Taylor's Dixie Orchestra (1931) / Jimmie Gunn & His Orchestra (1936)

Although James Henry Gunn has had a school named after him in Charlotte, North Carolina for almost 70 years now, not much is known about the man. Even the picture of Gunn from the school's website is not a photograph but rather what looks to be a charcoal drawing.

Poring through discographies, Gunn seems to have made his recording debut as the pianist of a Carolina territory band from Charlotte's Johnson C. Smith University in 1931. Taylor's Dixie Orchestra waxed their only two sides in Charlotte on May 23, 1931 for the Victor label. Other than a couple of newspaper clippings announcing upcoming concerts for the group, again, information is sparse.

After poor health sidelines Taylor, Gunn assumes control of the outfit, and plays on the CBS Dixie Radio network leading to audience exposure. A few years later, Gunn heads back to Charlotte and records six sides at Southern Radio Corporation's second floor warehouse for Victor's budget label, Bluebird on June 18, 1936.

The open warehouse gives the music a wonderful cavernous ballroom ambiance that is captured nicely within the grooves.

Once again, newspaper clippings survive touting the engagements this band would perform around the country.

History shows that Jimmie Gunn enters academia as a math teacher several years later and even becomes principal of Clear Creek High School in Mecklenburg County between 1944 and 1945.

The school was named for him in 1947 and after going through many changes, is now a thriving elementary school.

Below is every Jimmie Gunn side, including the Japanese issue of My Blue Heaven.

Taylor's Dixie Orchestra: Dave Taylor dir / Lester Mitchell t / Joe Jordan t, v / Leslie Johnakins as, bar / Skeets Tolbert as, v / Ernest Parham ts, v / Jimmie Gunn p / Guy Harrington bj, v / Harry Prather bb / Bill Hart d.

Recorded in Charlotte, NC on May 23, 1931.

The News Leader (Staunton, VA) July 17, 1931

The Charlotte News

April 6, 1920

Jimmie Gunn & His Orchestra: Jimmie Gunn p, dir / Dave Pugh t, v / Charles Daniels, Herman Franklin t / John Orange (Slats?), Sam Hinton tb / ?Skeets Tolbert, Robert Griffin, James Berry as / Otis Hicks ts / William Shavers p / Alton Harrington g / Harry Prather sb / Raymond Mason d / Sam Jennings v.

Recorded in Charlotte, on June 18, 1936.

Jimmie Gunn & His Orchestra - Bluebird 6469 / 6500 / 6508 / 6578 (1936)

After executing my first ever trade a few years back, I was introduced to two, largely forgotten, North Carolina territory bands that recorded just months apart at the Southern Radio Corporation's second floor warehouse in Charlotte. The spacious warehouse gave a large empty ballroom echo that can be heard on these recordings.

I have finally completed the run of Jimmie Gunn and find myself just one shy of the Locke Brothers Rhythm Orchestra.

Here are the Gunns in recording order from that summer day in Carolina...

Here's the official website for J.H. Gunn Elementary school in Charlotte named after the bandleader.

One discography has the personnel listed as:

Jimmie Gunn p, dir / 'Slats' tb / Skeets Tolbert as / Otis Hicks ts / g / Harry Prather b / d / David Pugh, Sam Jennings v.

while another has:

Jimmie Gunn dir / Dave Pugh t, v / Charles Daniels, Herman Franklin t / John Orange tb / Robert Griffin, James Berry as / Otis Hicks ts / William Shavers p / Alton Harrington  g / Sam Hinton bb / Harry Prather sh / Raymond Mason d / Sam Jennings v.

Recorded in Charlotte, on June 18, 1936.

Robesonian Newspaper Lumberton, NC March 12, 1934

Statesville Record & Landmark NC April 7, 1933

Fitchburg Sentinel MA July 13. 1936

Jimmie Gunn & His Orchestra / Bob Pope & His Orchestra - Bluebird 6508 (1936)

With this acquisition today, I am just one record shy from completing Jimmie Gunn's run.

It's all about the hunt, isn't it?

Here are the conflicting lineups for Gunn's band:

Jimmie Gunn p, dir / 'Slats' tb / Skeets Tolbert as / Otis Hicks ts / g / Harry Prather b / d / David Pugh, Sam Jennings v. 

or 

Jimmie Gunn dir / Dave Pugh t, v / Charles Daniels, Herman Franklin t / John Orange tb / Robert Griffin, James Berry as / Otis Hicks ts / William Shavers p / Alton Harrington  g / Sam Hinton bb / Harry Prather sb / Raymond Mason d / Sam Jennings v.

Recorded at the Southern Radio Corporation's 2nd floor warehouse in Charlotte on June 18, 1936.

The flipside is from former Coon-Sanders' trumpeter, Bob Pope.

Bob Pope ldr, t / Howard Gaffney, Tommy Hatcher t / Howard Gibeling tb / Sonny Thorpe, Vic Christenson as / J.V. Johnson, Nolan Canova ts / Mac McGowan p / Fowler Hays sb / Johnny Blowers d.

Recorded in Charlotte on June 21, 1936.