Harry Brooks

Harry Brooks (September 20, 1895 – June 22, 1970) was an American writer of popular songs, jazz pianist and composer in the 1920s to the early 1950s. Brooks was born in Homestead, Pennsylvania. After graduating from his hometown high school in 1914, he worked as a pianist with Pittsburgh bands (dance orchestras) and then as a staff composer for a publishing company. He is recalled mostly in the 21st century for his work with his friends Thomas "Fats" Waller and the lyricist Andy Razaf. Brooks was the composer of several hit songs including his composition "Ain't Misbehavin'", written with Waller and Razaf. Also with Razaf and Waller, Brooks scored the Broadway shows Snapshots of 1921 and Connie's Hot Chocolates. He died, aged 74, in Teaneck, New Jersey.

Birth and Death Data: Born September 20, 1895 (Homestead), Died June 22, 1970

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1921 - 1947

Roles Represented in DAHR: composer, piano, trombone, songwriter, arranger

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

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 85 records)

Company	Matrix No.	Size	First Recording Date	Title	Primary Performer	Description	Role
Victor	B-25501	10-in.	7/19/1921	Saturday	Victor Arden ; Phil Ohman	Piano duet	composer
Victor	B-25515	10-in.	8/16/1921	Saturday	Aileen Stanley	Female vocal solo, with orchestra	composer
Victor	BVE-49492	10-in.	8/2/1929	Ain't misbehavin'	Fats Waller	Piano solo	composer
Victor	BVE-49493	10-in.	8/2/1929	Sweet Savannah Sue	Fats Waller	Piano solo	composer
Victor	BVE-53498	10-in.	7/9/1929	Ain't misbehavin'	Leo Reisman Orchestra	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo	composer
Victor	BVE-53968	10-in.	7/30/1929	Ain't misbehavin'	Gene Austin	Male vocal solo, with orchestra	composer
Victor	BVE-55928	10-in.	9/20/1929	Sweet Savannah Sue	Royal Flush Orchestra ; Fess Williams	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo	composer
Victor	BVE-55929	10-in.	9/20/1929	Ain't misbehavin'	Royal Flush Orchestra ; Fess Williams	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal quartet	composer
Victor	BVE-58529	10-in.	1/28/1930	After you've gone	Gene Austin	Male vocal solo, with orchestra	instrumentalist, piano
Victor	BVE-58530	10-in.	1/28/1930	St. James infirmary	Gene Austin	Male vocal solo, with orchestra	instrumentalist, piano
Victor	BVE-59122	10-in.	1/27/1930	My man o' war	Lizzie Miles	Female vocal solo, with piano	instrumentalist, piano
Victor	BVE-59123	10-in.	1/27/1930	Electrician blues	Lizzie Miles	Female vocal solo, with piano	instrumentalist, piano
Victor	BVE-59124	10-in.	1/27/1930	Good time papa	Lizzie Miles	Female vocal solo, with piano	instrumentalist, piano
Victor	BVE-59125	10-in.	1/27/1930	You ain't had no blues (Till some other woman takes your man)	Lizzie Miles	Female vocal solo, with piano	instrumentalist, piano
Victor	BVE-59693	10-in.	4/11/1930	My gal is good for nothing but love	Cotton Club Orchestra ; Duke Ellington	Jazz/dance band	composer
Victor	BS-92580	10-in.	7/9/1935	Ain't misbehavin'	Paul Whiteman Orchestra ; Jack Teagarden	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo	composer
Victor	BS-99726	10-in.	2/28/1936	Swing, Mr. Charlie	Don Darcy ; Louis King Garcia Swing Band	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo	songwriter
Victor	BS-014296	10-in.	9/17/1937	Ain't misbehavin'	Boots and his Buddies ; Cora Woods	Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo	composer
Victor	BS-045747	10-in.	12/12/1939	(What did I do to be so) Black and blue	Ragtime Band [Muggsy Spanier]	Jazz/dance band	composer
Victor	BS-074384	10-in.	6/1/1942	Ain't misbehavin' (I'm savin' my love for you)	Tony Pastor Orchestra	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo	composer
Victor	D7VB-0075	10-in.	1/20/1947	Ain't misbehavin'	Art Tatum	Piano solo	composer
Columbia	79888	10-in.	6/14/1921	Saturday	Nora Bayes	Female vocal solo, with orchestra	composer
Columbia	W148640	10-in.	5/28/1929	That rhythm man	Sonny Greer and his Memphis Men	Jazz/dance band	composer
Columbia	W148762	10-in.	6/28/1929	Ain't misbehavin'	Charleston Chasers	Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo	composer
Columbia	148791	10-in.	7/6/1929	Ain't misbehavin'	Jerry Mason and his Californians [Selvin's Orchestra] ; Robert Wood	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo	composer

(Results 1-25 of 85 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Brooks, Harry," accessed November 6, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/105536.

Brooks, Harry. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 6, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/105536.

"Brooks, Harry." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 6 November 2024.