Harlan Leonard
Harlan Leonard (July 2, 1905 – November 10, 1983) was an American jazz bandleader and clarinetist from Kansas City, Missouri, United States. Leonard was born in Kansas City in 1905. A professional musician from the age of 17, he joined Bennie Moten's orchestra in 1923, where he led the reed section until 1931. In 1931, he and Thamon Hayes formed the Kansas City Skyrockets, which included trumpeters Ed Lewis and James Ross, trombonist Vic Dickenson, and pianist Jesse Stone. After disputes with the Chicago local of the American Federation of Musicians the band broke up. In 1939, Leonard formed Harlan Leonard and his Rockets, which featured a young Myra Taylor. This band quickly became a leading band in Kansas City and toured nationally. Charlie Parker played in this band for five weeks, but he was fired by Leonard for lack of discipline. The band featured arrangements by its piano player Tadd Dameron that bore suggestions of the transition between swing and bebop. The band broke up during the Second World War, and Leonard left professional music. He worked in banking and for the Internal Revenue Service and died in Los Angeles in 1983. |
Birth and Death Data: Born July 2, 1905 (Kansas City), Died November 10, 1983 (Kansas City)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1926 - 1940
Roles Represented in DAHR: clarinet, alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, leader, saxophone, composer, songwriter
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 26-50 of 92 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | BVE-42934 | 10-in. | 9/7/1928 | She's no trouble | Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, alto saxophone, clarinet | |
Victor | BVE-42935 | 10-in. | 9/7/1928 | South | Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, alto saxophone, clarinet | |
Victor | BRC-53012 | 10-in. | 4/15/1931 | Ya got love | Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten ; Jimmy Rushing | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, clarinet | |
Victor | BVE-55420 | 10-in. | 7/16/1929 | Terrific stomp | Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, alto saxophone, clarinet | |
Victor | BVE-55421 | 10-in. | 7/16/1929 | Let's get it | Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, alto saxophone, clarinet | |
Victor | BVE-55422 | 10-in. | 7/16/1929 | Kansas City squabble | Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, alto saxophone, clarinet | |
Victor | BVE-55423 | 10-in. | 7/17/1929 | Rite tite | Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, alto saxophone, clarinet | |
Victor | BVE-55424 | 10-in. | 7/17/1929 | Moten's blues | Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, alto saxophone, clarinet | |
Victor | BVE-55425 | 10-in. | 7/17/1929 | That's what I'm talking about | Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, alto saxophone, clarinet | |
Victor | BVE-55426 | 10-in. | 7/17/1929 | That certain motion | Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, alto saxophone, clarinet | |
Victor | BVE-55427 | 10-in. | 7/17/1929 | It won't be long | Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, alto saxophone, clarinet | |
Victor | BVE-55429 | 10-in. | 7/18/1929 | Just say it's me | Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, alto saxophone, clarinet | |
Victor | BVE-55430 | 10-in. | 7/18/1929 | Now goofy dust | Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, alto saxophone, clarinet | |
Victor | BVE-57301 | 10-in. | 10/23/1929 | Rumba negro | Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, clarinet | |
Victor | BVE-57302 | 10-in. | 10/23/1929 | The Jones Law blues | Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, clarinet | |
Victor | BVE-57303 | 10-in. | 10/23/1929 | Band box shuffle | Kansas City Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, clarinet | |
Victor | BVE-57304 | 10-in. | 10/23/1929 | Small black | Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, clarinet | |
Victor | BVE-57305 | 10-in. | 10/23/1929 | Everyday blues | Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, clarinet | |
Victor | BVE-57312 | 10-in. | 10/24/1929 | Boot it | Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, clarinet | |
Victor | BVE-57313 | 10-in. | 10/24/1929 | Mary Lee | Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, clarinet | |
Victor | BVE-57314 | 10-in. | 10/24/1929 | Rit-dit-ray | Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, clarinet | |
Victor | BVE-57315 | 10-in. | 10/24/1929 | New Vine Street blues | Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, clarinet | |
Victor | BVE-57316 | 10-in. | 10/24/1929 | Sweetheart of yesterday | Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, clarinet | |
Victor | BVE-62909 | 10-in. | 10/27/1930 | Won't you be my baby? | Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten ; Jimmy Rushing | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, clarinet | |
Victor | BVE-62910 | 10-in. | 10/28/1930 | I wish I could be blue! | Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, clarinet |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Leonard, Harlan," accessed November 9, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/109661.
Leonard, Harlan. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 9, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/109661.
"Leonard, Harlan." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 9 November 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Harlan Leonard
Discogs: Harlan Leonard
Allmusic: Harlan Leonard
Grove: Harlan Leonard
Britannica: Harlan Leonard
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Leonard, Harlan, 1905-1983 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no93022641
Wikidata: Harlan Leonard - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q362528
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/59270151
MusicBrainz: Harlan Leonard - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/1305df87-af4a-483c-a2ab-dba1910a247f
Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license
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