Erskine Hawkins Orchestra

The Bama State Collegians is a student jazz orchestra made up of students at Alabama State University. This group was organized in the late 1920s by Len Bowden, Fess Whatley, and Paul Bascomb. Bowden went on to direct the Navy's music program at Camp Robert Smalls during World War II. John Tuggle "Fess" Whatley (1895-1972) was inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame and has a K-8 school in Birmingham named after him.

The Bama State Collegians have been directed by a number of notable musicians, including Tommy Stewart and Erskine Hawkins.

The group also holds an important place in jazz history. In 1934, the entire group travelled to New York and became the Erskine Hawkins Orchestra, recording hit records such as Tuxedo Junction, which rose to No. 7 nationally by Erskine Hawkins and No. 1 by Glenn Miller. Members of this band worked with the NBC Orchestra, the Lucky Millinder Orchestra, the Duke Ellington Orchestra, Louis Armstrong and others.

Among those who have played with the orchestra are Dud Bascomb, Paul Bascomb, Avery Parrish, and Haywood Henry.

In 2011, the story of Erskine Hawkins and his start in the Bama State Collegians was the subject of a Florida State University Film School MFA Thesis Film "The Collegians", written and directed by Alabama State University alumn Bryan Lewis.

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1938 - 1956

Roles Represented in DAHR: Musical group

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 51-75 of 135 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor BS-057724 10-in. 11/20/1940 Rifftime Erskine Hawkins Orchestra Jazz/dance band Musical group  
Victor BS-057725 10-in. 11/20/1940 I know a secret Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Jimmy Mitchell Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo Musical group  
Victor BS-057726 10-in. 11/20/1940 S'posin' Dolores Brown ; Erskine Hawkins Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo Musical group  
Victor BS-057727 10-in. 11/20/1940 To-night you belong to me Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Jimmy Mitchell Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo Musical group  
Victor BS-060404 10-in. 1/22/1941 Keep cool fool Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Jimmy Mitchell Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo Musical group  
Victor BS-060405 10-in. 1/22/1941 No use squawkin' Erskine Hawkins Orchestra Jazz/dance band Musical group  
Victor BS-060406 10-in. 1/22/1941 Who's beatin' my time with you? Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Ida James Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo Musical group  
Victor BS-065727 10-in. 5/15/1941 Uncle Bud Erskine Hawkins Orchestra Jazz/dance band Musical group  
Victor BS-065728 10-in. 5/15/1941 Blackout Erskine Hawkins Orchestra Jazz/dance band Musical group  
Victor BS-065729 10-in. 5/15/1941 Blue sea Erskine Hawkins Orchestra Jazz/dance band Musical group  
Victor BS-065730 10-in. 5/15/1941 I love you truly Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Ida James ; Jimmy Mitchell Jazz/dance band, with mixed vocal quartet Musical group  
Victor BS-065731 10-in. 5/15/1941 Shipyard ramble Erskine Hawkins Orchestra Jazz/dance band Musical group  
Victor BS-065908 10-in. 5/27/1941 Hey Doc! Erskine Hawkins Orchestra Jazz/dance band Musical group  
Victor BS-065909 10-in. 5/27/1941 So long, Shorty Wilbur Bascomb ; Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Ida James Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo and trumpet solo Musical group  
Victor BS-065910 10-in. 5/27/1941 I'm in a low down groove Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Jimmy Mitchell Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo Musical group  
Victor BS-065911 10-in. 5/27/1941 Night after night Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Ida James Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo Musical group  
Victor BS-067546 10-in. 8/8/1941 Someone's rocking my dream boat Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Jimmy Mitchell Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo Musical group  
Victor BS-067547 10-in. 8/8/1941 Jumpin' in a julep joint Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Ida James Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo Musical group  
Victor BS-068712 10-in. 12/22/1941 Sometimes Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Jimmy Mitchell Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo Musical group  
Victor BS-068713 10-in. 12/22/1941 I don't want to walk without you Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Ida James Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo Musical group  
Victor BS-068714 10-in. 12/22/1941 Wrap your troubles in dreams (and dream your troubles away) Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Jimmy Mitchell Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo Musical group  
Victor BS-068715 10-in. 12/22/1941 [Unknown title(s)] Erskine Hawkins Orchestra Jazz/dance band Musical group  
Victor BS-073288 10-in. 5/27/1942 Dont cry, baby Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Jimmy Mitchell Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo Musical group  
Victor BS-073289 10-in. 5/27/1942 Bicycle bounce Erskine Hawkins Orchestra Jazz/dance band Musical group  
Victor BS-073290 10-in. 5/27/1942 Lucky seven Erskine Hawkins Orchestra Jazz/dance band Musical group  
(Results 51-75 of 135 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Erskine Hawkins Orchestra," accessed November 1, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/111954.

Erskine Hawkins Orchestra. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 1, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/111954.

"Erskine Hawkins Orchestra." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 1 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/111954

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