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 51-58 of 58 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Decca | 60312 | 10-in. | 1/8/1936 | Mama don't allow it | Mound City Blue Blowers | Musical group | ||
Decca | 60313 | 10-in. | 1/8/1936 | (If I had) Rhythm in my nursery rhymes | Mound City Blue Blowers | Musical group | ||
Decca | 60314 | 10-in. | 1/8/1936 | I hope Gabriel likes my music | Mound City Blue Blowers | Musical group | ||
Decca | 60481 | 10-in. | 2/17/1936 | You hit the spot | Mound City Blue Blowers | Musical group | ||
Decca | 60482 | 10-in. | 2/17/1936 | Spreadin' rhythm around | Mound City Blue Blowers | Musical group | ||
Decca | 60483 | 10-in. | 2/17/1936 | Saddle your blues to a wild mustang | Mound City Blue Blowers | Musical group | ||
Decca | 60484 | 10-in. | 2/17/1936 | Wah-hoo! | Mound City Blue Blowers | Musical group | ||
Decca | 60485 | 10-in. | 2/17/1936 | I'm gonna clap my hands | 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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