1924: Whistler’s Jug Band recorded “Jerry O’ Mine” in Richmond. It appeared on Gennett 5554 and Silvertone 4037. The recording featured Willie Black (bjo), B.D. Tite (jug) and ‘Whistler’ (g). In the Blues & Gospel discography, Dixon, Godrich, and Rye note “the artists real name is Buford Threlkeld.”
1925: Nathan Glantz and his Orchestra recorded “Let Us Waltz As We Say Goodbye” in NYC. It appeared on Gennett 3155 (Piggy Jones and his Orchestra) and Champion 15026 (Seven Syncopators). The track featured Franklyn Baur (vox). The Champion release sold over 2,500 copies between ’25 and ’27.
1934: the McKinney Brothers recorded “Coney Island Baby” in Richmond. It appeared on Champion 16830 and 45041.
1923: The Stellar Trio recorded “Kathleen Mavourneen” in NYC. It appeared on Gennett 5316 and Starr-Gennett 9457.
1925: Bailey’s Lucky Seven Recorded “Dream Pal” in NYC. It appeared on Gennett 3155 and Champion 15031 (757 copies sold in ’25 & ’26). The known players included Miff Mole (tb), Dick Johnson & Bobby Davis (as/cl), and possibly Red Nichols (tpt).
1929: Blind Lemon Jefferson recorded twelve sides in Richmond. These recordings for the Paramount label included “Yo Yo Blues” and “Bed Spring Blues,” which appeared on Paramount 12872 and Broadway 5056.
1926: Vernon Dalhart recorded “Billy Richardson’s Last Ride” in NYC. It appeared on Gennett 3378, Challenge 149 & 310, Hershel Gold Seal 2005, Herwin 75527, and Silvertone 3839 & 3851. The track featured Dalhart (v & h) and Carson Robison (g).
1927: Walter Anderson and His Golden Pheasant Hoodlums recorded “The Torch” in St. Paul, Minnesota. It appeared on Gennett 6266, Gennett 20274, and Electron 5090. The Gennett recording ledger listed the artist as Chas. Forsythe & James Kelly (Acc. Walter Anderson and His Golden Pheasant Hoodlums).
1929: Lou Gold and his Orchestra recorded “Lovable and Sweet” in NYC. It appeared on Gennett 6995, Champion 15822 (sold 1,842 copies), and Supertone 9519 and featured Sid Garry (vox).
1944: Joe Davis announced the licensing and relaunch of the Gennett name in Billboard magazine. He recorded new sides new works by the 5 Red Caps, Savannah Churchill, Gabriel Brown, and Walter Thomas and His Jump Cats, which featured Ben Webster and Oscar Pettiford on a redesigned label.
1926: Johnny Clesi’s Areoleans recorded “Ain’t I Got Rosie?” in NYC. It appeared on Gennett 3380 & 6061, Champion 15174 (2,085 sold), and Herschel Gold Seal 2010. The track featured Red Nichols (tpt), Miff Mole (tb), Vic Berton (d), and others.
1930: Cliff Carlisle recorded “Hobo Blues” in Richmond. It appeared on Champion 16140 (sold 2,500+ copies) & 45179 (sold 307 copies), Decca 5379, Supertone 9772, and Melotone 45179 and featured Carlisle (v & sg) and Wilbur Ball (g).
1932: Mary Johnson recorded “Rattlesnake Blues” in Richmond. The recording appeared on Champion 16570 and Champion 50062. It featured Mary Johnson (vox) and Roosevelt Sykes (p). The 16570 issue sold 108 copies between 1932 and 1933.
1932: Roosevelt Sykes recorded “Highway 61 Blues” in Richmond. It appeared on Champion S-16586, Champion 50012, and Decca 7280.
1922: Billy Jones recorded “Tomorrow” in NYC. It appeared on Gennett 4976 and Starr-Gennett 9305 and featured Jones (vox). Jones was a popular vocalist who also recorded as a member of the Cleartone Four, the Crescent Trio, the Harmonizers Quartet and the Premier Quartet in the 1920s.
1925: Original Indiana Five recorded “I’m Goin’ Out If Lizzie Comes In” in NYC. It appeared on Gennett 3148 and Silvertone 4002. The recording featured James Christie (c), Charles Panelli (tb), Nick Vitalo (sax/cl), poss. Harry Ford (pn), Tony Colucci (bjo), and Tom Morton (d).
1927: Roy Havey and Bob Hoke recorded “Papa Please Come Home” in NYC. It appeared on Gennett 6303, Champion 15394 (4,121 sales), Challenge 390, Silvertone 8161, and Supertone 9251. The track featured Roy Harvey (v & g), Bob Hoke (v & mdl), Posey Rorer (f).
1929: Clara Burston recorded “Weak and Nervous” in Richmond. The recording appeared on Paramount 12881 and featured Burston (vox).
1929: Lonnie Clark recorded “Down in Tennessee” in Richmond. It appeared on Paramount 12871 and featured Clark (vox).
1922: Bailey’s Lucky Seven recorded “Homesick” in NYC. It appeared on Gennett 4979, Starr Gennett 9299, Apex 450, and Edison Bell Winner 3869. The track featured Cliff “Ukulele Ike” Edwards (vox), who went on to voice Jiminy Cricket in the Disney classic “Pinocchio.”
1929: Blind Brother Graves and Brother recorded “I Shall Not Be Moved” in Richmond. It appeared on Paramount 12974. The recording featured Blind Roosevelt Graves (v & g), Uaroy Graves (v & tam), Baby Jay James ? (c), Will Ezell (pn).
1929: Will Ezell recorded “Pitchin’ Boogie” in Richmond. It appeared on Paramount 12855, Broadway 5102 and others. The track featured Ezell (v & pn), Baby Jay James (?) (tpt), Blind Roosevelt Graves (g), and Uaroy Graves (tam).
1929: Elmer Grosso’s Mount Royal Hotel Orchestra recorded “Bigger and Better Than Ever” in NYC. It appeared on Gennett 6997, Champion 15817, and Supertone 9482 and featured Elmer Russell (vox). The Champion issue sold 1,253 copies in 1929 and 1930.
1922: Bailey’s Lucky Seven recorded “Tomorrow (I’ll Be In My Dixie Home Again)” in NYC. It appeared on Gennett 4975, Apex 461, Winner 3812, Gennett S-5036, Starr-Gennett 9298, and Westport 2117.
1923: Hitch’s Happy Harmonists recorded “Home Brew Blues” in Richmond. It appeared on Gennett 5286 and featured Fred Roll-on (tpt), Jerry Bump (tb), Dewey Neal (bs), Harry Wright (cl), Curtis Hitch (pn), Maurice Mays (bjo), and Earl McDonnell (d).
1924: Bernie Cummins and his Orchestra recorded “Keep on Dancing” in Richmond. It appeared on Gennett 5546 and the known players included Karl Radlach (pn), Walter Cummins (bjo), and Bernie Cummins (d).
1929: Walter Coon and his Joy Boys recorded “Huskin’ Bee” in Richmond. Its appeared on Gennett 7002, Champion 15828, Superior 2671, and Supertone 9543 and featured Walter Coon (v). The Champion issue sold over 8,500 copies between 1929 and 1932.
1930: Wingy Manone and his Orchestra recorded “Up the Country Blues” in Richmond. It appeared on Gennett 7320, Champion 16127 & 40054, Decca 7366, Brunswick 0-3520, and Savoy 500. The track featured Manone (v & tpt), Miff Frink (tb), Joe Dunn (ts), George Walters (cl), Maynard Spencer (pn), Orville Haynes (bs), unknown (bjo), and Dash Burkis (d). Champion 16127 sold 1,566 copies between ’30 and ’32.
1922: William B. Houchens recorded “Arkansas Traveller” and “Turkey in the Straw” in Richmond. They appeared on Gennett 3262 & 4974, Champion 15084, Challenge 109, Starr-Gennett 9301, and several others. Houchens is an interesting and under-appreciated figure in the history of country music. He recorded these traditional sides several months before the genre’s first commercial release by Fiddlin’ John Carson and the photo of him used in promotional materials made him look like he just descended from a mountain in Kentucky. However, Houchens was a trained violinist who played with the Cincinnati Conservatory and had a violin school in Dayton. His students recorded a personal record at Gennett a few years later. There is also an interesting story about him being charged with kidnapping a young lady that lived with his family from a hospital.
1924: The Wolverine Orchestra recorded “Lazy Daddy” in Richmond. The recording appeared on Gennett 5542, Claxtonola 40375, HRS 9, Poydras MJC-13, Tempo R-45, and Vinylite Jazz 8. It featured Bix Beiderbecke (c), George Brunies (tb), Jimmy Hartwell (cl), George Johnson (sax), Dick Voynow (p), Min Leibrook (bs), Bob Gillette (bjo), and Vic Moore (d).
1924: Wilber Sweatman and his Acme Syncopators recorded “Battleship Kate” in NYC. It appeared on Gennett 5584 and featured John Reeves (tb), Wilbur Sweatman (cl), Duke Ellington (pn), Mike Danzi (bjo), and Maceo White (d). Not a bad day in Gennett history as they recorded two titans of jazz Ellington and Beiderbecke!
1925: The Original Indiana Five recorded “Siberia” in NYC. It appeared on Gennett 3150 and Champion 15028 and featured James Christie (tpt), Charles Panelli (tb), Nick Vitalo (cl), Harry Ford (pn), Tony Colucci (bjo), and Tom Morton (d). The Champion issue sold 487 copies in ’25 and ’26.
1925: Red Sanders and his Orchestra recorded “What Could Be Sweeter Than You?” in NYC. It appeared on Gennett 3147, Champion 15029, and Silvertone 3102 and featured James Teele (vox).
1930: Chick Bullock recorded “I Still Get a Thrill” in NYC. It appeared on Gennett 7283, Champion 16089, Superior 2515, and Supertone 9760 and featured Bullock (vox).
1927: Chubby Parker recorded “Oh Dem Golden Slippers” in St. Paul, Minnesota. It appeared on Gennett 6287, Champion 15430, Silvertone 5102, Silvertone 25102, and Supertone 9190. The Champion release sold approx. 3,400 copies between 1927 and 1929.
1927: Cornelius Maffie recorded “Waiting for a Rainbow” in Chicago. It appeared on Gennett 6268, Silvertone 5106 & 8291, Supertone 9116, Angelus 3046, Sterling F-1129, and Worth 7023. The track featured Maffie playing an organ solo on a Wurlitzer Theatre Organ at WENR in Chicago. The recording begins at 9:47 in the video.
1928: Carl Fenton and His Orchestra recorded “Talkin’ to Myself” in NYC. It appeared on Gennett 6609 and Champion 15576 and featured Norman Wallace (vox). The Champion issue sold 3,674 copies in ’28 and ’29.
1921: The Black Hawk Inn Orchestra recorded “Who’ll Be the Next One (To Cry Over You)” in NYC. It appeared on Gennett 4776, Starr-Gennett 9168, Coliseum 1447, Connorized 3025, and Homochord H-351. The ledger lists the artist as the Merry Melody Men – the Black Hawk Inn was a restaurant / nightclub in Chicago, famous for its spinning salad bowls and providing dance music for the local diners. The music from the Blackhawk was broadcast nationally as “Live! From the Blackhawk!” over WGN Radio and the Mutual Network.
1930: Ted Gossett’s String Band recorded “Fire In The Mountain” in Richmond. The recording appeared on Champion 16160, Superior 2519, and Supertone 9776. The band consisted of Earl Nossinger (g), Enos Gossett (g), Pete Woods (bjo), and Tommy Whitmer (f). Champion noted sales to Phinis Martin of 885 copies between 1931 and 1933.
Gennett Records Discography 