Hitch’s Happy Harmonists
Red Hot Jazz Archive June 21, 2020
Curtis Hitch led his band the Happy Harmonists from 1922 to 1927 in Indiana. While playing at Indiana University in Bloomington they met a young
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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
Curtis Hitch led his band the Happy Harmonists from 1922 to 1927 in Indiana. While playing at Indiana University in Bloomington they met a young
Hoagy Carmichael is remembered today as one of America’s great composers of popular songs. Several of his tunes, like “Star Dust“, “Georgia on My Mind”
Trumpeter Mutt Carey (September 17, 1891 – September 3, 1948) got his start like so many others with the marching bands in New Orleans sometime
Kid Ory relocated to California from New Orleans in 1919. Ory formed his Original Creole Jazz Band (they sometimes were billed as Kid Ory’s Brown-Skinned Babies) the
Here we have have Kid Ory’s Creole Orchestra backing up Blues singer Roberta Dudley, just one month before the band recorded their historic sides as Spike’s Seven Pods
Here we have have Kid Ory’s Creole Orchestra backing up Blues singer Ruth Lee, just one month before the band recorded their historic sides as Spike’s Seven Pods
Title Recording Date Recording Location Company Cake Walking Babies (Clarence Williams / Chris Smith / Henry Troy) 11-18-1947 New York, New York Century 4017 Esquire 10-064
Kid Ory was the greatest trombone player in the early years of Jazz. He originally played banjo, but then switched to trombone. Perhaps his banjo
Title Recording Date Recording Location Company 1919 (Traditional) 9-8-1945 Los Angeles, California Crescent 4 (1013) Ballin’ The Jack (Chris Smith) 2-12-1945 Los Angeles, California Exner
Thanks to Wim van der Brugghen for his help with this page. Title Recording Date Recording Location Company In Dat Mornin’ with preaching by Moses
Busse’s Buzzards was a “hot” side project of the Paul Whiteman Orchestra. Whiteman‘s trumpet player Henry Busse was the leader of this recording session. Busse stayed with the Paul Whiteman Orchestra until 1928 when
In 1917 this band cut nine titles for Edison, all issued on Blue Amberol as well as Diamond Disc. It was among the first to
Henry Busse (May 19, 1894 – April 23, 1955) was born in Germany and emigrated to the United States in 1916 where he found work
Title Recording Date Recording Location Company Block And Tackle 3-30-1932 New York, New York Banner 32435 Oriole 8137 Artist Instrument W.E. Burton Piano, Vocals Bob
Thanks to J.E. Knox for his help with this page. Title Recording Date Recording Location Company All Over You 6-10-1929 Richmond, Indiana Gennett 6918 Crossin’
The song “Dustin’ The Keys” features both Jimmy Blythe and Buddy Burton playing on one piano simultaneously. Title Recording Date Recording Location Company Block And Tackle Blues (W.E.
Title Recording Date Recording Location Company London Blues (Jelly Roll Morton) 10-1923 Chicago, Illinois Okeh 8105-B Someday Sweatheart (J.C. Spikes ) 10-1923 Chicago, Illinois Okeh
Multi-instrumentalist and bandleader Buddy Burton (February 1890- July 6th, 1976?) appeared on a quite a few 1920s Chicago South Side Jazz and Blues records as
Pianist Peck Kelley led this influential territory band in Texas in the 1920s. Kelley’s style was said to be ahead of his time and more
Paul Mares (June 15, 1900 – August 18, 1949) was from New Orleans and a childhood friend of Leon Roppolo and Abbie and George Brunies.
The New Orleans Rhythm Kings Gennett recordings were a big influence on many of the white bands and musicians of the 1920s. In 1920, Paul Mares and George
Leon Roppolo (March 16, 1902 – October 5, 1943) was considered a genius by his contemporaries and like Bix Beiderbecke and Buddy Bolden he was another of the
Little is known about the life of Alberta Brown, but she made this excellent Blues record in 1928. She is backed up by members of
“Papa” Jack Laine (September 21, 1873 – June 1, 1966) is often credited with being the first White Jazz musician. He was a drummer and
The Halfway House Orchestra was named after a dancehall called the Halfway House that was halfway between New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain. The group was
Merritt Brunies led this orchestra at the Friars Inn at 1834 Wasbash Street at Van Buren in Chicago. They got the gig after Merritt’s brother George
Trombone player George Brunies (February 6, 1902 – November 19, 1974) got his start at age eight playing with Papa Jack Laine‘s band and later went
Also See: Sidney Bechet (1897-1959) & Sidney Bechet: Profiles in Jazz Title Recording Date Recording Location Company Chant In The Night (Sidney Bechet) 11-16-1938 New York,
This Clarence Williams produced session is Sidney Bechet‘s first record. It was released under the name of Rosetta Crawford accompanied by King Bechet Trio. Bechet plays some very soulful clarinet and
The New Orleans Feetwarmers 1932 sides are the epitome of Hot Jazz. Sidney Bechet‘s soprano sax playing is nothing short of amazing on the song Shag. Ernest Meyers’s
In 1917 Tommy Ladnier (May 28, 1900 – June 4, 1939) moved north to Chicago from New Orleans, and found work in a touring band.
In 1913 there was a famous vaudeville stuttering comedian and dancer called Joe Frisco. His act Frisco and McDermott was playing in New Orleans and
This band was organized by drummer Johnny Stein after Stein’s Dixie Jass Band broke up and became the Original Dixieland Jass Band. It is interesting to note that
In 1915, New Orleans band leader Johnny Stein formed this band to take North to Chicago for a gig at the Booster Club at the
Like most early White New Orleans Jazz musicians, trombonist Tom Brown (June 3, 1888 – March 25, 1958) was a veteran of Papa Jack Laine’s Reliance
Bessie Brown, (March 2, 1890– November 12, 1955) like so many other female classic Blues singers of the 1920s. had a background in vaudeville and
Perry Bradford (February 14, 1893 – April 20, 1970) was a singer, songwriter, pianist and vaudeville and minstrel performer who forever changed the sound of
These are Benny Goodman‘s first records under his own name. Benny was eighteen at the time. The January of 1928 session was released as Benny Goodman’s
Born into a large, poverty stricken family, Benny Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) began playing the clarinet at an early age. He
Ben Pollack (June 22, 1903 – June 7, 1971) was one of the more successful White band leaders of the late 1920s. His orchestras featured
In 1937 Ben Pollack moved to Los Angeles where he led a new band filled with fine local players plus the great cornetist Muggsy Spanier.
Ben Pollack was on sessions during 1928-29 released under the names of the Hotsy Totsy Gang, Jimmy McHugh’s Bostonians, Ben’s Bad Boys, and the Louisville
(Excerpt from Ben Pollack: Profile in Jazz, by Scott Yanow) Unfortunately Ben Pollack was still thinking of himself as a singer (he had a weak
Returning to Chicago with the nucleus of the group, Ben Pollack soon had success playing at hotels. He landed a recording contract with the Victor
1928 was notable for two major events in Ben Pollack’s life. In March he moved his band to New York where they had a base
Also see: In 1920 Mamie Smith’s Crazy Blues paved the way for Black Music Title Artist Recording Date Company Memphis Blues (W.C. Handy) Victor Military
The Original Dixieland Jazz Band, who billed themselves “The Creators of Jazz”, have long been been dismissed as the White guys who copied African-American music,
Trombonist Jack Carey was the older brother of Thomas “Pappa Mutt” Carey, the leader of the Crescent City Orchestra, and the author of perhaps the most
Frankie Dusen Jr. became the trombonist in Buddy Bolden‘s band in 1906 and took over the group after Bolden went insane in 1907. He re-named the group the Eagle Band after
Buddy Bolden (September 6, 1877 – November 4, 1931) is generally considered to be the first bandleader to play the improvised music which later became
The Eagle Band was a very important band in the history of Jazz. When Buddy Bolden went insane in 1907, Frankie Dusen took over Buddy Bolden’s Band and renamed it the
Hardcore might be the best way to describe the Blues singing of Lucille Bogan (April 1, 1897 – August 10, 1948). While many of the
Irving Mills (January 16, 1894 – April 21, 1985) was born in New York City, in the Jewish ghetto on the East Side in 1894
Gertrude Pridgett was born into a showbiz family that performed in minstrel shows. She first appeared onstage in 1900, singing and dancing in minstrel and
Multi-instrumentalist Peter Bocage (31 July 1887 – 3 December 1967) was one of the great trumpeters in New Orleans history and ironically did not consider
In 1915 Jimmy Blythe (May 20, 1901 – June 14, 1931) moved from his native Kentucky to Chicago. He was an accomplished musician and composer
Banjoist and guitarist Jack Bland (May 8, 1899 – August 1968) is best remembered as the banjoist for the Mound City Blue Blowers which he co-founded
Blues singer Esther Bigeou (c.1892 – November 15, 1936) was a cousin of drummer Paul Barbarin which made her part of one of the most musical
Red McKenzie (1899-1948) and Eddie Condon: Profiles in Jazz Title Recording Date Recording Location Company China Boy (Dick Winfree / Phil Boutelje) 12-8-1927 Chicago, Illinois Okeh
Bubber Miley (April 3, 1903 – May 20, 1932) was the master of the plunger mute. His growling, drunken wah-wah sounding trumpet playing was largely
When the Hollywood Club on West 49th Street between 7th Avenue and Broadway in New York reopened in the spring of 1925 it did so
In September of 1923 Elmer Snowden‘s Washington Black Sox Orchestra landed a six month gig at the Hollywood Club in Manhattan. After about three months
Percussionist and xylophonist Jimmy Bertrand (24 February 1900 – August 1960) moved to Chicago in 1913 and played in the State Theatre Orchestra before joining
The word child prodigy doesn’t even begin to describe Vic Berton (May 7, 1896 – December 26, 1951) who was playing drums in a Milwaukee
Entry for Paul Whiteman. Entry for Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra Title Recording Date Recording Location Company A Bench in the Park (1) (Milton Ager / Jack
Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra was the most popular band of the 1920s and represented the apex of jazz to the general public. Over the
Paul Whiteman‘s Orchestra was the most popular band of the 1920s. They are also the most controversial to Jazz historians because Whiteman (March 28, 1890
The Brox Sisters were a close harmony vocal group of three sisters. They where born in Kentucky and Tennesse but grew up in Edmonton, Alberta,
This page by Dennis Pereyra: On October 23, 1928, a deal was made with Carl Laemmle and Nat Goldstone of Universal Studios for Paul Whiteman to
Elmer Snowden (October 9, 1900 – May 14, 1973) contributed greatly to jazz in its earlier days as both a player and a bandleader, and
William McKinney, showman-drummer, formed his Cotton Pickers in Springfield, Ohio in 1922, but it was not until the summer of 1928 that they commenced their
Title Recording Date Recording Location Company About Rip Van Winkle 1-17-1940 New York, New York Bluebird B-10615 After Sundown 11-14-1933 New York, New York Melotone
Don Redman (July 29, 1900 – November 30, 1964) is one of the first great jazz arrangers and was a pivotal figure in the development
Eddie Lang was the first Jazz guitar virtuoso. A boyhood friend of Joe Venuti, Lang took violin lessons for 11 years but switched to guitar
Red Nichols and his Five Pennies were one of the most popular bands of the New York Jazz scene of the 1920s. They recorded under a
By 1917 Earl Fuller led a society dance band at the popular Rector’s Restaurant in New York City called Earl Fuller’s Rector Novelty Orchestra. Their
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