Call it jugband jazz . We have the prolific pianist, composer, singer, producer Clarence Williams and Clarence Todd, a vocalist who also p...

Today, March 31 (1908), is Red Norvo's birthday-an appropriate time to post a session Norvo led that featured pianist Teddy Wilson. Wils...

Bessie Smith earned her title as Empress of the Blues. She managed to be both powerful and able to express a wide range of emotion. Clarence...

Blind Willie Dunn was a pseudonym used by guitarist Eddie Lang when he played in black sessions, including the sessions he did with his pal,...

Jelly Roll Morton claimed to be the creator of jazz-a slight exaggeration-but he was definitely a foundational figure. He was a superb piani...

Billy Banks Billy Banks is a singular character. He sang and entertained as a male and as a female impersonator, in jazz, cabaret and vaudev...

These are some of the heaviest hitters of the day. Bing, everyone knows. The Boswell Sisters were the premiere vocal group of the era. They ...

Lillian Glinn was a classic blues-country-jazzy shouter who recorded 22 tracks. She did the vaudeville circuit and was recorded in several c...

Jack Purvis was sine qua non; one of the most larger-than-life personalities in a music with its fair share of unique characters. He was a f...

King Carter and his Royal Orchestra is a pseudonym for the Mills Blue Rhythm Band. This group was formed in New York in 1930 by drummer Will...

Founded in 1921, Cameo Records was an Indie label that used a pool of white musicians, including some Members of the Original Memphis Five t...

Today's entry is a bit controversial. This is a group put together by composer, pianist, musical entrepreneur Clarence Williams. There...

For chronology's sake, I wanted to post one of these Feburary sessions: Frank Melrose recording with the Dodds Brothers--but all takes w...

Irving Mills, whom we've met before , was an early organizer of interracial jazz sessions and a guy who really got around. He was a musi...

Perry Bradford-nicknamed "Mule," was a performer, songwriter, pianist and entrepreneur. He approached Fred Hager, recording direct...

By 1932, Bing Crosby was already a hit on radio, and was beginning to make his way in Hollywood. Ellington was also a national figure becaus...