Jimmy Durante

Jimmy Durante

James Francis Durante ( də-RAN-tee, Italian: [duˈrante]; February 10, 1893 – January 29, 1980) was an American comedian, actor, singer, and pianist. His distinctive gravelly speech, Lower East Side accent, comic language-butchery, jazz-influenced songs, and prominent nose helped make him one of America's most familiar and popular personalities of the 1920s through the 1970s. He often referred to his nose as the schnozzola (Italianization of the American Yiddish slang word schnoz, meaning "big nose"), and the word became his nickname.

Birth and Death Data: Born February 10, 1893 (Manhattan), Died January 28, 1980 (Santa Monica)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1921 - 1959

Roles Represented in DAHR: vocalist, piano, composer, songwriter, lyricist, speaker

Notes: Full name: James Francis Durante.

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company	Matrix No.	Size	First Recording Date	Title	Primary Performer	Description	Role
Victor	B-25777	10-in.	11/22/1921	I've got my habits on	Isabelle Patricola	Female vocal solo, with orchestra	composer
Victor	BVE-78568	10-in.	11/22/1933	Inka dinka doo	Hotel McAlpin Orchestra ; Sam Robbins	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo	composer
Victor	BVE-81100	10-in.	12/26/1933	Inka dinka doo	The Chanters ; Don Bestor Orchestra	Jazz/dance band, with vocal chorus	composer
Victor	BAVE-86662	10-in.	10/3/1934	Inka-dinka-doo	Orquesta Típica Victor	Instrumental ensemble, with male vocal solo	composer
Columbia	79986	10-in.	9/13/1921	Who'll be the next one (to cry over you)	Happy Six	Jazz/dance band	composer
Columbia	80389	10-in.	6/19/1922	I ain't never had nobody crazy over me	Nora Bayes	Female vocal solo, with orchestra	songwriter
Columbia	80434	10-in.	6/30/1922	I've got my habits on	Garber-Davis Orchestra	Jazz/dance band	composer
Columbia	W148495	10-in.	5/9/1929	Can Broadway do without me?	Lou Clayton ; Jimmy Durante ; Eddie Jackson	Comic scene	vocalist, lyricist, speaker, composer
Columbia	W148496	10-in.	5/9/1929	So I ups to him!	Lou Clayton ; Jimmy Durante ; Eddie Jackson	Comic scene	composer, lyricist, speaker, vocalist
Columbia	W152558	10-in.	11/21/1933	Inka dinka doo	Ferde Grofé Orchestra ; Rhythm Boys	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal quartet	composer
OKeh	S-70070	10-in.	Aug. 1921	I didn't start in to love you (Until you stopped loving me)	Daisy Martin ; Tampa Blue Jazz Band	Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band	composer
OKeh	S-70075	10-in.	Aug. 1921	Daddy, your mama is lonesome for you	Mamie Smith and her Jazz Band	Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band	composer
OKeh	S-70246	10-in.	Oct. 1921	Let's agree to disagree	Jazz Hounds ; Mamie Smith	Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band	songwriter
OKeh	S-70285	10-in.	Oct. 1921	I've got my habits on	Joseph Samuels Jazz Band	Jazz/dance band	composer
OKeh	S-70650	10-in.	May 1922	Mean daddy blues	Jazz Hounds ; Mamie Smith	Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band	composer
Brunswick	6946-6948	10-in.	approximately Dec. 1921	I've got my habits on	Benny Krueger’s Orchestra	Jazz/dance band	composer
Brunswick	15288-15291	10-in.	3/26/1925	You’re talking to the wrong man now	Hamtree Harrington	Male vocal solo, with piano	composer
Edison	8303	10-in.	11/25/1921	I've got my habits on	Al Bernard ; Vernon Dalhart	Male vocal duet, with orchestra	composer
Edison	8509	10-in.	6/27/1922	At the Honky Tonk Steppers Ball	Al Bernard	Male vocal solo, with orchestra	songwriter
Edison	8978	10-in.	5/15/1923	I ain't never had nobody crazy over me	Jazz-O-Harmonists	Jazz/dance band	songwriter
Decca	81782		10/26/1951	You say the nicest things	Jimmy Durante ; Ethel Merman		vocalist
Decca	81783		10/26/1951	A husband, a wife	Jimmy Durante ; Ethel Merman		vocalist
Decca	81784		10/26/1951	If you catch a little cold	Jimmy Durante ; Ethel Merman		vocalist
Decca	101933		3/8/1957	A real piano player	Jimmy Durante		vocalist
Decca	101934		3/8/1957	I'm as ready as I'll ever be-2	Jimmy Durante		vocalist
Decca	101935		3/8/1957	There's a place in the theatre for you ; Who will be with you when I'm far away-3	Jimmy Durante		vocalist
Decca	101936		3/8/1957	Clud Durante medley-4: Start off each day with a song ; Bill Bailey ; I can do without Broadway ; Jimmy the well-dressed man ; So I ups to Him ; Because they all love you	Jimmy Durante		vocalist
Decca	101937		3/8/1957	Sing soft, sing sweet, sing gentle-5	Jimmy Durante		vocalist
Decca	101938		3/8/1957	Our voices were meant for each other ; Put on your old grey bonnet ; Waiting for the Robert E. Lee -6	Jimmy Durante		vocalist
Decca	101939		3/8/1957	The boys with the Proboskis-7	Jimmy Durante		vocalist
Decca	101940		3/8/1957	The world needs new faces ; Start off each day with a song ; If you knew Susie-8	Jimmy Durante		vocalist
Decca	101941		3/8/1957	Wingin' with rhythm and blues-9	Jimmy Durante		vocalist
Decca	106420		1/30/1959	Good night	Jimmy Durante		instrumentalist, piano, vocalist
Decca	106421		1/30/1959	Inka dinka doo	Jimmy Durante		instrumentalist, piano, vocalist
Decca	106422		1/30/1959	Mad bird dog	Jimmy Durante		instrumentalist, piano, vocalist
Decca	106423		2/2/1959	Start off each day with a song	Jimmy Durante		instrumentalist, piano, vocalist
Decca	106424		2/2/1959	You made me love you	Jimmy Durante		instrumentalist, piano, vocalist
Decca	106425		2/2/1959	By the light of the silvery moon	Jimmy Durante		instrumentalist, piano, vocalist
Decca	106426		2/3/1959	I want a girl	Jimmy Durante		instrumentalist, piano, vocalist
Decca	106427		2/3/1959	Shine on harvest moon	Jimmy Durante		instrumentalist, piano, vocalist
Decca	106428		2/3/1959	Carolina in the morning	Jimmy Durante		instrumentalist, piano, vocalist
Decca	106429		2/3/1959	Take an L	Jimmy Durante		instrumentalist, piano, vocalist
Decca	106430		2/3/1959	The best things in life are free	Jimmy Durante		instrumentalist, piano, vocalist
Decca	106431		2/3/1959	Ida, sweet as apple cider	Jimmy Durante		instrumentalist, piano, vocalist
Decca	L 3480	10-in.	7/26/1944	Inka dinka doo	Jimmy Durante		vocalist
Decca	L 3481	10-in.	7/26/1944	Umbriago	Jimmy Durante		vocalist
Decca	L 3612	10-in.	9/26/1944	I am Durante the patron of the arts	Jimmy Durante		vocalist
Decca	L 3613	10-in.	9/26/1944	Start off each day with a song	Jimmy Durante		vocalist
Decca	L 3624	10-in.	10/3/1944	Who will be with you when I'm far away?	Jimmy Durante		vocalist
Decca	L 3625	10-in.	10/3/1944	Broadway my street	Jimmy Durante		vocalist
Decca	L 3650	10-in.	10/18/1944	So I ups to him	Jimmy Durante		vocalist
Decca	L 3651	10-in.	10/18/1944	Joe goes up—I come down	Jimmy Durante		vocalist
Decca	L 3652	10-in.	10/18/1944	Jimmy, the well-dressed man	Jimmy Durante		vocalist
Decca	L 6388		8/12/1951	How d'ye do and shake hands	Danny Kaye ; Jane Wyman		vocalist
Decca	L 6389		8/12/1951	Black strap molasses	Danny Kaye ; Jane Wyman		vocalist
Decca	L 7969		11/4/1954	Pupalina ( My little doll )	Jimmy Durante		vocalist
Decca	L 7970		11/4/1954	Little people	Jimmy Durante		vocalist
Decca	L 8351		4/21/1955	It's bigger than both of us-1	Patty Andrews ; Jimmy Durante		vocalist
Decca	L 8352		4/21/1955	When the circus leaves town	Jimmy Durante		vocalist
Decca	L 8353		4/12/1955	Swingin' with rhythm and blues-3	Jimmy Durante		vocalist
Decca	L 8354		4/21/1955	I love you, I do-2	Jimmy Durante		vocalist
Decca	[De cat ED-2526]		3/4/1949	A real piano player	Jimmy Durante ; Al Jolson		vocalist

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Durante, Jimmy," accessed November 1, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/103062.

Durante, Jimmy. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 1, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/103062.

"Durante, Jimmy." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 1 November 2024.