rayno covering 1890 to 1967. HMR Project. Paul Whiteman 1920 Music: Richard Whiting Lyrics: Raymond Egan Music: John Schonberger Lyrics: Malvin Schonberger Paul Whiteman 1922 Composition: Fred Fisher Composition: Walter Donaldson Composition: Zez Confrey Music: Julián Robledo 1919 Lyrics: Dorothy Terriss 1921 Composition: Zez Confrey Paul Whiteman 1923 Composition: Byron Gay Paul Whiteman 1924 Music: Isham Jones Lyrics: Gus Kahn Composition: Vincent Rose Paul Whiteman 1926 Music: Ray Henderson Lyrics: Buddy DeSylva/Lew Brown With Bing Crosby Composition: Walter Donaldson Composition: Chester Wallace/Sherman Myers Composition: Gus Kahn//Irving Mills/Walter Donaldson With Franklyn Baur Composition: Lucien Boyer/Jacques Charles Clifford Grey/José Padilla Sánchez Paul Whiteman 1928 Composition: Benny Meroff/Hal Dyson/Sam Coslow With Bing Crosby Composition: Oscar Hammerstein/Jerome Kern Composition: Irving Berlin Music: Sam Stept Lyrics: Bud Green Paul Whiteman 1929 Composition: Dick Winfree/Phil Boutelje Paul Whiteman 1930 With Jack Fulton Composition: Edward Heyman/Robert Sour Frank Eyton/Johnny Green Composition: George Gershwin Film: 'King Of Jazz' Paul Whiteman 1934 With Bob Lawrence Composition: Otto Harbach/Jerome Kern With Bob Lawrence Composition: Billy Hill/Peter DeRose Paul Whiteman 1945 Composition: Lindsay McPhail/Walter Michels
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Buster Bailey Source: Last FM |
Born in 1902, though
Buster Bailey (not to be confused w
the drummer born 20 years later) also played alto and soprano sax
his main instrument was clarinet. Bailey began his professional career in
1917 with the WC Handy Orchestra
at age fifteen. After touring with that band for a couple years he joined
Mamie Smith and her Jazz
Hounds, his first recordings with that outfit in two sessions on February
21, 1921, recording 'Jazzbo Ball', 'What Have I Done', 'That Thing Called
Love' and 'Old Time Blues'. Bailey accompanied Smith on clarinet on
several more tracks into January of 1923 (at least one track on alto sax
in '21 as well). He then joined the Erskine Tate Vendome Orchestra, recording
'Cutie Blues' and 'Chinaman Blues' with that band on June 23, 1923. That
same year Bailey laid a few tracks with Joe
King Oliver's band. Meeting
Louis Armstrong in
Oliver's
band, he followed
Armstrong from Chicago to New York,
there to join
Fletcher Henderson's
orchestra in 1924, recording numerously with Henderson that year. (He had
already laid a couple tracks with
Henderson's Novelty
Orchestra in June of 1921 with vocalist, Katie Crippen.) Also in '24
Bailey contributed to tunes for
Ma Rainey,
Alberta Hunter,
Clarence Williams,
the Red Onion Jazz Babies (with Louis and Lil Armstrong),
Trixie Smith,
Bessie Smith (with whom he would
record numerously) and Clara Smith.
In 1925 Bailey began recording extensively with both
Henderson
and
Williams (as well as
others) into the latter thirties. In 1927 Bailey toured Europe with
Noble Sissle's band, of which
he would also be a member from 1931 to 1934. Bailey first appeared in film
in 1933 as of 'That's the Spirit'. (In 1947 he appeared in 'Sepia Cinderella'
with Kirby, and in 1965, 'When the Boys Meet the Girls' with
Louis Armstrong.) He
worked with innumerable notable names, but a few among them being double
bassist, John Kirby (1934 to
1946), the Mills Blue Rhythm Band (1934-35),
Henry Red Allen (1935),
Roy Eldridge (1936),
Teddy Wilson,
Billie Holiday,
Willie Smith (1937),
Maxine Sullivan (1937-38),
Midge Williams and Her Jesters (1937-38),
Rosetta Howard (1938),
Red Norvo
(1938),
Mildred Bailey (1938-39),
Wingy Manone (1939) and
Wild Bill Davison
(1961-62). In 1965
Bailey joined the All Stars, continuing his longstanding friendship with
Armstrong. He died
of heart attack in Brooklyn two years later on 12 April 1967. References: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Discographies: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Bailey in visual media.
Buster Bailey 1921 With Mamie Smith Thought to be Bailey's 1st recording Composition: Marion Dickerson With Mamie Smith Thought to be Bailey's 2nd recording Composition: Andy Razaf/J.C. Johnson Buster Bailey 1923 With Erskine Tate Composition: Gene Burdette With Erskine Tate Composition: Gene Burdette Buster Bailey 1934 With Red Allen & Benny Carter Composition: Buster Bailey/Irving Mills With the Seven Chocolate Dandies Composition: Gene Rodemich/Larry Conley With the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra Composition: Fletcher Henderson Buster Bailey 1937 Composition: Buster Bailey Buster Bailey 1938 With the Rhythm Busters Composition: Buster Bailey/Irving Mills Buster Bailey 1939 With Helen Proctor & Red Allen Composition: Lew Pollack/Jack Yeller Buster Bailey 1951 With Red Allen Composition: WC Handy Buster Bailey 1958 With Red Allen Composition: Larry Shields/Henry Ragas (ODJB) Buster Bailey 1961 Live performance Composition: Jelly Roll Morton
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Born in Georgia in 1897, pianist and band leader, Fletcher Henderson, was major rival to Paul Whiteman, albeit their audiences were largely as different as white from black, Henderson's the latter. It was a bit, though not entirely, like the diff between a Canadian "doo wop" group (Whiteman from Colorado) vs a Harlem doo wop group, the latter the genuine article. Henderson traveled to New York in 1920 to acquire his master's in chemistry. But employment as of 1921 as recording director for the new Black Swan label pulled him away from science toward music. It was 1921 that Henderson put together his Novelty Orchestra to back Katie Crippen on 'Blind Man Blues' and 'Sing 'Em for Mamma, Play 'Em for Me'. He backed several vocalists on recordings that year, including Alberta Hunter and Ethel Waters, the latter with whom he toured. In 1922 Fletcher employed alto saxophonist, Don Redman, as his arranger. Among the more notable who played in Henderson's organization through the years were Benny Carter, Buster Bailey, Coleman Hawkins, Louis Armstrong, Henry Red Allen, Chu Berry, Doc Cheatham, Roy Eldridge and Sun Ra. Henderson was an important figure in the development of big band swing, noted for his arrangements and compositions for Benny Goodman. He died in NYC on 29 Dec 1952. References encyclopedic: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Musical: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Discographies w various credits: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Henderson in visual media. Henderson w Armstrong and Hawkins: Tim Harding. Fletcher Henderson 1921 Vocal: Katie Crippen Henderson's 1st recording issued Composition: Green/Clarke Sing 'Em for Mamma, Play 'Em for Me Vocal: Katie Crippen Take 1 of 2 Henderson's 2nd recording issued Sing 'Em for Mamma, Play 'Em for Me Vocal: Katie Crippen Take 2 of 2 Henderson's 3rd recording issued Vocal: Lulu WhidbyComposition: Harry Akst/Irving Berlin Vocal: Lulu WhidbyComposition: Henry Creamer/Turner Layton Fletcher Henderson 1923 With Coleman Hawkins Composition: Williams/Dowell Fletcher Henderson 1924 Music: Ted Fio Rito Lyrics: Gus Kahn Fletcher Henderson 1925 Music: Isham Jones Lyrics: Gus Kahn Fletcher Henderson 1926 Composition: Fletcher Henderson Composition: Williams/Kahn/Verges Fletcher Henderson 1927 Composition: Louis Prima Composition: Paul Whiteman/Fats Waller/Jo Trent
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Fletcher Henderson Source: Jazz-O-Rama |
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Charlie Fess Johnson Source: Archive Org |
Charlie "Fess" Johnson,
bandleader and pianist, was notable for his band, the Paradise Ten, which
played at Small's Paradise Club in Harlem from 1925 to 1935. Though far from a
contender to any major audience, he led a competent band for some time
in the heart of jazz in NYC and scratched some tracks along the way. Born in
Philadelphia in 1891, Johnson is thought to have begun recording with Mary
Stafford and her Jazz Band, accompanying her on piano for two sessions of
two tracks each in 1921 in New York City for Columbia [Lord's]. The January session
yielded 'Royal Garden Blues' and 'Crazy Blues'. The March session wrought
'I'm Gonna Jazz My Way ' and 'Down Where They Play the Blues'. Johnson
first recorded with his Paradise Orchestra circa February 1925: 'Don't
Forget' and 'Medlin' with the Blues'. The next year found him laying
tracks with Duke
Ellington's Memphis Bell Hops. Johnson changed the name of his
orchestra to the Paradise Ten for issues in '27 and '28. In September of
'28 he contributed to 'Dusky Stevedore' and 'Take Your Tomorrow' with the
Southern Stompers led by pianist, Mike Jackson. Johnson also laid tunes
that month with his orchestra renamed to the Paradise Band. It was simply
His Orchestra for releases in mid 1929, recordings to follow with
Tiny Parham in November of
1930 in Chicago and
Louis Armstrong for
radio broadcast at the Zoo Concert Hall, the Hague, Netherlands, in
November of '33: 'You Rascal You' and 'Dinah'. Johnson died in NYC on December 13 of 1959.
References: 1,
2,
3,
4.
RHJ: 1,
2.
Discogs: 1,
2.
HMR Project. Charlie Fess Johnson 1921 With Mary Stafford and Her Jazz Band Composition: Perry Bradford With Mary Stafford and Her Jazz Band Composition: Spencer & Clarence Williams Charlie Fess Johnson 1925 Composition: Edgar Dowell Charlie Fess Johnson 1927 Composition: Fess Johnson/Thomas Morris Composition: Jelly Roll Morton Composition: Fess Johnson/Thomas Morris Charlie Fess Johnson 1928 Composition: Fess Johnson
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Leo Reisman Source: Swing Time |
Born in 1897 in Boston,
Leo Reisman was a pianist and
violinist who came to greater renown as a sweet dance band
leader. He is therefore mentioned at the periphery of jazz (though Lord's
includes a partial sessionography). Going by
DAHR, Reisman first recorded
to issue on 9 Jan 1921 in NYC toward 'Love Bird'/'Bright Eyes' released the same
year per RYM
on Columbia 3366.
Several tracks in NYC in 1923 included 'My Electric Girl' (Columbia A3960)
and 'Havana' (Columbia A3975). Come such as 'Maybe'/'Heartaches' on
Columbia 75 D in 1924. It was with Reisman
that vocalist, Lee Wiley, first recorded in
1931 per 'Take It from Me (I'm Talking to You)' (Victor 22757). Per Music
VF Reisman's most popular issues were 'The Wedding of the Painted Doll'
('29), 'Paradise' ('32) and 'The Continental (You Kiss While You're
Dancing)' ('34), all topping the charts. Reisman died
on 8 December 1961 in New York City. References:
1,
2,
3.
Discographies 1,
2,
3.
Reisman at YouTube.
In other visual media.
Collections: New York Public Library.
HMR Project. Leo Reisman 1921 Composition: M.K. (Maurice) Jerome/Otto Motzan Leo Reisman 1926 Composition: Ray Henderson Composition: Walter Donaldson Leo Reisman 1927 Music: Ted Snyder Lyrics: Irving Kahal/Francis Wheeler Music: José Padilla Lyrics: Leo Robin Music: Pete Wendling Lyrics: James Monaco/Alfred Bryan Music: Emmerich Kálmán/Herbert Stothart Lyrics: Otto Harbach/Oscar Hammerstein Leo Reisman 1928 Composition: B. G. Hawkins Music: Harry Warren Lyrics: Mort Dixon Leo Reisman 1929 Music: Kay Swift Lyrics: James Warburg/Paul James Composition: Archie Gottler/Con Conrad/Sidney Mitchell Music: Oscar Levant Lyrics: Sidney Clare Music: Milton Ager Lyrics: Jack Yellen Music: Walter Donaldson Lyrics: Gus Kahn Music: Ralph Rainger Lyrics: Howard Dietz Music: Richard Whiting Lyrics: George Marion Composition: Cole Porter Music: Jerome Kern Lyrics: Oscar Hammerstein Leo Reisman 1930 Vocal: Frances Maddux Composition: Edward Heyman/Robert Sour Frank Eyton/Johnny Green Composition: Irving Berlin Composition: Cole Porter What Is This Thing Called Love Composition: Cole Porter Leo Reisman 1931 Composition: Pierre Norman/Sammy Fain/Irving Kahal Music: Burton Lane Lyrics: Harold Adamson Music: Arthur Schwartz Lyrics: Howard Dietz Music: Johnny Green Lyrics: Edward Heyman Music: Nacio Herb Brown Lyrics: Gordon Clifford Composition: Jerome Kern/Otto Harbach Music: Vincent Youmans Lyrics: Harold Adamson/Mack Gordon Leo Reisman 1932 Music: Harry Warren Lyrics: Al Dubin Leo Reisman 1933 Vocal: Clifton Webb Composition: Irving Berlin Composition: Jerome Kern/Otto Harbach For the musical 'Roberta' Composition: Jerome Kern/Otto Harbach Leo Reisman 1934 Composition: Leo Robin/Sam Coslow Leo Reisman 1935 Music: Jerome Kern Lyrics: Oscar Hammerstein II You and the Night and the Music Music: Arthur Schwartz Lyrics: Howard Dietz
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Frank Trumbauer Source: Jimbo Berkey |
Born in 1901 in Carbondale, Illinois, saxophonist Frank Trumbauer, part Cherokee, began directing his own band in 1927. His first recordings were with the Gene Rodemich Orchestra in November of 1920 for Brunswick, likely released the next January, among which were 'Castle of Dreams', 'Margie', 'June' and 'Treasure Isle'. Trumbauer recorded a couple unissued tracks with Joe Kayser in January of '21 before, the same month, commencing to record with the Benson Orchestra of Chicago into latter 1923. 1924 saw Trumbauer with the Ray Miller Orchestra, the Mound City Blue Blowers and the Arkansas Travelers before recording with Bix Beiderbecke (cornet), Rube Bloom (piano), Miff Mole (trombone), Min Leibrook (tuba) and Vic Moore (drums) in the Sioux City Six on October 10, releasing 'Flock o' Blues' and 'I'm Glad'. Trumbauer and Beiderbecke would be close companions in the music business. They would record again together in the orchestra of Jean Goldkette in 1926 and '27 before recording in each other's various orchestra's that year as well. Trumbauer's first recordings as a leader were shared with both Beiderbecke and guitarist, Eddie Lang, in that capacity on February 4 of '27 in NYC, yielding 'Trumbology', 'Clarinet Marmalade' and 'Singin' the Blues'. One could account Trumbauer's partnership with Beiderbecke to be a busy one in '27, they recording together with Paul Whiteman's orchestra in November. They would appear on numberless titles under Whiteman until Beiderbecke's last tracks with that orchestra on November 13, 1929: 'Waiting at the End of the Road' and 'When You're Counting the Stars Alone'. (Beiderbecke quit Whiteman to work with Hoagy Carmichael. He plays cornet in nigh all the samples below.) Trumbauer's relationship with Bloom was a productive one as well. They had first recorded together for Okeh Records in the Arkansas Travelers about May of '24 ('Georgia Blues' and 'Lost My Baby Blues'). They would perform together with Ray Miller, the Sioux City Six, the Cotton Pickers and the band of Sam Lanin. Mole had recorded with Trumbauer since Ray Miller on April 23, 1924 ('Lots o' Mama' and 'From One Till Two'). They'd issued titles together in the Arkansas Travelers and Sioux City Six (above), and set tracks together again with Ray Miller, then the Cotton Pickers. Trumbauer remained with Whiteman for eight years, after which he worked with a couple more of his own bands in the latter thirties until abandoning music to become an aviator in 1940. Trumbauer worked as a test pilot and trained crews in the operation of the B-52 bomber during World War II. Though he continued performing and recording after the war he remained employed with the Civil Aeronautics Authority thereafter. Trumbauer died of heart attack in Kansas City in 1956, only 55 years old. References: 1, 2, 3, 4. RHJ: 1, 2. DAHR. Discogs: 1, 2. HMR Project. Frank Trumbauer 1927 Composition: Joseph Robinson/Con Conrad Sam Lewis/Joe Young See also Sager Composition: Alfred Bryan/Joseph Meyer Composition: Eddie Green Music: Con Conrad/Joseph Robinson Lyrics: Benny Davis See also Haim Composition: Larry Shields/Nick LaRocca (ODJB) 1917 Music: Hoagy Carmichael/Irving Mills/Dick Voynow Lyrics: Hoagy Carmichael/Mitchell Parish Composition: Chauncey Morehouse/Trumbauer Way Down Yonder in New Orleans Composition: Henry Creamer/Turner Layton Frank Trumbauer 1928 With Bing Crosby Composition: Harry Barris/James Cavanaugh Composition: Jack Palmer Composition: Miff Mole/Wingy Manone Frank Trumbauer 1929 Music: Matty Malneck/Frank Signorelli Lyrics: L. Wolfe Gilbert Composition: Seger Ellis Frank Trumbauer 1931 Composition: Andy Razaf/Fats Waller Frank Trumbauer 1934 Composition: Lorenz Hart/Richard Rodgers Composition: Mitchell Parish/Frank Perkins Composition: Irving Mills/Alexander Hill Composition: Trumbauer/Lorenzo Countee
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| Born in 1897 in Philadelphia, bandleader,
Gus Arnheim
[1,
2],
grew up in Chicago where he attended the Chicago Conservatory of Music. He
began his professional career playing piano in theatres but remains an
obscure figure until showing up with a group called the Syncopated Five in
Santa Monica in 1919, that including drummer,
Abe Lyman. Shortly later he
briefly backed Sophie Tucker as one of her Five Kings of Syncopation.
Arnheim first recorded with Lyman and
the latter's Hotel
Ambassador Orchestra in Santa Monica, CA, in September of 1922, he
performing piano in
Lyman's band. He supported
Lyman's operation numerously until latter
1925. Arnheim assumed Lyman's vacancy at the Hotel Ambassador in 1927 with
his Ambassador Hotel Orchestra, also to be known as the Cocoanut Grove
Orchestra, as Cocoanut Grove was the name of the main ballroom at the
Ambassador. Arnheim first laid tracks as a leader for Okeh Records in April
1928. He took his orchestra on its first European
tour in 1929. He handed the reins of Cocoanut Grove to Jimmy Grier perhaps
in 1934 when he returned to Chicago, there to run his band until retiring
to Beverly Hills after World War II. He and his wife entered into the
insurance business as well as restaurant management until his death on 19 January 1955 of
heart attack in Los Angeles. Discos w various credits: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Arnheim in visual media.
Gus Arnheim 1922 With Abe Lyman Thought to be Arnheim's 1st piano recording Composition: Frank Westphall Gus Arnheim 1928 Music: Owen Murphy Lyrics: Jack Yellen Composition: Irving Berlin Composition: Walter Donaldson Composition: Nick LaRocca (ODJB) Gus Arnheim 1929 Composition: Arthur Freed/Nacio Herb Brown Music: James Hanley Lyrics: Andrew Sterling Music: Ben Bernie/Maceo Pinkard Lyrics: Kenneth Casey Vocal: Buster Dees Music: Harry Akst Lyrics: Jack Yellen Composition: Dorothy Fields/Jimmy McHugh Vocal: Buster Dees Composition: Al Jolson/Dave Dreyer Gus Arnheim 1930 Composition: Sam Coslow/Arthur Johnston Gus Arnheim 1931 Vocal: Loyce Whiteman Music: Matty Malneck/Fud Livingston Lyrics: Gus Kahn Vocal: Bing Crosby Composition: Bing Crosby/Gordon Clifford/Harry Barris Composition: Arnheim/Charles Daniels/Harry Tobias Gus Arnheim 1932 Vocal: Meri Bell Music: Charles Daniels Lyrics: Arnheim/George Waggner Gus Arnheim 1933 Gus Arnheim 1937 Vocals: Three Rhythm Boys Composition: Heyman/Hoffman/Goodhart Vocal: Jimmy Farrell Music: Jerry Herst Lyrics: Jack Sharpe
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Gus Arnheim
Source: Discogs |
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Jan Garber
Source: AFRS |
Born Jacob Charles Garber in 1894 in
Indianapolis, Jan Garber was leading his first
band by age 21 (1917). Following World War I Garber played violin in the
Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra before forming the Garber-Milton Orchestra
with pianist Milton Davis in 1921. That band is thought to have grooved
its first vinyl in December of 1921 for Columbia 80091: 'Jazz Me Blues' and ''O
sole mio'. Garber laid tracks with Garber/Davis Orchestra in '22 and '23
before what is thought his first release with his own orchestra in 1924:
'If You Don't Want Me'. Garber continued recording into the sixties,
leading bands until 1971, his final performance in Houston. He died in Shreveport, Louisiana,
on 5 October 1977. References: 1,
2.
'Popular Songs' article 1935. Catalogues w various credits:
1,
2,
3,
4.
Lyrics.
Garber in visual media.
HMR Project.
Jan Garber 1922 Garber-Davis Orchestra Composition: Henry Busse Jan Garber 1923 Garber-Davis Orchestra Composition: Henry Busse William Raskin/Fred Fisher/Bob Causer Jan Garber 1924 Composition: Vincent Youmans Jan Garber 1925 Composition: Ray Henderson/Billy Rose/Lew Brown Jan Garber 1926 Music: Harry Akst Lyrics: Benny Davis Composition: Randolph There Ain't No Maybe In My Baby's Eyes Music: Walter Donaldson Lyrics: Gus Kahn/Raymond Egan Jan Garber 1927 Composition: Jean Herbert/Sam Coslow Composition: Ev. E. Lyn/Francis Wheeler/Ted Snyder What Do I Care What Somebody Said Composition: Harry Woods/Sidney Clare Jan Garber 1928 Music: J. C. Johnson Lyrics: Andy Razaf/Bob Schafer Composition: Harry Woods Since My Best Gal Turned Me Down Music: Howdy Quicksell/Ray Lodwig Lyrics: Howdy Quicksell Composition: Bob Effros/Phil Wall Composition: Sam Coslow/Addy Britt/Larry Spier Jan Garber 1929 Composition: Grant Clarke/Louis Silvers Jan Garber 1930 Composition: Walter Donaldson Composition: Irving Berlin Jan Garber 1934 Composition: Arthur Freed/Nacio Brown Composition: Al Dubin/Harry Warren Music: Sam Stept Lyrics: Joe Young/Charles Tobias Jan Garber 1935 Vocal: Lee Bennett Composition: Edgar Leslie/Joe Burke Jan Garber 1937 Composition: Al Jolson/Vincent Rose Composition: Hoagy Carmichael/Mitchell Parish Jan Garber 1939 Film Vocals: Lee Bennett & Phyllis Kenny Jan Garber 1965 Television performance
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Manny Klein
Source: NBJ |
Born in 1908 in New York City,
swing trumpeter and bandleader, Manny Klein,
ostensibly began his career at age fourteen replacing Phil Napoleon at
trumpet in the
Original Memphis Five on a couple of tracks. Though the matter seems open to discussion
[1,
2],
both Lord and Rust have Klein w that outfit on 11 Sep 1922 toward 'I Wish
I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate'/'Got to Cool My Doggies Now' (Pathe
Act 020825/Perfect 14051). I tentatively assume that was issued the same
year per SHS, bearing in mind that there is no confirmation of Klein's
participation. Multiple
sources including Discogs have Klein with the Ambassadors in 1924. Lord's
finds him recording 'Pleasure Mad' w that operation in July (Vocalion
14851). Sessions in August and September w vocalist, Isabella Patricola,
yielded 'Doddle Doo Doo', 'No-One Knows What It's All About' and "That's
Georgia' (all Vocalion 14866). From there he supported a host of outfits
into 1928 including those of
Roger Wolfe Kahn, Sam Lanin and Red
Nichols
until arriving to the
Paul Whiteman Orchestra in
1928. Lord's has Klein w Whiteman on Dec 22 that year for 'Makin' Whoopie'
(Columbia 1683). Further tracks w
Roger Wolfe Kahn went down
that year as well to include 'Let a
Smile Be Your Umbrella' (Victor 21233) and 'Say Yes Today' (Victor 21507). Klein remained with
Kahn into early 1929, after
which he made a career of contributing trumpet to countless orchestras.
Beginning with Fred Rich, with whom he laid a number
of tracks in 1930, among
the more important musicians with which Klein performed during his early
career were Jimmy Dorsey,
Tommy Dorsey,
Benny Goodman and
Frank Trumbauer. Klein's magic with a trumpet was in high demand as a studio
musician for several decades, backing numerous vocalists from
Bing Crosby and
Lee Wiley in 1933 to actress, Mitzi
Gaynor, in 1959. During the sixties he backed
Dean Martin on numerous tracks. Lord
traces him to as late as May 26, 1976, in Breda, Holland, at the 6th
International Traditional Jazz Festival w the Klein Gross Company for
'Blues'. With well above
700 sessions to his name, Klein led relatively few in his own. Discogs has
him releasing 'Hot Spell'/'Juba' (Brunswick 7606) as Manny Kline and
His Orchestra in 1936. Internet Archive has him leading 'Malihini Mele'
in 1938 as Mannie Klein and his Swing-A-Hulas. Come 'Maori Brown Eyes' in
1945 as Manny Klein's Hawaiians
[see also *]. He released a number of
titles in 1946 w his All Stars including
'Bei Mir Bistu Schoen' on Keynote K631.
Music VF has (Mannie) Klein's All Stars backing
Frankie Laine on
'That's My Desire' in early 1947. Come the
Manny Klein Orchestra for 'San' in
December 1947. It was Klein and his Sextet
in 1959 for a jazz version of the Rodgers-Hammerstein musical, 'Sound of
Music', issued on album by Imperial. Klein died in Los Angeles on 31 May 1994.
See also sessions at DAHR, and issues
at Discogs and
RYM.
Further reading per the Original Memphis Five and/or 'I Wish I Could Shimmy
Like My Sister Kate': 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6. Manny Klein 1922 I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate With the Original Memphis Five Composition: Armand Piron 1919 Credited to Clarence Williams Manny Klein 1924 With the Ambassadors per Lord's Manny Klein 1928 With the Bostonians With Roger Wolfe Kahn Music: Sammy Fain Lyrics: Irving Kahal/Francis Wheeler With Red Nichols and His Five Pennies Music: Philip Braham 1922 Lyrics: Douglas Furber With Roger Wolfe Kahn Composition: Walter Donaldson With the Wabash Dance Orchestra Composition: Will Harris/Victor Young Manny Klein 1929 With Red Nichols and His Five Pennies Music: James Hanley 1917 Lyrics: Ballard MacDonald If I Had a Talking Picture of You With Annette Hanshaw Composition: Buddy De Sylva/Lew Brown/Ray Henderson Manny Klein 1930 With Rube Bloom & His Bayou Boys Composition: Joe Primrose (Irving Mills) See Wikipedia Manny Klein 1931 With Annette Hanshaw Music: Richard Whiting/Harry Akst Lyrics: Gus Kahn With Ben Selvin and His Orchestra Manny Klein 1932 Don't Tell a Soul (We're in Love) With Harold Van Emburgh & His Orchestra Composition: Pepper Manny Klein 1936 With the Richard Himber Orchestra Vocal: Stuart Allen Composition: Mort Dixon/Ray Henderson Manny Klein 1938 Manny Klein & his Swing-A-Hulas Recorded '38 Original issue Vocalion 4170 Manny Klein 1939 Manny Klein & His Hawaiians Manny Klein 1945 Manny Klein and His All Stars Also documented as Klein and His Orchestra Music: Sholom Secunda Lyrics: Sammy Cahn/Saul Chaplin Manny Klein 1946 Manny Klein and His Orchestra Composition: Walter Donaldson
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| Born Abraham Simon in 1897,
Abe Lyman's
first professional engagement is thought to have been at age fourteen, playing
drums in a Chicago cafe. His first major gig was at the Cocoanut Grove
nightclub at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles in 1922 with his own
eleven-piece orchestra, drawing 2000 heads his opening night. Lyman also
first recorded in latter 1922 in Santa Monica, CA, those tracks issued on
Nordskog 3019: 'Those Longing for You Blues' and 'Are You Playing Fair?'
[Lord's]. Lyman next began recording for Brunswick in 1923 w 'Honey Babe'
on #2563. In 1929 the Lyman Orchestra toured London and
Paris, then began appearing in films in 1930. By the time Lyman joined the
Merchant Marine in 1943 his career was waning. His orchestra last
recorded in 1945. Lyman retired from the music business at age 50 (1947)
to work in restaurant management, dying in Beverly Hills ten years later.
References: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Discos w various credits: 45Worlds; DAHR;
Discogs 1,
2;
RHJ 1,
2.
Compilations 1923-1930 1,
2. Singles label images *. Abe Lyman 1922 Lyman's 1st recording Composition: Frank Westphall Abe Lyman 1923 Music: John Schonberger Lyrics: M. Schonberger/Lyman Above per NLA Abe Lyman 1924 Composition: Earl Burtnett/Lyman/Gus Arnheim Abe Lyman 1926 Breezin' Along with the Breeze Composition: Haven Gillespie/Richard Whiting/Seymour Simons Composition: Al Rayner/Harry Wiley Composition: Elmer Schoebel/Billy Meyers Composition: Papa Charlie Jackson Abe Lyman 1927 Abe Lyman 1928 Composition: Archie Gottler/Charles Tobias/Maceo Pinkard Composition: Ray Henderson/Lew Brown/Buddy DeSylva I Think of What You Used to Think of Me Composition: Lyman/James Hanley/Roy Turk Composition: Melrose/Overstreet Composition: Lindsay McPhail/Walter Michels Composition: Bud Green/Sam Stept Composition: Ray Henderson/Lew Brown/Buddy DeSylva Abe Lyman 1930 Composition: Robert Dolan/Walter O'Keefe Abe Lyman 1931 Composition: Arthur Johnston/Sam Coslow When the Rest of the Crowd Goes Home Composition: Joe Burke/Al Dubin Abe Lyman 1933 Composition: Milton Drake/Harry Stride Abe Lyman 1934 Composition: Edward Eliscu/Gus Kahn/Vincent Youmans Abe Lyman 1935 Composition: Walter Samuels/Leonard Whitcup/Teddy Powell Abe Lyman 1939 Vocal: Rose Blane Composition: Arthur Freed/Nacio Brown Abe Lyman 1942 Vocal: Rose Blane Composition: Roger Segure/William Hardy/Vic Schoen Abe Lyman 1945 Vocal: Rose Blane Music: Lionel Belasco Lyrics: Lord Invader
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Abe Lyman Source: Planet Barberella |
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New Orleans Rhythm Kings Photo: Duncan Schiedt Source: 78 RPM Record Spins |
The New Orleans Rhythm Kings merged the New Orleans style with ragtime in Chicago. Consisting of Leon Roppolo, Jack Pettis, Elmer Schoebel, Arnold Loyacano, Paul Mares, Frank Snyder and George Brunies, the band's first professional engagement was at Friar's Inn in Chicago in 1921. NORK first recorded with Gennett Records in 1922 [Lord's]. Issued that year per RYM were 'Farewell Blues/Oriental' (Gennett 4966) and 'Panama/Tiger Rag' (Gennett 4968). 'Discontented Blues/Bugle Call Rag' on Gennett 4967 is assumed to have been issued in '22 as well. Like the Original Dixie Jazz Band, NORK was among the first all-white jazz bands, during a period when the genre was predominantly black. References: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Members. Discos w various credits: 1, 2, 3, 4. HMRProject. Per Tin Roof Blues' below, that was composed by George Brunies, Paul Mares, Ben Pollack, Leon Roppolo and Mel Stitzel, members of NORK at that time. Wikipedia adds publisher, Walter Melrose, probably lyrics. 'Wolverine Blues' was authored by Benjamin Sikes, John Spikes and Jelly Roll Morton. New Orleans Rhythm Kings 1923 Composition: Alcide Nuñez/Ray Lopez Composition: Larry Shields/Henry Ragas (ODJB) Composition: Artie Mattews Milestone reissue New Orleans Rhythm Kings 1925 Composition: Santo Pecora New Orleans Rhythm Kings 1935 Baby Brown Vocal: Red McKenzie Composition: Alex Hill
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| Born in La Place, Louisiana, in 1886, trombone
player Kid Ory
[1,
2,
3,
4] had been discovered by
Buddy Bolden in New Orleans.
Upon a successful career as a band leader for some years he took off for Los
Angeles where he made his first recordings in April 1922 with clarinetist, Mutt Carey,
pianist, Dink Johnson and bassist, Ed Garland, backing vocalist, Roberta
Dudley. Those tracks were 'Krooked Blues' and 'When You're Alone Blues'.
Among the more important names with whom Ory laid numerous tracks were
Louis Armstrong,
Luis Russell and
King Oliver. In 1959 he
toured Europe with
Henry Red Allen,
resulting in numerous recordings. Their concert in Manchester, England,
would find its way onto the album, 'Live In England 1959', issued in 1981.
Allen also joined Ory
in the television broadcast of 'Chicago and All That Jazz' at NBC Studios
in latter 1961. Ory largely remained a traditionalist
of the New Orleans sound throughout his career. He retired from the music
business in 1966 (though recorded tracks in April 1971 in New Orleans) and
died in Honolulu on 23 January 1973. Discographies w various credits: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Ory in visual media.
HMR Project.
'Blues for Jimmie', 1944 below,
was composed by Ory the day of
Jimmie Noone's death for that evening's broadcast of 'The Orson Welles
Almanac' radio show. 'Tin Roof Blues' in 1954 had been composed by the
New Orleans Rhythm
Kings consisting of George Brunies, Paul Mares,
Ben Pollack, Leon Roppolo
and Mel Stitzel at that time. Lyrics were probably by music publisher,
Walter Melrose. Kid Ory 1922 Vocal: Roberta Dudley Ory's 1st issued recording Composition: Dink Johnson/Benjamin Spikes/John Spikes Vocal: Ruth Lee Ory's 3rd issued recording Composition: Spikes Brothers Ory's 5th issued recording Composition: Kid Ory Vocal: Ruth Lee Ory's 4th issued recording Composition: Benjamin Spikes Vocal: Roberta Dudley Ory's 2nd issued recording Composition: Spikes Brothers Kid Ory 1926 Composition: Kid Ory Kid Ory 1944 Composition: Kid Ory Kid Ory 1945 Composition: Chris Smith/Jim Burris Composition: Kid Ory/Cecile Ory (sister-in-law) Composition: W. C. Handy Composition: Kid Ory Kid Ory 1946 Composition: Creole traditional traced to New Orleans Composition: Clarence & Spencer Williams Composition: Larry Shields/Nick LaRocca (ODJB) Kid Ory 1947 Composition: Traditional slave hymn: 'Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho' Kid Ory 1949 Composition: Ted Snyder Kid Ory 1954 Composition: Charlie Davis Composition: Papa Charlie Jackson Kid Ory 1957 With Henry Red Allen Composition: Clarence Williams Composition: Neil Moret (Charles Daniels) Kid Ory 1959 With Henry Red Allen Composition: Andy Razaf/Leon Chu Berry Basin Street Blues With Henry Red Allen & Alton Redd Live performance Composition: Spencer Williams With Henry Red Allen & Alton Redd Live performance Composition: Clarence Williams With Henry Red Allen & Alton Redd Live performance With Henry Red Allen Composition: Andy Razaf/Joe Garland Shine With Henry Red Allen & Alton Redd Live performance Composition: Lew Brown/Ford Dabney/Cecil Mack Tiger Rag With Henry Red Allen & Alton Redd Live performance Composition: Larry Shields/Nick LaRocca (ODJB)
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Kid Ory Source: All About Jazz |
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Don Redman Photo: Todd Bolton Source: From the Vaults |
Born in 1900 in Piedmont, West Virginia,
Don Redman
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5] was something precocious, playing trumpet
at three, joining his first band at six, skilled on several wind instruments
and piano by the time he was a teenager. He attended both Storer College and
the Boston Conservatory before joining Billy Page's Broadway Syncopaters in
NYC. Tom Lord has Redman playing alto sax w vocalist,
Eddie Gray, sometime in 1922, for Black Swan records on 'Why Did You Make a
Plaything of Me' and 'I Like You'. He also backed singer, Lucille Hegamin,
on alto sax and clarinet in four sessions during '22, resulting in nine
issued tracks that year with Hegamin, the first two from a session in July
for Cameo: 'I've Got What It Takes' and 'Can't Get Lovin' Blues'. 1923
found Redman backing singers such as
Alberta Hunter before
his first sessions with Fletcher Henderson's
orchestra to back vocalist, Hannah Sylvester, on 'Midnight Blues' and 'I
Don't Let No Man Worry Me', those for Emerson circa March.
Henderson
recorded prolifically, also backing singers such as Rosa Henderson (no
relation), Clara Smith and
Bessie Smith. Saxophonist,
Coleman Hawkins, would also
begin recording with
Henderson
on July 19, 1923, backing Rosa on 'Midnight Blues' and 'Struttin' Blues'.
Redman sat in all of
Henderson's bands, also arranging, until his last session with him on
November 4, 1927, yielding 'A Rhythmic Dream' and 'Hop Off'. Meanwhile
Redman had begun recording with such as
Clarence Williams and
Perry Bradford in 1925, his initial sessions with
Williams on March 4
yielding 'Cast Away' and 'Papa De Da Da'; his first with Bradford being
'Lucy Long' and 'I Ain't Gonna Play No Second Fiddle'. Redman first
recorded with Duke
Ellington with the latter's Washingtonians on March 26, 1926, those
tunes being 'Georgia Grind' and 'Parlor Social Stomp'. After a highly
successful career with
Henderson
Redman became director of drummer, William McKinney's, Cotton Pickers for which he arranged
a majority of their music. His first tracks with the Cotton Pickers were
recorded on July 11, 1928, harvesting such as 'Cryin' and Sighin'. Redman
began recording with the Chocolate Dandies on October 13 in NYC the same
year, those tunes: 'Paducah', 'Star Dust', 'Birmingham Breakdown' and
'Four or Five Times'. His first tracks with
Jean Goldkette followed
in Chicago on November 23 that year, to issue 'Withered Roses', 'My
Blackbirds Are Bluebirds' and 'Don't Be Like That'. Redman would wrap up
'28 huge with
Louis Armstrong. Redman
had first recorded with
Armstrong in
Henderson's band on
October 7, 1924 ('Manda' and 'Go 'Long Mule'), they also working together
in the bands of Perry Bradford and
Clarence Williams.
Armstrong was now
leading his own band, the Savoy Ballroom Five, with which Redman first
recorded on December 5, 1928, to the issue of 'No One Else But You', 'Beau
Koo Jack' and 'Save It Pretty Mama'. Redman formed his own orchestra in 1931, which began
playing for radio and first recorded the same year on September 24, titles
such as 'Chant of the Weed' (2 takes).His band recorded for Brunswick, a number of ARC labels, the
Variety label and Bluebird before separating in 1940. Some of the bigger names
for whom Redman arranged in the latter thirties were
Count Basie and
Jimmy Dorsey. It was January 27, 1937 that
Redman first laid tracks with
Basie, March of '38 with
Dorsey. Redman swung in the forties with the
bands of
Jimmie Lunceford and
Harry James, his first recordings
with
Lunceford on January 5,
1940. In the fifties he became
Pearl Bailey's musical director.
Redman continued performing on piano into the sixties, as well as on sax with
Eubie Blake and
Noble Sissle. Redman died
in New York City on 30 November 1964, among the more important names in jazz.
Vocal solography.
Discos w various credits: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Redman in visual media.
HMR Project.
Don Redman 1922 With Lucille Hegamin Composition: Roy Turk/J. Russel Robinson With Lucille Hegamin Don Redman 1923 With Fletcher Henderson With Fletcher Henderson Composition: Alberta Hunter/Lovie Austin Don Redman 1931 The Don Redman Orchestra Composition: Don Redman/Irving Mills Don Redman 1932 Composition: Dorothy Fields/Jimmy McHugh Composition: Don Redman/Irving Mills Don Redman 1933 The Don Redman Orchestra Composition: Don Redman/Mitchell Parish Composition: Dorothy Fields/Jimmy McHugh
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Born in New Orleans in 1901, trumpeter Louis Armstrong originally followed the New Orleans style, making a point of attending Buddy Bolden performances as a child. Later moving from Louisiana to Chicago, he played with King Oliver, with whom he first recorded in April of 1923 in Richmond, Indiana. Samples from Armstrong's first four sessions with Oliver that year can be heard at Halidon Music. Included are compositions by Oliver, Armstrong and Lil Hardin, the last to become Armstrong's second wife the next year on 4 Feb 1924. 1924 witnessed Armstrong recording with the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra, Ma Rainey and Virginia Liston. His first recordings as a band leader were in Chicago with his Hot Five [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] on November 12 of 1925, 'My Heart' the first tune in that session of three. His next session with the Hot Five was in February of 1926, one tune unissued. The following session on the 26th, however, yielded several titles, 'Cornet Chop Suey' among them. Aug 1928 saw his composition, 'Hear Me Talking to You', issued by Ma Rainey and the Tub Jug Washboard Band. Armstrong was an enormously beloved jazz personality. Not only a major figure in swing (also credited with originating scat singing), but when the word "jazz" is read or spoken the name "Louis Armstrong" can't but arise in any American mind. He appeared in film for the first time in 1931: 'Ex-Flam'. Between Chicago, Los Angeles, New Orleans and New York Armstrong was among the hardest working musicians in the industry, he and his band, the All Stars [1, 2, 3, 4], pumping out more than 300 engagements a year from 1947 (inception of the All Stars) into the fifties. The All Stars recorded their first official tracks on May 17 of '47 at Town Hall in NYC. Performing titles like 'Cornet Chop Suey' and 'Jack-Armstrong Blues', the All Stars on that occasion consisted of Bobby Hackett (cornet), Jack Teagarden (trombone), Peanuts Hucko (clarinet, tenor sax), Ernie Caceres (clarinet, baritone sax), Johnny Guarnieri (piano), Al Casey (guitar), Al Hall (upright bass) and Cozy Cole on drums. All Stars personnel rapidly revolved though Teagarden stuck with the ensemble into 1951. Notable in '56 and '57 were issues w Ella Fitzgerald: 'Ella and Louis' and 'Ella and Louis Again'. 1961 saw Armstrong leading the All Stars w Duke Ellington on 'Recording Together for the First Time'. They issued 'The Great Reunion' in 1963. Armstrong's version of 'Hello Dolly' in 1964 might be considered ultimate to jazz in that it is said to be the last jazz recording to sell more copies than rock and roll. Armstrong died in his sleep on July 6, 1971, of heart attack. References encyclopedic: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5; musical: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5; Dippermouth; timeline. Sessions: DAHR; Lord; Minn: All Stars, multiple takes, personnel. Discos w various credits: 1, 2, 3, 4 5. Discogs: 1, 2. RHJ: 1, 2. See also RYM. All Stars sessions. Armstrong in visual media. Armstrong w Fletcher Henderson and Coleman Hawkins: Tim Harding. Les Tomkins interview 1965. Other profiles: 1, 2, 3. More early Armstrong under King Oliver. Louis Armstrong 1923 Thought to be Armstrong's 2nd recording Composition: Oliver/Armstrong With King Oliver Composition: Oliver/Armstrong With King Oliver Thought to be Armstrong's 1st recording Composition: Oliver/Bill Johnson Thought to be Armstrong's 3rd recording Composition: Marty Bloom/Walter Melrose Louis Armstrong 1925 Composition: Armstrong Louis Armstrong 1926 Composition: Armstrong Composition: Boyd Atkins King Oliver 1927 Composition: Percy Venable Louis Armstrong 1928 Composition: Oliver Louis Armstrong 1947 On the Sunny Side of the Street Music: Jimmy McHugh Lyrics: Dorothy Fields Rights possibly sold to McHugh by Fats Waller Composition: Armstrong Louis Armstrong 1959 Live performance Music: Kurt Weill Lyrics: Bertolt Brecht Louis Armstrong 1962 When the Saints Go Marching In Television Composition: Black traditional See Wikipedia Louis Armstrong 1964 Composition: Jerry Herman Louis Armstrong 1965 Filmed in Berlin Music: Vincent Rose Lyrics: Larry Stock/Al Lewis Louis Armstrong 1968 Music: Fabian Andre/Wilbur Schwandt Lyrics: Gus Kahn
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Louis Armstrong Source: Keep Swinging |
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Smith Ballew Source: Way to Famous |
Born in Palestine, Texas in 1902, bandleader
and vocalist Smith (Sykes) Ballew
recorded his first two tracks on May 25, 1923, playing banjo on 'My
Sweetie Went Away' and 'I Cried For You' in New York City [Lord's]. That was with
Howard Lanin's Arcadia Orchestra. Later that year he played banjo on
several tunes by Jimmie's Joys. He wouldn't record again for several
years. He got his major
break in Chicago in 1927, invited by Ben Pollack to join his band. Unfortunately,
in 1928 he responded to another invitation, this time by
Ted Fio Rito, to
come join his band in New York City. When he got there with no money there
was no job either, and he ended up busking on the streets. Yet he was saved
that same year by the Dorsey Brothers who introduced him into the New York
City jazz circuit. He, then, next recorded in 1928, age 26, with
Meyer Davis. Ballew also worked with the Dorseys before
they split apart to form each their own orchestras. That same year, 1929,
he formed his own orchestra with assistance from
Jean Goldkette.
Not much later Ballew would also lend his talents to
Hollywood as a singing cowboy. Ballew withdrew, however, from both movies and music
in the early fifties, obtaining employment in public relations with
General Dynamics, with which he remained until retiring from that in 1967.
Ballew died on 2 May 1984 in Longview, Texas. References: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
See also 'Austin in the Jazz Age' by Richard Zelade. Discos w
various credits: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Singles label images *.
Ballew in visual media.
All the tracks below for year 1928 are with
Meyer Davis. Smith Ballew 1923 With Howard Lanin Thought to be Ballew's 2nd recording Composition: Abe Lyman/Arthur Freed/Gus Arnheim With Howard Lanin Thought to be Ballew's 1st recording Composition: Lou Handman/Roy Turk With Jimmy Joy Recorded October 23 in Los Angeles Composition: Benjamin Sikes/John Spikes/Jelly Roll Morton Smith Ballew 1928 Joined by the Dorsey Brothers Composition: Walter Donaldson/Gus Kahn Smith Ballew 1929 With the Dorsey Brothers Composition: Ray Henderson/Lew Brown/Buddy DeSylva Composition: Irving Bibo Music: Fred Ahlert Lyrics: Roy Turk Music: Victor Schertzinger Lyrics: Clifford Grey Music: Richard Whiting Lyrics: Richard Whiting/Oscar Hammerstein Composition: Cliff Friend Music: William Frank Harling Lyrics: Sam Coslow With the Fred Rich Orchestra Music: Harry Tierney Lyrics: Joseph McCarthy Music: Vincent Youmans Lyrics: Harold Adamson/Mack Gordon With Joe Venuti Composition: Grant Clarke/Louis Silvers Smith Ballew 1930 Just Can't Be Bothered with Me Music: Seymour Simons Lyrics: Gus Kahn You Were Only Passing Time with Me Composition: Alexander Hill Smith Ballew 1931 With the Teddy Raph Orchestra Music: Fabian Andre/Wilbur Schwandt Lyrics: Gus Kahn Text German: Julius Brammer 1924 Music: Leonello Casucci 1928 Text English: Julius Brammer 1929 Smith Ballew 1935 Composition: Oscar Hammerstein II/Otto Harbach Dorothy Fields/Jimmy McHugh/Jerome Kern Composition: Dorothy Fields/Jimmy McHugh/Jerome Kern
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Born in New Orleans in 1897, clarinetist and soprano sax player Sidney Bechet [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11] first recorded in 1920, a couple of unissued tracks with Benny Peyton's Jazz Kings [Lord's/ See also sessions]. A couple more unissued tunes followed in 1923 with both Greeley & Drayton and Bessie Smith. Bechet first appeared on vinyl that year with Clarence Williams' Blue Five: 'Wild Cat Blues' and 'Kansas City Man Blues', also laying tracks with such as Mamie Smith, Eva Taylor and Sara Martin. 1924 saw Bechet recording with Louis Armstrong in Williams' Blue Five, such as 'Texas Moaner Blues'. Bechet had begun playing with various New Orleans ensembles as a child. In 1911 he had joined Bunk Johnson's Eagle Band, then King Oliver's Olympia Band in 1913. In 1914 he began touring, heading north to Chicago, sometimes playing with Freddie Keppard. In 1919 he made it to New York where he joined Will Marion Cook's Syncopated Orchestra and was soon off to Europe on tour. But in 1922 he was convicted of assault and deported back to the States. In 1924 he returned to Europe again, this time with Josephine Baker in the 'Revue Nègre'. He was jailed and deported again, this time in Paris, for involvement in a gun battle. Back in the United States in 1929, Noble Sissle owned the courage to hire him, with whom he returned to Europe, then Russia, then back to the States, that time without deportment. In 1932 Bechet formed a band and began playing at the Savoy Ballroom in New York. Shuffling from gig to gig and band to band, it was now the Depression and jobs in the music industry were getting thin. So he and trumpeter, Tommy Ladnier, opened a tailor shop. Financial difficulties continued throughout the forties until Bechet returned to Paris in 1950 to renewed popularity, signing on with the French Vogue label in 1953. Bechet died in France several years later on 14 May 1959. His memoir, 'Treat It Gentle', appeared the next year by Hill and Wang. Sessions: DAHR, Lord, Rainer Jazz, RHJ. Discographies: 45Worlds, Discogs, RYM. Bechet in visual media. HMR Project. Per 1949 below. 'Tin Roof Blues' had been composed by the New Orleans Rhythm Kings consisting of George Brunies, Paul Mares, Ben Pollack, Leon Roppolo and Mel Stitzel at that time. Lyrics were probably by music publisher, Walter Melrose. Sidney Bechet 1924 With Clarence William's Blue Five Thought to be Bechet's 1st issued recording Composition: Clarence Williams/Thomas Wiley Sidney Bechet 1924 With Clarence William's Blue Five Cornet: Thomas Morris Composition: Art Gillham/Billy Smith Sidney Bechet 1932 Composition: Jack Palmer/Spencer Williams 1926 Composition: Scott Joplin Sidney Bechet 1941 Composition: Bechet/John Reid Sidney Bechet 1944 Composition: Bechet Sidney Bechet 1947 Composition: Johnny Mercer/David Raksin Sidney Bechet 1949 Sidney Bechet 1950 Composition: Kerry Mills
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Sidney Bechet Source: New Orleans Joymakers |
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Johnny Dodds Source: Wine & Vinyl |
Born in 1892, clarinetist,
Johnny Dodds (brother of drummer
Baby Dodds, joined
Kid Ory's band in New Orleans in
1912 at age twenty. Like his brother, Baby, he also played on Mississippi
river boats for Fate Marable (Marable perhaps the most renowned of riverboat
bandleaders). Dodds afterward moved to San Francisco to join
King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band,
which he followed to Chicago where the band was joined by
Louis Armstrong (cornet), Armstrong's
bride-to-be, Lil Armstrong (piano)
and Johnny's brother, Baby Dodds.
The first session by that group with
Oliver on cornet on April
5, 1923, in Richmond, Indiana, was significant in jazz as the debut vinyl
of all mentioned. Also contributing were Honore Dutrey on trombone and Bud
Scott on banjo. Oliver's band made numerous recordings that year. A
falling out between Oliver and the Dodds Brothers saw to the demise of the
Creole Jazz Band in 1924. The Armstrongs toured afterward with Oliver
while the Dodds remained in Chicago, soon acquiring a residency at Bert
Kelly's Stables until a Prohibition infraction shut the place down in
1930. Dodds was back to working with the Armstrongs again in latter 1925.
In 1927 he recorded numerously with
Louis Armstrong in
various configurations including Dodd's Black Bottom Stompers (Earl Hines
at piano) and
Armstrong's Hot Seven.
He also laid a number of tracks with
Jelly Roll Morton
that year. Dodds led a number of bands during his career, such as the Dixieland Thumpers and the State Street Ramblers
in '27. Ever with his
brother, Baby, those bands would morph into the Chicago Footwarmers in
latter '27. On 24 July 1929 in Chicago the Dodds made what Lord shows to
be their last session together for another eleven years, that with the
Beale Street Washboard Band for two takes each of 'Forty and Tight' and 'Piggly
Wiggly'. Johnny didn't record again until January of 1938. He didn't
record with Baby again until 5 June 1940. That session was Baby's first
after a gap of eleven years, yet Johnny's last, for he died on 8 August 1940 in Chicago of heart attack. References: 1,
2,
3,
'Blues for You Johnny' by Gene H. Anderson,
'King of Jazz Johnny Dodds' by G E Lambert,
'The Solo Style of Jazz Clarinetist Johnny Dodds' by Patricia
Martin. Discos:
1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
Further reading: 1,
2,
3. More
Creole Jazz Band under
King Oliver. Johnny Dodds 1923 Composition: Clarence Williams Johnny Dodds 1926 Composition: Jimmy Blythe New Orleans Bootblacks Composition: Louis Armstrong Composition: Louis Armstrong Johnny Dodds 1927 When Erastus Plays His Old Kazoo Composition: Sam Coslow Johnny Dodds 1928 Composition: Johnny Dodds Composition: Johnny Dodds Composition: Jasper Taylor/Clarence Williams/Eddie Heywood Trumpet: Louis Armstrong Trombone: Kid Ory Composition: Lil Hardin Armstrong Composition: Johnny Dodds Johnny Dodds 1929 Composition: Lil Armstrong Composition: June Cobb Composition: Natty Dominique Johnny Dodds 1938 Guitar: Teddy Bunn Piano: Lil Armstrong Trumpet: Charlie Shavers Composition: Marty Bloom/Walter Melrose Johnny Dodds 1940 Composition: Clarence Williams
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Born in Feb of 1890 in New Orleans, cornet player Freddie Keppard, is one of the few musicians on this page who knew Buddy Bolden (thirteen years Keppard's senior), and is said to have played much in Bolden's style. Keppard first played accordion, violin and mandolin. It was the mandolin he played when at about the age of ten he began performing duos with his older brother Louis. He didn't take up the cornet until he was sixteen, about the same year he formed his first band, the Olympia Orchestra. He then took Bolden's vacated spot not only in the Eagle Band but in general, as his playing was so similar to Bolden's. He inherited Bolden's place in New Orleans jazz when the latter was permanently hospitalized with schizophrenia in 1907. About the cusp of 1911-12 Keppard toured the States with the Original Creole Ragtime Band, which became the Original Creole Orchestra in 1913. He was offered his first recording deal in 1915 by the Victor Talking Machine Company in NYC. But Keppard turned it down, considering the $25 payment (standard for musicians not well known) insufficient. These would have been the first jazz recordings preceding the Original Dixieland Jazz Band by a couple of years. He may also have had an inordinate fear of being copied. Keppard was known to hide his fingering beneath a handkerchief to protect it from thieves, or so he explained what might also have been some amusing jive. About 1917 Keppard settled in Chicago where, upon the dissolution of his orchestra in 1918, he pursued a solo career until 1926, then forming the Jazz Cardinals. His first recording session had arrived in 1918 with Bill Johnson's Creole Jass Band, an unissued test of 'Tack 'Em Down'. In '23 Keppard contributed cornet to a couple tracks with Erskine Tate's Vendome Orchestra: 'Cutie Blues' and 'Chinaman Blues'. He began recording with Doc Cook in '24. Lord has Keppard performing on 'Old Man Blues' in pianist, Jimmy Blythe's, Birmingham Bluetette in 1926, but this is contested by Brian Rust. Keppard's only session as a leader arrived in latter '26 with his Jazz Cardinals including 'Stock Yards Strut' and 'Salty Dog'. Keppard is also found on a couple of tracks by Jasper Taylor and his State Street Boys per '27 ('Stomp Time Blues' and 'It Must Be the Blues') and Frankie Half Pint Jaxon in '1928. Keppard was gradually taken down by alcoholism and tuberculosis, no longer able to perform by latter 1932. He died of tuberculosis in Chicago on 15 July 1933. References: Wikipedia, Academic, RedHotJazz (cached), Discogs, Lord's. Other profiles: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Further reading: Rainer Jazz. Freddie Keppard 1923 Composition: Joe Sanders Freddie Keppard 1926 Composition: Charles Harrison/Fred Rose Composition: Papa Charlie Jackson Composition: Jasper Taylor
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Freddie Keppard Source: Yester Century Pop |
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Bennie Moten Source: Kyoichi Watanabe |
Born in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1894, pianist and bandleader Ben Moten (not to be confused with the clarinetist of the same period, nor the later bassist), first pursued the New Orleans style until he came into his own, more representative of early Chicago, yet to distinguish Kansas City as center to a major limb of jazz peculiar to itself. One cause for Moten's significance in jazz history is that his Kansas City Orchestra was the big band sound out of which Count Basie developed his own style of swing. Moten first recorded with his Kansas City Orchestra in September 1923 for Okeh Records, backing vocalist, Ada Brown, on 'Ill-natured Blues' and 'Evil Mama Blues'. He began laying tracks for Victor in December of 1926, two of those being 'Thick Lip Stomp' and 'Harmony Blues'. In 1929 Moten recruited into his band what would become major names in jazz: Count Basie, Hot Lips Page, Walter Page and Jimmy Rushing. His Kansas City Orchestra recorded for the last time in December 1932 (Moten as bandleader, but not performing). Moten died on 2 April 1935 of a failed tonsillectomy. References: Wikipedia, RedHotJazz 1, 2; Discogs 1, 2; DAHR; Lord's. Other profiles: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Bennie Moten 1923 Vocal: Ada Brown Composition: Ruth Wise Bennie Moten 1927 Composition: Bennie Moten Some sources add Stanton Composition: Bennie Moten/Thamon Hayes Composition: Bennie Moten Composition: Bennie Moten Bennie Moten 1929 Composition: Bennie Moten ('The Jones Law Stomp') Composition: Bennie Moten/Count Basie Composition: Ira Moten/Bennie Moten Composition: Bennie Moten/Count Basie
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| Born in 1900 in Winnipeg,
Tiny Parham
grew up in Kansas City. Although Parham
was a pianist he more concentrated on work as a bandleader. Moving to Chicago in 1926, he first recorded
later that year with Paramount as an accompanist
for Leola Wilson: 'Dishrag Blues' and 'Rollin' Mill Blues'. He also
accompanied Elzadie Robinson on 'Humming Blues' about that time. His last
session of '26 was with the Apollo Syncopators in December, running that
operation with violinist, Leroy Pickett, for two takes of 'Alexander,
Where's That Band?' and one of 'Mojo Strut'. He commenced 1927 at January
sessions with Jasper Taylor and his State Street Boys, including clarinetist, Johnny Dodds, and
Freddie Keppard at
cornet, recording 'Stomp Time Blues' and 'It Must Be the Blues'. He next
accompanied Ma Rainey on a couple tracks and led a few tunes with Dodds
before forming his Black Patti Band to record 'Um-ta-da-da-da' for the
Black Patti record label circa June 28 that year. In December he composed
an ensemble called the "Forty" Five to record 'Jim Jackson's Kansas City
Blues' and 'A Little Bit Closer' for Paramount. Parham then backed a few
vocalists before forming his Musicians for tracks recorded on July 2,
1928, 'Cuckoo Blues' among them. Parham led several more sessions as a
leader until his last on November 11, 1930, after which he worked largely
as an organist in theatres throughout the Great Depression decade of the
thirties. Parham' first and last session afterward was in Chicago on June
4, 1940, while
working as an organist at a skating rink. His band called the Four Aces,
those tracks were 'Frogtown Blues', 'Moving Day' and 'Spo-de-o-dee', the
last with Sam Theard at vocals. Parham died three years later in his
dressing room at a performance at Kilbourne Hotel in
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on April 4, 1943. References: Wikipedia,
RedHotJazz,
Lord's. Discographies:
Discogs,
DAHR,
45Worlds,
RYM. Other profiles:
1,
2. Tiny Parham 1927 Clarinet: Johnny Dodds Composition: Generally credited to W. C. Handy Tiny Parham 1928 Composition: Tiny Parham Composition: Tiny Parham Composition: Tiny Parham Composition: Tiny Parham Tiny Parham 1929 Composition: Tiny Parham Composition: Tiny Parham Composition: Tiny Parham Composition: Tiny Parham Composition: Tiny Parham Tiny Parham 1930 Composition: Tiny Parham Composition: Sam Theard Composition: Clarence Williams/Thomas Waller Composition: Tiny Parham
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Tiny Parham Source: auguzto777 |
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Red Nichols Source: Cobre y Pistones |
Born in 1905 in Ogden, Utah, Dixieland cornetist, Red Nichols [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] was popular for his foxtrots. He first recorded with the Syncopating Seven on November 22, 1922, putting down 'Chicago', et al, at a private session. Those three titles weren't commercially issued, though pressed in sufficient number to distribute 25 copies to each member of the band. In 1923 Nichols scratched his initial commercial issues as a member of Howard Lanin's Arcadia Orchestra. Come Sam Lanin's Bailey's Lucky Seven the same year. It was with Bailey's Lucky Seven that Nichols first teamed with trombonist Miff Mole, one of his more important compatriots during the twenties, performing in numerous groups together. Their first two tracks with the Seven were issued from a session held on August 25, 1924: 'Cold Mama Burns Me Up' and 'Go, Emmaline'. They first recorded with Sam Lanin's Red Heads [1, 2] on February 26, 1925, of which band Nichols would become leader later that year. Mole would also record with Nichols' Five Pennies [1, 2, 3] that included guitarist, Eddie Lang. That group didn't include Mole, however, in its first session on December 8, 1926, yielding two tracks each of 'Washboard Blues' and 'That's No Bargain'. In one combination or another, Nichols would record scores of jazzy pop records over the years with the Five Pennies to as late as 1963. IMDb has them appearing in the short film, 'Red Nichols and His Five Pennies', in Sep 1929, 'Red Nichols & His World Famous Pennies' in Jan 1936. Besides Brunswick, Nichols also recorded for Edison, Victor, Bluebird, Variety and Okeh, working with just about every big name in jazz during his career. In 1942 Nichols moved to California with his wife and a teenage daughter stricken with polio. He found it needful at the time to work in San Francisco shipyards, the plus part of which was opportunity to contribute to the War effort (World War II). Nichols had recorded nothing since June of 1940 when in 1944 he laid tracks in Chicago w Glen Gray's Casa Loma Orchestra followed by radio appearances with the same at the Pennsylvania Hotel In NYC. Nichols' reformed Five Pennies, however, made their home Los Angeles for the next twenty years. In the early fifties Nichols made a goodwill tour of Europe for the State Department. His final recordings in 1963 went toward the album, 'Blues and Old-Time Rags' on Capitol ST 2065. Nichols died on 28 June 1965 during a trip to Las Vegas. More Nichols under Eddie Lang in Early Jazz 2. Discographies including the Red Heads and Five Pennies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. HMR Project. Tracks below are alphabetical by year. Red Nichols 1923 With Howard Lanin Composition: Abe Lyman/Arthur Freed/Gus Arnheim With Howard Lanin Composition: Lou Handman/Roy urk Red Nichols 1926 With the Broadway Bell-Hops & Miff Mole Composition: Tolchard Evans/Gus Kahn The Red Heads Composition: Hoagy Carmichael/Irving Mills The Red Heads Composition: Paul Mertz/Red Nichols Poor Papa The Red Heads The Five Pennies Composition: Hoagy Carmichael/Fred Callahan/Irving Mills Red Nichols 1927 The Five Pennies Composition: Jack Pettis/Billy Meyers/Elmer Schoebel With the Charleston Chasers Composition: Red Nichols The Five Pennies Music: Spencer Williams Lyrics: Roger Graham With Miff Mole's Stompers Composition: Miff Mole Red Nichols' Stompers Composition: Frank Crum/Jack Yellen Milton Ager/Red Nichols With the Charleston Chasers Composition: Billie Pierce/Charles Schwab/Henry Myers Red Nichols 1928 The Five Pennies Music: Con Conrad/Joseph Robinson Lyrics: Benny Davis See also Haim Red Nichols 1930 The Five Pennies Vocals: Dick Robertson Composition: George & Ira Gershwin Red Nichols 1931 The Five Pennies Composition: Walter Hirsch/Henry Busse
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| Born in 1895 in Cut Off, Louisiana,
Jimmie Noone [1,
2,
3] headed to New Orleans
with his family at age fifteen,
whence he switched from guitar to clarinet and studied with Lorenzo Tio and
Sidney Bechet (age 13 at
the time). His big break occurred in 1913 upon joining
Freddie Keppard's Olympia Band,
which he followed to Chicago. He there joined Ollie Powers' Harmony
Syncoptors with which he laid five takes of 'Play That Thing' in September
of '23. The next month he joined
King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band,
with whom he first recorded in October 1923 ('Chattanooga Stomp'). It was 1926 when
Noone formed
his Apex Club Orchestra of which pianist,
Earl Hines, was a member (all of year
1928 below). Noone began recording for Vocalion in 1928. When the Apex Club was
shut down upon a raid in 1929 Noone shuffled about other clubs in Chicago,
NYC and New Orleans. In 1943 Noone moved to Los Angeles where he played with
his band at the Café de Paris in Hollywood and performed on four broadcasts
of 'The Orson Welles Almanac' radio show. On the morning he was to play the
fifth show he died of heart attack, April 19, 1944. His last recordings had
occurred in March for Capitol Records, for an album called 'New American Jazz'.
Sessionographies: Lord's,
RHJ. Catalogues:
1,
2,
3,
4.
Per 1936 below, 'Blues Jumped a Rabbit' possibly originated w
Blind Lemon Jefferson's
1926 'Rabbit Foot Blues' [1,
2,
3]. Jimmie Noone 1923 With Ollie Powers' Harmony Syncopators Composition: Ollie Powers Jimmie Noone 1926 Cornet: Freddie Keppard Composition: Doc Cook/Clarence Williams Jimmie Noone 1927 Charles Doc Cook and his 14 Doctors of Syncopation Composition: Thomas (Fats) Waller Jimmie Noone 1928 Blues (My Naughty Sweetie Gives to Me) Composition: 1919: Carey Morgan Charles McCarron Arthur Swanstone Composition: Billy Rose/Jimmy McHugh Composition: Byron Gay/Marco Hellman Composition: Vincent Youmans Composition: Tampa Red/Thomas Dorsey Music: Cliff Burwell 1928 Lyrics: Mitchell Parish Composition: Victor Young/Will J. Harris Jimmie Noone 1929 Love, Your Spell is Everywhere Composition: Edmund Goulding/Elsie Janis Jimmie Noone 1936 The New Orleans Band Composition: See above The New Orleans Band Music: Ben Bernie/Maceo Pinkard 1925 Lyrics: Kenneth Casey Jimmie Noone 1937 Composition: Vincent Youmans Jimmie Noone 1940 Composition: George Washington Thomas Jr.
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Jimmie Noone Source: MooPig Wisdom |
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Born in Aben Louisiana, in 1881, highly esteemed cornet player Joe King Oliver had known Buddy Bolden. Freddie Keppard was Oliver's chief rival in taking Bolden's place as New Orlean's premiere bandleader upon Bolden's permanent hospitalization. Oliver took his wife and daughter to Chicago for the first time in 1918. In 1921 he took his band to California where they played gigs in Oakland and San Francisco. Returning to Chicago the next year, he began calling his group the Creole Jazz Band. Oliver had been mentor to Louis Armstrong in earlier days in New Orleans, presenting his younger protégé with his first cornet. Now both Oliver and Armstrong would make their first recordings together on April 5, 1923, in Richmond, Indiana, along with Lil Hardin Armstrong on piano, Johnny Dodds on clarinet, Baby Dodds on drums, Honore Dutrey on trombone and Bud Scott at banjo, all of whom first recorded at that session. Those issued tracks were 'Just Gone', 'Canal Street Blues', 'Mandy Lee Blues', 'I'm Going to Ear You Off My Mind' and 'Chime Blues'. Some couple years later Oliver formed the Dixie Syncopators, his first issue with that ensemble being 'Deep Henderson' from a session on April 21, 1926, in Chicago. Among other big names with whom Oliver often recorded during the coming years were Clarence Williams and Sara Martin. Due to pyorrhea Oliver was forced to quit playing cornet in 1937. Having lost his life savings to a failed bank during the Great Depression, he then took custodial work in a pool hall in Savannah, becoming manager until his death of arteriosclerosis in April the next year. References encyclopedic: 1, 2, 3; musical: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10; 'The Genesis of King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band' by Gene Anderson. Sessionographies: 1, 2, Lord's. Discos: 1 (minus no data found for Buddy Oliver and the King Cobras which isn't likely this Oliver), 2, 3, 4. Compilations: 'Sugar Foot Stomp'. King Oliver 1923 Composition: King Oliver Composition: King Oliver/Louis Armstrong Composition: King Oliver/Louis Armstrong Composition: Benjamin Spikes/John Spikes/Jelly Roll Morton Composition: Clarence Williams I'm Going Away to Wear You Off My Mind Composition: Charlie Johnson/Warren Smith/Lloyd Smith Composition: King Oliver/Bill Johnson Composition: Ike Smith Composition: Richard Jones/Tommy Dorsey Composition: Art Kassel/Vic Berton Composition: Richard Jones Composition: King Oliver King Oliver 1929 Composition: King Oliver King Oliver 1930 Composition: Dave Nelson/King Oliver Composition: Anon See Wikipedia Composition: Lou Chiha Frisco King Oliver 1930
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King Oliver |
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Born Charles Ellsworth Russell in 1906 in Maplewood, Missouri, clarinetist Pee Wee Russell began working professionally in 1922, touring river boats and tent shows. He that year joined Herbert Berger's orchestra in Juarez, Mexico, with which he traveled to Hollywood and New York City, the band meanwhile making St. Louis home. 'Pee Wee Speaks: A Discography of Pee Wee Russell' by Robert Hilbert and David Niven has him making his first recordings in 1922 in NYC. DAHR has those sessions in December w Berger's St. Louis Club Orchestra to result in titles like 'Lady of the Evening' (Okeh 4745), 'Trot Along'/'Fuzzy Wuzzy Bird' (Okeh 4753) and 'Eleanor' (Okeh 4755) [*]. Russell stuck w Berger for a couple years before heading to Chicago in 1925 where he played with such as Bix Beiderbecke and Frank Trumbauer. In 1926 he joined Jean Goldkette's orchestra. Russell first recorded with cornetist, Red Nichols, on April 2, 1927. Those tracks ('The Doll Dance' and 'Delirium') were released under the imaginary leadership of Carl Fenton. "Carl Fenton" had originally been the pseudonym of Brunswick musical director, Gus Haenschen, in 1919. But Brunswick began attaching "Carl Fenton" to records with which Haenschen had nothing to do (including the above) when it needed the name of a bandleader. Ruby Greenberg, violinist and musical director for Gennett Records, bought the rights to use "Carl Fenton" on recordings from '27 to '30. "Carl Fenton" was used on records as late as 1937 by, it is thought, Red Nichols as a joke. Be as may, Russell would next record with Nichols in August of '27, Nichols having formed his Five Pennies by that time. They appeared in the short film, 'Red Nichols and His Five Pennies', in 1929 [*]. Russell released his first issues as a leader in 1938 with his Rhythmakers. With Max Kaminsky on trumpet, 'Dinah' was among those eight tracks. In 1952 Russell issued the album, 'Clarinet Strut'. Russell had been no slouch. Together with his own recordings he contributed to countless tunes by a host of the Who's Who of jazz during his career, several among them being Coleman Hawkins, Miff Mole, Jack Teagarden, Billy Banks (vocalist), Eddie Condon, Bobby Hackett, Louis Prima, Teddy Wilson, Bud Freeman, Wild Bill Davison, Muggsy Spanier, the Stuyvesant Stompers (George Wetting: drums), Max Kaminsky, Ruby Braff and Buck Clayton. Russell's last gig was President Nixon's inaugural ball in 1969, three weeks before his death in Alexandria, Virginia, on 15 Feb that year. References encyclopedic: 1, 2, 3, 4; musical 1, 2, 3, 4; Geni. Catalogues: 1, 2, 3, 4. Further reading: HMR Project; Jazz Profiles. Recordings below are Russell's early career. Later titles at Pee Wee Russell in Modern Jazz. Pee Wee Russell 1927 With Red Nichols in so-called Fenton Orchestra Composition: Arthur Schutt With Red Nichols in so-called Fenton Orchestra Composition: Nacio Herb Brown With Red Nichols & His Five Pennies Composition: Joseph Russell Robinson Trombone: Miff Mole Composition: Fud Livingstone With Red Nichols' Charleston Chasers Composition: Red Nichols With Red Nichols Composition: Eddie Leonard With Miff Mole & Red Nichols' Stompers Composition: Miff Mole With Red Nichols Music: Milton Ager/Red Nichols/Frank Crum Lyrics: Jack Yellen With Red Nichols Composition: Billy Pierce/Henry Myers/Charles Schwab Pee Wee Russell 1929 Sax: Coleman Hawkins Comb: Red McKenzie Composition: Gordon Means/Red McKenzie Pee Wee Russell 1944 Trombone: Miff Mole Composition: Chris Smith/Jim Burris
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Pee Wee Russell Source: Britannica |
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Erskine Tate Vendome Orchestra Source: Sooze Blues & Jazz |
The Erskine Tate Vendome
Orchestra [1,
2] isn't known to have made more than four recordings (two in 1923,
two in 1926), but it was an early Chicago band with which anybody who was
anybody in the Chicago jazz scene played at one time or another, including
Freddie Keppard,
Louis Armstrong,
Buster Bailey,
Fats Waller and
Teddy Wilson. Tate's orchestra
accompanied silent movies at the Vendome Theatre and played during intercessions
as well. Sessions: Lord's, RedHotJazz. Discos: 1,
2,
.3. Erskine Tate Vendome Orchestra 1923 Composition: Gene Burdette Composition: Gene Burdette Erskine Tate Vendome Orchestra 1926 Composition: Jack Yellen/Phil Wall Composition: Elmer Schoebel
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Fred Waring Photo: Ray Lee Jackson Source: OTR Cat |
Born in 1900 in Tyrone, Pennsylvania,
Fred Waring
[1,
2,
3]
formed the Waring-McClintock Snap Orchestra as a teenager with his
brother, Tom [pianist/tenor
DAHR] and
drummer, Poley McClintock. That trio to work together for decades to come,
the Snap Orchestra became Fred Waring's Banjo Orchestra which
Fred led as a student at Penn State University. That band was such a success
that Waring exchanged his aspiration to become an architect for music,
forming Waring's Pennsylvanians in 1923. He first recorded as such that
year on October 15: 'Sleep' (Victor 19172) w 'That's My Baby' (Victor
19209). Oct 16
witnessed 'Stack O' Lee Blues' (Victor 19189) w 'The West, a Nest and You'
(Victor 19172). Waring was greatly
popular on radio and would employ Pembroke Davenport as an arranger and
pianist. Waring's recording career would last several decades as he
shifted from the college crowd toward easy listening and popular. After a
hopping career through the Roaring Twenties and into the swing years, in 1938 he had invested $25,000 in a patent
filed by inventor, Frederick Osius, and the Waring Blendor
[1,
2], originally
named the Miracle Mixer, was launched. Selling for $29.75, only hospitals and such could afford
one in those days. Production was halted during World War II, but upon
resumption in '46, by the fifties, already wealthy from music, Waring's ownership of
Waring Blendor made him a millionaire a few times over. In 1943 he bought a resort in Shawnee, Delaware, that he renamed the
Shawnee Inn, from which he aired performances throughout the fifties. In
1947 Waring began teaching choral singing, an occupation he pursued until
his death. Waring also owned the Shawnee Press music publishing company.
From 1948 to 1954 Waring hosted the television program, 'The Fred Waring
Show'. Remaining popular into the sixties and seventies, Waring toured
heavily into his later years. He
died of stroke on 29 July 1984 at the same place
where he began his lively career, Penn State, after videotaping a
performance during a choral workshop. Beyond music and business Waring's
big love was cartoon strips, his collection of several hundred originals
in the Fred Waring Collection at Penn State.
Waring's Pennsylvanians sessionographies: Lord's;
RHJ.
Catalogues: 45Worlds;
DAHR; Discogs:
Waring,
Pennsylvanians;
RYM.
Waring in visual media.
Further reading: 1,
2.
Included 1926 below are a couple titles issued by Fred's brother, Tom. Fred Waring 1923 Composition: Earl Lebieg Fred Waring 1924 Composition: Clare Beecher Kummer Composition: Morde Berk Composition: Abel Baer Composition: Vincent Rose Music: Con Conrad/Larry Spier Lyrics: Buddy DeSylva Composition: George Gershwin Music: Walter Donaldson Lyrics: Buddy DeSylva Composition: Ray Lopez Fred Waring 1925 Music: James Hanley Lyrics: Ballard MacDonald Composition: Nat Bonx/Moe Jaffe Music: Jesse Greer Lyrics: Harold Berg Fred Waring 1926 Composition: Pat Ballard Composition: Lillian Rosedale Goodman It Made You Happy When You Made Me Cry Composition: Walter Donaldson Composition: Edwin Lemare/Neil Moret/Ben Black Composition: Bobby Buttenuth/Joseph Meyer/Irving Caesar Tom Waring 1926 Composition: Abe Lyman/Walter Donaldson Composition: Billy Rose/Walter Donaldson Fred Waring 1927 I Scream You Scream We All Scream for Ice Cream Composition: Howard Johnson/Billy Moll/Robert King Composition: Roy Turk/Charles Tobias Music: F. Dudleigh Vernor Lyrics: Byron D. Stokes Fred Waring 1928 Composition: Victor Herbert Music: Jimmy McHugh Lyrics: Dorothy Fields Music: Lew Pollack Lyrics: Sidney Clare Music: Harry Warren Lyrics: Billy Rose/Mort Dixon Music: Ted Fio Rito Lyrics: Sam Lewis/Joe Young Composition: Maceo Pinkard/Archie Gottler/Charles Tobias Music: Joseph Meyer Lyrics: Irving Caesar Fred Waring 1929 Film: 'Syncopation' Vocal: Morton Downey Music: Dick Myers Lyrics: Leo Robin Fred Waring 1930 Composition: Walter Donaldson Composition: Cole Porter Fred Waring 1931 Music: Arthur Schwartz Lyrics: Howard Dietz Fred Waring 1942 Composition: Don Raye/Al Jacobs 1940 Fred Waring 1947 Music: Tchaikovsky Arrangement: Harry Simeone Lyrics: Daisy Bernier/Frank Cunkle Fred Waring/Jay Johnson Fred Waring 1951 'Fred Waring Show' From the Broadway musical 'Flahooley'
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| Born in New York, in 1903, now
obscure trombonist,
Spiegle Willcox
[*], was a teenager when
he joined a group called the Big Four in Syracuse, New York. Paul Whiteman
took note, joined the band, then became its leader, whence the Big Four became
the Collegians, recording 'That Red-Headed Gal' (Victor 19049) in March 1923
[Lord's] for issue in June [Discogs]. Lord's has Wilcox on several tracks
in NYC w the California Ramblers in a couple sessions during Sep 1925
including 'You Gotta Know How' (Regal 9941), 'Fallin' Down' (Oriole 518),
and a couple with Ernest Hare on vocals: 'Desdemona' (Pathe-Act 36318) and
'Show Me the Way to Go Home' (Pathe-Act 36307). Those shortly preceded
Wilcox' brief tenure as a featured soloist in the Jean
Goldkette Orchestra, his initial unissued tracks w Goldkette
in NYC on 7 Jan for 'The Rose Brought Me You' and 'After I Say I'm Sorry'.
The last was recorded again the next day w 'Dinah' for issue on Victor
19947 in April. Wilcox retired from the music industry in 1927 to
work in his father's coal business, although he continued to lead amateur
groups on weekends for the next several decades. His last recordings
before hanging up his hat as trombonist for the Goldkette Orchestra
arrived in Camden, NJ, on May 23, 1927, toward 'Play It, Red' unissued and
two takes of 'In My Merry Oldsmobile'. Willcox came out of retirement more
than forty years later, traced by Lord to the Manassas Jazz Festival in
Virginia on 5 December 1971 where 'Blues for Bix' went down with cornetist
and trumpeter, Tony Newstead, toward Volume 2 of the album, '1971 Manassas
Jazz Festival' on Fat Cat's Jazz FCJ138. Lord follows this track with a
couple more with Newstead on the same date at the same fest toward the
release of 'Tony Loves Bix' on Fat Cat's Jazz FCJ127. In 1975 Willcox performed at Carnegie Hall
during a reunion of Goldkette's orchestra, then
formed a partnership with Joe Venuti
until the latter's death in 1978.
Wilcox died
on 25 October 1999 in Cortland, New York. Catalogues: DAHR,
Discogs. Spiegle Willcox 1923 The Collegians Composition: Abe Lyman/Arthur Freed/Gus Arnheim The Collegians Composition: Gus Van/Henry Lodge/Joe Schenck Spiegle Willcox 1926 Jean Goldkette Orchestra Composition: Mort Dixon/Ray Henderson Jean Goldkette Orchestra Composition: Con Conrad/Benny Davis Spiegle Willcox 1927 Jean Goldkette Orchestra Composition: Paul Helmick/Chris Schoenberg/Leonard Stevens Jean Goldkette Orchestra Composition: Jesse Greer Spiegle Willcox 1987 With the Nighthawks Composition: Henry Creamer/Harry Warren Spiegle Willcox 1998 With Hot Five Jazzmakers Composition: Spencer Williams 1928 First issue: Louis Armstrong 1928 With Hot Five Jazzmakers Composition: Abe Lyman/Arthur Freed/Gus Arnheim
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Spiegle Willcox Photo: Wilcox Archives/SUNY Cortland Source: Bix Beiderbecke |
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Born Leon Bismark Beiderbecke in 1903 in Davenport, Iowa, Bix Beiderbecke, cornetist (also piano), rivaled trumpeter Louis Armstrong as a horn player. 'Fidgety Feet', 'Lazy Daddy', 'Sensation Rag' and 'Jazz Me Blues' were Beiderbecke's first recordings with the Wolverines in 1924 in Richmond, Indiana. He recorded a couple tracks that year as well with Frank Trumbauer in the Sioux City Six. It was also 1924 that he began recording with the Jean Goldkette Orchestra, working with both Trumbauer and Goldkette until joining the Paul Whiteman outfit in 1927. In the meantime his first composition to see press had been 'Davenport Blues' [1, 2] gone down w his Rhythm Jugglers in Richmond, Indiana, on Jan 6, 1925, toward issue on Gennett 5654. Due to declining health Beiderbecke had to quit Whiteman in 1930. He made his last recordings on September 15 that year in NYC with Hoagy Carmichael. From among those four tracks 'Georgia on My Mind' would make the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2014. Slammed by a double whammy of alcoholism and pneumonia, Beiderbecke died in his prime in 1931, only 28 years of age. He plays cornet in all the samples below except 'In a Mist' in which he is the pianist. References encyclopedic: 1, 2, 3, 4; musical: 1, 2. Sessionographies: BBMS, Jean Pierre Lion, Lord's Disco, Joel Vanwambeke, DAHR, RHJ. Discographies: 1, 2, 3, 4. Compilations: 'The Bix Beiderbecke Collection - 20 Golden Greats' on Deja Vu 1985; 'Georgia on My Mind' by Noble Jazz 2009. Further reading 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Bix Beiderbecke 1924 With Muggsy Spanier & the Bucktown Five Composition: Charley Straight/Arnett Nelson With the Wolverines Composition: Charlie Davis With the Wolverines Thought to be Beiderbecke's 1st recording Composition: Nick LaRocca/Larry Shields (ODJB) With the Wolverines Composition: Tom Delaney With Muggsy Spanier & the Bucktown Five Composition: Benjamin Spikes/John Spikes/Jelly Roll Morton With Muggsy Spanier & the Bucktown Five Composition: George Bates/Mel Stitzel With the Wolverines Bix Beiderbecke 1925 Composition: Rube Bloom Bix Beiderbecke 1927 With Frankie Trumbaur Composition: 1920: J. Russel Robinson/Con Conrad Sam M. Lewis/Joe Young Composition: Beiderbecke Music: Donald Heywood 1926 Lyrics: Will Marion Cook Music: Harry Von Tilzer/Peter DeRose Lyrics: Jo Trent Composition: Frank Trumbauer Bix Beiderbecke 1928 With Paul Whiteman Music: Pete Wendling/Max Kortlander Lyrics: Alfred Bryan Composition: Chauncey Morehouse/Frank Trumbauer Bix Beiderbecke 1930 Vocal: Hoagy Carmichael Music: Hoagy Carmichael Lyrics: Stuart Gorrell
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Bix Beiderbecke Source: Herb Musem |
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| Born in 1902 in New York City, pianist and
bandleader Rube (Reuben) Bloom
first saw vinyl with the band of Sam Lanin on Okeh 40111 in 1924: 'Oh!
Baby'/'Big Boy' [Lord's]. Bloom laid tracks
with numerous groups that year, including
Bix Beiderbecke's Sioux
City Six for 'Flock' o' Blues'/'I'm Glad'(Gennett 5569).
Thus began one of Bloom's more important musical relationships, being
Frank Trumbauer, then
violinist, Joe Venuti, also
recording with Venuti's Blue
Four in 1928. The next year ('29) Bloom recorded a couple of tracks with his own band called the Bayou Boys:
'The Man from the South' and 'St. James Infirmary' issued on Columbia 2103
[1,
2]. About that time
violinist, Ben Selvin, became a major comrade as well. Bloom would also
back a number of vocalists from
Ruth Etting,
Annette Hanshaw,
Ethel Waters and Grace Johnson to
Lee Morse and
Johnny Mercer. Bloom largely retired from performing jazz in
the thirties as he concentrated on composing. He died in the city of his
birth, NYC, on 30 March 1976. References 1,
2,
3.
Compositions to which Bloom
contributed. Catalogues: 1,
2,
3.
Bloom in visual media.
Other profiles: 1,
2,
3. Rube Bloom 1924 With the Arkansas Travelers With the Arkansas Travelers Composition: Ray Hibbeler Rube Bloom 1925 With the Hottentots Composition: Bob Schafer/Cecil Mack Tim Brymm/Chris Smith With the Hottentots Composition: Arthur L. Sizemore/W. Earthman Farrell With the Tennessee Tooters Composition: Howard Johnson/Irving Bibo Rube Bloom 1927 Piano solo Composition: Bloom Rube Bloom 1928 Piano roll Composition: Bloom 1923 Composition: Bloom/Bernie Seaman/Marvin Smolev Rube Bloom 1930 Composition: Charles Bayha/Jacques Richmond/Byron Warner Composition: Bloom Composition: Walter Doyle Composition: Andy Razaf Composition: Joe Primrose (Irving Mills) See Wikipedia There's a Wah Wah Gal in Agua Caliente Composition: Walter Donaldson Rube Bloom 1931 Composition: Bloom
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Rube Bloom
Source: Billie Holiday Songs |
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Benny Carter Photo: Rutgers University Source: Riverwalk Jazz |
New York-born (1907) Benny Carter began his jazz career in Harlem in 1924 as a sideman with various bands needing a reed or horn player. (Carter played sax, clarinet and trumpet). He first recorded with the Charlie Johnson Paradise Ten in 1927. In 1929 Carter joined the Chocolate Dandies (the earliest recordings by Carter with that group below), in which he began to distinguish himself as a musician of whom to take note. In 1933 he began a collaborative partnership with Spike Hughes who came from Great Britain to New York City with the intention of recording with the best black American musicians. Carter began a three-year tour of Europe in 1935. Upon returning to the States he started playing the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem in 1939 while arranging for some of the biggest names in swing jazz. He moved to Los Angeles in 1943 where he continued arranging while composing music for films. In 1960 Carter toured Australia. In 1969 he began lecturing at various universities, including Princeton and Harvard. (Carter was awarded honorary doctorates by Princeton, Rutgers, Harvard and the New England Conservatory). Carter's recording career spanned eight decades before his death of bronchitis on 12 July 2003. References encyclopedic: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; musical: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9; Rutgers. Solographies: alto sax, clarinet. Discographies: 1, 2, 3, 4. Compilations: 'The Chronological Classics' 1929-46 commencing issues in 1990: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7; 'Masters of Jazz' 1928-39 commencing issues in 1995: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. Carter in visual media. 1992 interview (pdf) w Ed Berger. Other profiles: 1, 2, 3. Benny Carter 1927 Birmingham Black Bottom Charlie Johnson Paradise Ten Vocal: Monette Moore Composition: F. Johnson/Thomas Morris Charlie Johnson Paradise Ten Vocal: Monette Moore Thought to be Carter's 1st recording Composition: F. Johnson/Thomas Morris Benny Carter 1929 Chocolate Dandies Composition: Don Redman Benny Carter 1930 Chocolate Dandies Composition: Coleman Hawkins Chocolate Dandies Composition: Benny Carter Benny Carter 1936 With the Kai Ewans Orchestra Composition: W.C. Handy/George Norton Benny Carter 1941 Composition: Benny Carter Benny Carter 1966 Filmed live Jazz at the Philharmonic Composition: Edgar Sampson Benny Carter 1976 With Dizzy Gillespie Composition: Henri Woode/Teddy McRae/Wilbur Bird Concert with Earl Hines
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Doc Cook Source: Red Hot Jazz |
Born Charles L. Cooke on 3
September 1891 to less than favorable circumstances in Louisville,
Kentucky, arranger and band leader, Doc Cook
[1,
2],
may have had a factory worker for a father who was making fishing reels
when Charles was nine [Rag Piano].
He had shifted to the tobacco industry by the time Charles was nineteen
and himself working as a janitor at the same place. His mother had died by
that time of causes unknown, nor known when. Cook had otherwise taken up
piano and had formed a band as a teenager. He published his first
composition, 'Maybe I'll Be Back', in Chicago in 1910, the same year he
moved to Detroit with his father. In 1912 he published 'Heroes of the
Balkans' followed by 'Snappin' Turtle' in 1913 and 'Blame It on the Blues'
in 1914. Cook worked in Detroit with the bands of Fred Claire
and Benjamin Shook before moving to Chicago perhaps in 1917. In 1922 he became leader of the resident band at the
Dreamland Ballroom for the next five years. Freddie Keppard
and Jimmie Noone would
pass through that orchestra. Little Beat has him in session in Richmond,
IN, on January 21, 1924, w Keppard in his band for several titles released
as 'So This Is Venice'/'The One I Love Belongs to Somebody Else' (Gennett
5360), 'Lonely Little Wallflower'/'Moanful Man (Gennett 5373) and 'Scissor
Grinder Joe'/'The Memphis Maybe Man' (Gennett 5374). Cook earned his
doctorate in music from the Chicago Musical College in 1926. He left Chicago for New York City in 1930 to work
as an arranger for Radio City Music Hall and RKO. He worked in radio for more
than a decade as he began orchestrating Broadway musicals. IBDB has him
directing 'Brown Buddies' as early as 1930. Later productions included 'Hot
Mikado' in 1939. Cook co-authored 'We Are Americans Too' in
1941 with
Eubie Blake and Andy Razaf
[1,
2,
3], the latter
among the more popular composers of the period. Doc Cook died on Christmas day in 1958.
Sessions.
Discographies: 1,
2,
3.
HMR Project. Doc Cook 1924 Composition: Kahn/Simmons Composition: Doc Cook The One I Love Belongs to Somebody Else Music: Isham Jones 1924 Lyrics: Gus Kahn Composition: Edgar Leslie/Grant Clarke/Harry Warren Composition: Joe Sanders Doc Cook 1926 Composition: Harry Barris Composition: Doc Cook/Clarence Williams Composition: Jelly Roll Morton Doc Cook 1927 Composition: Arthur Lewis/Joe Sanders Composition: Grant Rymal/Walter Melrose/Marty Bloom
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Born in 1895 in Steubenville, Ohio, Paul Howard [1, 2], played a variety of instruments though focused on saxophone. In 1911 he headed for Los Angeles and started his professional career in 1916, first joining Wood Wilson's Syncopators, then Satchel McVea's Howdy Entertainers. Lord's Disco finds Howard with the Quality Four led by Harvey Brooks, backing vocalist, Jessie Derrick circa February of 1924, two of the tunes in that session being 'Mistreatin' Daddy' with Derrick and 'Down on the Farm', and [see also *]. The next year Howard signed on with Sonny Clay for a bit before forming the Quality Serenaders. The Serenaders didn't record, however, until April of 1929. The band's first issues were from its second session on the 28th: 'The Ramble' and 'Midnight Blues'. The Serenaders released about thirteen tracks during its existence into 1930. Upon disbanding the Serenaders Howard played in various bands, including Lionel Hampton's in 1935, who had been a drummer in the Serenaders. In 1939 Howard formed the house band at a place called Virginia's in Los Angeles, performing there until 1953. In the meantime he made his last known recordings in 1944 with the Sepia Tones. Howard died in Los Angeles on 18 Feb of 1980. Sessions: Lord's, DAHR, RHJ. Discographies: Discogs, RYM. Paul Howard 1924 With Harvey Brooks & Jessie Derrick Thought to be Howards' 2nd recording issued Composition: Porter Grainger/Bob Ricketts Paul Howard 1929 Composition: Charlie Lawrence Composition: Charlie Lawrence Composition: Alex Hill Composition: Charlie Lawrence Paul Howard 1930 Composition: Earl Thompson Composition: Charlie Lawrence
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 Quality Serenaders Howard last on R Source: Syncopated Times |
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Hal Kemp Source: Kenosha Theatre |
Born in 1904 in Marion, Alabama,
Hal Kemp
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5]
was a student at the University of North Carolina when he formed the
Carolina Club Orchestra
(CCO), with which he began recording in August of 1924, his first
labels Columbia and Pathé/Perfect. The first two tracks in their initial session
were 'Aren't You Ashamed?' (Columbia 3426) and 'Charleston Cabin'
(Columbia 3448). Kemp also toured Europe in 1924 with
the CCO. The next year he revamped the CCO with important comrades for
some years to come, John Scott Trotter (piano and arrangement), Saxie
Dowell (tenor sax, clarinet, flute, vocals) and Skinnay Ennis (drums,
vocals). Kemp toured Europe again in 1930. During the
Depression Kemp shifted from playing for the college audience to dance
music. His most popular issues were 'There's a Small Hotel'
('36), 'When I'm with You' ('36), 'This Year's Kisses' ('37) and 'Where or
When' ('37). Unfortunately, while on his way to a gig in San Francisco in 1940
he had a head-on collision with a truck and died two days later in the
hospital on 21 December. Sessionographies:
DAHR, Lord's. Discographies:
1,
2,
3.
Kemp in visual media.
Collections: Southern Historical.
Other profiles: 1,
2.
Per below, Ennis begins to appear at vocals in 1928. Hal Kemp 1924 Kemp's 3rd track from 1st recording session Composition: Rose/Cooper/Wells Hal Kemp 1927 A Little Girl A little Boy A Little Moon Composition: Harry Warren/Robert King Composition: Harry Barris Hal Kemp 1928 Composition: Saxie Dowell Music: Richard Whiting Lyrics: Saxie Dowell Composition: Owen Murphy Composition: Harry Woods Composition: Clarence Robbins/Mark Sheafe/Thornton Allen Hal Kemp 1929 Composition: Hal Kemp Composition: Jack Norworth/Nora Bayes Composition: Irving Berlin 1929 For the film 'The Cocoanuts' Hal Kemp 1930 Composition: Doris Tauber/Maceo Pinkard/William Tracey Hal Kemp 1931 Vocal: Alice Faye Music: Harry Warren Lyrics: Mort Dixon/Billy Rose Music: Harry Warren Lyrics: Mort Dixon/Billy Rose Composition: Harry Richman/Irving Kahal Composition: Harry Warren/Mort Dixon Hal Kemp 1933 Composition: Harry Warren/Al Dubin Composition: Harry Warren/Al Dubin Hal Kemp 1934 Recorded 1934 CIssued 1982 on Circle CLP-25 Composition: Cole Porter Hal Kemp 1935 Vocal: Maxine Grey Composition: Harry Barris/Mort Greene Hal Kemp 1936 Nee 'Hungarian Suicide Song' Composition: Rezső Seress 1933 Adolph Zukor short film issued 1984 Hal Kemp 1937 Vocal: Skinnay Ennis Composition: Clifford Grey/Jack Waller Joseph Tunbridge/Sonny Miller Composition: Harry Warren/Al Dubin Hal Kemp 1938 Composition: Harold Rome Hal Kemp 1939 Vocal: Bob Allen Music: Rube Bloom Lyrics: Ted Koehler In an 18th Century Drawing Room Live performance Composition: Raymond Scott
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Guy Lombardo Source: Britannica |
Canadian violinist
Guy Lombardo, was a popular orchestra leader to whom Lord, listing only jazz sessions, pays little attention, and that to
which he does helped Lombardo become the King [1,
2] of Schmaltz
[1,
2].
Among his greater rivals in that was
Horace Heidt only a year older
than Guy, the latter born in London, Ontario, to Italian
immigrants in June of 1902. In 1924 Guy formed a sweet band w brothers,
Carmen (flute, sax, vocals) and
Lebert (trumpet). His brother,
Victor (sax),
would join later, as well as sister, Rose (vocals). Guy brought his band
called the Royal Canadians to the Gennett recording studios in Richmond,
IN, in March of '24 to record five tracks. The first, 'Someone Loves You
After All' went unissued. Nor did 'So This Is Venice'/'Cry' (Gennett 5416)
nor 'Cotton Picker's Ball'/'Mama's Gone, Goodbye' (Gennett 5417) shake
down a lot of fruit. His big break came upon moving his operation to Chicago
to play at Al Quodbach's Granada Cafe in 1927
[*],
then paying a radio station (WBBM) to broadcast fifteen minutes of his band's performance
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5].
That created a stir
such that people listening to the broadcast went to the Granada and packed
it. The station meanwhile received so many phone calls that it decided
to broadcast Lombardo's performance later into the evening. Lombardo
issued 'Charmaine!' (Columbia 1048) later that year to huge success.
The Granada was a gangland hangout and it is speculated that the murders
of Hugh McGovern and Will McPadden by George Maloney were heard over
the radio during
a Lombardo broadcast by WBBM on Dec 31 of 1928 [1,
2,
3].
Lombardo's residency of above thirty years at the Roosevelt Hotel in New
York City commenced with his first performance there on October 3, 1929
[*].
Lombardo gave his first New
Year's Eve broadcast from the Roosevelt [1,
2,
3,
4], beginning the tradition for which he
would become famous: Both CBS and NBC broadcasted the Royal Canadians' rendition
of 'Auld Lang Syne' at midnight. Not only would Lombardo
continue performing 'Auld Lang Syne' at the stroke of midnight each new year
for the next thirty-seven years, but all the English-speaking
world would celebrate the same, making 'Auld Lang Syne' one of the most
significant songs ever written. It was first published by Robert Burns in
1788, fitted to
an old English or Scottish folk melody. Burns later credited the song to
an "old man" unidentified [1,
2,
3,
4]. Lombardo enjoyed
huge popularity
in the thirties with issues like 'Red Sails in the Sunset', 'Lost' and
'Boo-Hoo'. Vocalist, Kenny Gardner [1,
2], hooked up with Lombardo in
1940, they to remain a combination for years to come. Also a favorite of
Louis Armstrong, like
Whiteman's and other
sweet dance orchestras, Lombardo was and is often delineated as such
beyond the perimeters
of jazz proper. Beyond music, Lombardo's second love
was speedboat racing, winning every trophy in the field, including the Gold
Cup in 1946. Selling more than 100 million records, Lombardo died on 5
November 1977 in Houston [1,
2]. References encyclopedic: 1,
2,
3,
4;
musical: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
Prominent orchestra members.
Lombardo in visual media.
Sessionographies: 1,
2, Lord.
Discographies: 1,
2,
3.
HMR Project. Guy Lombardo 1924 Composition: Armand Piron/Pete Bocage Guy Lombardo 1927 Composition: Emo Rapee/Lew Pollack Guy Lombardo 1928 Composition: Billy Meyers/Elmer Schoebel Ernie Erdman/Gus Kahn Guy Lombardo 1929 Music: Walter Donaldson Lyrics: Gus Kahn Guy Lombardo 1931 Music: Victor Young Lyrics: Sam Lewis Guy Lombardo 1932 Composition: Irving Berlin Guy Lombardo 1935 Composition: Carmen Lombardo Guy Lombardo 1938 Music: Sholom Secunda Lyrics: Sammy Cahn/Saul Chaplin Guy Lombardo 1939 Composition: See above
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| Born Joseph Matthews Manone in
1900, composer, trumpeter and vocalist Wingy Manone
[1,
2,
3] got his name due to losing
an arm during a streetcar accident. He used a prosthesis as a result,
which one hardly noticed from a distance during performances. Manone made his debut recordings
per Tom Lord circa Nov 29, 1924, performing on cornet with the Arcadian Serenaders:
'San Sue Strut' (Okeh 40378), 'Who Can Your Regular Be, Blues' (Okeh
40440), 'Bobbed Hair Bobbie (Bobbie Be Mine)' (Okeh 40378) and 'Fidgety
Feet' (Okeh 40272). The next year he formed the San Sue Strutters, recording several tracks
with that outfit in Chicago in November, none issued at the time. He laid tracks as Joe Manone's
Harmony Kings in April 1927 before recording with Red
Nichols' Red Heads in September. He would appear on tracks by
Red Nichols' Five Pennies in 1930 as well. 1934 saw him contributing
to numerous tunes by the
New Orleans Rhythm
Kings. Manone issued nearly two hundred tracks during his career, the
best-selling of which was 'Please Believe Me' in 1936. His autobiography, 'Trumpet
on the Wing', was published in 1948, long
before his retirement from the music industry, for Manone recorded to as late as
1975 per the album, 'Jazz from Italy', with guitarist, Lino Patruno, and
the Milan College Jazz Society. He died on 9 July 1982 in Las Vegas,
where he had lived since 1954. Sessions: 1,
2,
Lord's. Discos: 1,
2,
3. Wingy Manone 1924 Bobbed Haired Bobbie (Bobbie Me Mine) With the Arcadian Serenaders 3rd track from Manone's 1st recording session Composition: Jack Ford/Eddie Ward Wingy Manone 1925 With the Arcadian Serenaders Composition: Coleman Goetz/Milton Charles/Sam Stept With the Arcadian Serenaders Composition: Larry Conley With the Arcadian Serenaders Composition: Larry Conley Wingy Manone 1928 Composition: Bud Freeman/Terry Shand/Wingy Manone Wingy Manone 1930 As Barbecue Joe and his Hot Dogs Composition: Artie Matthews As Barbecue Joe and his Hot Dogs Composition: George Washington Thomas/Sippie Wallace With the Cellar Boys Composition: Frank Melrose Wingy Manone 1935 Composition: Al Hoffman/Maurice Sigler/Al Goodhart Composition: Jimmy Kennedy/Will Grosz Composition: Jimmy McHugh/Ted Koehler Composition: Walter Bishop/Clarence Williams/Lewis Raymond Wingy Manone 1938 'Dark Eyes'
|
Wingy Manone Source: Planet Barberella |
|
|
Muggsy Spanier Source: Jango |
Born Francis Joseph Julian Spanier in Chicago
in 1901, Dixieland cornetist Muggsy Spanier's
[1,
2,
3]
professional career began in 1921 with Elmer Schoebel's band. Spanier
later made
his first recordings with the Bucktown Five on February 25, 1924, in
Chicago, among those titles issued 'Mobile Blues' (Gennett 5405), 'Chicago Blues' (Gennett 5418) and
'Someday Sweetheart' (Gennett 5405). That was followed by a session for Autograph with the Stomp Six
about July 1925. The Stomp Six was a band that had no existence outside
the recording studio. Issued from that was 'Why Can't It Be Poor Little
Me?' and 'Everybody Loves My Baby'. Lord's discography doesn't show him
recording again until February of 1928 with Charles Pierce and his
Orchestra, to issue 'Bull Frog Blues' and 'China Boy'. His initial
recordings with the Chicago Rhythm Kings occurred in Chicago in March of
1928, but Vocalion didn't issue those. Besides Spanier at trumpet that
band consisted of Frank Teschmacher (clarinet),
Mezz Mezzrow (tenor sax),
Joe Sullivan (piano),
Eddie Condon (banjo), Jim Lannigan
(tuba), Red McKenzie (vocals), and Gene Krupa (drums). Their next session on April 6
wrought 'There'll Be Some Changes Made' and 'I've Found a New Baby'. That
group recorded as the Jungle Kings on the 28th of April, yielding 'Friar's
Point Shuffle' and 'At the Darktown Strutter's Ball'. Spanier recorded
with the band of
Ted Lewis from May 1929 to
July 1933. Spanier's first recordings as a leader in New Orleans went unissued until
years later. His next, upon the formation of his Ragtime Band, were issued
in 1939 from a session on July 7 in Chicago yielding two takes each of
'Big Butter and Egg Man', 'Someday Sweetheart', 'Eccentric' and 'That Da
Da Strain'. Age 38 at the time, Spanier
recorded prolifically with his own bands into the sixties. He had
also backed vocalist, Connie Boswell, in '37 and '40. He
recorded with the Rhythm Wreckers in '37 as well. Spanier had first
laid tracks with
Sidney Bechet,
Pee Wee Russell and
Lee Wiley in 1940. Also notable in Spanier's
career was pianist,
Earl Hines, with whom he first
worked in 1945, later to become a member of Spanier's band. Both
Eddie Condon and
Joe Sullivan, both with
whom he'd first recorded in '28 with the Chicago Rhythm Kings remained
significant associates. Upright bassist, Pops
Foster, was a large figure in Spanier's career in the forties and fifties. Spanier passed away
on 12 February 1967
in Sausalito, CA. Sessionographies: 1,
2,
Lord's.
Discos: 1,
2,
3.
Spanier visual media.
Per 1924 below, all tracks are with the Bucktown Five.
Cornet on 'Someday, Sweetheart' is incorrectly credited to
Bix Beiderbecke instead
of Spanier. Muggsy Spanier 1924 Bucktown Five Composition: Billy Rose Bucktown Five Composition: Benjamin Franklin Spikes/John Spikes Bucktown Five 1st recording Composition: George Bates/Mel Stitzel Muggsy Spanier 1925 The Stomp Six Composition: Jack Palmer/Spencer Williams Muggsy Spanier 1928 Composition: Billy Higgins/William Benton Overstreet Composition: Jack Palmer/Spencer Williams First issue: Clarence Williams' Blue Five 1926 Muggsy Spanier 1939 Composition: Percy Venable For Louis Armstrong 1926 Composition: King Oliver/Louis Armstrong I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate Composition: Armand John Piron Composition: Gene Austin/Nathaniel Shilkret Composition: Muggsy Spanier/Joe Bushkin Composition: Edgar Dowell/Mamie Medina Muggsy Spanier 1943 Music: Cliff Burwell 1928 Lyrics: Mitchell Parish Muggsy Spanier 1944 Composition: Muggsy Spanier Composition: Joseph McCarthy/Harry Tierney Composition: W.C. Handy/George Norton Composition: King Oliver Composition: Will Harris/Victor Young Muggsy Spanier 1950 Music: Ben Bernie/Maceo Pinkard 1925 Lyrics: Kenneth Casey Muggsy Spanier 1951 Composition: Will Hudson/Eddie Delange/Irving Mills Muggsy Spanier 1954 Composition: Duke Ellington/Juan Tizol Composition: Earl Hines Composition: Clarence Williams
|
|
| Born in 1901 in Pitcairn, Pennsylvania, bandleader
Ted Weems [1,
2,
3] played both trombone and violin. Initially
studying to become a civil engineer, he changed direction when he and his
brother, Art, formed a band in college and began receiving invitations from hotels
throughout the nation to play at their venues. In 1921 his band played at
Warren Harding's inaugural ball. Ted and Art recorded an unissued
track in NYC for Columbia in May of 1922. Not until a session on November
20 of '23 did Weems see issue, probably in January of '24, those with
Victor: 'Covered Wagon Days' and 'Somebody Stole My Gal' (Victor 19212). The Weems issued
12 more titles in '24, gradually increasing in years thereafter. In 1928 Weems took
his orchestra to Chicago where he broke into radio in the early thirties,
performing on Jack Benny's 'Canada Dry', 'Fibber McGee & Molly' in the latter
thirties and 'Beat the Band' in the early forties. It was Weems who brought
Perry Como his major break (after
first touring with Fred Carlone for three years),
Como also first recording
in 1936 with Weem's orchestra. In 1942 Weems and his whole band joined the
Merchant Marine, his orchestra then to become the Merchant Marine Band
until 1945 (two band members killed). Weems then toured the States until
1953 when he took employment as a disc jockey in Memphis, then a manager
for Holiday Inn. Weems was operating a talent agency in Dallas, and had
taken his band to an engagement in Tulsa, when he died there of emphysema
on 6 May 1963. Sessionographies: 1,
2,
Lord's. Discos: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Compilations: 'Marvelous' 1926-29.
Weems visual media.
Tracks below are alphabetical by year. Ted Weems 1924 Composition: Al Bernard/Russel Robinson Composition: Joe Burrowes/Will Morrissey Composition: Leo Woods Ted Weems 1926 I'm Going to Park Myself in Your Arms Composition: Alex Marr/Archie Fletcher/Bobby Heath My Cutie's Due at Two To-Two To-Day Composition: Leo Robin/Albert Von Tilzer Composition: Cliff Friend/Gus Kahn Ted Weems 1927 Composition: Abner Silver/Billy Rose Music: Lew Pollack Lyrics: Sidney Clare Composition: May Singh Breen/Peter de Rose Composition: Lew Pollack/Sidney Clare Composition: Harry Akst/Benny Davis/Louis Wolfe Gilbert Ted Weems 1928 Composition: Herscher/Darcey/Alexander Vocal: Parker Gibbs Composition: Buddy De Sylva/Lew Brown/Ray Henderson Ted Weems 1929 Music: Ted Snyder Lyrics: Irving Kahal/Francis Wheeler Composition: Phil Baxter Composition: Henry Creamer/Lou Handman Ted Weems 1930 Washing Dishes with My Sweetie Composition: Peter Dixon/Tom Neely/Dave Ringle Ted Weems 1934 The Boulevard of Broken Dreams Music: Harry Warren Lyrics: Al Dubin Composition: Dick Smith/Felix Bernard Ted Weems 1936 When a Lady Meets a Gentleman Down South Composition: Dave Oppenheim/Jacques Krakeur/Michael Cleary Ted Weems 1938 Music: Al Hoffman 1931 Lyrics: John Klenner Ted Weems 1939 I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now Vocal: Perry Como Music: Harold Orlob 1909 Lyrics: Will Hough/Frank Adams Ted Weems 1947 Vocal: Bob Edwards Whistling: Elmo Tanner Composition: Neil Moret/Harry Williams
|
Ted Weems Photo: James J. Kriegsmann Source: Los Angeles Times |
|
|
Roger Wolfe Kahn Source: Planet Barbarella |
Roger Wolfe Kahn
[1,
2,
3]
was born in Morristown, NJ, in 1907 to a wealthy Jewish banking family.
Playing multiple instruments, Khan was only 16 when he put together his
own orchestra. Kahn first recorded in 1925 per 'Hot-Hot-Hottentot' and
'Yearning' (Victor 19616). He released tracks prolifically and popularly
into 1932, after which he shelved his baton to
pursue aviation as a test pilot for the Grumman Aircraft Engineering
Corporation in 1933. A reunion with his band was held in 1938 for a
performance at the Roosevelt Field airport in New York. Kahn's
best-selling issue had been
Irving Berlin's 'Russian
Lullaby' in 1927. Kahn died on 12 July 1962 in New York City,
having recorded popularly for Victor, Brunswick and Columbia. Sessionographies: 1,
2,
Lord's.
Discos: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
Compilations: 1925-29. Broadway
musicals
composed by Kahn 1928. Kahn and other visual media. Roger Wolfe Kahn 1925 A Cup of Coffee, a Sandwich, and You Composition: Billy Rose/Al Dubin/Joseph Meyer Kahn's 1st issue Composition: Fred isher Roger Wolfe Kahn 1926 Composition: Irving Berlin Composition: George & Ira Gershwin I'd Climb the Highest Mountain Composition: Lew Brown/Sidney Clare Roger Wolfe Kahn 1927 Composition: RW Kahn Composition: Irving Berlin Music: Ray Henderson Lyrics: Buddy De Sylva/Lew Brown Roger Wolfe Kahn 1928 Composition: Irving Caesar/Joseph Meyer/RW Kahn Composition: Irving Caesar/Joseph Meyer/RW Kahn An Old Guitar and an Old Refrain Music: Ben Black/Neil Moret Lyrics: Ben Black Composition: Noel Coward Composition: Walter Donaldson Roger Wolfe Kahn 1929 Music: Jerome Kern Lyrics: Hammerstein II Roger Wolfe Kahn 1930 Cheer Up, Good Times Are Coming Music: Jesse Greer Lyrics: Raymond Klages Roger Wolfe Kahn 1932 Composition: Duke Ellington/Irving Mills Just a Little Home for the Old Folks Music: Fred Ahlert Lyrics: Edgar Leslie Music: Grace Le Boy Lyrics: Gus Kahn Music: Thomas (Fats) Waller Lyrics: Joe Young Music: Arthur Schwartz Lyrics: Howard Dietz Way Down Yonder in New Orleans Music: John Turner Layton Jr. 1922 Lyrics: Henry Creamer
|
|
| Born in Chicago in 1907, cornetist
Jimmy
McPartland received his big break at the young age of 17 (1924) when he was asked to
be the replacement for Bix Beiderbecke in the
Wolverine Orchestra, with which
he first recorded on December 5, 1924, presumably issued the next year.
That tune was 'When My Sugar Walks Down the Street' (Gennett 5620) with vocals by Dave
Harmon added. McPartland stuck with the shift to the
Original Wolverines
run by pianist, Dick Voynow, until latter 1927, 'The New
Twister' among the last tracks of McPartland's last session with that band in
October. In December that year he contributed cornet to grooves by
Ben Pollack and his
Orchestra before signing up with Eddie Condon's Chicagoans
also led by
Red McKenzie. McPartland
first recorded as a bandleader in April of '36, ramrodding the Squirrels,
those tracks being 'Eccentric' and 'Original Dixieland One-Step'. In 1944 McPartland
would marry the pianist, Marian McPartland. Marian first laid tracks with Jimmy
in London on January 6, 1946, featuring guitarist, Vic Lewis, for
Harlequin. Among the bigger names with whom McPartland worked during his career
were
Benny Goodman with whom he'd first recorded in '27 with
Pollack, Jack Teagarden and
Glenn Miller likewise. In
November of 1952 he recorded the album, 'Hot Versus Cool', with Dizzy
Gillespie and the Cool Jazz Stars. Tom Lord has McPartland recording
as late as June 22, 1986, a live performance at Town Hall in NYC to be
issued on the album by various artists, 'Chicago Jazz Summit'. McPartland died of lung cancer
on 13 March 1999 in Port Washington, New York. References encyclopedic:
1,
2;
musical: 1,
2; Marian McPartland and:
Collection University of Chicago;
Washington Post. Sessions: 1,
2, Lord's.
Discos: 1,
2,
3.
McPartland in visual media. On the bottom two tracks below McPartland
plays trumpet rather than cornet. Jimmy McPartland 1924 When My Sugar Walks Down the Street With the Wolverine Orchestra McPartland's 1st issued recording Composition: 1924: Gene Austin/Jimmy McHugh/Irving Mills Jimmy McPartland 1927 With the Wolverine Orchestra Composition: Eddie Green With the Chicagoans Composition: Milton Ager/Frank Crum Red Nichols/Jack Yellen Jimmy McPartland 1928 With the Hotsy Totsy Gang Vocal: Elizabeth Welch Music: Jimmy McHugh Lyrics: Dorothy Fields Vocal: Irving Mills as Milton Irving With the Hotsy Totsy Gang Composition: Lewis C. Smith/Reuben C. Riddick Jimmy McPartland 1939 Composition: Dick Winfree/Phil Boutelje Jimmy McPartland 1954 Composition: Chris Smith/Jim Burris Composition: Clarence Williams/Spencer Williams
|
Jimmy McPartland Source: Discogs |
|
|
Irving Mills Source: Hit of the Week |
Born Isadore Minsky in 1894,
Irving Mills
[1,
2,
3,
4] first
recorded in 1925 upon meeting Duke Ellington. Though a singer (top and bottom tracks below),
Mills resides on this page as mainly
a band director, arranger, lyricist, music publisher and businessman, his
talent in forming, managing and promoting bands. In 1919 Mills founded the
music publishing company, Jack Mills Inc., with his brother Jack (to
become Mills Music Inc. in 1928). It was Mills
who got Duke Ellington booked at the
Cotton Club
in 1927, and he would come to own half of Duke
Ellington Inc., managing Ellington
until 1939. Before that, however, Mills formed a subgroup out of
Ellington's band which he called the
Hotsy Totsy Boys, participating
(kazoo, vocals) in the recording of 'Everything Is Hotsy Totsy Now' for
Blu-Disc (T1001) on June 8, 1925. It's thought that it was Mills who named
Red Nichols'
band the
Five Pennies in 1926. Though Mills worked largely in a business capacity he
contributed to numerous vocals with
Ellington, Ellington
"bands within a band" and his own groups. Tom Lord has Mills next
recording vocals with an Ellington
subgroup called the Harlem Footwarmers
[1,
2] in NYC on July 10, 1928, releasing 'Diga
Diga Doo' and 'Doin' the New Lowdown'. Mills' own band was the popular Hotsy
Totsy Gang [*] which
configurations included some of the biggest names in jazz:
Jimmy Dorsey, Tommy Dorsey,
Eddie Lang,
Joe Venuti, Glenn Miller,
Benny
Goodman, Red Nichols.
Mills contributed vocals to recordings by that group on January 14, 1929:
'Futuristic Rhythm' and 'Out Where the Blues Begin', instrumentals of
those issued as well. In 1931 Mills formed another top band, the Mills Blue
Rhythm Band [1,
2,
3,
4],
which played the Cotton Club and recorded 150 sides until its
disbanding in 1938. In 1936 Mills founded the Master and Variety record
labels, though sold to Brunswick and Vocalion the next year. Mills is also
credited with the discovery of Blanche and Cab Calloway.
Having also used the pseudonyms, Goody Goodwin and Joe Primrose, he died
21 April 1985. In selections
below in which he doesn't sing he is band director and/or arranger. More singing by Mills with his Hotsy Totsy
Gang under Jimmy
McPartland. Compositions co-authored by Mills.
Composing for Broadway
productions. Sessionographies:
Mills: 1,
2, Lord's; Hotsy Totsy Gang:
RHJ, Lords. Discographies:
Mills: 1,
2;
Hotsy Totsy Gang: 1,
2. Hotsy Totsy Boys 1925 Piano by Duke Ellington Composition: Jimmy McHugh/Dorothy Fields/Irving Mills Irving Mills 1928 With Jack Pettis and his Pets Composition: Jimmy McHugh/Dorothy Fields Ben Pollack and his Whoopee Makers Composition: Billy Meyers/Elmer Schoebel Hotsy Totsy Gang Composition: Reuben C. Riddick/Lewis C. Smith Irving Mills 1929 Ain't Misbehavin' Hotsy Totsy Gang Composition: Harry Brooks/Fats Waller/Andy Razaf Hotsy Totsy Gang Composition: Hoagy Carmichael Hotsy Totsy Gang Composition: Hoagy Carmichael/Irving Mills Hotsy Totsy Gang Composition: Norman Hackforth Hotsy Totsy Gang Composition: Jimmy McHugh/Dorothy Fields Hotsy Totsy Gang Composition: Hoagy Carmichael/Mitchell Parish Hotsy Totsy Gang Composition: Harry Brooks/Fats Waller/Andy Razaf Irving Mills 1930 Hotsy Totsy Gang Cornet: Bix Beiderbecke Composition: Matty Malneck/Frank Signorelli/Irving Mills Hotsy Totsy Gang Piano: Hoagy Carmichael Composition: Hoagy Carmichael Loved One Hotsy Totsy Gang Composition: Frankie Trumbauer/Irving Mills/Hayden Hotsy Totsy Gang Composition: Fred Van Eps With Duke Ellington Composition: See Wikipedia Hotsy Totsy Gang Music: John Turner Layton Lyrics: Henry Creamer
|
|
| Born in 1894 in Danville, Kentucky,
Fess Williams [1,
2,
3,
4] was a composer who
played clarinet and sax, forming his first
orchestra in 1919, age fifteen. He worked for Ollie Powers in Chicago in
1923 before forming the Royal Flush Orchestra, first recording in latter 1925
for Gennett Records. A session circa October has him issuing 'Green River
Blues'. In December he recorded 'Caroline' and a couple takes of 'Some
Other Time'. William's Royal Flush took residency at the Savoy Ballroom in
1926. In 1928 he took a different tack, temporarily leaving his Royal
Flush in New York to form the Joy Boys in Chicago. On April 3, 1928,
Williams' Joy Boys recorded 'Dixie Stomp' and 'Drifting and Dreaming' for
Vocalion. Back in New York, Williams'
continued to record with his Royal Flush Orchestra before making their last recordings in 1930 for Victor, those thought to be
'Dinah', 'Just to Be with You Tonight' and 'Everything's OK with Me'.
Entering into the Depression years of the thirties, Williams continued leading bands on occasion but turned
to selling real estate to make a living. DAHR and Tom Lord's discography have
Williams recording with Frankie Half Pint Jaxon, Lee Brown and
Georgia White in 1940, then Sammy
Price in December of '41 before largely disappearing into obscurity.
Williams died on 17 November 1975 in New York. Sessions: 1,
2,
Lord's. Discos: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
HMR Project. Fess Williams 1925 Composition: Matty Malneck/Frank Signorelli/Irving Mills Fess Williams 1926 Composition: Johnny St. Cyr/Doc Cooke Composition: Matty Malneck/Frank Signorelli/Irving Mills Fess Williams 1927 Composition: Fred Rose Composition: Fred Rose Arrangement: Fess Williams Composition: B. Lou Jackson Composition: Charlie Green/Fletcher Henderson/Jo Trent Fess Williams 1929 Composition: Harry Brooks/Fats Waller/Andy Razaf Composition: David Jelly James Composition: Walter H. Brown Composition: Harry Brooks/Fats Waller/Andy Razaf Fess Williams 1930 Composition: Sidney Easton Composition: Sam Lewis/Joe Young/Harry Akst Composition: Maceo Pinkhard Composition: Fess Williams
|
Fess Williams Source: Jazz Tour Database |
|
| Born in 1902 in Panama, pianist
Luis Russell [1,
2,
3,
4] began his professional career at age
17, accompanying silent films at theaters, then later a casino. In 1919 he won $3000 in
a lottery and used it to take his mother and sister to New Orleans. In 1924
he moved to Chicago where he played with
Doc Cook and
King Oliver. Russell is
thought to have first recorded in 1926, backing Ada Brown in
Chicago on March 10 toward the release of 'Panama Limited Blues' and 'Tia
Juana Man' (Vocalion 1009). Russell first recorded as a leader that same day, having
formed the Hot Six, of which Kid Ory
was a member contributing trombone. Issued from that session were '29th
and Dearborn' and 'Sweet Mumtaz'. Russell first recorded as a member of
King Oliver's orchestra in
Chicago on March 11, 1926, Ory
also in session for two takes each of 'Too Bad' and 'Snag It'. He first
laid tracks under
Louis Armstrong's
leadership with the latter's Savoy Ballroom Five (ten musicians in the
group) on March 5, 1929, toward the issue of 'I Can't Give You Anything
But Love' and 'Mahogany Hall Stomp'. Russell would work heavily with
Armstrong in decades to
come. Another giant name, Henry Red Allen, came
Russell's way in 1929 as well, he first recording with
Allen in the latter's
New York Orchestra on July 16, 1929, toward the release of 'It Should Be
You' and 'Biffly Blues'. Blues singer,
Victoria Spivey, was another of
the larger names with whom Russell recorded during his career, he first
backing her under Allen's
leadership on September 24, 1929, to issue tracks of 'Make a Country Bird
Fly Wild', 'Funny Feathers Blues', 'How Do They Do It That Way' and 'Pleasin'
Paul'. In 1948
Russell largely retired from performing, opened a notions shop and began teaching
piano. He died on 11 December 1961 in New York City. Sessionographies:
1,
2,
3,
Lord. Discos: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Other profiles: HMR Project, Riverwalk Jazz. Luis Russell 1926 Composition: Luis Russell Luis Russell 1929 Featuring Bill Coleman on trumpet Composition: Luis Russell Featuring Henry Red Allen on trumpet Composition: Luis Russell Trumpets: Henry Red Allen & Bill Coleman Composition: Paul Barbarin Luis Russell 1930 Composition: David Bee Luis Russell 1931 Composition: Harold Mooney/Hughie Prince Composition: Sam Thread
|
Luis Russell Source: Discogs |
|
| Born in Georgia in 1908, trumpeter
Jabbo Smith was sent to an orphanage in South Carolina
at age six. He left that orphanage at age sixteen to begin a career in music,
playing with a number of bands in various northeast cities until he went to New
York City and made his first recordings, 1926 the earliest found, that
with Thomas Morris on August 17, Victor master 20179. Tom Lord's
discography has him accompanying
Eva Taylor with
Clarence Williams's
Blue Five in a session for on February 10, 1927: 'I Wish You Would'
and 'If I Could Be with You' (Okeh 8444). Smith also recorded with Duke
Ellington in
1927, a session on November 10 witnessing 7 tracks of 3 titles: 'What Can
a Poor Fellow Do?', 'Black and Tan Fantasy' and 'Chicago Stomp Down'.
Smith was age
21 when he formed his own band, the Rhythm Aces, in 1929 after touring with
James Johnson. It is
thought his first session as a leader with the Aces was on January 29,
yielding Jazz Battle'. Lord's discography has him recording as a leader on
more than twenty occasions up to the Breda Jazz Festival in Netherlands in
1983. Smith left Chicago for Milwaukee in the thirties. 1937 found him
recording with
Claude Hopkins in NYC. Though he
continued to record in New York he eventually took employment with a car
rental agency. In 1961 he revived his career upon recording the 'Hidden
Treasure" sessions. The latter seventies saw Smith recording with the
Hot Dogs in Netherlands, beginning with the album, 'The Hot Dogs Meet
Jabbo Smith', recorded in three sessions in Almelo and Breda in December
of 1976. Smith toured into the eighties in both Europe
and the United States. He died on 16 Jan 1991. References:
1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
Catalogues: 1,
2,
3. Further reading:
Art Music Lounge. Jabbo Smith 1926 With Thomas Morris & His Seven Hot Babies Composition: Thomas Morris Jabbo Smith 1927 With Clarence Williams' Blue Five Vocal: Eva Taylor Composition: 1925: Chappie Chappelle/Juanita Stinnette Jabbo Smith 1928 With the Louisiana Sugar Babes Piano: James P. Johnson Composition: Con Conrad Henry Creamer James P. Johnson Jabbo Smith 1929 Mislabeled Intended title: 'Aces of Rhythm' Composition: Jabbo Smith Composition: Jabbo Smith Composition: Jabbo Smith Composition: Jabbo Smith Composition: Jabbo Smith Composition: Jabbo Smith Jabbo Smith 1982 With the Hot Antic Jazz Band Composition: Jabbo Smith With the Hot Antic Jazz Band Composition: 1928: Larry Shay/Mark Fisher/Joe Goodwin
|
Jabbo Smith Source: Riverwalk Jazz |
|
| Born in 1899 in Chicago, arranger and bandleader
Victor Young began playing piano at age six. But
he began his career in 1920 largely as concert violinist and
conductor. He first appeared on record in 1926, adding violin to tracks by
Russo and Fiorito's Oriole Orchestra in Chicago on March 12: 'I Don't
Believe It' and 'Let's Talk About My Sweetie'. In December the same year
he recorded several titles in a couple of sessions with
Ben Pollack, also in
Chicago for Victor: 'When I First Met Mary', 'Deed I Do', 'You're the One
for Me' and 'He's the Last Word'. Tom Lord's discography doesn't show
Young recording again until the summer of 1929 with
Isham Jones, those
unissued. His first recordings to be released that year were with
Jean Goldkette from a
couple sessions in Chicago that summer, the second a radio broadcast with
Goldkette's Eskimo Pie
Orchestra. Young's first titles to be issued with
Jones were from a session
in October, yielding 'Song of the Blues' and 'Feeling the Way'. His next
issues with Jones were 'Nina Rosa' and 'Your Smiles, Your Tears' from a
session in February of 1930. Young's debut recordings as a conductor for
the
Boswell Sisters occurred
April 23 of 1931 for Brunswick: 'Roll On, Mississippi, Roll On' and
'Shout, Sister, Shout'. That was probably w the Brunswick house orchestra
which he also led on May 22,
1931 toward 'I Surrender Dear' and 'Stardust' with the
Boswell Sisters. A second
session that day saw releases of 'Sing a Little Jingle' and 'I Found a
Million Dollar Baby', also with the
Boswells. Young would work as
a band director for the American Record Company which managed the Brunswick
label owned by Warner Brothers. He backed the
Boswells numerously,
especially Connie, into the
early forties. He also worked with such as
Joe Venuti,
Bing Crosby, Chick Bullock
and
Lee Wiley before moving to Hollywood
in 1935 to compose for films. His first of above 300 film scores is thought to have been 'Anything Goes' released by Paramount in 1936.
Other soundtracks included 'The Quiet Man' in '52 and 'Around the World in
80 Days' in '56.
Included among Young's last recordings was the soundtrack to Walt Disney's animated
'Lady and the Tramp'. The LP, 'Songs from Walt Disney's Lady and the
Tramp' was released in 1955 with Peggy
Lee. Young died the next year, only age 56, in Palm Springs of cerebral hemorrhage
on 10 Nov 1956. More Victor Young
under Lee Wiley in Swing Jazz 2.
References: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7.
Compositions.
Young on Broadway.
Discographies: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Filmographies: 1,
2.
Reviews.
Collections: 1,
2,
3,
4.
HMR Project. Victor Young 1926 Russo and Fiorito's Oriole Orchestra Composition: Walter Donaldson/Gus Kahn Victor Young 1927 With Ben Pollack Music: Fred Rose Lyrics: Walter Hirsch Victor Young 1930 With Nick Lucas Composition: Walter Donaldson Victor Young 1931 With Dick Robertson Composition: Young/Peter Tinturin Victor Young 1932 With Helen Morgan Music: Jerome Kern Lyrics: Oscar Hammerstein Composition: Arthur Schwartz/Howard Dietz Victor Young 1933 With Chick Bullock Victor Young 1934 Composition: Yip Harburg/Vernon Duke Composition: Ray Noble Victor Young 1936 With Donald King (Dick Robertson) Victor Young 1949 Film Score Paramount Symphony Orchestra Music and conducting by Young Victor Young 1950 ('When I Fall In Love') Music: Young Lyrics: Edward Heyman Victor Young 1952 From the film 'Scaramouche' Music: Young Victor Young 1956 Around the World in Eighty Days Soundtrack Suite Composition: Young/Harold Adamson
|
Victor Young Source: Victor Young's Fan Web |
|
|
Henry Red Allen Source: Republic Pink |
Born in 1906 in Algiers, Louisiana, trumpet player
Henry Red Allen [1,
2,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7] began his career in New Orleans playing with dance bands as
a teenager. He moved on to Mississippi riverboats until his big break came
in 1927, employed by Joe King Oliver.
On June 7 of that year he recorded with
Clarence Williams and
His Bottomland Orchestra for Brunswick in New York City, two versions each
of 'Slow River' and 'Zulu Wail'. Two of those sessions were also issued
under the pseudonym, the Avalonians, by Vocalion (15577).
Luis Russell
played piano and arranged for Allen's first tracks as a leader in 1929
with his New York Orchestra,
recording versions of 'It Should Be You' and 'Biffly Blues' on July 16,
followed the next day with sets of 'Feeling Drowsy' and 'Swing Out'. Allen
and Russell partnered numerously to as late as 1940, supporting each
other's bands as well as other operations. Allen
also contributed to tracks with the Four Wanderers and
Victoria Spivey in 1929. 1933 found Allen sharing duties as a leader with
Coleman Hawkins.on numerous tunes.
In 1940 he recorded 'Down in Jungle Town' and 'Canal Street Blues' with
pianist and wife of
Louis Armstrong, Lil
Armstrong (Hardin), and
clarinetist, Edmond
Hall. From 1954 to
1965 Allen's was the house band at the Metropole Cafe in New York City. He
didn't tour Europe until 1959 with Kid Ory.
Allen's final tour of England was in 1967 where he made his last
recordings in February and March with the Alex Welsh Band before returning to NYC,
dying several weeks later on April 17.
Sessions: DAHR, Lord,
Rainer Jazz,
RHJ,
solography.
Discos: 45Worlds,
Discogs,
RYM.
Compilations: Merritt Record Society: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Allen in visual media.
Further reading: HMR Project,
Riverwalk. Henry Red Allen 1927 With Clarence Williams Music: Charles Schwab/Edgar Fairchild/Arthur Schwartz Lyrics: Henry Myers With Clarence Williams Composition: Fred Skinner/Irving Bibo Henry Red Allen 1929 Composition: Henry Red Allen With Walter Fats Pichon Composition: Fred Skinner/Irving Bibo William Weldon/Walter Fats Pichon With Luis Russell Composition: Luis Russell With Fats Waller Music: Fats Waller Lyrics: Ken Macomber Composition: Henry Red Allen Henry Red Allen 1933 With Spike Hughes Composition: Victor Young/Will Harris Henry Red Allen 1935 (Several discos have this recorded in 1935) Composition: Edward Heyman/Robert Sour Frank Eyton/Johnny Green With the Mills Blue Rhythm Band Music: Rube Bloom Lyrics: Ted Koehler Henry Red Allen 1937 With Billie Holiday Composition: Richard Whiting/Johnny Mercer Henry Red Allen 1941 Drums: Jim Hoskins Composition: Lionel Hampton Henry Red Allen 1946 Composition: Henry Red Allen Henry Red Allen 1957 Composition: Earl Hines/Henri Woode Henry Red Allen 1958 Composition: Doris Tauber/Maceo Pinkard/William Tracey Henry Red Allen 1959 With Kid Ory Composition: Joseph (King) Oliver Henry Red Allen 1964 Composition: Earl Hines/Henri Woode Composition: Joe Primrose (Irving Mills) See Wikipedia Henry Red Allen 1966 Composition: Gerald Marks/Seymour Simons 1931
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| Big Sid Catlett See
Big Sid Catlett. |
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Tal Henry Source: Last FM |
Born in 1898 in Maysville, Georgia, violinist,
and band director Tal Henry
[1,
2],
was less a jazz than sweet band director. He joined the Frank Hood
band in North Carolina in 1919, to become its leader in 1924. That band would
become the North Carolinians Orchestra, though it recorded a couple
unreleased tracks for Victor as Tal Henry's Southerners Dance Orchestra in
1924 [*].
That same year Henry published his first composition, 'Skirts', written
the year prior with Guy Funk. The North Carolinians Orchestra recorded
that in 1926 with 'Slippery Elm', neither issued. It would appear that
band's first releases were in 1928, recorded on 25 April: 'My Song of
Songs to You'/'Some Little Someone' (Victor 21404). 'Why Do You Make Me
Lonesome?' got issued on Victor 21573 w 'Louise, I Love You', the latter
gone down w other titles on 22 May. IMDb has Henry's band featured in the Vitaphone short film,
'Tal Henry and His North Carolinians', in 1929 performing 'Come On,
Baby!', 'Shame on You' and 'Milenberg Joys'. Henry toured the United States extensively with the North Carolinians until
its disbanding in 1938. Henry moved on to become and agent and manager for
various musicians, including
Lionel Hampton and Nat King Cole.
During World War II he became European Director of Music Theatre for the
Army, visiting Europe in that capacity. Upon his return to the States he
played hotels and with the North Carolina Symphony Orchestra until his
retirement from the music industry in 1946. Henry died on 12 August 1967.
Sessions: DAHR: 1,
2,
3;
Bluebird label 1934.
Catalogs at Discogs: 1,
2.
HMR Project. Tal Henry 1928 Vocal: Brown/Fellman/Morris Composition: Brown/Fellman/Morris Vocal: Chester Shaw Henry's 1st recording issued Music: Archie Bleyer Lyrics: Sunny Clapp Vocal: Chester Shaw Henry's 3rd recording issued Composition: Al Evans Vocal: Chester Shaw Henry's 2nd recording issued Composition: Francis Ellsworth/Ivan Morris Tal Henry 1934 Composition: Vincent Youmans Music: Teddy Powell/Mickey Addy Lyrics: Howard E. Johnson
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Born in 1899 in Chicago, though Mezz Mezzrow [1, 2] played saxophone he was better known as a clarinetist. He is well-known for his collaborations with Sidney Bechet. Lord's Disco begins its account of Mezzrow in Chicago in December 1927 with Eddie Condon and Red McKenzie, adding cymbals to 'Nobody's Sweetheart'/'Liza' (OKeh 40971). Not likely issued that year, I hazard the next, no confirmation forthcoming. That was followed by a session w the Chicago Rhythm Kings (CRK) on 27 March of 1928, also with Condon, 'Jazz Me Blues' among other titles unissued. The CRK next recorded on 6 April of '28 toward 'There'll Be Some Changes Made'/'I've Found a New Baby' (Brunswick 4001). Another session on the 28th went toward 'Baby, Won't You Please Come Home?' (Brunswick 80064) w 'Friar's Point Shuffle' unissued. Lord's has Condon and Mezzrow scratching tracks with two other configurations on the same date: The Chicago Jungle Kings toward 'Friar's Point Shuffle/'At the Darktown Strutters Ball' (Paramount 12654) and Frank Teschemacher's Chicagoans toward 'Jazz Me Blues' (UHCA 61) w 'Singin' the Blues' unissued. Mezzrow recorded with Condon's Footwarmers in New York City on 30 October toward 'I'm Sorry I Made You Cry'/'Makin' Friends' (OKeh 41142). Come Eddie's Hot Shots on 8 Feb in NYC for two takes each of 'I'm Gonna Stomp Mr. Henry Lee' and 'That's a Serious Thing'. Mezzrow would partner up w Condon in latter thirties as well. His debut recordings as a leader are thought to have been on November 6 in NYC, those plates: 'Free Love'/'A Dissonance' (Brunswick 7551) and 'Swingin' with Mezz'/'Love, You're Not the One for Me' (Brunswick 6778). Mezzrow was largely a sessions organizer in the thirties. He created his own record label, King Jazz Records, in 1945. Mezzrow published his autobiography, 'Really the Blues', in 1946. His broadcast, 'Blues from the Sky', from airplane on his way to the Nice Jazz Festival in February of 1948 was recorded, as well as a few bars of a tune upon his arrival to the Orly Airport in Paris. After appearing at the festival in Nice Mezzrow made France his home, appearing as a musician in the French film, 'Rendez-vous de juillet', released in December of 1949. He continued recording as late as 1971 with the New Ragtime Band before dying on 5 August 1972 in Paris. Beyond music, Mezzrow was a well-known marijuana vendor, such that cannabis was called "mezz" amongst the jazz community. Sessionographies: 1, 2, 3, Lord's. Discos: 1, 2, 3. Compilations: Collector's Classics 1933-1937; Giants of Jazz; King Jazz Story: 1, 2, 3, 4; The Many Faces of Jazz: 1, 2. Other profiles: 1, 2, 3, 4. Per below, Eddie Condon appears on all tracks during the twenties. Mezz Mezzrow 1928 Composition: Jeannine Clesi Composition: Jack Palmer/Spencer Williams First issue: Clarence Williams' Blue Five 1926 Recorded 16 Dec 1927 Cymbals by Mezzrow added Issue date as '28 unconfirmed Composition: Eddie Condon/Red McKenzie/Aaron Rubin Composition: Eddie Condon/Jack Teagarden Composition: Billy Higgins/William Benton Overstreet Mezz Mezzrow 1929 Composition: Eddie Condon/Jack Teagarden Peck Kelly/George Rubens That's a Serious Thing Composition: Joe Sullivan/Mezz Mezzrow Eddie Condon/Jack Teagarden Mezz Mezzrow 1933 Composition: Mezz Mezzrow Love, You're Not the One for Me Composition: Mezz Mezzrow/Benny Carter Mezz Mezzrow 1936 Composition: Bert Clarke/George Clarke/Winston Tharp Mezz Mezzrow 1937 Composition: Mezz Mezzrow/Edgar Sampson Composition: Mezz Mezzrow/Edgar Sampson Mezz Mezzrow 1945 Soprano Sax: Sidney Bechet Composition: Mezz Mezzrow/Sidney Bechet Composition: Mezz Mezzrow Soprano Sax: Sidney Bechet Composition: Mezz Mezzrow Soprano Sax: Sidney Bechet Composition: Mezz Mezzrow/Sidney Bechet Mezz Mezzrow 1947 Soprano Sax: Sidney Bechet Composition: Mezz Mezzrow/Sidney Bechet Soprano Sax: Sidney Bechet Composition: Cecil Mack/Jimmy Johnson Mezz Mezzrow 1951 Trumpet: Lee Collins Composition: Larry Shields/Henry Ragas (ODJB) Trumpet: Lee Collins Composition: Johnson/Kraemer Trumpet: Lee Collins Composition: Mezz Mezzrow Mezz Mezzrow 1964 Composition: Clarence Williams/Spencer Williams
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Mezz Mezzrow Photo: William P. Gottlieb Source: Vail Jazz |
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Jack Teagarden Source: Los Grandes del Jazz |
Born in Vernon, Texas, in 1905, trombonist and vocalist,
Jack Teagarden, began his music career in San
Antonio by age fifteen, pianist Peck Kelly's among the first bands he
joined. Teagarden toured with various bands and worked for radio until
eventually making it to New York City in 1927 with the
Kentucky Grasshoppers. Going by Lord's, Teagarden's earliest issued recordings
were with Johnny Johnson & his Statler Pennsylvanians on December
2, 1927, for Victor: 'My One and Only' and 'Thou Swell' (Victor 21113). He contributed a
couple of unissued tracks with
Wingy Manone the same day:
'There'll Come a Time' and 'Toot Toot Toot'. Teagarden began 1928 with a
session thought to be in January with Willard Robison, recording 'There
Must Be a Silver Lining' and 'I Just Roll Along'. The next March he
recorded 'She's a Great, Great Girl' and 'Give Me the Sunshine' with
Roger Wolfe Kahn. The next September found Teagarden recording three takes of 'Cherry' with
the
Dorsey brothers in a band called the Big Aces. That same day he
recorded ''Round Evening' and 'Out of the Dawn' with a something different
configuration called the
Dorsey Brothers and Their Orchestra. The next
month Teagarden laid the first several of numerous tracks with Ben Pollack, with whom he
would wax time and again into the thirties and as late as the early
fifties. 1928 was a big year for Teagarden, during which he also laid his
first tracks with
Irving Mills,
Eddie Condon and Jimmy
McHugh. Teagarden
moved to Paul Whiteman's
big band in 1933. He also recorded with
Bix Beiderbecke and
Frank Trumbauer during
his tenure with Whiteman. Teagarden's first
recordings as a bandleader on October 1, 1930 in NYC, toward 'Son of the
Sun', 'You're Simply Delish' and 'Just a Little Dance, Mam'selle'
[Lord's]. Teagarden first toured Europe in Feb and March of 1948 w Louis Armstrong's All Stars,
he recording with that outfit from its official debut in May of '47 to Dec
1951 [*]. Among the more important figures in early jazz, Teagarden
recorded prolifically, other bigger names with which he is
associated being
Benny Goodman, Johnny Mercer,
Bix Beiderbecke,
Red Nichols,
Jimmy McPartland,
Mezz Mezzrow and
Glenn Miller. Teagarden
died on
15 January 1964 of heart
attack. References academic: Rice;
encyclopedic: 1,
2,
3,
4;
musical: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
Discographies: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5. See also
'The Complete OKeh and Brunswick Bix Beiderbecke, Frank Trumbauer and Jack Teagarden Sessions (1924-36)' at
AllMusic,
that including tracks recorded from 20 May 1924 to 15 June 1936.
Further reading: 1,
2,
3.
HMR Project. Further below, Teagarden plays with his brother, Charlie
[1,
2,
3], on trumpet
in 'Wolverine Blues'. A couple of the later edits below are live. Jack Teagarden 1928 With Johnny Johnson & His Statler Pennsylvanians Thought Teagarden's 1st recording issued Composition: George & Ira Gershwin With Johnny Johnson & His Statler Pennsylvanians Thought Teagarden's 2nd recording issued Music: Richard Rodgers Lyrics: Lorenz Hart Recorded 23 Nov 1928 Possibly issued same year or '29 Irving Mills' Musical Clowns Also issued as The Lumberjacks Benny Goodman: Clarinet Possibly Ben Pollack: Drums Composition: Terry/Mills Jack Teagarden 1929 With the Five Pennies Benny Goodman: Clarinet Red Nichols: Cornet Composition: James Hanley With the Kentucky Grasshoppers Benny Goodman: Clarinet Ben Pollack: Drums Composition: Thomas Dorsey With the Kentucky Grasshoppers Benny Goodman: Clarinet Ben Pollack: Drums With Eddie Condon's Hot Shots Composition: Jack Teagarden/Eddie Condon Mezz Mezzrow/Joe Sullivan Jack Teagarden 1930 With Irving Mills' Hotsy Totsy Gang Composition: Irving Mills/Frank Signorelli/Matty Malneck With Red Nichols' Five Pennies Cornet: Red Nichols Composition: Spencer Williams Jack Teagarden 1931 Guitar: Eddie Lang Violin: Joe Venuti Composition: Henry Creamer/Turner Layton Jack Teagarden 1935 With Paul Whiteman Music: Billy Meyers/Elmer Schoebel Lyrics: Gus Kahn/Ernie Erdman Jack Teagarden 1939 Composition: WC Handy Jack Teagarden 1940 Music: James P. Johnson Lyrics: Henry Creamer Teagarden's 1st recording as a bandleader issued Composition: Rudolf Friml Teagarden's 2nd recording as a bandleader issued Music: Joseph Meyer Lyrics: Arthur Freed For the film 'Those Three French Girls' 1930 Jack Teagarden 1947 Vocal: Mildred Bailey Composition: Edward Heyman/Robert Sour Frank Eyton/Johnny Green Jack Teagarden 1951 Music: Lew Pollack 1914 Jack Teagarden 1951 or 1952 Snader Telescription Trumpet: Charlie Teagarden Composition: Jelly Roll Morton/Benjamin Spikes/John Spikes Jack Teagarden 1954 Composition: Charles LaVere Jack Teagarden 1958 Trumpet: Louis Armstrong Music: Harry Warren Lyrics: Johnny Mercer For the film 'Going Places' 1938 Trumpet: Louis Armstrong Composition: Hoagy Carmichael 1929 Jack Teagarden 1959 Trumpet: Henry Red Allen Composition: Jack Palmer/Spencer Williams First issue: Clarence Williams' Blue Five 1926 Music: Hoagy Carmichael 1927 Lyrics: Mitchell Parish 1929 Jack Teagarden 1963 Composition: Spencer Williams 1928
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| Born in 1904 in Paris, Kentucky, trumpeter
Bill Coleman's career spanned from early jazz well into modern. He first recorded in 1929 with
Luis Russell. Though
Henry Red
Allen was
Russell's main trumpet player Coleman plays solo on 'Feeling The
Spirit', below. Coleman had played with several bands before traveling to
New York in 1927 where he met
Russell. Coleman also recorded with Cecil
Scott & His Bright Boys in 1929. During his first trip to
Europe, with Lucky Millinder, in 1933 he met
swing guitarist Django Reinhardt. Upon
returning to the States he recorded with Benny Carter, then
Fats Waller in 1935, after which he
returned to Paris to record with Django Reinhardt the
same year. In 1937 he traveled to Bombay, returned to Paris, then headed
for Cairo, then back to the States in 1940. Coleman then played with a number
of big names, too long to list, before returning to Paris permanently in
1948. (Like not a few black musicians, Coleman felt racism was less
pronounced in Europe than in the States.) Coleman died in Toulouse in
1981. References: 1,
2,
3.
Sessions: DAHR,
Lord; solography.
Catalogues: 1,
2,
3.
Compilations: 'Bill Coleman in Paris' w Reinhardt
1936-38; 'The Chronological Bill
Coleman' 1940-49.
Other profiles: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5. Bill Coleman 1929 With Luis Russell Composition: Luis Russell Bill Coleman 1936 Music: Hoagy Carmichael 1930 Lyrics: Stuart Gorrell Music: Jimmy McHugh 1935 Lyrics: Dorothy Fields Bill Coleman 1937 With Django Reinhardt Composition: Frank Big Boy Goudie With Django Reinhardt Composition: Coleman With Django Reinhardt Composition: Django Reinhardt/Stéphane Grappelli Bill Coleman 1960 Live performance Composition: Juan Tizol 1941 First issue: Duke Ellington 1942 Bill Coleman 1967 Album: 'Ben Webster Meets Bill Coleman' Composition: Juan Tizol 1941 Album: 'Ben Webster Meets Bill Coleman' Composition: George & Ira Gershwin Bill Coleman 1972 Composition: Billy Moll/Murray Mencher Music: Chester Conn 1926 Lyrics: Jule Styne/Bennie Krueger/Ned Miller
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Bill Coleman
Source: Jazz Rhythm |
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Spike Hughes Source: Vintage Bandstand
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By this time jazz had long since migrated across the Atlantic. Born Patrick Cairns Hughes in 1908, double bassist and trumpeter Spike Hughes [1, 2, 3, 4] first recorded on double bass in London in October 1929 with the New Mayfair Dance Orchestra, the first tune of that session being 'Tear Drops' (HMV 5716). Hughes put his own band together in Great Britain in 1930, originally called the Decca Dents, and recorded the same year, 'A Miss Is As Good As a Mile'/'Body and Soul' (Decca F-1703) among his first issued. In May 1933 Hughes visited New York City and formed the Negro Orchestra consisting of such as Benny Carter, Luis Russell, Coleman Hawkins, Chu Berry, Henry Red Allen and Sid Catlett. Hughes composed or arranged most of the tunes that band recorded that month, taken back to England for issue only there. Hughes dropped away from music after those recordings, upon which he became a writer, BBC announcer and critic. He died in the United Kingdom on 2 February 1987. Sessions: DAHR, Lord. Catalogues: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Compilations: 'Spike Hughes and His All American Orchestra' consisting of sessions held in NYC in April and May of 1933 with his Negro Orchestra, issued by London Records 1956. Further reading: Hughes and Elsie Carlisle. HMR Project. Spike Hughes 1930 Composition: Philip Buchel Composition: Sam Stept/Bud Green Composition: Rube Bloom/Harry Woods Composition: Duke Ellington/Irving Mills 1928
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Born in 1908, trumpeter and vocalist Hot Lips Page (Oran Thaddeus Page), began his musical career as a teenager performing at circuses and minstrel shows. He would soon back blues singers such as Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith and Ida Cox. Lord's Disco begins its account of Page in Dallas, TX, on October 24, 1929, per seven tracks with Eddie and Sugar Lou's Hotel Tyler Orchestra, including two takes of 'Eddie and Sugar Lou Stomp' w one issued on Vocalion 1514. The next month he blew trumpet on a couple tracks by Walter Page's Blue Devils: 'Blue Devil Blues' and 'Squabblin' (Vocalion 1463). (There is no relation between Hot Lips and Walter Page.) The next year Page found himself with Bennie Moten through 1932. He would perform for Chu Berry (with whom he began recording vocals in addition to trumpet), Barney Rapp and Teddy Wilson during the thirties before forming his own band in NYC at Small's Paradise in Harlem in 1937. His first issues as a leader (also at trumpet and vocals) were from a session held March 10, 1938: 'Good Old Bosom Bread', 'He's Pulling His Whiskers', 'Down on the Levee' and 'Old Man Ben'. Page recorded both with his own bands and major names in jazz such as Billie Holiday, Chu Berry again in 1941, Artie Shaw (1941-42), Eddie Condon in '44 and '49, Mezz Mezzrow (1945) and bluesman, Lonnie Johnson, from '47 into '49. Page died in New York on 5 Nov 1954, only 46 years of age. References 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Sessions: DAHR, Lord; solography. Catalogues: 1, 2, 3. Compilations: 'The Hot Lips Page Collection 1929-53' per Jazz Legends. Page in visual media. See also 'Luck’s in My Corner' by Todd Weeks. Titles below are early Page. Later recordings at Hot Lips Page in Big Band Swing. Hot Lips Page 1929 With Walter Page Composition: Jewell Babe Stovall Possibly w Eddie and Sugar Lou's Tyler Hotel Orchestra Composition: Eddie Fennell Possibly w Eddie and Sugar Lou's Tyler Hotel Orchestra Composition: Eddie Fennell Hot Lips Page 1930 With Bennie Moten's Kansas City Orchestra Composition: Eddie Fennell With Bennie Moten Composition: Leo Wood Music: Bennie Moten Lyrics: Jimmy Rushing Hot Lips Page 1932 With Bennie Moten Music: Richard Rodgers Lyrics: Lorenz Hart Composition: Bennie Moten
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Hot Lips Page Photo: William P. Gottlieb Source: Wikipedia |
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Washboard Rhythm Kings |
The Washboard
Rhythm Kings (WRK) were a group that recorded in rapidly
shifting configurations as well as under multiple names and associated
ensembles. Personnel ranged from well-regarded musicians at the time to
the yet to be identified. Going by Brian Rust's 'Jazz and Ragtime Records
1897 – 1942' at Mainspring Press one finds the WRK preceded
by the Washboard Serenaders [1,
2,
3,
4] consisting of Harold Randolph (kazoo),
Clarence Profit (piano),
Teddy Bunn (guitar) and Bruce Johnson (washboard)
recording 'Kazoo Moan'/'Washboards Get Together' (Victor 38127) on 24
March 1930. Gladys Bentley contributed vocals to the latter.
Henry Red Allen's
trumpet replaced Randolph's kazoo on the 31st for 'Turtle Blues'/'Tappin
the Time Away' (Victor 38610). Rust has
Bunn, Johnson and
Allen joined by Wilton
Crawley (clarinet), Charlie Holmes (alto sax),
Jelly Roll Morton
(piano) and Pops Foster (bass) as the Washboard Rhythm Kings on 30 June
1930 toward 'I'm Her Papa, She's My Mama'/'New Crawley Blues' (Victor
23344). It was
Bunn and Johnson w Clarence Profit at piano, others
uncertain, as the Alabama Washboard Stompers
[1,
2,
3] on 13 October 1930 for 'If I
Could Be with You One Hour Tonight'/'Pig Meat Stomp' (Vocalion 1546) and
'The Porter's Love Song' (Vocalion 1630). Those featured vocals by Jake
Fenderson except 'Pig Meat Stomp', an instrumental. Rust has the WRK
recording as the Five Rhythm Kings [1,
2,] on 2 April 1931, band unidentified
but again w vocals by Jake Fenderson on 'Please Don't Talk About Me When
I'm Gone'/'Minnie the Moocher' (Victor 23269). The WRK recorded as the
Chicago Hot Five [1,
2,
3] on 9 July 1931, that w Eddie Miles at piano and Steve
Washington on banjo for 'Star Dust'/'You Can't Stop Me from Loving You'
(Victor 23285/Zonophone EE-284) w vocals by Miles and Henderson. It was
the Chicago Hot Five on 23 September 1931 w Miles and Washington joined by
Dave Page (trumpet), Ben Smith (alto sax), Carl Wade (tenor sax) and Jimmy
Spencer (drums/washboard) for 'Wake Em Up' (Victor 23300), that released on
Bluebird 1829 as the Georgia Washboard Stompers
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6]. Rust has WRK recording as
the Washboard Rhythm Boys
[1,
2,
3,
4,] on 18 October 1932 toward titles like 'If You
Were Only Mine'/'Ash Man Crawl' (Victor 23367) w vocals by Washington and
Bella Benson respectively. The WRK evaporated in 1937. References:
1,
2,
3. Sessionographies: DAHR, Lord's,
Rust at
Mainspring Press. Discographies: 1,
2,
3.
Compilations: Black and White series 1930-33; Collection series Vol 1-5 1930-33 w
compositional credits: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
Collection series Vol 1,
4 and
5
with band members. HMR Project. Washboard Serenaders 1930 Credited to Washboard Serenaders Copyright: Teddy Bunn/Bruce Johnson Vocal: Gladys Bentley Credited to Washboard Serenaders Copyright: Teddy Bunn/Bruce Johnson Washboard Rhythm Kings 1930 Composition: Wilton Crawley Alabama Washboard Stompers 1931 Composition: Billy Moll/Murray Mencher The Rhythm Kings 1931 Composition: Sid Barbarian Washboard Rhythm Kings 1931 Composition: Al Dubin/Joe Burke Washboard Rhythm Boys 1932 Composition: Herbert Magidson/Monty Siegel/Sammy Fain I'm Gonna Play Down by the Ohio Composition: Sam Fried Washboard Rhythm Kings 1932 Composition: Josef Myrow Composition: Duke Ellington/Irving Mills Composition: Larry Shields/Nick LaRocca (ODJB) Washboard Rhythm Kings 1933 Film Georgia Washboard Stompers 1934 Composition: Larry Shields/Nick LaRocca (ODJB) Composition: Clarence Williams/Henry Troy
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| Born in London, Jewish pianist
Geraldo Bright (originally Gerald Bright)
was better known as simply Geraldo. Like
Lombardo and
Whiteman, Geraldo was a
sweet dance bandleader not included in the annals of jazz proper. He ran
away from home at age 16 (1920), boarded the HMS Cameronia as a member of
its orchestra and sailed to New York City. Upon the return cruise he led a
series of small bands until 1925 when he formed an orchestra taking
residency at the Hotel Majestic in St. Anne's on the Sea for several
years. After a brief tour of Latin America he formed the Gaucho Tango
Orchestra in 1930, switching his name from Gerald to Geraldo as well. The
most complete sessionography for Geraldo and his Gaucho Tango Orchestra is at the website of
Michael Thomas
on which he has four titles by that ourfit going
down as early as 3 March of 1931: 'I'll Keep You in My Heart Always (Adios Muchachos)' with 'Wonder Bar - Tell Me I'm Forgiven' issued on Columbia CB
280, and 'El Relicario' with 'La Violetera' released on Columbia CB 287.
Those were followed the same year by 'Two Tears' with 'O Cara Mia' on
Columbia CB 302, and 'Aromas Mendocinas' with 'Oh! Rosalita' on Columbia
CB 313 as well as others. Sessionographies for Geraldo and his Orchestra
and other operations recording for
Columbia and
Parlophone can be found at
Musik Title DB. These account for most of Geraldo's recordings up to 1955
except from 1938-42 for which no sessionography is discovered, nor any for
releases after 1955 although Geraldo recorded into the latter sixties. Ted Heath
played trombone in Bright's later orchestra beginning in 1940 before starting his own band.
After World War II Bright added booking musicians w cruise liners to his
musical pursuits in an enterprise called Geraldo's Navy. He died on 4 May
1974 while vacationing in Vevay, Switzerland. References: 1,
2,
3. Discogs:
1,
2,
3.
RYM.
Interview w Tony Brown 1969.
HMR Project. Geraldo Bright 1931 Geraldo's Gauchos Tango Orchestra Film w the Gaucho Tango Orchestra I'll Keep You in My Heart Always With the Gaucho Tango Orchestra Composition: Vudiano/Sanders With the Gaucho Tango Orchestra Music: Richard Rodgers c 1926 Lyrics: Lorenz Hart Geraldo Bright 1933 With the Gaucho Tango Orchestra Music: Vincent Youmans 1933 Lyrics: Edward Eliscu/Gus Kahn Geraldo Bright 1935 With Shirley Temple Music: Richard Whiting 1934 Lyrics: Sidney Clare Geraldo Bright 1936 Music: Irving Berlin 1936 Geraldo Bright 1937 With Cyril Grantham Music: Harry Warren 1937 Lyrics: Al Dubin
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Geraldo Walcan Bright Source: Last FM |
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We currently bring this history of early jazz to a pause, at once returning to its origins. Though New Orleans trumpet player Bunk Johnson didn't record until 1942 he is generally thought to have played music with Buddy Bolden as a child before the turn of the century in 1895 before jass became jazz. Born in New Orleans in Dec 1879 a couple years later than Bolden (Sep '77), not a few contest that date, preferring Dec of 1889. This distinct difference in scholarship makes a number of Bunk's claims dubitable, as he would have been too young for such to have been true were he born in 1889. Per a chronology using the 1879 birthdate, Johnson may have begun his career in 1894 after graduating from school, that with the Adam Olivier Orchestra. He would likely have been less than five years old with an 1889 birthdate, so gears grind as to which is the actual case. With a circus and a minstrel show among employers, Bunk began to tour the States including destinations like New York City, Beaumont, Texas, and Los Angeles. He returned to New Orleans to work with the Superior Orchestra about 1920, three years after Bolden was hospitalized for dementia praecox. Bunk worked in New Orleans, the Louisiana region and Kansas City until joining the Black Eagles in 1931. But before he got very far with the band they played a gig in Rayne, Louisiana, during which fellow trumpeter and bandleader, Evan Smith, lost his life to a knife in the back by one John Guillory. As Smith collapsed to die two blocks away, Guillory returned to the venue with a pistol and shot up the band's instruments, including Bunk's trumpet, killing his career. Multiple sources have Bunk losing his teeth during that evening's fray as well, a double whammy of a blow to a trumpet player. Encyclopedia, however, has Bunk losing his teeth to pyorrhea, a gum disease which spelled problems for such as King Oliver and George Lewis as well. Either way, Johnson's career was put to an end in 1931, after which he paid rent largely by driving a truck until about 1940 when a collection was taken to fit him with dentures, resulting in his first recording session on February 2, 1942. That was a recording of a 1924 Sippie Wallace tune, 'I'm So Glad I'm Brownskin' (Okeh 8197), with himself adding trumpet. A home recording not issued, that was included on the 1992 release of 'Prelude to the Revival Vol. II'. Johnson's first tracks to see issue were from a session in New Orleans on June 11, 1942, tracks such as 'Yes Lord, I'm Crippled', 'Down By the Riverside' and 'Storyville Blues' (Jazz Man 10). 45Worlds documents three issues by Johnson w his Original Superior Band that year: 'Down By the River'/'Panama' (Jazz Man 8), 'Weary Blues'/'Moose March' (Jazz Man 9) and 'Hot House Rag'/'Yes, Lord, I'm Crippled' (Jazz Man 17), the last backing pianist, Wally Rose. Johnson thereafter recorded prolifically to December 1947. Thereafter retiring, clarinetist, George Lewis, acquired leadership of his band. Johnson died in New Iberia, Louisiana, in 1949. Per 'Careless Love' below, that was copyrighted by WC Handy in 1926, though original authorship is unknown. Buddy Bolden thought to have included it his repertoire more than twenty years earlier [Wikipedia]. References: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Catalogues: 1, 2, 3, 4. HMR Project. Bunk Johnson 1942 Trumpet added to Sippie Wallace's 1924 recording Unissued Composition: Clarence Williams Clarinet: George Lewis Composition: William Tyers Bunk Johnson 1944 Composition: Ma Rainey/Lena Arant Composition: Traditional Bunk Johnson 1945 Composition: Will Nash Composition: Traditional spiritual Bunk Johnson 1946 Clarinet: George Lewis Composition: Porter Steele/Walter Melrose Composition: Armand Piron Bunk Johnson 1947 Recorded Nov 1945 Note: 'Maryland My Maryland' was made the official state song of Maryland in 1939. Taken from the poem, 'Maryland, My Maryland', by James Ryder Randall in 1861, it was set to music by Jennie Cary who borrowed the melody from 'Lauriger Horatius', a German student song traced to sometime after 1780 that had made its way across the ocean to appear in the Yale College Song Book of 1858 [see also: 1, 2]. Some place the possible origin of 'Lauriger Horatius' w the Archpoet (or Archpoeta) living circa 1130-65. John Addington Symonds published a translation in 1884 in his book, 'Wine, Women, and Song'. 'Maryland My Maryland' and 'Lauriger Horatius' share the same melody as 'O Tannenbaum' ('O Christmas Tree'). James Davis comments in the book, 'Maryland, My Maryland', that variations of 'O Tannenbaum' are traceable in text to the 16th century [see also *]. Hymns and Carols has text and music first published in 1799, melody possibly borrowed from 'Lauriger Horatius'. Versions were published by August Zarnack in 1819 or '20 and Ernst Anschütz in 1824 [see also 1, 2]. |
Bunk Johnson Photo: William P. Gottlieb Source: Know LA |
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We proceed no further than Bunk Johnson on this page, updating as occasions arise. |
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Early Blues 2: Vocal - Other Instruments
Modern Blues 2: Vocal - Other Instruments
Romantic: Composers born 1770 to 1840
Modern: Composers born 1900 to 1950
Early Jazz 1: Ragtime - Bands - Horn
Early Jazz 2: Ragtime - Other Instrumentation
Modern 4: Guitar - Other String
Modern 5: Percussion - Other Orchestration
Modern 7: Latin Jazz - Latin Recording
Modern 8: United States 1960 - 1970
Modern 9: International 1960 - 1970
Latin
Latin Recording 2: The Caribbean
Latin Recording 3: South America
Total War - Sixties American Rock
Classical - Medieval to Renaissance
Classical - Baroque to Classical
Classical - Romantic to Modern
Jazz Early - Ragtime - Swing Jazz
Jazz Modern- Percussion - Latin - Song - Other
Boogie Woogie - Doo Wop - R&B - Rock & Roll - Soul - Disco
Sixties American Rock - Popular
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