New Orleans Owls - Columbia 823 (1926)

Benjie White cl, as, dir / Bill Padron c / Frank Netto tb / Pinky Vidacovich cl, as / Lester Smith ts / Sigfre Christensen p / Rene Gelpi bj, g / Dan LeBlanc bb / Earl Crumb d.

Recorded in Atlanta on November 8, 1926.

Ben Pollack & His Orchestra / Joe Morgan & His Palais D'Or Orchestra - Oriole 2208 (1931)

Ben Pollack dir / Charlie Spivak, Sterling Bose t / Jack Teagarden tb, v / Benny Goodman, Gil Rodin cl, as / Eddie Miller cl, ts / Al Beller vn / Gil Bowers p / Nappy Lamare g / Harry Goodman bb, sb / Ray Bauduc d,

Recorded in New York on January 21, 1931.

Take 3

Instrumentation & personnel unknown, Dick Robertson v.

Recorded in January 27, 1931.

Three Jolly Miners - Vocalion 15087 (1925)

From wikipedia...

Bob Fuller (b. c. 1898) was an American blues and jazz saxophonist and clarinetist, best known for his recordings accompanying female singers of the 1920s.

Born and raised in New York City, Fuller toured the United States with Mamie Smith, then settled down to extensive studio work. He was a house saxophonist for Ajax and Victor Records, playing with Elmer Snowden and Louis Hooper. These musicians also recorded on their own, including as the Five Musical Blackbirds. Fuller also played with Fats Waller's combo, Six Hot Babies.

Fuller worked on at least 140 sessions between 1920 and 1928, accompanying singers such as Martha Copeland, Helen Gross, Rosa Henderson, Maggie Jones, Viola McCoy, and Monette Moore.

Among his many 1920's recordings, his trio sides (with piano and banjo) were issued as "Three Hot Eskimos", "The Black Diamonds", "Three Jolly Jesters", and "Three Monkey Chasers".

Fuller left music permanently after he was sent to prison in the 1930s.

Louis Stanley Hooper (May 18, 1894, North Buxton, Ontario - September 17, 1977, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island) was a Canadian jazz pianist.

Hooper was raised in Ypsilanti, Michigan and attended the Detroit Conservatory, where he played locally in dance orchestras in the 1910s. He then moved to New York City around 1920; he recorded with Elmer Snowden and Bob Fuller frequently in the middle of the decade, and performed with both of them in Harlem as well as with other ensembles. Hooper served for some time as the house pianist for Ajax Records and accompanied many blues singers on record, including Martha Copeland, Rosa Henderson, Lizzie Miles, Monette Moore, and Ethel Waters. He participated in the Blackbirds revue of 1928.

In 1932 Hooper returned to Canada, where he played in Mynie Sutton's dance band, the Canadian Ambassadors. He did local work solo and in ensembles for the next two decades, then was brought back into the limelight by the Montreal Vintage Music Society in 1962. Hooper released an LP of ragtime piano tunes in 1973 entitled Lou Hooper, Piano. He taught at the University of Prince Edward Island late in his life and appeared regularly on CBC television in Halifax.

His papers, which include unpublished compositions and an autobiography, are now held at the National Library of Canada in Ottawa.

Elmer Snowden (October 9, 1900 – May 14, 1973) was a banjo player of the jazz age. He also played guitar and, in the early stages of his career, all the reed instruments. He contributed greatly to jazz in its early days as both a player and a bandleader, and is responsible for launching the careers of many top musicians. However, Snowden himself has been largely overlooked in jazz history.

Born in Baltimore, Snowden is remembered today mainly as the original leader of the Washingtonians, a group he brought to New York City from the capital in 1923. Unable to get a booking, Snowden sent for Duke Ellington, who was with the group when it recorded three test sides for Victor that remain unissued and are, presumably, lost. Ellington eventually took over leadership of the band,[1] which contained the nucleus of what later became his famous orchestra. Snowden was a renowned band leader – Count Basie, Jimmie Lunceford, Bubber Miley, "Tricky Sam" Nanton, Frankie Newton, Benny Carter, Rex Stewart, Roy Eldridge and Chick Webb are among the musicians who worked in his various bands.

Very active in the 1920s as an agent and musician, Snowden at one time had five bands playing under his name in New York, one of which was led by pianist Cliff Jackson. Unfortunately, most of his bands were not recorded, but a Snowden band that included Eldridge, Al Sears, Dicky Wells and Sid Catlett appeared in a 1932 film, Smash Your Baggage. Snowden also made numerous appearances as a sideman on almost every New York label from 1923 on. Unfortunately, he rarely received credit, except for two sides with Bessie Smith in 1925, and six sides with the Sepia Serenaders in 1934.

Though Snowden continued to be musically active throughout his life, after the mid 1930s he lived in relative obscurity in New York. He continued to play throughout the 30s, 40s and 50s, but was far from the limelight. After a dispute with the musicians union in New York, he moved to Philadelphia where he taught music, counting among his pupils pianist Ray Bryant, his brother, bassist Tommy Bryant, and saxophonist Sahib Shihab (Edmond Gregory).

Snowden was working as a parking lot attendant in 1959 when Chris Albertson, then a Philadelphia disc jockey, came across him. In 1960, Albertson brought Snowden and singer-guitarist Lonnie Johnson together for two Prestige albums, assembled a quartet that included Cliff Jackson for a Riverside session, Harlem Banjo, and, in 1961, a sextet session with Roy Eldridge, Bud Freeman, Jo Jones, and Ray and Tommy Bryant—it was released on the Fontana and Black Lion labels.

In 1963, his career boosted, Snowden appeared at the Newport Jazz Festival. He toured Europe in 1967 with the Newport Guitar Workshop. He moved to California to teach at the University of California, Berkeley, and played with Turk Murphy.

In 1969, Snowden moved back to Philadelphia, where he died on May 14, 1973.

Bob Fuller cl / Louis Hooper p / Elmer Snowden bj.

Recorded in New York on August 8, 1925.

New Orleans Owls - Columbia 943 (1926)

Other Owls can be heard here and here.

Benjie White cl, as, dir / Bill Padron c / Frank Netto tb / Pinky Vidacovich cl, as / Lester Smith ts / Sigfre Christensen p / Rene Gelpi bj, g / Dan LeBlanc bb / Earl Crumb d.

Recorded in Atlanta on November 8, 1926.

New Orleans Wanderers - Columbia 698 (1926)

From wikipedia...

The New Orleans Wanderers was the name under which Lil Hardin recorded with members of Louis Armstrong's Hot Five on a 1926 session for Columbia Records. Armstrong himself was unable to appear since he was under contract to Okeh, although he collaborated with Hardin on three of the four songs. His place was taken by George Mitchell. Four further songs were released by the same musicians under the name New Orleans Bootblacks.

George Mitchell c / Kid Ory tb / Johnny Dodds cl / Joe Clark as (except on PSB) / Lil Armstrong p / Johnny St. Cyr bj.

Recorded in Chicago on July 13, 1926.

Got My Nichols Worth (Red Nichols On Brunswick)

Some earlier Nichols' posts: Brunswick 4510, Brunswick 6014, Brunswick 4321, Edison 51854.

Red Nichols t, a / Miff Mole tb / Jimmy Dorsey cl, as / Joe Venuti vn / Arthur Schutt p / Eddie Lang g / Vic Berton d.

Recorded in New York on March 3, 1927.

Red Nichols, Leo McConville, Manny Klein t / Miff Mole tb / Pee Wee Russell cl / Fud Livingston ts, a / Adrian Rollini bsx, gfs / Lennie Hayton p, cel / Dick McDonough g / Vic Berton d.

Recorded in New York on August 15, 1927.

Red Nichols t, a / Miff Mole tb / Dudley Fosdick mel / Fud Livingston cl, a / Pee Wee Russell cl, ts / Lennie Hayton p, cel / Carl Kress g / Vic Berton d.

Recorded in New York on February 25 & 27, 1928.

Red Nichols t, a / Manny Klein t / Miff Mole tb / Dudley Fosdick mel / Fud Livingston cl / Benny Goodman cl, as / Lennie Hayton p, cel / Carl Kress g / Vic Berton d.

Recorded in New York on February 5, 1929.

Red Nichols Leo McConville, Manny Klein t / Glenn Miller tb / Jack Teagarden, Bill Trone, or Herb Taylor tb / Benny Goodman cl, as, bar / as / Babe Russin ts / Arthur Schutt p / Carl Kress g / Art Miller sb / Gene Krupa d / Scrappy Lambert v.

Recorded in New York on April 18, 1929.

Red Nichols t, a / Manny Klein t / Miff Mole tb / Dudley Fosdick mel / Fud Livingston cl / Benny Goodman cl, as / Adrian Rollini bsx / Lennie Hayton p, cel / Carl Kress g / Vic Berton d.

Recorded in New York on February 16, 1929.

Red Nichols, Tommy Thunen, Manny Klein t / Jack Teagarden tb, v / Glenn Miller tb / Jimmy Dorsey cl, as / Babe Russin ts / Adrian Rollini bsx / Jack Russin p / Weston Vaughan g / Jack Hansen bb / Gene Krupa d.

Recorded in New York on February 3, 1930.

Red Nichols, Ruby Weinstein, Charlie Teagarden t / Jack Teagarden, Glenn Miller tb / Benny Goodman cl / Sid Stoneburn as / Babe Russin ts / Joe Sullivan p / Treg Brown bj / Art Miller sb / Gene Krupa d.

Recorded in New York on July 2, 1930.

Red Nichols, Ruby Weinstein, Charlie Teagarden t / Jack Teagarden tb v / Glenn Miller tb / Benny Goodman cl / Sid Stoneburn as / Babe Russin ts / Joe Sullivan p / Treg Brown bj, v / Art Miller sb / Gene Krupa d.

Recorded in New York on July 3, 1930.

Red Nichols, Ruby Weinstein, Charlie Teagarden t / Jack Teagarden tb, v / Glenn Miller, George Stoll tb / Benny Goodman cl / Sid Stoneburn as / Larry Binyon ts, f / Jack Russin p / Art Miller sb / Gene Krupa d / The Foursome (Marshall Smith, Ray Johnson, Del Porter, Dwight Snyder) v.

Recorded in New York on September 26, 1930.

Red Nichols, Ruby Weinstein t / Glenn Miller, George Stoll tb / Benny Goodman cl / Sid Stoneburn as / Larry Binyon ts / Ed Bergman, Vladimir Selinsky vn / Fulton McGrath p / Treg Brown g / Art Miller sb / Gene Krupa d / Harold Arlen, Smith Ballew v.

Recorded in New York on April 24, 1931.

Red Nichols t, v, dir / Ernie Mathias t, v / Frank Sacco, Snub Pollard t / Alex Palocsay tb / Ted Klein, Joe Catalyne cl, as / Fred Morrow cl, as, ts / Charlie Roddick p / Tony Sacco g, v / Bill Lower sb / Victor Engle d.

Recorded in Chicago on November 28, 1932.

Thomas Waller - Okeh 4757 (1922)

Stop me if you've heard this one before...

An eighteen year old piano player walks into a recording studio for the first time...

Recorded in New York on October 21, 1922.

"Billikin" Johnson & Fred Adams - Columbia 14293 (1927)

From AllMusic...

Billiken Johnson is an interesting figure in early blues history, since he didn't sing or play an instrument, and yet he recorded at least six sides in the late '20s. Johnson's unique talent was his ability to imitate train whistles and provide other vocal effects, all of which made him a popular figure on-stage at the juke joints and taverns of the famed "Deep Ellum" district of Dallas, TX. Under his own name he recorded two tracks for Columbia Records ("Sun Beam Blues" and "Interurban Blues") in Dallas on December 3, 1927, followed by two more ("Frisco Blues" and "Wild Jack Blues") a year later on December 8, 1928. He is also listed as part of a duet of sorts with Texas Bill Day on "Billiken's Weary Blues" and "Elm Street Blues," recorded December 5, 1929, in Dallas and also issued by Columbia.

Recorded in Dallas on December 3, 1927.

Washboard Sam & His Washboard Band - Bluebird 8469, 8525, 8815 (1940-1941)

From wikipedia...

Robert Brown (July 15, 1910 – November 6, 1966), known professionally as Washboard Sam, was an American blues singer and musician.

Born in Walnut Ridge, Arkansas, United States, and reputedly the half-brother of Big Bill Broonzy, Brown moved to Memphis, Tennessee in the 1920s, performing as a street musician with Sleepy John Estes and Hammie Nixon. He then moved to Chicago in 1932, performing regularly with Broonzy, and appearing with him and other musicians including Memphis Slim and Tampa Red on innumerable recording sessions for Lester Melrose of Bluebird Records.

In 1935 he began recording in his own right for both Bluebird and Vocalion Records, becoming one of the most popular Chicago blues performers of the late 1930s and 1940s, selling numerous records and playing to packed audiences. He recorded over 160 tracks in those decades. His strong voice and songwriting talent overcame his stylistic limitations.

By the 1950s, his audience began to shrink, largely because he had difficulty adapting to the new electric blues. His final recording session for RCA Victor was held in 1949, he retired from music for several years, and became a Chicago police officer. He recorded a session in 1953 with Broonzy and Memphis Slim, and in 1959 Samuel Charters included his "I've Been Treated Wrong" on the compilation The Country Blues for Folkways Records. Brown made a modest but short-lived comeback as a live performer in the early 1960s.

He died of heart disease in Chicago, in November 1966, and was buried in an unmarked grave at the Washington Memory Gardens Cemetery in Homewood, Illinois.

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