Jimmy Harrison
James Henry Harrison (October 17, 1900, Louisville, Kentucky – July 23, 1931, New York City) was an American jazz trombonist. Harrison began on trombone at age 15, playing locally in the Toledo, Ohio area. He played semi-pro baseball, but chose music over a career in sports when he joined a traveling minstrel show in the late 1910s. He led his own jazz ensemble in Atlantic City by 1919, and played in the bands of Charlie Johnson and Sam Wooding. He then moved to Detroit and played with Hank Duncan and Roland Smith. After returning to Toledo, he played gigs with June Clark and James P. Johnson, and followed this with a stint in New York City with Fess Williams. In 1924, June Clark took over leadership of Harrison's ensemble, though he continued to perform in it. In 1925 he began working with Billy Fowler, where he remained for several years. He also played with Duke Ellington in the mid-1920s. Later in the decade Harrison played with Elmer Snowden and Fletcher Henderson. While on tour with Henderson in 1930, he took ill with a digestive ailment, and though he continued to play for several months with Chick Webb, he died of stomach cancer in 1931, aged 30. |
Birth and Death Data: Born October 17, 1900 (Louisville), Died July 23, 1931 (New York City)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1925 - 1935
Roles Represented in DAHR: trombone, vocalist, speaker
= 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 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | BVE-47530 | 10-in. | 9/19/1928 | Gettin' away from me | Charlie Johnson’s Paradise Ten | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, trombone | |
Victor | BVE-47531 | 10-in. | 9/19/1928 | The boy in the boat | Charlie Johnson’s Paradise Ten | Jazz/dance band | speaker, instrumentalist, trombone | |
Victor | BVE-47532 | 10-in. | 9/19/1928 | Walk that thing | Charlie Johnson’s Paradise Ten | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, trombone | |
Victor | PBS-97017 | 10-in. | 9/27/1935 | Madhouse | Benny Goodman Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, trombone | |
Columbia | W143567 | 10-in. | 3/2/1927 | After you've gone | Bessie Smith and her Band | Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with instrumental quintet | instrumentalist, trombone | |
Columbia | W143568 | 10-in. | 3/2/1927 | Alexander's ragtime band | Blue Boys [Bessie Smith ensemble] ; Bessie Smith | Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with instrumental quintet | instrumentalist, trombone | |
Columbia | W143569 | 10-in. | 3/2/1927 | Muddy water | Bessie Smith and her Band | Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with instrumental sextet | instrumentalist, trombone | |
Columbia | W143570 | 10-in. | 3/2/1927 | There'll be a hot time in the old town to-night | Blue Boys [Bessie Smith ensemble] ; Bessie Smith | Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with instrumental quintet | instrumentalist, trombone | |
Columbia | W151277 | 10-in. | 2/5/1931 | Sweet and hot | Fletcher Henderson's Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist | |
OKeh | 73753 | 10-in. | Nov. 1925 | Down at the Razor Ball | Sara Martin | Female vocal solo, with cornet, trombone, and piano | instrumentalist, trombone | |
OKeh | 73754 | 10-in. | Nov. 1925 | Mournful blues | Sara Martin | Female vocal solo, with cornet, trombone, and piano | instrumentalist, trombone | |
OKeh | 73755 | 10-in. | Nov. 1925 | Georgia stockade blues | Sara Martin | Female vocal solo, with cornet, trombone, and piano | instrumentalist, trombone | |
OKeh | W404566 | 10-in. | 12/3/1930 | Goodbye blues | Chocolate Dandies | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, trombone | |
OKeh | W404596 | 10-in. | 12/30/1930 | Cloudy skies | Chocolate Dandies | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, trombone | |
OKeh | W404597 | 10-in. | 12/30/1930 | Got another sweetie now | Chocolate Dandies ; Jimmy Harrison | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, trombone, vocalist | |
OKeh | W404598 | 10-in. | 12/30/1930 | Bugle call rag | Chocolate Dandies | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, trombone, vocalist | |
OKeh | W404599 | 10-in. | 12/30/1930 | Dee blues | Chocolate Dandies | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, trombone |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Harrison, Jimmy," accessed November 6, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/100200.
Harrison, Jimmy. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 6, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/100200.
"Harrison, Jimmy." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 6 November 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Jimmy Harrison
Discogs: Jimmy Harrison
Allmusic: Jimmy Harrison
Grove: Jimmy Harrison
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Harrison, Jimmy, 1900-1931 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n00077960
Wikidata: Jimmy Harrison - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q362805
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/49408239
MusicBrainz: Jimmy Harrison - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/63ad66a5-c5c1-4b8f-99cc-2e7a14e7d7b9
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