1924: Red Onion Jazz Babies recorded “Santa Claus Blues” in NYC. It appeared on Gennett 5607, Silvertone 4032, Brunswick 80062, and several foreign and bootleg reissues. The recording featured Louis Armstrong (tpt), Aaron Thompson (tb), Buster Bailey (cl), Lil Hardin Armstrong (pn), and Buddy Christian (d).
1926: Elmer Grosso’s Greenwich Village Orchestra recorded “If Tears Could Bring You Back to Me” in NYC. It appeared on Gennett 6002, Champion 15189 (1,511 copies sold), Challenge 211, Herschel Gold Seal 2014, and Vocalion X-9990.
1925: Pinkie’s Birmingham Five recorded “Headin’ For Louisville” in NYC. This recoding appeared on Gennett 3208 and in England on Scala 761. Brian Rust supposed Pinkie was Pinky Gerbrecht on cornet.
1931: Jess Hillard recorded “Doggone Them Blues” in Richmond. It was released on Champion R-16368, Champion 45047, and Superior 2760. Jess Hillard sang and played guitar, accompanied by an unknown second guitarist. A royalty statement for Champion 45047 noted sales of 41 copies for the period ending 9/30/36.
Happy Thanksgiving from Gennett Records! While I cannot find any recordings, I do have a recording card to show you from Gennett 5273. Here Miss Amy Ellerman with Orchestra recorded “Thanksgiving Hymn” in NYC written by none other than Mrs. William Jennings Bryan.
1930: Gene Autry recorded “Yodeling Hobo” in NYC. It appeared on Champion 16166, Champion, 45172, Decca 5527, Melotone 45172, Melotone 45254, Montgomery Ward 4932, Montgomery Ward 8013. Champion 45172 sold 439 copies for the period ending 9/30/36. Champion 16166 sold 2,424 copies between 1930 and 1932.
1930: Cliff Carlisle (v & sg) and Wilber Ball (g) recorded “No Daddy Blues” in Richmond. It appeared on Champion 16165, Champion 45150, Decca 5398, Melotone (Canada) 45208, and Superior 2638. Champion 16165 sold 1,548 copies between 1931 and 1933 and Ch 45150 sold 59 copies for period ending 9/30/36.
1931: Scrapper Blackwell recorded “Hard Time Blues” in Richmond. This recording appeared on Champion 16361, Superior 2827, and Varsity 6049. A royalty statement sent to Blackwell in 1932 indicated only 189 sales. Blackwell is on vocals and guitar. Leroy Carr played piano.
1933: The Sound Effects Team recorded “US Lock 37 Gate Opening – Ready Whistle – Steamer – Chris Greene – Start – Whistle – Pass – Recede” on the Ohio River. It appeared on Gennett Sound Effects 1129 – B and was recorded courtesy of the Greene Line Steamers.
Looking to add a dessert to your holiday feast? Why not consult Starr Piano’s “Kinks for Candy Cooker” recipe book & catalog. While you’re at it, fill out the order form for the ‘Starr Girl’ daguerreotype.
1922: Cal. Smith’s American Orchestra recorded “Pack Up You Sins and Go to the Devil” in NYC. It appeared on Gennett 5011, Starr-Gennett 9326, and Edison Bell Winner 3864.
1924: Perley Breed’s Shepard Colonial Orchestra recorded “Tell Me Dreamy Eyes” in NYC. It appeared on Gennett 5608, Claxtonola 40401, and Starr-Gennett 9612. The recording featured Frank Cornwell (v), Warren Hookway (c), Perley Breed (sax), Brad Gowans (cl), Newell Chase (p), Junie Anderson (bs) George Dussault (d).
1925: Bob Deikman and his Orchestra recorded “Shanghai Honeymoon” in Richmond. It appeared on Gennett 3236, Champion 15064, Beltona 945, Coliseum 1870, and Guardsman 1878.
1899: Happy 123rd Birthday, Hoagy Carmichael! Carmichael, a Gennett Walk of Fame inductee, was born on 11/22/1899. Hitch’s Happy Harmonists, one of his first recordings, recorded ‘Boneyard Shuffle’ in Richmond on May 19, 1925. It featured Carmichael (p), Fred Rollison (c), Jerry Bump (tb), Dewey Neal & Harry Wright (sax), Maurice Mays (bjo) and Earl McDonell (d). It appeared on Gennett 3066 and Buddy 8042.
1924: Ross Reynolds Palais Garden Orchestra recorded “Creole” in Richmond. It appeared on Gennett 3046 & 5611 and Buddy 8005 although the ledger indicated these were personal recordings.
1928: The Sound Effects Team recorded “Gun Shots (Automatic Pistol) (10 Shots)” in Richmond. It appeared on Gennett Sound Effects 1007 and Gennett Sound Effects (Theater) 0-154.
1935: Eddy-Reilly and their “Onyx Club Boys” recorded four sides in NYC. They were released on Champion 40066 and Champion 40067. The titles were “I’d Rather Listen To Your Eyes,” “I’d Love To Take Orders From You,” “Here’s To Romance,” and “At Your Service, Madame.” These four recordings featured Wayne Gregg (v), Eddie Farley (c), Mike Riley (tb), Frank Langone (cl), Conrad Langone (p), Arthur Ens (g), and George Yorke (bs).
1904: Happy 118th Birthday Coleman Hawkins! Coleman Hawkins, a Gennett Walk of Fame inductee, was born on 11/21/1904. He recorded ‘When Spring Comes Peeping Through’ with Fletcher Henderson’s Orchestra in NYC on March 26, 1926. It appeared on Gennett 3285. The track featured Russell Smith, Joe Smith, and Rex Stewart (c), Charlie Green (tb), Buster Bailey, Don Redman, and Coleman Hawkins (sax/cl), Fletcher Henderson (p), Ralph Escudero (bs), Charlie Dixon (bjo), and Kaiser Marshall (d).
1923: Velez y su Orquesta recorded “Gigolette La Danza Della Libellule” in NYC. This recording appeared on Gennett I – 5474.
1927: Willie Jones and His Blue Five recorded “Michigan Stomp” in Richmond. It appeared on Gennett 6326 and Champion 15455 (~1,100 copies sold) and featured Ed White & Ted Shame (tpt), Leonard Gay, V. Bassett, & S. Richardson (sax/cl), H. Sheldon (pn), C. Peterson (bs), W. Warfield (bjo), and Willie Jones (d). An interesting note, on the recording card the word “Race” is crossed out and “White” written above it.
1930: Bill Cox, a/k/a Luke Baldwin, recorded “Got Them Drunken Blues” in Richmond. It appeared on Champion 16186 (2,740 copies sold) and Superior 2636 and featured Cox (v, g, & h).
1930: Paul’s Novelty Orchestra recorded “Nine Miles from Ten-Ten Tennessee” in NYC. It appeared on Champion 16132 (499 copies sold) and Superior 2592 and featured Frank Luther (vox).
1925: Vernon Dalhart recorded “The Death of Floyd Collins” in NYC. It appeared on Gennett 3197, Champion 15048, Challenge 160 and 318, and Herwin 75502. Dalhart is on vocals & harmonica, with unknown (f) and maybe Carson Robison on guitar.
1929: Joe Linthecome, from Cincinnati, OH, recorded “Humming Blues” in Richmond. It appeared on Gennett 7131, Champion 15928 (~1,400 copies sold), and Varsity 6032 and featured Linthecome (vox).
1929: William Walker recorded “I’ll Remember You” in Richmond. It appeared on Gennett 7100 and featured Walker (v) and Harry Campbell (pn).
1930: The Hokum Boys and Jane Lucas recorded “Hip Shakin’ Strut” in Richmond. It appeared on Champion 16237 & 50059 and Savoy 502 and featured Mozelle Alderson (v), Georgia Tom Dorsey (v & p), and Big Bill Broonzy (g).
1923: Josie Miles recorded “He Went Away and Left Me Blues” in NYC. It appeared on Gennett 5307 and featured Miles (vox) and Fletcher Henderson (pn).
1928: Alvin Roehr’s Hotel Alma Orchestra recorded “Don’t Be Like That” in Richmond. It appeared on Gennett 6696 and Champion 15618 (~1200 copies sold) and featured Tony Salamack (vox).
1930: Big Bill Broonzy (Big Bill Johnson) recorded “How You Want It Done” in Richmond. It appeared on Champion 16172, Superior 2560, and Savoy 501. Georgia Tom Dorsey, Jane Lucas and The Hokum Boys in Richmond and Carson Robison in NYC. also recorded for Gennett on this day in 1930.
1930: Jane Lucas and the Hokum Boys recorded “Ain’t Gonna There No More, No. 2” in Richmond. It appeared on Champion 16193 (636 copies sold) & 50038 and Superior 2603 and featured Mozelle Alderson (vox), Georgia Tom Dorsey (v & p), and Big Bill Broonzy (g).
1930: Georgia Tom and Jane Lucas recorded “Terrible Operation Blues” in Richmond. It appeared on Champion 16171 & 50015, Decca 7259, Gennett (Joe Davis) 5005, and Superior 2630 and featured Dorsey (v & p), Mozelle Alderson (v).
1923: Lois Deppe recorded “Dear Old Southland” in Richmond. It appeared on Gennett Personal 20021 and featured Deppe (vox) and Earl ‘Fatha’ Hines (pn).
1923: Lois Deppe recorded “Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child” in Richmond, Indiana. It appeared on Gennett Personal 20021. The personnel included featured Lois Deppe (v) and Earl ‘Fatha’ Hines (p). This recording appeared on HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire.”
1925: Frank Plada recorded “Hawaiian Ocean Blues” in NYC. It appeared on Gennett 3234 and featured Plada (sg) and August Plada (g).
1922: Happiness Boys (Billy Jones and Ernest Hare) recorded “You Tell Her – I Stutter” in NYC. It appeared on Gennett 5007. This YouTube video states that the Happiness Boys recorded this version in October and it appeared on Edison. Whether this is the Gennett or the Edison, it’s still good.
1922: Aileen Stanley recorded “Don’t Bring Me Posies (It’s Shoesies That I Need)” in NYC. It appeared on Gennett 5007, Starr-Gennett 9322, and Apex 449 and featured Stanley (vox).
1928: Lawrence Welk and His Orchestra’s recorded “Doin’ the New Lowdown” in Richmond. It appeared on Gennett 6697, Champion 15638 (George Tucker and His Novelty Orch.) The Champion issue sold approx. 700 copies between 1928 and 1932.
1930: Goebel Reeves, the Texas Drifter, recorded “The Hobo’s Last Letter” in NYC. It appeared on Champion 16189 (1,440 copies sold) & 45194, and Melotone 45194 and featured Reeves (v & g).
1933: The Sound Effects Team recorded “Continuous Running of Stern Paddlewheel (Tom Greene). It appeared on Gennett Sound Effects 1129-A. The Steamer Tom Greene was “constructed for the Cincinnati–Huntington trade, the hull of the boat was 200 feet in length and 38 feet in width, with a depth of 6 feet.”
Gennett Records Discography 