| Artist |
Song |
Album |
Label |
Comments |
| Paul Whiteman's Orchestra |
I'll Build a Stairway to Paradise |
1923: Gonna Play the Villain Part |
Archeophone |
Divaville Lounge Wayback Machine: today every song is from 1922! Paul Whiteman was the pre-eminent poular bandleader at this time |
| Billy Jones |
Love Her By Radio |
Edison Diamond Disc 50982 |
Edison |
The lyrics refer radiotelephone, like CB, which was new to most people in 1922 |
| Eddie Cantor |
Oh, Is She Dumb! |
The Columbia Years: 1922-1940 |
Columbia |
Eddie Cantor was one of the most popular singers of the day. Misogynist humor was a staple for him and quite popular with audiences |
| Paul Whiteman & His Orchestra |
Hot Lips (He's Got Hot Lips When He Plays Jazz) |
1922: An Angel's Voice I Hear |
Archeophone |
Whiteman, while he music was not jazz in the strict sense, he recognized jazz talent and hired many of the best white jazz performers of the day: Bix Beiderbecke, Frankie Trumbauer, Ed Lang, Frank Venuti, Jack Teagarden were all in his orchestra at different times |
| Blossom Seeley |
'Way Down Yonder in New Orlean |
1923: Gonna Play the Villain Part |
Archeophone |
Margaret Young's recording of this song was a hit in 1922, but I couldn't find a recording of Young's performance with decent audio |
| Isham Jones Orchestra |
The World is Waiting for the Sunrise |
Anthology: The Deluxe Collection |
|
Isham Jones had several hit songs in 1922, including this and "At the Alamo" |
| The Virginians |
I Wish I could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate |
1923: Gonna Play the Villain Part |
Archeophone |
The Virginians were a small "band within the band" drawn from Paul Whiteman's orchestra |
| Spike's Seven Pods of Pepper Orchestra |
Ory's Creole Trombone |
Kid Ory and His Creole Jazz Band 1922-1947 |
Document |
the first recording by Black performers from New Orleans, this record was hugely important historically and was a successful hit at the time. King Oliver and Louis Armstrong would not record until the following year |
|
| W.C. Handy's Memphis Blues Band |
St. Louis Blues |
W.C Handy's Memphis Blues Band |
|
Handy was the song's composer |
| Vincent Lopez Orchestra |
Nola |
Edison Diamond Disc 50960 |
Edison |
Lopez was a popular bandleader in the 1920s and 30s. "Nola" was his theme song |
| New Orleans Rhythm Kings |
Bugle Call Blues |
The Complete Set 1922-1925 |
Retreival Records |
This was the first rcording of "Bugle Call Rag" |
| The Georgians |
Chicago (That Toddling Town) |
The Georgians 1922-1923 |
Retreival Records |
the Georgians were a "band within a band" from Paul Specht's orchestra, they leaned more towards jazz than the Virginians |
| Fats Waller |
Birmingham Blues |
Complete Recorded Works Vol. 1 |
JSP |
this and "Muscle Shoal Blues" were Fats Waller's first recordings |
|
| Billy Jones and Ernest Hare |
In the Little Red School House |
1922: An Angel's Voice I Hear |
Archeophone |
Billy Jones was a successful comedy singer in the early 1920s |
| Isham Jones Orchestra |
On the Alamo |
1922: An Angel's Voice I Hear |
Archeophone |
|
| Gus Van and Joe Shenck |
Carolina in the Morning |
1923: Gonna Play the Villain Part |
Archeophone |
|
| Atlantic Dance Orchestra |
If Winter Comes |
Edison Blue Amberol 4628 |
Edison |
|
| John Steel |
Lady of the Evening |
1923: Gonna Play the Villain Part |
Archeophone |
although the "sex worker" meaning of this phrase had been around long before 1922, I think the song, written by Irving Berlin, is using the earliier meaning of "lady of the evening" which referred to the moon |
| Henry Burr |
My Buddy |
1922: An Angel's Voice I Hear |
Archeophone |
in case you thought all popular music of this era was uptempo |
|
| Mitchell's Jazz Kings |
Montmarte Rag |
Pathe 6566 |
Pathe |
Louis Mitchell was a Black bandleader from the US who found great success in Europe. He originally went to Europe with Vernon and Irene Castle; played with James Reese Europe, then found success on his own in London and France. He had a 5 year residency at the Casino de Paris and owned his own American-themed restaurant called Mtchell's. Sydney Bechet played with Mitchell's Jazz Kings in 1920-1921 (unfortunately not on this recording) |
| Diamond King's Jazz Band |
Kentucky Blues |
Parlophon 1412 |
Parlophon |
Berlin-based jazz band with all German performers. Theur music is clearly modeled on American jazz (even the title of this song refers to the US) but it's fascinating how the style differs, notably the big drum |
| The Cotton Pickers |
Runnin' Wild |
This is the Roaring Twenties, Vol. 1 |
Van Up |
the Cotton Pickers were another name for the Original Memphis Five, an influential jazz band in the early 20s |
| Selvin's Dance Orchestra |
I've Got My Habits On |
Vocalion 14277 |
Vocalion |
Ben Selvin's orchestra was a training ground for some of the great swing performers of the 30s including Benny Goodman, the Dorsey Brothers, Gene Krupa, Bunny Berigan, Glenn Miller |
| Sophie Tucker |
Blue Bird Where Are You? |
Vintage Sophie Tucker, Vol. 1 |
Vintage Recordings |
Tucker was a vaudeville legend |
|
| Ladd's Black Aces |
Virginia Blues |
The Complete Ladd's Black Aces 1921-1924 |
Timeless Holland |
Ladd's Black Aces was another name for the Original Memphis Five. There were no Black performers in the band, but their label pretended they were Black and even used iamges of Black performers to promote them. Note vocals by Cliff Edwards in the last third of the song |
| Ted Lewis & His Jazz Band |
Lovin' Sam (The Sheik of Alabam) |
Runnin' Wild: The Early Years 1919-1926 |
Rivermont Records |
Ted Lewis is sometimes dismissed as a novelty act but he was a jazz pioneer in the early 20s |
| Herb Wiedoeft's Famous Orchestra |
Fig Leaf |
The Herb Wiedoeft - Jesse Stafford Orchestra 1922-1930 |
Timeless Holland |
|
| Jazzbo's Carolina Serenaders |
Lonesome Mama Blues |
Cameo 232 |
Cameo |
Jazzbo's Carolina Serenaders was another name for the Original Memphis Five |
| Anna Meyers with the Original Memphis Five |
T'ain't Nobody's Business If I Do |
Female Blues Singers Vol. 12 M/O/P/Q/R |
Document |
the Original Memphis Five were an influential jazz band of the 20s. At different times Red Nichols, Miff Mole and the Dorsey Brothers were in the band. None of the members were from the South; the band was named after W.C. Handy's "Memphis Blues" |
|
| Antoinette Garnes |
Rigoletto - Caro nome |
Black Swans: Earliest African-American Classical Stars |
Parnassus |
Black Swan was the first Black owned and operated music label in the US. It was founded by Harry Pace to promote Black culture. W.E.B. DuBois was on the board and Fletcher Henderson was the musical director. The label operated from 1921-1923 and published jazz, blues, gospel and classical |
| Trixie Smith w/ James P. Johnson's Harmony Eight |
You Missed a Good Woman When You Picked All Over Me |
Trixie Smith Vol. 1 1922-1924 |
Document |
all songs in this set were originally published by Black Swan Records |
| Henderson's Dance Orchestra |
Say It While Dancing |
Black Swan 2076 |
Black Swan |
Fletcher Henderson was Black Swan's musical director and performed on many of the records |
| Ethel Waters & Her Jazz Masters |
At the New Jump Steady Ball |
Down Home Blues (Original Recordings 1920-1921) |
Jazz Age |
Ethel Waters' first recordings were with Black Swan |
| Alberta Hunter w/ Ray's Dreamland Orchestra |
He's a Good Man (To Have Hanging 'Round) |
Bring Back the Joys (Recordings of 1921-1922) |
Blues Classics |
Alberta Hunter was one of the "name" blues singers with Black Swan |
| Al Jolson |
Toot, Toot, Tootsie! (Goo'bye) |
You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet: Jlie's Finest Columbia Recordings |
Columbia |
Jolson was the biggest male vocalist star of the 1920s |
