Alex Hill

Alex Hill (April 22, 1906 – February 1937) was an American jazz pianist.

Hill was a child prodigy on piano, which he learned from his mother. While studying at Shorter College he met Alphonse Trent, and began arranging material for him. He graduated in 1922 and played in various territory bands, including Terrence Holder's. From 1924 to 1926 he led his own ensemble; later in 1926 he played with Speed Webb, and in 1927 he spent time with Mutt Carey's Jeffersonians and Paul Howard's Quality Serenaders.

Late in 1927 he relocated to Chicago, and held a job as an arranger for the Melrose Music Publishing Company, while simultaneously arranging for the Carroll Dickerson Orchestra. He played with Jimmy Wade in 1928, Jimmie Noone in 1929, and Sammy Stewart in 1930. In 1929, Hill plus the guitar players Dan Roberts and Alex Robinson, recorded for Paramount Records billed as the Hokum Boys. Later that year, Ikey Robinson recorded for OKeh Records, both with Jimmy Blythe and later with Hill. In addition, in the second half of 1929 this ensemble was joined by Leroy Carr and Scrapper Blackwell, issuing a small number of recordings billed as the Famous Hokum Boys.

While on tour with Stewart he moved to New York City. There he arranged for Paul Whiteman, Benny Carter, Claude Hopkins, Andy Kirk, Ina Ray Hutton, the Mills Blue Rhythm Orchestra, and Duke Ellington. He also did charts for Fats Waller, Eddie Condon, and Willie Bryant. Additionally, he became staff arranger for the Mills Music Company. He and Fats Waller did a show together in New York called Hello 1931, and accompanied Adelaide Hall. He recorded his own composition Passing Time With Me with Art Gillham on Columbia Records on October 7, 1930.

Hill again put together his own group in 1935, but after playing at the Savoy Ballroom, he disbanded the ensemble due to his tuberculosis. He moved back to Little Rock, Arkansas, and died in 1937 at the age of 30.

Most of his recordings can be found on Alex Hill 1928-34, released on CD by Timeless Records in 1998. It includes recordings he made with Albert Wynn, Jimmy Wade, Jimmie Noone, Junie Cobb, Eddie Condon, and the Hokum Trio. in addition to 11 tunes he did as bandleader.

Birth and Death Data: Born April 19, 1906 (Little Rock), Died February 1, 1937 (Little Rock)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1928 - 1938

Roles Represented in DAHR: piano, composer, songwriter, lyricist, tenor vocal, leader, arranger

Notes: Sometimes listed as Alexander Hill.

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

Recordings (Results 26-50 of 105 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor BS-0234 10-in. 8/21/1936 I would do anything for you Tempo King ; Kings of Tempo ; Queenie Ada Rubin Jazz/dance band, with piano solo and male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BS-02605 10-in. 10/15/1936 You gonna look like a monkey when you get old Robert Hill Male vocal solo, with 2 guitars and harmonica lyricist  
Victor BS-010562 10-in. 6/12/1937 Our love was meant to be Clambake Seven ; Tommy Dorsey ; Edythe Wright Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo lyricist  
Victor BS-013346 10-in. 9/7/1937 Our love was meant to be Fats Waller and his Rhythm Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor BS-023405 10-in. 5/18/1938 Draggin' my heart around Ruby Smith Female vocal solo, with piano composer  
Victor BS-027940 10-in. 10/19/1938 When Hannah plays piano Bob Ballin ; Rennie McEvoy Male vocal duet composer  
Victor BS-027976 10-in. 10/24/1938 I would do anything for you Three's A Crowd Clarinet, guitar, and piano songwriter  
Columbia [W]150379 10-in. 5/1/1930 I'm havin' my fun Alex Hill ; The Hokum Trio Instrumental trio, with male vocal solo songwriter, leader, instrumentalist, piano, vocalist, tenor vocal  
Columbia [W]150380 10-in. 5/1/1930 You've had your way Alex Hill ; The Hokum Trio Instrumental trio, with male vocal solo leader, instrumentalist, piano  
Columbia [W]150381 10-in. 5/1/1930 He wouldn't stop doing it Alex Hill ; The Hokum Trio Instrumental trio, with male vocal duet songwriter, leader, instrumentalist, piano, vocalist, tenor vocal  
Columbia [W]150382 10-in. 5/1/1930 You're bound to look like a monkey when you get old Alex Hill ; The Hokum Trio Instrumental trio, with male vocal duet songwriter, leader, instrumentalist, piano, vocalist, tenor vocal  
Columbia W150458 10-in. 4/12/1930 See if I'll care Charlie Green ; Bessie Smith ; Clarence Williams Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with trombone and piano songwriter  
Columbia W150613 10-in. 6/25/1930 Shout, sister, shout! Lazy Levee Loungers Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Columbia [W]150734 10-in. 8/26/1930 (You were only) Passing time with me Lloyd Keating and his Music Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer, lyricist  
Columbia W150865 10-in. 10/7/1930 Passing time with me Art Gillham ; Alex Hill Male vocal solo, with piano instrumentalist, piano, composer, lyricist  
Columbia W150866 10-in. 10/7/1930 When they changed my name to a number Art Gillham ; Alex Hill Male vocal solo, with piano instrumentalist, piano  
Columbia W150873 10-in. 10/14/1930 Passing time with me Smith Ballew Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer, lyricist  
Columbia W150927 10-in. 10/31/1930 You're getting old on your job Tommy Jordan ; Clara Smith Female-male vocal duet ("blues singers"), with guitar and piano composer, lyricist, instrumentalist, piano  
Columbia W150928 10-in. 10/31/1930 What makes you act like that Tommy Jordan ; Clara Smith Female-male vocal duet ("blues singers"), with guitar and piano composer, lyricist, instrumentalist, piano  
Columbia W150997 10-in. 12/2/1930 Keep a song in your soul Fletcher Henderson's Orchestra Jazz/dance band songwriter  
Columbia W151396 10-in. 3/5/1931 I'm crazy 'bout my baby (And my baby's crazy 'bout me Ted Lewis and his Band Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Columbia W151417 10-in. 3/13/1931 I'm crazy 'bout my baby (And my baby's crazy 'bout me) Fats Waller Male vocal solo, with piano lyricist  
Columbia W151418 10-in. 3/13/1931 Draggin' my heart around Fats Waller Male vocal solo, with piano composer, lyricist  
Columbia [W]151426 10-in. 3/16/1931 I'm crazy 'bout my baby (And my baby's crazy 'bout me) Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Columbia W152199 10-in. 5/24/1932 (I would do) Anything for you Claude Hopkins and his Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
(Results 26-50 of 105 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Hill, Alex," accessed October 31, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/104820.

Hill, Alex. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved October 31, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/104820.

"Hill, Alex." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 31 October 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/104820

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