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 51-75 of 92 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | BVE-62911 | 10-in. | 10/28/1930 | Oh! Eddie | Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, clarinet | |
Victor | BVE-62912 | 10-in. | 10/28/1930 | That too, do | Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten ; Jimmy Rushing | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, clarinet | |
Victor | BVE-62913 | 10-in. | 10/28/1930 | Mack's rhythm | Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, clarinet | |
Victor | BVE-62914 | 10-in. | 10/28/1930 | You make me happy | Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, clarinet | |
Victor | BVE-62915 | 10-in. | 10/28/1930 | Here comes Marjorie | Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, clarinet | |
Victor | BVE-62916 | 10-in. | 10/28/1930 | The count | Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, clarinet | |
Victor | BVE-62921 | 10-in. | 10/29/1930 | Liza Lee | Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten ; Jimmy Rushing | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, clarinet | |
Victor | BVE-62922 | 10-in. | 10/30/1930 | Get goin' (Get ready to love) | Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten ; Jimmy Rushing | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, clarinet | |
Victor | BVE-62923 | 10-in. | 10/30/1930 | Professor Hot Stuff | Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, clarinet | |
Victor | BVE-62924 | 10-in. | 10/30/1930 | When I'm alone | Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten ; Jimmy Rushing | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, clarinet | |
Victor | BVE-62925 | 10-in. | 10/30/1930 | New Moten stomp | Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, clarinet | |
Victor | BVE-62926 | 10-in. | 10/30/1930 | As long as I love you | Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten ; Jimmy Rushing | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, clarinet | |
Victor | BVE-62927 | 10-in. | 10/31/1930 | Somebody stole my gal | Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten ; Jimmy Rushing | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, clarinet | |
Victor | BVE-62928 | 10-in. | 10/31/1930 | Now that I need you | Count Basie ; Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, clarinet | |
Victor | BVE-62929 | 10-in. | 10/31/1930 | Bouncin' round | Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, clarinet | |
Victor | BVE-62930 | 10-in. | 10/31/1930 | Break a day schuffle | Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, alto saxophone, clarinet | |
Victor | BRC-68900 | 10-in. | 4/15/1931 | I wanna be around my baby all the time | Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten ; Jimmy Rushing | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, clarinet | |
Victor | BS-044589 | 10-in. | 1/11/1940 | Rockin' with the Rockets | Harlan Leonard ; Rockets | Jazz/dance band | leader, instrumentalist, saxophone, songwriter | |
Victor | BS-044590 | 10-in. | 1/11/1940 | Hairy Joe jump | Harlan Leonard ; Rockets | Jazz/dance band | leader, songwriter, instrumentalist, saxophone | |
Victor | BS-044591 | 10-in. | 1/11/1940 | Contact | Harlan Leonard ; Rockets | Jazz/dance band | leader, instrumentalist, saxophone | |
Victor | BS-044592 | 10-in. | 1/11/1940 | Snaky feelin' | Harlan Leonard ; Rockets ; Jimmy Ross | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader, instrumentalist, saxophone | |
Victor | BS-044593 | 10-in. | 1/11/1940 | My gal Sal (They called her Frivolous Sal) | Harlan Leonard ; Rockets | Jazz/dance band | leader, instrumentalist, saxophone | |
Victor | BS-044594 | 10-in. | 1/11/1940 | Skee | Harlan Leonard ; Rockets | Jazz/dance band | leader, songwriter, instrumentalist, saxophone | |
Victor | BS-047796 | 10-in. | 3/11/1940 | I don't want to set the world on fire | Harlan Leonard ; Rockets ; Myra Taylor | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | leader, instrumentalist, saxophone | |
Victor | BS-047797 | 10-in. | 3/11/1940 | Ride my blues away | Harlan Leonard ; Rockets ; Ernie Williams | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader, composer, instrumentalist, saxophone |
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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