Harold Baker

Harold Baker

Harold "Shorty" Baker (May 26, 1914 in St. Louis, Missouri, US – November 8, 1966) was an American jazz trumpeter. Baker began on drums, but switched to trumpet during his teens. He started his career on riverboats and played with Don Redman in the mid-1930s. He also worked with Teddy Wilson and Andy Kirk before joining Duke Ellington. He married Kirk's pianist Mary Lou Williams and though the two separated shortly thereafter, they never officially divorced. Baker worked on and off in Duke Ellington's Orchestra from 1942 to 1962. He also worked with Johnny Hodges's group in the early 1950s, during the period when Hodges was not a member of Ellington's orchestra. He died of throat cancer in New York at the age of 52.

Birth and Death Data: Born May 26, 1914 (St. Louis), Died November 8, 1966 (New York City)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1940 - 1959

Roles Represented in DAHR: trumpet

= 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	D6VB-2093	10-in.	7/9/1946	Rockabye river	Duke Ellington Orchestra ; Duke Ellington	Jazz/dance band	instrumentalist, trumpet
Victor	D6VB-2094	10-in.	7/9/1946	Suddenly it jumped	Duke Ellington Orchestra ; Jimmy Hamilton ; Taft Jordan ; Oscar Pettiford	Jazz/dance band	instrumentalist, trumpet
Victor	D6VB-2095	10-in.	7/9/1946	Transblucency (a blue fog that you can almost see through)	Duke Ellington Orchestra ; Duke Ellington	Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band	instrumentalist, trumpet
Victor	D6VB-2096	10-in.	7/9/1946	Just squeeze me (but don't tease me)	Duke Ellington Orchestra ; Duke Ellington	Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band	instrumentalist, trumpet
Victor	D6VB-2113	10-in.	8/26/1946	Back home again in Indiana	Duke Ellington Orchestra	Piano solo, with jazz/dance band	instrumentalist, trumpet
Victor	D6VB-2114	10-in.	8/26/1946	Blue is the night	Duke Ellington Orchestra	Piano solo, with jazz/dance band	instrumentalist, trumpet
Victor	D6VB-2115	10-in.	8/26/1946	Lover man (Oh, where can you be?)	Duke Ellington Orchestra	Jazz/dance band, with piano and female vocal solo	instrumentalist, trumpet
Victor	D6VB-2116	10-in.	8/26/1946	Just you, just me	Duke Ellington Orchestra	Piano solo, with jazz/dance band	instrumentalist, trumpet
Victor	D6VB-2117	10-in.	8/26/1946	Beale Street blues	Duke Ellington Orchestra	Piano solo, with jazz/dance band	instrumentalist, trumpet
Victor	D6VB-2126	10-in.	9/3/1946	My honey's lovin' arms	Duke Ellington Orchestra ; Ray Nance	Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band	instrumentalist, trumpet
Victor	D6VB-2129	10-in.	9/3/1946	St. Louis blues	Duke Ellington Orchestra ; Duke Ellington	Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band	instrumentalist, trumpet
Victor	D6VB-2130	10-in.	9/3/1946	Swamp fire	Duke Ellington Orchestra	Jazz/dance band	instrumentalist, trumpet
Victor	D6VB-2131	10-in.	9/3/1946	Royal garden blues	Duke Ellington Orchestra ; Duke Ellington	Jazz/dance band	instrumentalist, trumpet
Atlantic	291	10-in.	9/18/1949	I'll get along somehow	Ruth Brown ; Budd Johnson's Orchestra		instrumentalist, trumpet
Atlantic	293	10-in.	9/18/1949	Rocking blues	Ruth Brown ; Budd Johnson's Orchestra		instrumentalist, trumpet
Decca	67893	10-in.	6/25/1940	Fine and mellow	Andy Kirk ; Twelve Clouds of Joy		instrumentalist, trumpet
Decca	67894	10-in.	6/25/1940	Scratching in the gravel	Andy Kirk ; Twelve Clouds of Joy		instrumentalist, trumpet
Decca	67895	10-in.	6/25/1940	Fifteen minute intermission	Andy Kirk ; Twelve Clouds of Joy		instrumentalist, trumpet
Decca	67896	10-in.	6/25/1940	Take those blues away	Andy Kirk ; Twelve Clouds of Joy		instrumentalist, trumpet
Decca	67917	10-in.	7/8/1940	Now I lay me down to dream	Andy Kirk ; Twelve Clouds of Joy		instrumentalist, trumpet
Decca	67918	10-in.	7/8/1940	There is no greater love	Andy Kirk ; Twelve Clouds of Joy		instrumentalist, trumpet
Decca	67919	10-in.	7/8/1940	Midnight stroll	Andy Kirk ; Twelve Clouds of Joy		instrumentalist, trumpet
Decca	67920	10-in.	7/8/1940	Little Miss	Andy Kirk ; Twelve Clouds of Joy		instrumentalist, trumpet
Decca	68317	10-in.	11/7/1940	The Count	Andy Kirk ; Twelve Clouds of Joy		instrumentalist, trumpet
Decca	68318	10-in.	11/7/1940	Twelfth Street rag	Andy Kirk ; Twelve Clouds of Joy		instrumentalist, trumpet

(Results 1-25 of 85 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Baker, Harold," accessed November 7, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/107198.

Baker, Harold. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 7, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/107198.

"Baker, Harold." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 7 November 2024.