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 76-100 of 135 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor BS-073291 10-in. 5/27/1942 Country boy Erskine Hawkins Orchestra Jazz/dance band Musical group  
Victor BS-075527 10-in. 6/29/1942 Bear-mash blues Erskine Hawkins Orchestra Jazz/dance band Musical group  
Victor BS-075528 10-in. 6/29/1942 Knock me a kiss Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Ida James Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo Musical group  
Victor BS-075529 10-in. 6/29/1942 'Tain't no good Erskine Hawkins Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo Musical group  
Victor D5VB-0168 10-in. 3/28/1945 Caldonia Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Ace Harris Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band Musical group  
Victor D5VB-0169 10-in. 3/28/1945 I hope to die (if I told a lie) Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Carol Tucker Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band Musical group  
Victor D5VB-0170 10-in. 3/28/1945 Drifting along Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Erskine Hawkins Jazz/dance band Musical group  
Victor D5VB-0225 10-in. 4/23/1945 No, baby, nobody but you Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Jimmy Mitchell Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band Musical group  
Victor D5VB-0226 10-in. 4/23/1945 Prove it by the things you do Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Carol Tucker Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band Musical group  
Victor D5VB-0227 10-in. 4/23/1945 Fifteen years (and I'm still serving time) Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Jimmy Mitchell Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band Musical group  
Victor D5AB-0300 10-in. 1/10/1945 Tippin' in Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Erskine Hawkins Jazz/dance band Musical group  
Victor D5AB-0301 10-in. 1/10/1945 Remember Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Erskine Hawkins Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band Musical group  
Victor D5VB-0945 10-in. 11/21/1945 Good dip Erskine Hawkins Orchestra Jazz/dance band Musical group  
Victor D5VB-0946 10-in. 11/21/1945 I guess I'll have to get along without you Dolores Brown ; Erskine Hawkins Orchestra Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band Musical group  
Victor D5VB-0947 10-in. 11/21/1945 Holiday for swing Erskine Hawkins Orchestra Jazz/dance band Musical group  
Victor D5VB-0948 10-in. 11/21/1945 Let's have fun tonight Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Ace Harris Male vocal solo, with vocal chorus and jazz/dance band Musical group  
Victor D6VB-1493 10-in. 4/24/1946 Sneakin' out Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Erskine Hawkins Jazz/dance band Musical group  
Victor D6VB-1494 10-in. 4/24/1946 Don't say you're sorry again Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Jimmy Mitchell Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band Musical group  
Victor D6VB-1495 10-in. 4/24/1946 That wonderful worrisome feeling Ruth Christian ; Erskine Hawkins Orchestra Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band Musical group  
Victor D6VB-1774 10-in. 5/9/1946 I've got a right to cry Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Laura Washington Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band Musical group  
Victor D6VB-1775 10-in. 5/9/1946 It's full or it ain't no good Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Laura Washington Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band Musical group  
Victor D6VB-1776 10-in. 5/9/1946 Well, natch! Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Erskine Hawkins Male vocal solo, with vocal chorus and jazz/dance band Musical group  
Victor D6VB-1955 10-in. 10/7/1946 Feelin' low Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Erskine Hawkins Jazz/dance band Musical group  
Victor D6VB-1956 10-in. 10/7/1946 Hawk's boogie Erskine Hawkins Orchestra Jazz/dance band Musical group  
Victor D6VB-1957 10-in. 10/7/1946 Sammy's nightmare Erskine Hawkins Orchestra Jazz/dance band Musical group  
(Results 76-100 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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