Coon Sanders Nighthawks Orchestra
Red Hot Jazz Archive October 30, 2020
The Coon Sanders Nighthawks Orchestra was formed in 1919 and was at its peak between 1926 and 1932. The Orchestra was assembled by Carleton Coon
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Redhotjazz.com was a crown jewel of the early internet. Starting in the mid ’90s it made the offline discographies and biographies of early jazz available to the online public. It also hosted thousands of audio files donated by people who were digitizing their 78 RPM record collections, making many obscure recordings available for the first time. This all started long before Youtube and even before Wikipedia was much more than an idea.
We are duplicating the content of the Red Hot Jazz Archive from a snapshot saved in Archive.org’s Wayback Machine. Keeping with both the original intent and mission of Redhotjazz.org everything will be publicly available outside of our paywall. For ease of use we are improving each entry to meet the norms of the phone friendly modern internet.
The downloadable music files are mostly MP3s but some are in the ancient Real Audio (.ra) format. Rather than opening a new tab so you can stream or download them the Real Audio files will immediately download when you click them. Don’t be frightened. You don’t need Real Audio player to play them but they won’t work on Windows Media Player. We recommend the free and open source VLC player.
For more information read: About the Archive
The Coon Sanders Nighthawks Orchestra was formed in 1919 and was at its peak between 1926 and 1932. The Orchestra was assembled by Carleton Coon
Isham Jones (January 31, 1894 – October 19, 1956) led one of the finest dance bands of the 1920s and wrote many hits, notably “It
The Kit-Cat was a nightclub in the Haymarket, in London’s West End. The band was sponsored by Jack Hylton and led by Al Starita, who
Title Recording Date Recording Location Company A Melody From The Sky (Featured In The Paramount film “The Trail of the Lonesome Pine”) Vocal refrain by
Title Recording Date Recording Location Company Ja Da Orchestra selected by Hugues Panassie (Bob Carleton) 11-28-1938 New York, New York Bluebird B-10086-B Really The Blues
Although he was a decent clarinetist and saxophonist, Mezz Mezzrow is remembered today primarily for his autobiography “Really the Blues”, and for rejecting White society
Erskine Tate was a violinist and leader of a band that played at the Vendome Theatre in Chicago (3143-45 East 31st at State Street) from
Erskine Tate’s Vendome Orchestra is one of the early examples of what would come to be called Big Band music. The band was retained by the
Louis Armstrong and his Hot Seven were the companion sessions of the Hot Five sides. The personnel is the same as the first Hot Five records except that
Harry Reser (January 17, 1896 – September 27, 1965) was perhaps the greatest banjoist of the 1920s if not the greatest banjoist of all time.
Thanks to Geoffery J. Orr and Uncle Dave Lewis for their help with the recordings on this page. Title Recording Date Recording Location Company A
Title Recording Date Recording Location Company Arkansas Blues (Spencer Williams) 12-7-1921 New York, New York Regal 9164 Emerson 10496 Aunt Hagar’s Children Blues (W.C. Handy)
Vernon and Irene Castle were dancers who made a name for themselves in Europe performing Ragtime dances like the Texas Tommy, the Turkey Trot and
Wilbur Sweatman’s (February 7, 1882 – March 9, 1961) musical career reads like the history of African-Americans in popular music. He got his professional start
Pianist and bandleader, Bennie Moten (November 13, 1894 – April 2, 1935) helped to establish what is called the Kansas City Jazz style. In 1922
Bennie Moten’s Kansas City Orchestra was the most successful Jazz band of the Midwest. The band toured all over the country and had a top
The Blue Devils were an early Kansas City Jazz band, several members of this band would go on to and play in Bennie Moten’s Kansas City
Title Recording Date Recording Location Company Black Maria with vocal refrain by George Bias (Fred Rose) 7-3-1930 New York, New Yorks Victor V-38146-B Chinnin’ And
Thanks to Owen Miller for his help with this page Title Recording Date Recording Location Company All Muggled Up Vocal refrain by Frank Myers (Jack
Thanks to Owen Miller for his help with this page. Title Recording Date Recording Location Company Black And Blue Bottom (Eddie Lang / Joe Venuti) 9-29-1926 New
Title Recording Date Recording Location Company A Blues Serenade (Frank Signorelli / Jimmy Lytell / Vincent Grande) 9-1926 New York, New York Pathe Actuelle 36523 Perfect
Pianist Frank Signorelli (May 24, 1901 – December 9, 1975) started the band the Original Memphis Five with Phil Napoleon in 1917. It was one of the most
Title Recording Date Recording Location Company Bugle Call Rag (Jack Pettis / Billy Meyers / Elmer Schoebel) 5-22-1929 New York, New York Okeh 41410 Freeze
The following recordings were released under the names of Joe Venuti’s Blue Four, Blue Five or Blue Six depending on the number of musicians used on the
Joe Venuti (September 16, 1903 – August 14, 1978) was the first great violinist of Jazz. The music he made with Eddie Lang would later be
Bing Crosby and Al Rinker had been together in a Jazz band in Spokane, Washington while in college. The band was so popular that the
Title Recording Date Recording Location Company Crying For The Carolines (Lewis / Warren / Young) 1-4-1930 New York, New York Okeh 41359 Have A Little
Arthur Schutt (November 21, 1902 – January 28, 1965) began his professional music career in 1915, accompanying silent movies on the piano. In 1918 he
The Ross De Luxe Syncopaters were a group out of Miami, Florida that once had Cootie Williams and Edmond Hall in the band. The group
These all-star recording sessions were released under a variety of different names that tagged the names of Jack Bland, Eddie Condon and Billy Banks in front of the
Title Recording Date Recording Location Company After You’ve Gone (Henry Creamer / J. Turner Layton) 7-15-1930 London, England Decca I’m Just Wild About Harry (Noble
Title Recording Date Recording Location Company Angry (George Brunies / Jules Cassard / Abbie Brunies / Mecum) 9-13-1934 New York, New York Decca 183 A Beau-Koo
The Cafe Society was a nightclub operated by Barney Josephson who sold his New Jersey shoe store to enter the nightclub business and try out
Jimmy Yancey was a native of Chicago and learned to play piano from his elder brother, Alonzo, who was a Ragtime picker. Yancey’s father was
Title Recording Date Recording Location Company Muttering Fritz 10-1-1918 Paris, France Disque Pathé The Darktown Strutter’s Ball (Shelton Brooks) 10-1-1918 Paris, France Disque Pathé 8270
Joe Oliver (December 19, 1881 – April 10, 1938) is one of the most important figures in early Jazz. When we use the phrase Hot
For information about King Oliver and his other groups:Joe “King” Oliver (1885-1938)Joseph “King” Oliver: Profiles in JazzKing Oliver’s Creole Jazz BandKing Oliver’s Dixie SyncopatorsKing Oliver’s
In 1929 King Oliver signed a contract with Victor Talking Machine Company. These sessions turned out to be his last recordings as a band leader. Oliver had
After the breakup of King Oliver’s great Creole Jazz Band, Oliver rebounded with the Dixie Syncopators after a brief stint with the Dave Peyton Orchestra at the Plantation Cafe. The
Richard M. Jones’ Four Hot Hounds played at Abadie’s in New Orleans between 1909-1911. King Oliver sometimes replaced Sugar Johnny Smith on cornet. The band never recorded, but Jones, Oliver and
Edmonia Henderson (c. 1898 or 1900 – February 17, 1947) was an American classic female blues singer. She was active as a recording artist in the
This is thought to be the only recording of Jelly Roll Morton’s touring band. All of his other records represent groups of musicians assembled just for the
Although Jelly Roll Morton’s name was on this record, he does not play on it (or is at least inaudible). The record was released as
Title Recording Date Recording Location Company Clorinda (1) (Donald Heywood) 10-1927 New York, New York Pathe Actuelle 36729 Perfect 14910 Clorinda (2) (Donald Heywood) 10-1927 New York,
Victoria Spivey (October 15, 1906 – October 3, 1976) got her start in music at age twelve when she began playing piano in a movie
Title Recording Date Recording Location Company Chicken Ala Swing (Carl Kress / Dick Mcdonough) 2-16-1937 New York, New York Brunswick 7885 Danzon (Carl Kress / Dick Mcdonough)
Carl Kress, along with Eddie Lang, can be considered THE founding father of jazz guitar. While Lang pioneered the use of single-string horn inspired lines,
Pianist and band leader Alphonso Trent was born October 24, 1905 in Fort Smith, Arkansas. He led one of the most influential territory bands operating
Title Recording Date Recording Location Company After You’ve Gone (Henry Creamer / J. Turner Layton) 3-5-1930 Richmond, Indiana Gennett 7161 Black And Blue Rhapsody (Madison)
Ethel Waters (October 31, 1896 – September 1, 1977) was one of the most popular African-American singers and actresses of the 1920s. She moved to
Blues singer Edna Hicks (October 14, 1891 or 1895 – August 16, 1925) was born in New Orleans and was the half-sister of Lizzie Miles and
Jelly Roll Morton (September 20, c. 1890 – July 10, 1941) was the first great composer and piano player of Jazz. He was a talented
Thanks to the enterprise of Victor Recording Company in 1927, when they took a roving recording microphone around the south and mid-west of America, we
Lee Collins is one of the underrated and lesser-known New Orleans trumpet players, of whom Danny Barker has said that he was a sweetheart of Albertine McKay in
The Kings of Jazz that recorded four titles on the rare Autograph label in Chicago in 1924 are hardly worth their title, let it be
Lee Collins (October 17, 1901 – July 3, 1960) got his start on the trumpet playing with brass bands in New Orleans as a teenager.
The Memphis Jug Band was one the popular jug bands of the 1920s and 1930s. The leader of the band was Will Shade who played
Ross Gorman rose to prominence in Paul Whiteman‘s Orchestra and is probably best remembered today for his original playing of the opening clarinet solo in George Gershwin’s Rhapsody
In 1923, a 17 year old teenager named Roger Wolfe Kahn (October 19, 1907 – July 12, 1962) bought the Arthur Lange Orchestra. He was
Jean Goldkette (March 18, 1893 – March 24, 1962) emigrated from France to the United States in 1911. He was a classical piano player. Jean
Annette Hanshaw (October 18, 1901 – March 13, 1985) was a popular singer and radio star of the 1920s and early Thirties who had many
The Red Heads sessions predated Red Nichols and his Five Pennies, but was basically the same group. Title Recording Date Recording Location Company A Good Man
The older of the two Dorsey brothers Jimmy Dorsey (February 29, 1904 – June 12, 1957) was a child prodigy who began his musical career
Cornet player Muggsy Spanier (November 9, 1901 – February 12, 1967) was a member of the famed Austin High Gang and fell for jazz the minute
Phil Napoleon (2 September 1901 – 1 October 1990) was a classically trained trumpet player, but he turned his back the concert hall and formed
Miff Mole (March 11, 1898 – April 29, 1961) started his musical career playing violin and accompanying silent pictures on the piano, but later he
The New Orleans Owls descended from The Invincibles String Band which had been playing around New Orleans since 1912. The band played regularly at the
Title Recording Date Recording Location Company Dark Town Strutters Ball (Shelton Brooks) 4-5-1928 Chicago, Illinois Paramount 12654-B 20564-2 Friars Point Shuffle (Eddie Condon / Red McKenzie ) 4-5-1928
Here are some Austin High Gang recordings with a very young Gene Krupa inspiring them with his driving beat on the drums. Eddie Condon does the vocal on There’ll Be Some
Title Recording Date Recording Location Company Harlem Fuss (Fats Waller) 3-1-1929 New York, New York Victor V-38050 Bluebird 10185 I Need Someone Like You (Abel
George Lewis (July 13, 1900 – December 31, 1968) was one of the Jazz musicians who didn’t leave New Orleans in the 1920s. He stayed
Jelly Roll Morton had a hit with his 1923 version of Wolverine Blues. This stirred interest with the the Victor company who were just starting to get
Lillie Delk Christian has an absolutely great backup band on these sessions, but her vocals often leave a little to be desired. The best of
These fine sessions caused a lot of discord in the Armstrong household. Columbia records approached Lil Hardin-Armstrong about writing and recording some songs. Louis was not allowed
Two records of this session were released under the name of the New Orleans Wanderers. Title Recording Date Recording Location Company Flat Foot (Lil Hardin
Johnny Dodds (April 12, 1892 – August 8, 1940) was one of the greatest clarinetist of the 1920’s. Although both Jimmie Noone and Sidney Bechet had better technique,
