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
In 1927, Clarence Williams tried his hand at musical theater. He wrote the book and most of the music for “Bottomland” as well as producing the
Title Recording Date Recording Location Company A Pane In The Glass (Clarence Williams) 8-26-1929 New York, New York Columbia 14460-D Any Time (Clarence Williams / Joe
Thanks to Owen Miller for his help with this page. Title Recording Date Recording Location Company After Tonight 9-1-1933 New York, New York Vocalion 2736
Title Recording Date Recording Location Company Endurance Stomp (A.C Fernandez / Lester Melrose) 1-1928 Long Island City, New York Paramount 12875-A 330-A Endurance Stomp (Barrel
Title Recording Date Recording Location Company You Don’t Know My Mind Blues (Clarence Williams / Sam Gray / Virginia Liston) 3-10-1924 New York, New York Okeh 40117-A
Thanks to Owen Miller for his help with this page. Title Recording Date Recording Location Company Charleston Hound (Clarence Williams / Fats Waller / Spencer Williams) 6-16-1926 New
Thanks to Bob Palmer for his help with this page. Title Recording Date Recording Location Company Cushion Foot Stomp (Clarence Williams / Agnes Castleton) 4-13-1927 New
Title Recording Date Recording Location Company Dinah (Sam M. Lewis / Joe Young / Harry Akst) 1-4-1926 New York, New York Okeh 40541-A Jack Ass
Title Recording Date Recording Location Company Bluer Than Blue Vocal by Babe Matthews (Armstrong) 5-24-1938 New York, New York Vocalion 4157 I’m Falling For You
Title Recording Date Recording Location Company He Wouldn’t Stop Doin’ It (Clarence Williams / Alex Hill) 5-22-1930 New York, New York Okeh 8798 You’re Bound To Look
Title Recording Date Recording Location Company I’m Not Worrying (Clarence Williams / Fats Waller) 4-16-1929 New York, New York Victor V-38630 Touch-Down (Fats Waller) 4-16-1929 New York,
Little is known about Clara Smith’s (March 13, 1894 – February 2, 1935) early life other that that she was from Spartanburg, South Carolina. She
Title Recording Date Recording Location Company Race Track Blues (Stanley S. Miller) 12-30-1926 New York, New York Columbia 14294-D Troublesome Blues (Tom Delaney) 4-7-1927 New
Title Recording Date Recording Location Company Jelly Bean Blues (Stanley S. Miller) 5-3-1926 New York, New York Columbia 14294-D Look Where The Sun Done Gone
Title Recording Date Recording Location Company Black Cat Moan (Stanley S. Miller) 7-30-1927 New York, New York Columbia 14240-D Strugglin’ Woman’s Blues (Stanley S. Miller)
Title Recording Date Recording Location Company Death Letter Blues (Ida Cox) 10-15-1924 New York, New York Columbia 14045-D Done Sold My Soul To The Devil
Trixie Smith was born in Atlanta, Georgia and is reported to have studied at Selma University in Alabama. Sometime around 1915 she moved north to
Title Recording Date Recording Location Company Adams Apple (Jimmy Blythe) 7-26-1926 Chicago, Illinois Paramount 12376-B Messin Around (1) (Jimmy Blythe / Trixie Smith) 7-26-1926 Chicago, Illinois Paramount 12376-A
Title Recording Date Recording Location Company Aunt Jemina Stomp (Moloy / Bingham) 3-15-1929 Chicago, Illinois Brunswick 7066 Good Feelin’ Blues (Ballin’ The Jack) (Moloy /
Title Recording Date Recording Location Company Five O’Clock Stomp 6-1928 Chicago, Illinois Paramount 12674 Kentucky Stomp 6-1928 Chicago, Illinois Paramount 12661 Southside Stomp 6-1928 Chicago,
This record was issued on Broadway records as Harry’s Reckless Five.” Title Recording Date Recording Location Company Blue Slug Part 1 1-13-1941 Chicago, Illinois Paramount
Much speculation has been made about the musicians on this set at Gennett Records and a consensus has formed around several of them. Read this
On the Oriole label this record was released as the Rampart Street Washboard Band. Title Recording Date Recording Location Company Forty And Tight (Melrose) 7-24-1929
Fats Waller (May 21, 1904 – December 15, 1943) was the son of a preacher and learned to play the organ in church with his
