Harry Reser (January 17, 1896 – September 27, 1965) was perhaps the greatest banjoist of the 1920s if not the greatest banjoist of all time. He got his start playing in dance bands in his home state of Ohio and in the Midwest, moved to Buffalo, New York in 1920 and then to New York City in 1921, where he soon became a sought-after session musician. Reser released a series of solo banjo records starting in 1921 which proved that the banjo was not just a rhythm instrument.

In 1925, he was picked to become the director and frontman for the Clicquot Club Eskimo Orchestra on the NBC radio network. This weekly half-hour show, sponsored by Clicquot Club ginger ale, made Reser quite well known and was on the air until 1935.

During the 1920s and 1930s, he also led MANY bands using an amazing number of pseudonyms. Reser continued to be quite active in music for the rest of his life, touring, leading television studio orchestras, playing in Broadway orchestras, recording and writing several popular banjo, guitar and ukulele instruction books. He died of a heart attack in 1965 while tuning up in the orchestra pit before a performance of the Broadway stage version of “Fiddler On The Roof”.

Title	Recording Date	Recording Location	Company
An Island Made For Two (w/ Frank Banta at the piano)	2-12-1926	New York, New York	Brunswick
Bimini Bay (w/ Rega Dance Orchestra)	10-1-1921	New York, New York	Okeh
Boll Weevil Blues (w/ Vernon Dalhart and Ed Smalle on kazoos)	7-1-1924	New York, New York	Okeh
Bringing Home The Bacon (w/ Thomas Griselle at the piano)	6-23-1924	New York, New York	Gennett
Calling (Piano by Bill Wirges) (Klagan / Golden)	3-2-1927	New York, New York	Brunswick
Collette (w/ Bill Wirges at the piano)	3-2-1927	New York, New York	Brunswick
Cracker Jack (w/ piano accompaniment) (Harry Reser)	10-28-1930	New York, New York	Brunswick
Crazy Jo’ (w/ orchestra) (Harry Reser)	8-1-1922	New York, New York	Brunswick
Crazy Jo’ (w/ Ferde Grofe at the piano) (Harry Reser)	4-1-1923	London, England	Columbia
Crazy Joe (Harry Reser)	1-1-1922	New York, New York	Okeh
Don’t Say Good-Bye (w/ Phil Ohman at the piano)	4-4-1922	New York, New York	Columbia
Easy Goin’ (w/ piano accompaniment) (Harry Reser)	11-1-1923	New York, New York	Okeh
Easy Goin’ (w/ M. Scalzo at the piano)	5-1-1924	New York, New York	Paramount
Everybody Step (w/ Rega Dance Orchestra)	10-1-1921	New York, New York	Okeh
Fair And Warmer (w/ Milton J. Rettenberg at the piano) (Harry Reser)	7-17-1928	New York, New York	Columbia
Flapperette (w/ piano accompaniment) (Jesse Greer)	10-28-1930	New York, New York	Brunswick
Frosted Chocolate (w/ Wm. F. Wirges at the piano) (Harry Reser)	5-3-1928	New York, New York	Brunswick
Hard Hearted Hannah (w/ Thomas Griselle at the piano)	6-23-1924	New York, New York	Gennett
Heebe Jeebes (w/ Bill Wirges at the piano) (Harry Reser)	6-19-1925	New York, New York	Columbia
Heebie Jeebies (w/ Bill Wirges at the piano) (Harry Reser)	10-15-1925	New York, New York	Vocalion
Heebie Jeebies (w/ Paul Rickenback at the piano) (Harry Reser)	3-28-1927	New York, New York	Edison
I Gave You Up Just Before You Threw Me Down (w/ Phil Ohman at the piano)	4-4-1922	New York, New York	Columbia
Jade (w/ Russell Carlson at the piano)	7-11-1929	New York, New York	Edison
Lolly Pops (w/ piano accompaniment) (Harry Reser)	11-1-1923	New York, New York	Okeh
Lolly Pops (take 1) (w/ M. Scalzo at the piano) (Harry Reser)	5-1-1924	New York, New York	Paramount / Triangle
Lolly Pops (take 2) (w/ M. Scalzo at the piano) (Harry Reser)	5-1-1924	New York, New York	Paramount
Lolly Pops (w/ Bill Wirges at the piano) (Harry Reser)	10-19-1926	New York, New York	Victor 20439-B
Lolly Pops (w/ Paul Rickenback at the piano (Harry Reser)	3-28-1927	New York, New York	Edison
Oh ! Boy, What A Girl (w/ Bill Wirges at the piano)	9-25-1925	New York, New York	Vocalion
Page-Paderewski (w/ Henry Lange at the piano)	7-1-1923	London, England	Columbia
Pickin’s (w/ orchestra) (Harry Reser)	8-1-1922	New York, New York	Brunswick
Pickin’s (w/ Ferde Grofe at the piano) (Harry Reser)	4-1-1923	London, England	Columbia
Sugar Blues (w/ Frank Banta at the piano)	2-1-1923	New York, New York	Okeh
Symphanola (w/ Henry Lange at the piano)	7-1-1923	London, England	Columbia
Tamiami Trail (w/ Frank Banta at the piano)	2-12-1926	New York, New York	Brunswick
The Cat And The Dog (w/ Milton J. Rettenberg at the piano) (Harry Reser)	7-17-1928	New York, New York	Columbia
The Clock And The Banjo (w/ Bill Wirges at the piano) (Harry Reser)	10-19-1926	New York, New York	Victor 20439-A
The Clock And The Banjo (w/ Paul Rickenback at the piano) (Harry Reser)	1-1-1927	New York, New York	Edison
The Old Town Pump (w/ Paul Rickenback at the piano) (Harry Reser)	1-1-1927	New York, New York	Edison
Trainin’ The Fingers (w/ Russell Carlson at the piano)	7-11-1929	New York, New York	Edison
Turkey In The Straw (w/ Frank Banta at the piano)	2-1-1923	New York, New York	Okeh
Ukulele Lady (w/ Bill Wirges at the piano) (Whiting / Kahn)	6-19-1925	New York, New York	Columbia
When The Robert E. Lee Comes To Town (w/ Russell Carlson at the piano)	2-3-1928	New York, New York	Brunswick

Ambassadors Dance Orchestra	American Dance Orchestra
Apex Syncopators	Ariel Dance Orchestra
Frank Arnold and His Orchestra	Frank Auburn and His Orchestra
The Badgers	The Blue Jays
The Blue Kittens	The Blue Room Club Orchestra
The Bluebirds	The Bostonians
Brenan’s Broadway Band	Broadway Melody Makers
Broadway Music Masters	Broadway Syncopators
George Brooks and His Syncopators	The Caberet Dance Orchestra
The Campus Boys	The Caroliners
Casino Dance Orchestra	The Century Serenaders
Chicago Redheads	The Clevelanders
The Clicquot Club Eskimos	The Collegians
Jerome Conrad and His Orchestra	Corona Dance Band
Cosmopolitan Players	Matty Crawford’s Orchestra
Cuban Rumba Orchestra	Curry’s Dance Orchestra
Bert Dalan’s Orchestra	Denza Dance Band
Diplomat Orchestra	Diplomat Novelty Orchestra
Dixie Daisies	Dixie Jazz Band
Eldon’s Dance Orchestra	Embassy Dance Band
Jerry Fenwyck and His Orchestra	The Five Musical Blackbirds
Florida Harmony Kings	The Four Minstrels
Frisco Syncopators	Nathan Glantz and His Dance Orchestra
Lew Gold and His Orchestra	Golden Gate Orchestra
Grafton Orchestra	Grand Pree Novelty Band
Grand Pree Novelty Dance Orchestra	Grand Pree Novelty Orchestra
Eden Hall and His Band	Hannan Dance Band
Frank Harrison’s Banjo Band	Billy Hays and His Orchestra
Fletcher Henderson’s Collegians	Si Higgins and His Sodbusters
Hollywood Dance Orchestra	Phil Hughes and His High Hatters
Imperial Dance Orchestra	Al Jack and His Crackerjacks
Jack’s Fast Steppin’ Bell Hops	The Jazz Band Pilots
The Jazz Pilots	Jimmy Johnston’s Rebels
Rex King and His Sovereigns	Sam Lanin U.S. Orchester
Sam Lanin’s Famous Players	Chester Leighton and His Sophomores
Phil Lewis Joy Boys	Los Angeles Ambassadors
Majestic Dance Orchestra	Marlborough Orchestra
Earl Marlow’s Orchestra	Martin’s Dance Orchestra
Maxsa Dance Orchestra	Mayfield Dance Orchestra
Memphis Melody Boys	Metropolitan Dance Orchestra
Midnight Ramblers	Midnight Serenaders
Mills Merry Makers	Mimosa Dance Orchestra
Missouri Jazz Band	Monarch Orchestra
Jimmy Murray Melody Masters	Sam Nash and His Orchestra
New Jersey Dance Orchestra	The New York Syncopators
The New York Twelve	Night Club Orchestra
Odeon Syncopators	Okeh Syncopators
The Okeh Trio	Earl Oliver’s Jazz Babies
Original Dixie Rag Pickers	Palm Beach Serenaders
Park Lane Orchestra	Parlophone Syncopators
Pavilion Players	Pennington Orchestra
Will Perry and His Orchestra	Pierrot Syncopators
The Plantation Players	The Plaza Band
The Radio All Star Novelty Orchestra	The Rambling Ragadors
Earl Randolf’s Orchestra	Raymond Dance Orchestra
The Red Dandies	The Red Hotters
Regal Dance Orchestra	Regent Dance Orchestra
Rendezvous Cafe Orchestra	Harry F. Reser’s Novelty Trio
Harry F. Reser’s Trio	Harry Reser and His Eskimos
Harry Reser and His Jumping Jacks	Harry Reser and His Orchestra
Harry Reser’s Banjo Boys	Harry Reser’s Dance Orchestra
Harry Reser’s Orchestra	Harry Reser’s Quartette
Harry Reser’s Radio Band	Harry Reser’s Rounders
Harry Reser’s String Orchestra	Harry Reser’s Syncopators
Harry Reser’s Radio Band	Reser Trio
Reser’s Banjo Orchestra	Reser’s Dance Orchestra
The Rhythmic Troubadours	Harry Richards’ Orchestra
Rieser Trio	Rio Trio
Tom Rock and His Orchestra	The Rounders
The Roving Romeos	Roxy Dance Orchestra
Al Royal Collegians	The Royale Dance Orchestra
The Royale Dance Trio	The Royale Trio
Eddie Russell’s Kings of Syncopation	San Francisco Dance Orchestra
Savoy Dance Band	Savoy Marimba Boys Orchestra
Savoy Sinkops Okiestra	The Seven Blue Babies
The Seven Little Polar Bears	Seven Rag Pickers
Seven Wild Men	Sheridan Entertainers
The Six Hayseeds	Six Jumping Jacks
Southern Dixie Syncopators	Tom Stacks and His Minute Men
Tom Stacks and His Orchestra	The Ten Freshmen
Tennessee Happy Boys	The Tickle Toe Ten
The Troubadours	Tuxedo Orchestra
University Boys	University Jazzmasters
University Six and Their Orchestra	The Vagabonds
Varsity Four	The Victorian Syncopators
The Volunteer Firemen	George Wells and His Orchestra
Ted White’s Collegians	Jay Wilbur Orchestra
Windsor Orchestra	Bill Wirges and his Orchestra
Will Wirges and his Orchestra	Bill Wirgis and his Orchestra
Barney Zeeman’s Kentucky Cardinals

Title	Director	Year
Harry Reser and His Eskimos	Roy Mack	1936

Title	Author	Year/Publisher
The Great Harry Reser	W. W. (Bill) Triggs	1978, H. G. Waker