Jimmy Durante at the piano
January 29th in Gennett History, 1980: Jimmy Durante passed away. He recorded “Why Cry Blues” with the Jimmy Durante Jazz Band in NYC in May of 1920. It appeared on Gennett 9045 and Starr-Gennett 9042. In addition to Durante (p), the track featured Frank Christian (c), Frank Lhotak (tb), Achille Baquet (cl), and John Hountha Stein (d). The Starr-Gennett Foundation will induct Durante into their Walk of Fame in September 2016.
Gennett Records Discography 