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 1-25 of 135 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | BS-026855 | 10-in. | 9/12/1938 | (Shango, shango, shangoree) Rockin' rollers' jubilee | Erskine Hawkins Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
Victor | BS-026856 | 10-in. | 9/12/1938 | I'm madly in love with you | Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Merle Turner | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | Musical group | |
Victor | BS-026857 | 10-in. | 9/12/1938 | Let this be a warning to you, baby | Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Jimmy Mitchell | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | Musical group | |
Victor | BS-026858 | 10-in. | 9/12/1938 | Miss Hallelujah Brown | Erskine Hawkins Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
Victor | BS-026859 | 10-in. | 9/12/1938 | Weary blues | Erskine Hawkins Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
Victor | BS-026860 | 10-in. | 9/12/1938 | King Porter stomp | Erskine Hawkins Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
Victor | BS-027958 | 10-in. | 10/20/1938 | Strictly swing | Erskine Hawkins Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
Victor | BS-027959 | 10-in. | 10/20/1938 | Do you want to jump, children? | Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Jimmy Mitchell | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | Musical group | |
Victor | BS-027960 | 10-in. | 10/20/1938 | (Oh! Oh!) What do you know about love? | Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Ida James | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | Musical group | |
Victor | BS-027961 | 10-in. | 10/20/1938 | A study in blue | Erskine Hawkins Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
Victor | BS-027962 | 10-in. | 10/20/1938 | Easy rider (I wonder where my easy rider's gone) | Erskine Hawkins Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
Victor | BS-027963 | 10-in. | 10/20/1938 | Because of you | Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Jimmy Mitchell | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | Musical group | |
Victor | BS-035719 | 10-in. | 4/8/1939 | "I," the living "I" | Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Ida James | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | Musical group | |
Victor | BS-035720 | 10-in. | 4/8/1939 | Let the punishment fit the crime | Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Jimmy Mitchell | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | Musical group | |
Victor | BS-035721 | 10-in. | 4/8/1939 | Swing out (Theme song of Erskine Hawkins) | Erskine Hawkins Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
Victor | BS-035722 | 10-in. | 4/8/1939 | Raid the joint | Erskine Hawkins Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
Victor | BS-036943 | 10-in. | 5/14/1939 | Big-wig in the wigwam | Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Ida James | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | Musical group | |
Victor | BS-036944 | 10-in. | 5/14/1939 | Polka dotty (Come out tonight) | Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Jimmy Mitchell | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | Musical group | |
Victor | BS-036945 | 10-in. | 5/14/1939 | No soap | Julius Dash ; Erskine Hawkins Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with saxophone solo | Musical group | |
Victor | BS-036946 | 10-in. | 5/14/1939 | Swingin' on Lenox Avenue | Erskine Hawkins Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
Victor | BS-038418 | 10-in. | 7/18/1939 | Hot platter | Erskine Hawkins Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
Victor | BS-038419 | 10-in. | 7/18/1939 | Gin mill special | Erskine Hawkins Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
Victor | BS-038420 | 10-in. | 7/18/1939 | Cherry | Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Jimmy Mitchell | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | Musical group | |
Victor | BS-038421 | 10-in. | 7/18/1939 | Tuxedo Junction | Erskine Hawkins Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
Victor | BS-038422 | 10-in. | 7/18/1939 | Weddin' blues | Erskine Hawkins Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | Musical group |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Erskine Hawkins Orchestra," accessed September 4, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/111954.
Erskine Hawkins Orchestra. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved September 4, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/111954.
"Erskine Hawkins Orchestra." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 4 September 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Bama State Collegians
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Erskine Hawkins Orchestra - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no2002111259
Wikidata: Bama State Collegians - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q4853273
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/121148436
MusicBrainz: Bama State Collegians - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/87213fe0-2f56-4fa1-8950-ad10a9874d4a
Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license
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