| Artist |
Song |
Album |
Label |
Comments |
| James P. Johnson |
Caroina Shout |
Classic James P. Johnson Sessions (1921-1943) |
Mosaic |
Divaville Lounge Wayback Machine! Every song today recorded in 1921 unless otherwise marked |
|
| Mamie Smith & Her Jazz Hounds |
Crazy Blues |
1921: Make Believe & Smile |
Archeophone |
rec. 1920 this was the first blues recording |
| Esther Bigeou |
St. Louis Blues |
Ester Bigeou 1921-1923 |
Document |
|
| The Original Dixieland Jazz Band |
Royal Garden Blues |
1917-1936 |
Jazz Tribune |
this band is known for making the very first jazz recordings in 1917 |
| Eubie Blake & the Shuffle Along Orchestra |
Baltimore Buzz |
Sissle & Blake Sing Shuffle Along |
Harbinger |
Shuffle Along, the first all-Black show on Broadway, premiered in 1921 and was a huge success. Before Shuffle Along, no one would back a Black production on Broadway because they didn't believe it could succeed |
| Harry Raderman's Jazz Orchestra |
Shuffle Along |
78" |
Edison |
|
| Vaughn de Leath |
I'm Just Wild About Harry |
1922: An Angel's Voice I Hear |
Archeophone |
rec. 1922 this song was the biggest hit from Shuffle Along |
|
| Club Royal Orchestra |
The Sheik |
1922: An Angel's Voice I Hear |
Archeophone |
this is "The Sheik of Araby," the song was originally titled "The Sheik" as it was inspired by the movie of the same name |
| Paul Whiteman Orchestra |
Song of India |
King of Jazz 1920-1927 |
Timeless |
|
| Van & Schenck |
Ain't We Got Fun? |
1921: Make Believe & Smile |
Archeophone |
|
| Eddie Cantor |
Margie |
Cocktail Hour |
Columbia River |
rec Dec. 1920, Eddie Cantor was one of the biggest stars of the era |
|
| Maria Teresa Vera & Manuel Corona |
El Yambu Guaguanco |
Cuba Libre: ¡el Más Selecto Coctel Musical!: Yo Soy el Punto Cubano |
Quimbaya |
rec 1920. This is possibly the first recording of a traditional rumba |
| Al Jolson |
April Showers |
April Showers |
Imports |
|
| The Benson Orchestra of Chicago |
San |
1921: Make Believe & Smile |
Archeophone |
|
| Nora Bayes |
Make Believe |
1921: Make Believe & Smile |
Archeophone |
She was one of the biggest stars of the 1900s and 1910s |
|
| Clarence Williams |
If You Don't Believe I Love You, Look What a Fool I've Been |
The Clarence Williams Collection 1921-1937 |
Fabulous |
Williams was a pianist, singer, composer and publisher who helped develop the careers of many artists in the 1920s |
| Mary Stafford |
I'm Gonna Jazz My Way Straight Through Paradies |
78" |
Columbia |
|
| Lionel Belasco |
Bajan Girl |
Calypso Legends |
ARC |
Belasco was from Trinidad; song co-written by Belasco and Clarence Williams |
| Mamie Smith |
Jazzbo Ball |
Mamie Smith Vol. 1 (1920-1921) |
Document |
|
| James P. Johnson's Harmony Eight |
Dear Old Southland |
Classic James P. Johnson Sessions (1921-1943) |
Mosaic |
|
|
| Fanny Brice |
Second Hand Rose |
1922: An Angel's Voice I Hear |
Archeophone |
Brice introduced this song in Ziegfeld Follies of 1921. It was popularized again when Barbra Streisand starred as Brice in Funny Girl |
| Leo Reisman Orchestra |
Bright Eyes |
1921: Make Believe & Smile |
Archeophone |
|
| Selvin's Orchestra |
Canadian Capers |
78" |
Brunswick |
Doris Day also recorded this song in the late 40s. Selvin went on to give Benny Goodman his first job in a touring band |
| American Quartet |
Mandy 'n Me |
1922: An Angel's Voice I Hear |
Archeophone |
Featured Billy Murray, the most successful male singer of the 1900s and 1910s |
| Lanin's Southern Serenaders |
Aunt Hagar's Blues |
Dance the 1920s, Vol. 1 |
Van Up |
|
|
| Ada Jones & Billy Murray |
When Frances Dances with Me |
1922: An Angel's Voice I Hear |
Archeophone |
Jones and Murray were both huge stars in the 1910s and early 1920s |
| Isham Jones & His Orchestra |
Wabash Blues |
1921: Make Believe & Smile |
Archeophone |
in the late 1920s Isham Jones recorded the first ballad arrangement of "Star Dust," changing forever the way it was recorded |
| Frank Crumit |
I Used to Love You But It's All Over Now |
1921: Make Believe & Smile |
Archeophone |
|
| Clyde Doerr |
Wimmin (I've Got to Have 'Em, That's All) |
78" |
Victor |
|
|
| Revella Hughes |
Thank God for a Garden |
78" |
Black Swan |
This was the first ever release by Black Swan, the first Black-owned and operated music label |
| Four Harmony Kings |
Ain't It a Shame |
78" |
Black Swan |
|
| Alberta Hunter & Henderson's Novelty Orchestra |
Bring Back the Joys |
Alberta Hunter Vol 1 (1921-1923) |
Document |
Henderson was Fletcher Henderson, who was music director for Black Swan |
| Ethel Waters w/ Cordy Williams' Jazz Band |
Oh Daddy |
Down Home Blues (Original Recordings 1920-1921) |
JazzAge |
This was the B side of "Down Home Blues," this record was Black Swan's biggest seller |
| Florence Cole-Talbert |
Il Baccio |
Black Swans: The First Recordings of Black Classical Music Performers |
Parnassus |
Black Swan produced blues, jazz, gospel and classical music. The label was named after 19th century Black opera star Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield who was known as The Black Swan |
| Lavinia Taylor w/ James P. Johnson |
You Never Miss a Good Thing Till It's Gone |
Classic James P. Johnson Sessions (1921-1943) |
Mosaic |
|
