Fess Williams and his Royal Flush Orchestra
Red Hot Jazz Archive September 25, 2020
Fess Williams led bands in both Chicago and New York in the 1920s and early 1930s. He seemed to model himself after Ted Lewis wearing a top
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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.
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Fess Williams led bands in both Chicago and New York in the 1920s and early 1930s. He seemed to model himself after Ted Lewis wearing a top
Title Recording Date Recording Location Company Dixie Stomp (Tremaine) 4-3-1928 Chicago, Illinois Vocalion 15690 Drifting And Dreaming (Haven Gillespie / Egbert Van Alstyne) 4-3-1928 Chicago,
Title Recording Date Recording Location Company Bogalousa Strut (Sam Morgan) 10-22-1927 New Orleans, Louisiana Columbia 14351-D Down By The Riverside (traditional) 10-22-1927 New Orleans,
Keyboard player and arranger Tiny Parham (February 25, 1900 – April 4, 1943) was born in Canada, but grew up in Kansas City. He got
Title Recording Date Recording Location Company Ain’t It Nice? (Alex Hill / Irving Mills) 9-10-1934 New York, New York Vocalion 2826-B Functionizin’ (Fats Waller) 9-10-1934 New York,
Sammy Stewart’s Ten Knights Of Syncopation were originally from Columbus, Ohio. The band started out in 1918 performing under the name of Sammy Stewart’s Singing
Jazz musicians, writers and critics are almost universal in turning a sour face when the mention of a society band or sweet music is made.
Title Recording Date Recording Location Company Gates Blues 10-10-1928 Chicago, Illinois Vocalion 1236 C-2429-A Gates Blues 10-10-1928 Chicago, Illinois Vocalion unissued C-2429-B Mississippi Wobble (Alex
Paul Howard’s Quality Serenaders as a name may mean little to European enthusiasts, perhaps because only one side “New Kinda Blues” was ever released outside
Doc Cook and his 14 Doctors of Syncopation worked at the Casino dance hall at the White City amusement park during the late 1920s. The amusement
Cookie’s Gingersnaps is a small group taken from Doc Cook and his Dreamland Orchestra Title Recording Date Recording Location Company Here Comes The Hot Tamale
Johnny St. Cyr (April 17, 1890 – June 17, 1966) played banjo and guitar, and was a true jazz pioneer. St. Cyr had his own
Paddy Harmon’s Dreamland Ballroom was located on the Near West Side of Chicago at the intersection of Paulina and Van Buren streets. Paddy Harmon’s was
Beatrice C. “Bee” Palmer (11 September 1894 – 22 December 1967) was born in Chicago, the third of four children born to Charles and Anna
Title Recording Date Recording Location Company Blue Grass Blues (Billy Meyers / Elmer Schoebel) 1-1924 New York, New York Paramount 20314 1645-1 Blue Grass Blues
This band, whose entire output is included here, is surely one of the most remarkable in the history of Jazz and dance music, for it
Until recently, next to nothing was known about Thelma Terry (September 30, 1901 – May 30, 1966): she played string bass in Chicago in the
Title Recording Date Recording Location Company Dixie Blues (Perry Bradford / McCoy / Hendrix) 3-13-1923 New York, New York Columbia A3878 Sugar Blues (Lucy Fletcher / Clarence
Title Recording Date Recording Location Company I Promised Not To Holler, But Hey! Hey! (Johnny Dunn) 10-30-1923 New York, New York Columbia 13004-D Jazzin’ Babies
The 1928 sessions called Johnny Dunn and his Band are interesting in that Dunn plays with three of the greats of 1920s Jazz piano, Jelly Roll Morton on the March 13th
Title Recording Date Recording Location Company Bugle Blues (Robert Kelly) 12-21-1921 New York, New York Columbia A3541 Four O’Clock Blues (Johnny Dunn / Gus Horsley) 9-21-1922
Title Recording Date Recording Location Company Daddy Change Your Mind (Frank Guarente) 1-12-1924 New York, New York Columbia 14008-D I Don’t Know I Don’t Care
Edith Wilson and trumpet player Johnny Dunn first worked together in the musical revue “Put And Take” in 1921 and then went on to perform in Lew Lesile’s
Edith Wilson (September 2, 1896 – March 31, 1981) was one of the stars of early African-American musical theatre. After working in vaudeville with her
One of the first important bassists of Jazz, Foster was playing in bands around New Orleans as early as 1906. He played tuba with Fate Marable’s group
Yes, Virginia, there was a Jabbo Smith! Jabbo had a short but exceedingly important recording career in the late 1920’s when he became the first
Title Recording Date Recording Location Company Persian Rug (Gus Kahn / Neil Morét) 3-27-1928 Camden, New Jersey Victor 21346-A ‘Sippi (1) (From “Keep Shuffin’”) (Johnson /
George Mitchell, (March 8, 1899– May 22, 1972) the gifted hard-driving cornet player on Jelly Roll Morton’s Red Hot Peppers recording sessions, deserves wider recognition and
Hardly known outside of a small Jazz coterie, this small band contrived to create an ensemble effect much like the Fletcher Henderson outfit. Charlie Johnson played
Charley Straight (January 16, 1891 – September 22, 1940) started his musical career in the early 1910’s as a solo piano player and by circa
At the request of Mayo Williams of the Brunswick Record Company of Chicago, Jabbo Smith formed his Rhythm Aces, a quintet with which he recorded
Pianist Frank Melrose (November 26, 1907 – September 1, 1941) was the younger brother of music publishers and agents Walter and Lester Melrose, who ran
Richard Myknee Jones (13 June 1892 – 8 December 1945) was from a musical family in New Orleans and played a variety of instruments before
Frankie “Half Pint” Jaxon (March 3, 1896 or 1897 – May 15, 1953) was a vaudeville singer, comedian and female impersonator. His nickname of “Half
Title Recording Date Recording Location Company As Long As I Have You (Harbach / Lewis / Simon) 6-21-1926 New York, New York Okeh 40675-B How
What’s The Use Of Lovin’? was released under the name of Anna Oliver and Young’s Creole Jazz Band. All of the other recordings were released under
Title Recording Date Recording Location Company Golden Lily Blues Vocal Chorus by Kid Punch (Francois Moseley / Punch Miller) 11-2-1930 Chicago, Illinois Melotone M 12009
New Orleans native Jimmie Noone led this band at the Apex Club on the second floor of 330 East 35th Street in Chicago’s Southside from 1928
Jimmie Noone is considered one of the best clarinetists of the Twenties. His style differs from the other two great New Orleans clarinet players, Johnny
Paramount 12747 was released under the name of the Clarence Jones and his Orchestra and Okeh 8404 was released under the name of Clarence Jones
This record was released on the Harmograph label as Ethel Mayes accompanied by Clarence Wright at the piano with the Harmograph Trio. Also see: Clarence Jones
Born in Little Rock, Arkansas in April 1906, Alex Hill (April 22, 1906 – February 1937), the eldest son of an African Episcopalian minister and
Helen Savage’s only other recordings were with Jimmie Noone’s Apex Club Orchestra Title Recording Date Recording Location Company For Just A Little Love From You 8-21-1929
Title Recording Date Recording Location Company Congo Love Song 9-23-1929 Chicago, Illinois Brunswick BR7115 Easy Rider 9-23-1929 Chicago, Illinois Brunswick BR7127 Storybook Ball 9-23-1929 Chicago,
Omer Simeon (July 21, 1902 – September 17, 1959) and his family moved from New Orleans to Chicago in 1914 and like so many other great
Earl Hines has been called the first modern jazz pianist. His style differed from other pianists of the Twenties in his use of what were
Zutty Singleton (May 14, 1898 – July 14, 1975) was one of the most influential drummers of early Jazz. He popularized the use of brushes
Unlike most early Jazz musicians who called themselves Doc or Professor, Charles L. Cooke (September 3, 1891 – December 25, 1958), really had a doctorate
Title Recording Date Recording Location Company All By Yourself In The Moonlight 12-13-1928 London, England Parlophone R-252 Kismit K-705 Bandana Days From “Shuffle Along” Featuring Sidney
Not to be confused with Johnny Dunn’s Jazz Hounds, Mamie Smith’s Jazz Hounds, or the several other similarly named groups. Louis Metcalf is the cornet
Charles Creath was one of the principal leaders in St. Louis from 1928 onwards. A Missouri man himself, and able to play saxophone and accordian as
Charlie Creath (December 30, 1890 – October 23, 1951 ) was, like Fate Marable and Peck Kelly, was a regional band leader. Never traveling to the
Harry Cooper’s group also recorded as Sara Martin accompanied by Harry’s Happy Four. Cooper would go on to play in the Cotten Club Orchestra, The Washingtonians, Billy
Title Recording Date Recording Location Company Alabamy Bound (Buddy De Sylva / Lew Brown / Ray Henderson) 11-23-1925 New York, New York Okeh 8262-A 73780-B
Find a short description of this band at Allmusic.com Title Recording Date Recording Location Company African Jungle (Spencer Williams) 4-15-1929 New York, New York Okeh
Andy Preer’s Cotton Club Orchestra was billed that way to promote Preer’s regular place of work. Actually, the group was the Missourians, who later teamed
This was a pseudonym, often used on Banner, and other Regal Record Company, Inc.-produced labels that were marketed & distributed by the Plaza Music Company.
Before Louis Armstrong left Chicago to join Fletcher Henderson’s Orchestra in 1924, Johnny Dunn (February 19, 1897 – August 20, 1937) was considered the king of New York’s Jazz
Cornetist Thomas Morris (August 30, 1897 – 1945) is a somewhat shadowy, yet prolific figure of the early New York Jazz scene. He led a
Learn what there is to know about Thomas Morris. Title Recording Date Recording Location Company Beaucoupe de Jazz (Lots Of Jazz) (Thomas Morris) 8-7-1923 New
Albert Nicholas (May 27, 1900 – September 3, 1973) played with Buddy Petit, King Oliver, and Manuel Perez while still a teenager in New Orleans and
Title Recording Date Recording Location Company My Sweet Man (Tickles The Ivories For Me) (Benett) 9-1924 New York, New York Ajax 17068 What You Need
Title Recording Date Recording Location Company Kansas City Man Blues (Clarence Williams / Clarence Johnson) 8-5-1923 New York, New York Okeh 4926-A Lady Luck Blues (William
Known for backing up Mamie Smith and her Jazz Band. Title Recording Date Recording Location Company Big Bad Bill (Jack Yellen / Milton Ager) New
Mamie Smith is backed up by Joseph Samuels’ Jazz Band on the recordings made between August and September of 1921. Title Recording Date Recording Location Company A Little
In 1919, African-American songwriter and pianist Perry Bradford was sure that there was a market for African-American music aimed at African-American consumers. He had a hard
Mamie Smith was the first to record hit blues songs with her versions of Perry Bradford’s “Crazy Blues“, and “It’ s Right Here for You” on
Anthony Parenti (8-6-1900 to 4-17-72) was born into a musical family and learned as a youngster to play various reed instruments. By the time he
Violinist Armand Piron (8-16-1888 to 2-17-1943) is remembered most today as the early business partner of Clarence Williams. They owned The Piron-Williams Publishing Company in
Armand Piron’s New Orleans Orchestra was one of the most popular bands in New Orleans in the 1920s. They travelled to New York and played at
Buddie Petit was, at the height of his powers, considered one of the greatest of the New Orleans cornet players. Although he never recorded, many
When Henry “Kid” Rena‘s (pronounced ruh-NAY, 8-30-1898 to 4-25-1949) name comes up, albeit infrequently, in the annals of New Orleans jazz, he’s usually identified as
The rehearsals were held at Willie Santiago’s house in New Orleans. The finished cuts were recorded at WWL radio station, Roosevelt Hotel, in New Orleans.
Violinist Charles Elgar (June 13, 1879 – August 1973) left New Orleans in 1913 and moved to Chicago. He organized several bands that played in
Manuel Perez’s (December 28th 1871 – 1946) place in the history of Jazz would probably have been greater if he would have talked to historians,
Creole clarinetist Alphonse Picou (10-18-1880 to 2-4-1961) was one of the earliest Jazz musicians from New Orleans and is generally credited with developing the clarinet
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