Bennie Moten

Benjamin Moten (November 13, 1893 – April 2, 1935) was an American jazz pianist and band leader born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, United States. He led his Kansas City Orchestra, the most important of the regional, blues-based orchestras active in the Midwest in the 1920s, and helped to develop the riffing style that would come to define many of the 1930s big bands. The jazz standard "Moten Swing" bears his name.

Birth and Death Data: Born November 13, 1894 (Kansas City), Died April 2, 1935 (Kansas City)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1923 - 1947

Roles Represented in DAHR: composer, director, leader, piano, 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 106 records)

Company	Matrix No.	Size	First Recording Date	Title	Primary Performer	Description	Role
Victor	BVE-37232	10-in.	12/13/1926	Thick lip stomp	Bennie Moten's Kansas City Orchestra	Jazz/dance band	instrumentalist, piano, director, composer
Victor	BVE-37233	10-in.	12/13/1926	Harmony blues	Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten	Jazz/dance band	instrumentalist, piano, director, composer
Victor	BVE-37234	10-in.	12/13/1926	Kansas City shuffle	Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten	Jazz/dance band	instrumentalist, piano, director, composer
Victor	BVE-37235	10-in.	12/13/1926	Yazoo blues	Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten	Jazz/dance band	instrumentalist, piano, director, composer
Victor	BVE-37236	10-in.	12/13/1926	White lightnin' blues	Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten	Jazz/dance band	instrumentalist, piano, director
Victor	BVE-37237	10-in.	12/14/1926	Muscle Shoals blues	Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten	Jazz/dance band	instrumentalist, piano, director
Victor	BVE-37238	10-in.	12/14/1926	Midnight mama	Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten	Jazz/dance band	composer, instrumentalist, piano, director
Victor	BVE-37239	10-in.	12/14/1926	Missouri wobble	Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten	Jazz/dance band	instrumentalist, piano, director, composer
Victor	BVE-38667	10-in.	6/11/1927	Sugar	Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten	Jazz/dance band	instrumentalist, piano, director
Victor	BVE-38668	10-in.	6/11/1927	Dear heart	Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten	Jazz/dance band	instrumentalist, piano, director
Victor	BVE-38669	10-in.	6/11/1927	The new Tulsa blues	Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten	Jazz/dance band	instrumentalist, piano, director, composer
Victor	BVE-38670	10-in.	6/11/1927	Baby dear	Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet	instrumentalist, piano, director, composer
Victor	BVE-38671	10-in.	6/11/1927	12th Street rag	Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten	Jazz/dance band	instrumentalist, piano, director
Victor	BVE-38672	10-in.	6/12/1927	Pass out lightly	Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten	Jazz/dance band	instrumentalist, piano, director
Victor	BVE-38673	10-in.	6/12/1927	Ding-dong blues	Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten	Jazz/dance band	instrumentalist, piano, director, composer
Victor	BVE-38674	10-in.	6/12/1927	Moten stomp	Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten	Jazz/dance band	instrumentalist, piano, director, composer
Victor	BVE-42924	10-in.	9/6/1928	Justrite	Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten	Jazz/dance band	instrumentalist, piano, composer, director
Victor	BVE-42925	10-in.	9/6/1928	It's hard to laugh or smile	Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten	Jazz/dance band	instrumentalist, piano, composer, director
Victor	BVE-42926	10-in.	9/6/1928	Slow motion	Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten	Jazz/dance band	instrumentalist, piano, composer, director
Victor	BVE-42927	10-in.	9/6/1928	Tough breaks	Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten	Jazz/dance band	instrumentalist, piano, composer, director
Victor	BVE-42928	10-in.	9/7/1928	Sad man blues	Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo	instrumentalist, piano, composer, director
Victor	BVE-42929	10-in.	9/7/1928	Kansas City breakdown	Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten	Jazz/dance band	instrumentalist, piano, composer, director
Victor	BVE-42930	10-in.	9/7/1928	Trouble in mind	Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten	Jazz/dance band	instrumentalist, piano, director
Victor	BVE-42931	10-in.	9/7/1928	Hot water blues	Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten	Jazz/dance band	instrumentalist, piano, composer, director
Victor	BVE-42932	10-in.	9/7/1928	When life seems so blue	Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten	Jazz/dance band	instrumentalist, piano, composer, director

(Results 1-25 of 106 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Moten, Bennie," accessed October 31, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/104807.

Moten, Bennie. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved October 31, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/104807.

"Moten, Bennie." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 31 October 2024.