Mound City Blue Blowers
The Mound City Blue Blowers were an American novelty jazz ensemble, formed in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. It was co-founded by Red McKenzie and Jack Bland and performed from 1923 to 1936. First assembled in 1923, the group's original members were Red McKenzie playing comb and tissue paper, Dick Slevin on kazoo, and Jack Bland on banjo. The band also included, in lieu of a drum kit, a traveler's suitcase played with foot and whisk brooms by Josh Billings. Their debut recording, the 1924 release "Arkansas Blues" b/w "Blue Blues", was a hit in the Midwest. They recorded twelve tunes in 1924 and 1925; Frankie Trumbauer and Eddie Lang played on some of the tracks. After 1925, McKenzie recorded under his own name as a vocalist, but returned to the Mound City name in 1929 for several sessions with jazz stars including Jack Teagarden, Coleman Hawkins, Glenn Miller, and Pee Wee Russell. In 1931, the group recorded with McKenzie, Hawkins, Muggsy Spanier, and Jimmy Dorsey. The last recordings to bear the Mound City name, 25 songs from 1935–1936, included appearances from Nappy Lamare, Spooky Dickenson, Billy Wilson, Bunny Berigan, Yank Lawson, and Eddie Miller. In 1929–1931, the group also made at least two short performance films: The Opry House (1929) and Nine O'Clock Folks (1931), which included "I Ain't Got Nobody", "Let Me Call You Sweetheart", "My Gal Sal", and "St. Louis Blues". |
Birth and Death Data: Born Founded 1923, Died Ceased 1936
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1924 - 1936
Roles Represented in DAHR: Musical group
Notes: Also listed as Red McKenzie's Celestial Beings and Red McKenzie and the Celestial Beings.
See Also: Mystery Orchestra, The
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 26-50 of 58 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Brunswick | E16305-E16307 | 9/1/1925 | If you never come back | Mound City Blue Blowers | Jazz/dance band | Musical group | ||
Brunswick | E16795-E16797 | 10-in. | 10/29/1925 | If you never come back | Mound City Blue Blowers | Jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
Brunswick | E21683-E21685 | 10-in. | 3/1/1927 | What do I care what somebody said | Mound City Blue Blowers | Instrumental quartet, with male vocal solo | Musical group | |
Brunswick | E21686-E21688 | 10-in. | 3/1/1927 | Nervous puppies | Mound City Blue Blowers | Instrumental quartet, with male vocal solo | Musical group | |
Brunswick | Ch75-Ch77 | 10-in. | 2/23/1924 | Arkansas blues | Mound City Blue Blowers | Jazz/dance trio | Musical group | |
Brunswick | Ch78-Ch80 | 10-in. | 2/23/1924 | Blue blues | Mound City Blue Blowers | Jazz/dance trio | Musical group | |
Brunswick | 111Ch-113Ch | 10-in. | 3/14/1924 | San | Mound City Blue Blowers | Jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
Brunswick | 103Ch-105Ch; 114Ch | 10-in. | 3/14/1924 | Red hot! | Mound City Blue Blowers | Jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
Brunswick | 596W-598W | 10-in. | 3/24/1925 | Wigwam blues | McKenzie’s Candy Kids | Jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
Brunswick | 611W-613W | 10-in. | 3/25/1925 | Blues in F | McKenzie’s Candy Kids | Jazz/dance quartet | Musical group | |
Brunswick | 1067W-1069W | 10-in. | 8/7/1925 | The morning after blues | Mound City Blue Blowers | Jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
Brunswick | 1070W-1071W | 10-in. | 8/7/1925 | Happy children blues | McKenzie’s Candy Kids | Jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
Decca | 60137 | 10-in. | 11/8/1935 | Red sails in the sunset | Mound City Blue Blowers | Musical group | ||
Decca | 60138 | 10-in. | 12/12/1935 | I'm sittin' high on a hilltop | Mound City Blue Blowers | Musical group | ||
Decca | 60139 | 10-in. | 11/8/1935 | On Treasure Island | Mound City Blue Blowers | Musical group | ||
Decca | 60140 | 10-in. | 11/8/1935 | Thanks a million | Mound City Blue Blowers | Musical group | ||
Decca | 60219 | 10-in. | 12/12/1935 | Eeney meeney miney mo | Mound City Blue Blowers | Musical group | ||
Decca | 60220 | 10-in. | 12/12/1935 | A little bit independent | Mound City Blue Blowers | Musical group | ||
Decca | 60221 | 10-in. | 12/12/1935 | I'm shootin' high | Mound City Blue Blowers | Musical group | ||
Decca | 60222 | 10-in. | 12/12/1935 | I've got my fingers crossed | Mound City Blue Blowers | Musical group | ||
Decca | 60223 | 10-in. | 12/12/1935 | High society | Mound City Blue Blowers | Musical group | ||
Decca | 60224 | 10-in. | 12/12/1935 | Muskrat ramble | Mound City Blue Blowers | Musical group | ||
Decca | 60295 | 10-in. | 1/3/1936 | The broken record | Mound City Blue Blowers | Musical group | ||
Decca | 60296 | 10-in. | 1/3/1936 | The broken record | Mound City Blue Blowers | Musical group | ||
Decca | 60311 | 10-in. | 1/8/1936 | I'm gonna sit right down and write myself a letter | Mound City Blue Blowers | Musical group |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Mound City Blue Blowers," accessed November 9, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/108435.
Mound City Blue Blowers. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 9, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/108435.
"Mound City Blue Blowers." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 9 November 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Mound City Blue Blowers - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no00053538
Wikidata: Mound City Blue Blowers - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q6919107
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/130303203
MusicBrainz: Mound City Blue Blowers - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/69d24317-1d5f-4c4b-8f76-d61ea2808f4f
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