Red Hot Musicians

Coleman Hawkins (November 21, 1904 – May 19, 1969) was the first great saxophonist of Jazz. As a child he was a gifted musician. In

Lee Morse (November 30, 1897 – December 16, 1954) was a very popular recording artist, songwriter and actress of the 1920s and early 1930s. She

Tommy Dorsey (November 19, 1905 – November 26, 1956) was Jimmy’s younger brother and the more temperamental of the two. He was generally blamed for the

Willie “The Lion” Smith (November 23, 1893 – April 18, 1973) was one of the fathers of the stride piano style. During the 1920s he

Beulah “Sippie” Thomas (November 1, 1898 – November 1, 1986) grew up in Houston, Texas where she sang and played the piano in her father’s

Eddie Condon (November 16, 1905 – August 4, 1973) was one of the gang of young white Chicago jazz musicians in the 1920s. He started

Although he was a decent clarinetist and saxophonist, Mezz Mezzrow (November 9, 1899 – August 5, 1972) is remembered today primarily for his autobiography “Really

Erskine Tate (January 14, 1895-December 17, 1978, the original RHJ Archive had the dates wrong) was a violinist and leader of a band that played

Harry Reser (January 17, 1896 – September 27, 1965) was perhaps the greatest banjoist of the 1920s if not the greatest banjoist of all time.

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

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

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

Arthur Schutt (November 21, 1902 – January 28, 1965) began his professional music career in 1915, accompanying silent movies on the piano. In 1918 he

Jimmy Yancey (February 20, 1894, 1895,or 1901 – September 17, 1951) was a native of Chicago and learned to play piano from his elder brother,

Joe Oliver (December 19, 1881 – April 10, 1938) is one of the most important figures in early Jazz. (The 1881 birthdate is taken from

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

Victoria Spivey  (October 15, 1906 – October 3, 1976) got her start in music at age twelve when she began playing piano in a movie

Carl Kress (October 20, 1907 – June 10, 1965), along with Eddie Lang, can be considered THE founding father of jazz guitar. While Lang pioneered

Pianist and band leader Alphonso Trent was born October 24, 1902 in Fort Smith, Arkansas. (A death certificate and draft card correct many sources which

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 (October 20, c. 1890 – July 10, 1941) was the first great composer and piano player of Jazz. He was a talented

Lee Collins (October 17, 1901 – July 3, 1960) got his start on the trumpet playing with brass bands in New Orleans as a teenager.