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Joe Venuti

Giuseppe "Joe" Venuti (September 16, 1903 – August 14, 1978) was an American jazz musician and pioneer jazz violinist.

Considered the father of jazz violin, he pioneered the use of string instruments in jazz along with the guitarist Eddie Lang, a friend since childhood. Through the 1920s and early 1930s, Venuti and Lang made many recordings as leader and as featured soloists. He and Lang became so well known for their 'hot' violin and guitar solos that on many commercial dance recordings they were hired to do 12- or 24-bar duos towards the end of otherwise stock dance arrangements. In 1926, Venuti and Lang started recording for the OKeh label as a duet (after a solitary duet issued on Columbia), followed by "Blue Four" combinations, which are considered milestone jazz recordings. Venuti also recorded commercial dance records for OKeh under the name "New Yorkers".

He worked with Benny Goodman, Adrian Rollini, the Dorsey Brothers, Bing Crosby, Bix Beiderbecke, Jack Teagarden, Frank Signorelli, the Boswell Sisters, and most of the other important white jazz and semi-jazz figures of the late 1920s and early 1930s. However, following Lang's death in 1933, Venuti's career began to wane, though he continued performing through the 1930s, recording a series of commercial dance records (usually containing a Venuti violin solo) for the dime store labels, as well as OKeh and Columbia, plus the occasional jazz small group sessions. He was also a strong early influence on western swing players like Cecil Brower. Many of the 1920s OKeh sides continued to sell and remained in print through 1935 when ARC discontinued the OKeh label and reissued selected sides on the 35-cent Vocalion label (the OKeh label was revived by CBS in 1940).

After a period of relative obscurity in the 1940s and 1950s, Venuti played violin and other instruments with Jack Statham at the Desert Inn Hotel in Las Vegas. Statham headed several musical groups that played at the Desert Inn from late 1961 until 1965, including a Dixieland combo. Venuti was with him during that time, and was active with the Las Vegas Symphony Orchestra during the 1960s. He was 'rediscovered' in the late 1960s. In the 1970s, he established a musical relationship with tenor saxophonist Zoot Sims resulting in three recordings. In 1976, he recorded an album of duets with pianist Earl Hines entitled Hot Sonatas. He also recorded an entire album with country-jazz musicians including mandolinist Jethro Burns (of Homer & Jethro), pedal steel guitarist Curly Chalker and former Bob Wills sideman and guitarist Eldon Shamblin. Venuti died in Seattle, Washington.

Birth and Death Data: Born September 16, 1903 (Philadelphia), Died August 14, 1978 (Seattle)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1924 - 1950

Roles Represented in DAHR: violin, leader, composer, director, vocalist, songwriter

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

Recordings (Results 51-75 of 136 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Columbia W265146 10-in. 10/2/1933 Sweet Lorraine Joe Venuti's Blue Six instrumentalist, violin  
Columbia W265147 10-in. 10/2/1933 Doin' the uptown lowdown Joe Venuti's Blue Six instrumentalist, violin  
Columbia W265148 10-in. 10/2/1933 Jazz me blues Joe Venuti's Blue Six instrumentalist, violin  
Columbia W265149 10-in. 10/2/1933 In de ruff Joe Venuti's Blue Six instrumentalist, violin  
OKeh W80328 10-in. 1/24/1927 Wild cat Eddie Lang ; Joe Venuti Violin and guitar duet instrumentalist, violin, composer  
OKeh W80329 10-in. 1/24/1927 Sunshine Eddie Lang ; Joe Venuti Violin and guitar duet instrumentalist, violin, composer  
OKeh W81037 10-in. 6/21/1927 There'll be some changes made Eddie Lang ; Red McKenzie ; Music Box ; Joe Venuti Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, violin  
OKeh W81038 10-in. 6/21/1927 My syncopated melody man Eddie Lang ; Red McKenzie ; Music Box ; Joe Venuti Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, violin  
OKeh W81058 10-in. 5/4/1927 Doin' things Eddie Lang ; Joe Venuti Violin and guitar duet, with piano instrumentalist, violin, composer  
OKeh W81059 10-in. 5/4/1927 Goin' places Eddie Lang ; Joe Venuti Violin and guitar duet, with piano instrumentalist, violin, composer  
OKeh W81118 10-in. 6/28/1927 Kickin' the cat Joe Venuti's Blue Four Jazz/dance quartet leader, composer, instrumentalist, violin  
OKeh W81119 10-in. 6/28/1927 Beatin' the dog Joe Venuti's Blue Four Jazz/dance quartet leader, composer, instrumentalist, violin  
OKeh W81432 10-in. 9/13/1927 Cheese and crackers Joe Venuti's Blue Four Jazz/dance quartet composer, leader, instrumentalist, violin  
OKeh W81433 10-in. 9/13/1927 A mug of ale Joe Venuti's Blue Four Jazz/dance quartet leader, composer, instrumentalist, violin  
OKeh W81822 10-in. 11/15/1927 Penn Beach blues Joe Venuti's Blue Four Jazz/dance ensemble leader, composer, instrumentalist, violin  
OKeh W81823 10-in. 11/15/1927 Four String Joe Joe Venuti's Blue Four Jazz/dance ensemble leader, composer, instrumentalist, violin  
OKeh W400178 10-in. 3/28/1928 Dinah Joe Venuti's Blue Four Jazz/dance quartet leader, instrumentalist, violin  
OKeh W400179 10-in. 3/28/1928 The wild dog Joe Venuti's Blue Four Jazz/dance quartet leader, composer, instrumentalist, violin  
OKeh W400706 10-in. 5/25/1928 I must be dreaming New Yorkers ; Joe Venuti Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader, instrumentalist, violin  
OKeh W400707 10-in. 5/25/1928 'Taint so, honey, 'taint so New Yorkers ; Joe Venuti Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader, instrumentalist, violin  
OKeh W400767 10-in. 6/8/1928 Because my baby don't mean "maybe" now! Eddie Lang ; New Yorkers ; Joe Venuti Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet leader, instrumentalist, violin  
OKeh W400768 10-in. 6/8/1928 Just like a melody out of the sky Eddie Lang ; New Yorkers ; Joe Venuti Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader, instrumentalist, violin  
OKeh W400788 10-in. 6/14/1928 The man from the south Joe Venuti's Blue Four Jazz/dance quartet, with male vocal solo leader, instrumentalist, violin  
OKeh W400789 10-in. 6/14/1928 Pretty Trix Joe Venuti's Blue Four Jazz/dance quartet songwriter, instrumentalist, violin  
OKeh W400884 10-in. 7/24/1928 Pickin' cotton New Yorkers ; Joe Venuti Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader, instrumentalist, violin  
(Results 51-75 of 136 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Venuti, Joe," accessed November 6, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/103186.

Venuti, Joe. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 6, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/103186.

"Venuti, Joe." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 6 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/103186

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