Harry White

Harry Alexander "Father" White (June 1, 1898 – August 14, 1962) was an American jazz trombonist. As a teenager, White played drums, then switched to trombone after moving to Washington, D.C. around 1919. In the 1920s he played with Duke Ellington, Elmer Snowden, and Claude Hopkins, then started a family band called the White Brothers Orchestra in 1925. This ensemble played the mid-Atlantic states for several years. Late in the 1920s, White played with Luis Russell, then joined the Mills Blue Rhythm Band in 1931. The following year he joined the orchestra of Cab Calloway, working as an arranger and composer in addition to duties on trombone. One of Calloway's trumpeters, Edwin Swayze, overheard White use the term "jitterbug", and wrote a tune called "The Jitterbug" because of it; Calloway's 1934 recording of it brought the term into widespread currency. He returned to play under Russell in 1935 while Russell's band backed Louis Armstrong. He quit playing for part of the 1930s, then later played with Manzie Johnson, Hot Lips Page, Edgar Hayes, and Bud Freeman.

Birth and Death Data: Born June 1, 1898 (Bethlehem), Died August 14, 1962 (New York City)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1922 - 1938

Roles Represented in DAHR: trombone, songwriter, lyricist, composer

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

Recordings (Results 26-50 of 67 records)

Company	Matrix No.	Size	First Recording Date	Title	Primary Performer	Description	Role
Columbia	80408	10-in.	6/16/1922	I wish there was a wireless to heaven (then Mama would not seem so far away)	Billy Jones	Male vocal solo, with orchestra	lyricist
Columbia	81083	10-in.	6/15/1923	Oh! How she lied to me	Frank Crumit	Male vocal solo, with orchestra	lyricist
Columbia	81139	10-in.	7/16/1923	Oh! Sister, ain't that hot!	Dolly Kay ; Phil Phillips	Female vocal solo, with piano	songwriter
Columbia	81308	10-in.	10/16/1923	Oh! Sister, ain't that hot!	Frank Westphal Orchestra	Jazz/dance band	songwriter
Columbia	W151638	10-in.	6/25/1931	Moanin'	King Carter and his Orchestra	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo	songwriter
OKeh	S-71615	10-in.	June 1923	Oh! How she lied to me	Aileen Stanley	Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band	lyricist
OKeh	S-71703	10-in.	July 1923	Oh! Sister, ain't that hot?	Billy Jones ; Rega Dance Orchestra	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo	songwriter
OKeh	S-72376	10-in.	Mar. 1924	Sing me a song of Hawaii	Frank Ferera ; Anthony J. Franchini	Guitar duet (Hawaiian)	composer
OKeh	S-72765	10-in.	Aug. 1924	Mrs. Murphy's chowder	Johnny Marvin	Male vocal solo, with ukulele	lyricist
OKeh	73739	10-in.	10/26/1925	You can't shush Katie (The gabbiest girl in town)	Eva Taylor	Female vocal solo, with instrumental sextet	lyricist
Brunswick	8640	10-in.	approximately Aug. 1922	Ji-ji-boo	Carl Fenton’s Orchestra	Jazz/dance band	composer
Brunswick	10890-10893	10-in.	6/20/1923	Oh! Sister, ain’t that hot!	Gene Rodemich’s Orchestra	Jazz/dance band	composer
Brunswick	E35987	10-in.	3/30/1931	Moanin’	Mills Blue Rhythm Band	Jazz/dance band	songwriter
Brunswick	E36212	10-in.	3/3/1931	Minnie the moocher	Cab Calloway Orchestra	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo	instrumentalist, trombone
Brunswick	E36993	10-in.	7/30/1931	I’m sorry I made you blue	Blue Rhythm Boys [Mills Blue Rhythm Band]	Jazz/dance band	songwriter
Brunswick	C2112	10-in.	7/23/1928	Oh, sister, ain’t that hot	Jimmie Noone’s Apex Club Orchestra	Jazz/dance band	composer
Brunswick	C2266	10-in.	8/23/1928	Oh! Sister ain’t that hot!	Jimmie Noone’s Apex Club Orchestra	Jazz/dance band	songwriter
Brunswick	1164W-1166W	10-in.	8/14/1925	You can't shush Katy	Rube Bloom ; Peggy English	Female vocal solo, with piano	lyricist
Edison	1583	10-in.	9/22/1922	Ji-ji-boo	Ernest L. Stevens Trio	Instrumental trio	composer
Edison	9094	10-in.	7/25/1923	Oh! Sister, ain't that hot!	Robert J. White	Male vocal solo, with orchestra	songwriter
Edison	9115	10-in.	8/2/1923	Oh! How he lied to me	Florence Brady	Female vocal solo, with orchestra	songwriter
Edison	9759	10-in.	10/1/1924	Mrs. Murphy's chowder	Vernon Dalhart ; Ed Smalle	Male vocal duet, with orchestra	lyricist
Arto	[Arto Cat 9157B]	10-in.	6/29/1922	I wish there was a wireless to heaven	Arthur Fields	Baritone vocal solo, with orchestra	lyricist
Decca	60021	10-in.	10/3/1935	I'm in the mood for love	Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra		instrumentalist, trombone
Decca	60022	10-in.	10/3/1935	You're my lucky star	Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra		instrumentalist, trombone

(Results 26-50 of 67 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "White, Harry," accessed November 21, 2024, https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/108261.

White, Harry. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 21, 2024, from https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/108261.

"White, Harry." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 21 November 2024.