Charles Creath

Charles Cyril Creath (December 30, 1890, Ironton, Missouri – October 23, 1951, Chicago, Illinois) was an American jazz trumpeter, saxophonist, accordionist, and bandleader.

Creath played in traveling circuses and in theater bands in the decade of the 1900s, and moved back to St. Louis, Missouri around 1919. There he led bands playing on the Streckfus company's riverboats traveling on the Mississippi River between New Orleans and St. Louis. His ensembles were so popular that he had several bands under his own name at one time in the 1920s. A young Gene Sedric, later a mainstay of Fats Waller's combo and orchestra, played with Creath on riverboats in the 1920s, and perhaps early 1930s. He co-led a group on the SS Capitol in 1927 with Fate Marable.

Late in the 1920s he suffered from an extended illness, and primarily played saxophone and accordion instead of trumpet afterwards. He and Marable played together again from 1935 to 1938, and toward the end of the decade Creath opened a nightclub in Chicago. He worked in an airplane manufacturing plant during World War II and retired in 1945. His last years were plagued with illness.

Aside from his brother-in-law, Zutty Singleton, members of Creath's bands included Ed Allen, Pops Foster, Jerome Don Pasquall, Leonard Davis, and Lonnie Johnson. He recorded as a leader for Okeh Records between 1924 and 1927 billed as Chas. Creath's Jazz-O-Maniacs, which were some of hottest and most collectable jazz items recorded for OKeh's race 8000 series.

Birth and Death Data: Born December 30, 1890 (Missouri), Died October 23, 1951 (Chicago)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1924 - 1927

Roles Represented in DAHR: leader, composer

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

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
OKeh 8781 10-in. Nov. 1924 Pleasure mad Charles Creath's Jazz-O-Maniacs Jazz/dance band leader  
OKeh 8782 10-in. Nov. 1924 Market Street blues Floyd Campbell ; Charles Creath's Jazz-O-Maniacs Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer  
OKeh 9018 10-in. Mar. 1925 I woke up cold in hand Floyd Campbell ; Charles Creath's Jazz-O-Maniacs Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer, leader  
OKeh 9019 10-in. Mar. 1925 King Porter stomp Charles Creath's Jazz-O-Maniacs Jazz/dance band leader  
OKeh 9020 10-in. Mar. 1925 Every man that wears bell-bottom britches ain't no monkey man Floyd Campbell ; Charles Creath's Jazz-O-Maniacs Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
OKeh 9021 10-in. Mar. 1925 My daddy rocks me (With one steady roll) Floyd Campbell ; Charles Creath's Jazz-O-Maniacs Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
OKeh 9426 10-in. Nov. 1925 Market Street stomp Charles Creath's Jazz-O-Maniacs Jazz/dance band composer, leader  
OKeh 9427 10-in. Nov. 1925 Won't, don't blues Charles Creath's Jazz-O-Maniacs ; Lonnie Johnson Jazz/dance band, with violin and male vocal solo composer, leader  
OKeh 9428 10-in. Nov. 1925 Way down in Lover's Lane Charles Creath's Jazz-O-Maniacs Jazz/dance band leader  
OKeh 9429 10-in. Nov. 1925 Grandpa's spell Charles Creath's Jazz-O-Maniacs Jazz/dance band leader  
OKeh W80823 10-in. 5/2/1927 Butter finger blues Charles Creath's Jazz-O-Maniacs Jazz/dance band composer, leader  
OKeh W80824 10-in. 5/2/1927 Crazy quilt Charles Creath's Jazz-O-Maniacs Jazz/dance band leader  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Creath, Charles," accessed November 1, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/105550.

Creath, Charles. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 1, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/105550.

"Creath, Charles." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 1 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/105550

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