Miff Mole and his Molers was basically a pseudonym for Red Nichols Five Pennies. They used this name when recording for the Okeh Company. Red Nichols and Miff Mole were one of the most prolific recording teams in the 1920s. Their cool, thoughtful style sometimes called the New York School or Chamber Jazz, left many Jazz critics and musicians cold, but in retrospect I think you can hear that they were on to something. In many ways they were exploring similar ideas as George Gershwin was, but in a more hip and swinging way.Their version of “Imagination” is a successful example of what they were trying to do. It might not be the hottest Jazz in the world, but it is very chic and urbane, a little time capsule of 1920’s sophistication. Things got a little rougher when the Austin High Gang blew into town fresh from Chicago on the 1929 tracks, with “Shim-Me-Sha-Wabble” and “Windy City Stomp“. Four other Molers songs were released as Sophie Tucker accompanied by Miff Moles Molers.
It is interesting to note that the song “Crazy Rhythm” features the unusual instrument the mellophone. Dudley Fosdick was the mellophonist, and it was a sort of alto horn, pitched in Eb. The Molers 1928 recording of “Crazy Rhythm” is always a “fooler” for noticers who try to figure out if it’s a valve trombone or something – the mellophone sounds kind of like a low cornet with bad head cold.
Fosdick spent much of his post Red Nichols career with Guy Lombardo, and until the end of Lombardo Band under Guy’s leadership, the second trumpet book required mellophone “double”. – Mark Heter
| Title | Recording Date | Recording Location | Company |
| After You’ve Gone (Henry Creamer / J. Turner Layton) | 9-24-1929 | New York, New York | Okeh 41445 |
| A Hot Time In The Old Town Tonight (Metz) | 3-7-1927 | New York, New York | Okeh 40784-A |
| Alexander’s Ragtime Band (Irving Berlin) | 1-26-1927 | New York, New York | Okeh 40758-A |
| Birmingham Bertha (From Motion Picture-“On With The Show”) (Harry Akst / Grant Clarke) | 7-12-1929 | New York, New York | Okeh 41273 |
| Crazy Rhythm (From “Here’s Howie”) (Meyer / Kahn) | 7-27-1928 | New York, New York | Okeh 41098 |
| Davenport Blues (Bix Beiderbecke) | 3-7-1927 | New York, New York | Okeh 40848 |
| Feelin’ No Pain (Fud Livingstone) | 8-30-1927 | New York, New York | Okeh 40890 |
| Harlem Twist (Fud Livingston / Chauncey Morehouse) | New York, New York | ||
| Honolulu Blues (Goldstein) | 9-1-1927 | New York, New York | Okeh 40984 |
| Hurricane (Paul Mertz) | 1-26-1927 | New York, New York | Okeh 40848 |
| I Can’t Break The Habit Of You (Razaf / Beal / Causer) | 2-10-1937 | New York, New York | Vocalion 3468 20692-1 |
| I Can’t Break The Habit Of You (Razaf / Beal / Causer) | 2-10-1937 | New York, New York | Vocalion 3468 20692-2 |
| Imagination (Fud Livingston) | 8-30-1927 | New York, New York | Okeh 40890 |
| I’ve Got A Feeling I’m Falling (Link / Fats Waller) | 4-19-1929 | New York, New York | Okeh 41232 |
| Love And Learn (Heyman / Schwartz) | 2-10-1937 | New York, New York | Vocalion 3468 |
| Lucky Little Devil (Mort Dixon / Harry Woods) | 2-6-1930 | New York, New York | Odeon 36043 490037-1 |
| Lucky Little Devil (Mort Dixon / Harry Woods) | 2-6-1930 | New York, New York | Okeh 41371 490037-2 |
| Moanin’ Low (From Musical – “The Little Show”) (Dietz / Rainger) | 7-12-1929 | New York, New York | Okeh 41273 |
| My Gal Sal (Paul Dresser) | 9-1-1927 | New York, New York | Okeh 40932 |
| Navy Blues (Turk / Ahlert) | 2-6-1930 | New York, New York | Okeh 41371 490036-1 |
| Navy Blues (Turk / Ahlert) | 2-6-1930 | New York, New York | Odeon 36043 490036-2 |
| Original Dixieland One-Step (Nick LaRocca) | 8-30-1927 | New York, New York | Okeh 40932 |
| Shim-Me-Sha-Wabble (Spencer Williams) | 7-6-1928 | New York, New York | Okeh 41445 |
| Some Sweet Day (Rose / Jackson / Olman) | 1-26-1927 | New York, New York | Okeh 40758-B |
| That’s A Plenty (Lew Pollack) | 4-19-1929 | New York, New York | Okeh unissued W401816-A |
| That’s A Plenty (Lew Pollack) | 4-19-1929 | New York, New York | Okeh 41232 W401816-B |
| That’s A Plenty (Lew Pollack) | 4-19-1929 | New York, New York | Okeh unissued W401816-C |
| The Darktown Strutter’s Ball (Shelton Brooks) | 3-7-1927 | New York, New York | Okeh 40784-B |
| The New Twister (Lillard / Krise) | 9-1-1927 | New York, New York | Okeh 40984 |
| Wild Oat Joe (From – “The New” American) (Kahn) | 11-26-1928 | New York, New York | Okeh 41153 |
| Windy City Stomp | 7-6-1928 | New York, New York | HRS |
| You Made Me Love You | 9-24-1929 | New York, New York | Okeh |
| You Took Advantage Of Me (Rodgers) | 7-27-1928 | New York, New York | Okeh 41098 |
| You’re The Cream In My Coffee (From The Musical “Hold Everything”) (Buddy De Sylva / Lew Brown / Ray Henderson) | 11-26-1928 | New York, New York | Okeh 41153 |
| Artist | Instrument |
| Vic Berton | Drums |
| Ray Baudac | Drums |
| Eddie Condon | Banjo |
| Jimmy Dorsey | Clarinet, Alto Saxophone |
| Tommy Felline | Guitar |
| Dudley Fosdick | Mellophone |
| Lennie Hayton | Piano |
| Stan King | Drums |
| Manny Klein | Trumpet |
| Carl Kress | Guitar |
| Gene Krupa | Drums |
| Eddie Lang | Guitar |
| Fud Livingston | Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone |
| Leo McConville | Trumpet |
| Dick McDonough | Piano |
| Miff Mole | Trombone |
| Phil Napoleon | Trumpet |
| Red Nichols | Cornet, Trumpet |
| Adrian Rollini | Bass Saxophone |
| Babe Russin | Tenor Saxophone |
| Arthur Schutt | Piano |
| Joe Sullivan | Piano |
| Joe Tarto | Tuba |
| Frank Teschemacher | Clarinet |
