Lee L. Blair
Lee L. Blair (October 10, 1903, Savannah, Georgia – October 15, 1966, New York City) was an American jazz banjoist and guitarist. Blair was a left-handed autodidact on banjo, aside from a few lessons taken from Mike Pingitore, the banjoist for Paul Whiteman. He played and recorded in NYC with Thomas Morris's Seven Hot Babies in 1926, played with Charlie Skeete in 1926-28, then played and recorded with Jelly Roll Morton's Red Hot Peppers in 1928-30. He played with Billy Kato in 1930-31, then played and recorded with Luis Russell (1934–35) and Louis Armstrong (1935-40). He worked part-time in music through the 1940s, then joined Wilbur De Paris's New New Orleans Jazz Band in the 1950s at Jimmy Ryan's Club on West 52nd Street in New York City. In the summer of 1957 he toured in Africa with the DeParis band for the State Department. In the 1960s he played less, concentrating on raising chickens on his farm in Belmore, Long Island, but appeared at the 1964 World's Fair in a trio with Danny Barker and Eddie Gibbs and freelanced around New York with Hank Duncan and others until he died. He never recorded as a leader, but appears on record with Morris, Morton, Russell, Armstrong, and De Paris, as well as with Dick Cary, Pee Wee Erwin, and Leonard Gaskin among others. He is honored in the jazz section of the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in Macon, GA. |
Birth and Death Data: Born October 10, 1903 (Savannah), Died October 15, 1966 (New York City)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1926 - 1940
Roles Represented in DAHR: guitar, banjo
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 26-50 of 95 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Decca | 60158 | 10-in. | 11/21/1935 | (Was I to blame for) Falling in love with you | Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
Decca | 60227 | 10-in. | 12/13/1935 | Red sails in the sunset | Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
Decca | 60228 | 10-in. | 12/13/1935 | On Treasure Island | Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
Decca | 60249 | 10-in. | 12/19/1935 | Thanks a million | Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
Decca | 60250 | 10-in. | 12/19/1935 | Shoe Shine Boy | Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
Decca | 60251 | 10-in. | 12/19/1935 | Solitude | Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
Decca | 60252 | 10-in. | 12/19/1935 | I hope Gabriel likes my music | Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
Decca | 60362 | 10-in. | 1/18/1936 | The music goes 'round and around | Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
Decca | 60363 | 10-in. | 1/18/1936 | Rhythm saved the world | Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
Decca | 61058 | 10-in. | 4/28/1936 | I come from a musical family | Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
Decca | 61059 | 10-in. | 4/29/1936 | If we never meet again | Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
Decca | 61075 | 10-in. | 4/28/1936 | Somebody stole my break | Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
Decca | 61106 | 10-in. | 5/18/1936 | Lyin' to myself | Jimmy Archey ; Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
Decca | 61107 | 10-in. | 5/18/1936 | Ev'ntide | Jimmy Archey ; Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
Decca | 61108 | 10-in. | 5/18/1936 | Swing that music | Jimmy Archey ; Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
Decca | 61109 | 10-in. | 5/18/1936 | Thankful | Jimmy Archey ; Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
Decca | 61110 | 10-in. | 5/18/1936 | Red nose | Jimmy Archey ; Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
Decca | 61111 | 10-in. | 5/18/1936 | Mahogany Hall stomp | Jimmy Archey ; Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
Decca | 62328 | 10-in. | 7/2/1937 | Public melody number one | Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
Decca | 62329 | 10-in. | 7/2/1937 | Yours and mine | Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
Decca | 62330 | 10-in. | 7/2/1937 | Red cap | Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
Decca | 62335 | 10-in. | 7/7/1937 | She's the daughter of a planter from Havana | Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
Decca | 62336 | 10-in. | 7/7/1937 | Alexander's ragtime band | Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
Decca | 62337 | 10-in. | 7/7/1937 | Cuban Pete | Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
Decca | 62338 | 10-in. | 7/7/1937 | I've got a heart full of rhythm | Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Blair, Lee L.," accessed November 24, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/110316.
Blair, Lee L.. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 24, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/110316.
"Blair, Lee L.." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 24 November 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Blair, Lee L., 1903-1966 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no96038661
Wikidata: Lee Blair - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1811724
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/14364526
MusicBrainz: Lee Blair - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/4bde05c3-47a7-4d6d-b702-7a24e0296d80
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