Tubby Hall

Alfred "Tubby" Hall (October 12, 1895 – May 13, 1945) was an American jazz drummer.

Hall was born in Sellers, Louisiana; his family moved to New Orleans in his childhood. His younger brother Minor "Ram" Hall also became a professional drummer. He played in many marching bands in New Orleans, including with Buddie Petit.

In March 1917 Tubby Hall moved to Chicago, where he played with Sugar Johnny Smith. After two years in the United States Army, he returned to playing in Chicago mostly with New Orleans bands, joining Carroll Dickerson's Orchestra (recording with it in 1927) and later with the groups of King Oliver, Jimmie Noone, Tiny Parham, Johnny Dodds. Noted swing and big-band drummer Gene Krupa said that Hall and Zutty Singleton "were great! They knew every trick and just how to phrase the parts of the choruses behind the horns, how to lead a man in, what to do at the turn-arounds, when to use sticks and when to use brushes, when to go for the rims or the woodblocks, what cymbals are for."

He is seen in Armstrong's movies of the early 1930s, including the live action and Betty Boop cartoon I'll Be Glad When You're Dead, You Rascal You (1932) and A Rhapsody in Black and Blue (1932), made by Paramount. Only Armstrong and Hall got closeups in the two films, and both get their faces transposed with those of racially stereotyped "jungle natives" in the cartoon. Hall morphs from a jazz drummer to a cannibal stirring a cooking pot with two wooden sticks.

His drumming style was forceful and sober, generally maintaining constant tempo on the snare. Jazz critic Hugues Panassié considered him one of the three greatest jazz drummers of his generation, along with Zutty Singleton and Warren "Baby" Dodds.

Tubby Hall died in Chicago.

Birth and Death Data: Born October 12, 1895 (Louisiana), Died May 13, 1945 (Chicago)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1931 - 1940

Roles Represented in DAHR: drums

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

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 34 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Columbia W152086 10-in. 1/25/1932 Between the devil and the deep blue sea Louis Armstrong Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, drums  
Columbia W152092 10-in. 1/27/1932 All of me Louis Armstrong Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, drums  
Columbia W152093 10-in. 1/27/1932 Home Louis Armstrong Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, drums  
OKeh W152087 10-in. 1/25/1932 Kickin' the gong around Louis Armstrong Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, drums  
OKeh W404422 10-in. 4/20/1931 Walkin' my baby back home Louis Armstrong Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, drums  
OKeh W404423 10-in. 4/20/1931 I surrender, dear Louis Armstrong Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, drums  
OKeh W404424 10-in. 4/20/1931 When it's sleepy time down South Louis Armstrong Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, drums  
OKeh W404425 10-in. 4/28/1931 Blue again Louis Armstrong Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, drums  
OKeh W404870 10-in. 4/28/1931 Little Joe Louis Armstrong Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, drums  
OKeh W404871 10-in. 4/28/1931 I'll be glad when you're dead, you rascal you Louis Armstrong Orchestra Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band instrumentalist, drums  
OKeh W404872 10-in. 4/29/1931 Them there eyes Louis Armstrong Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, drums  
OKeh W404873 10-in. 4/29/1931 When your lover has gone Louis Armstrong Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, drums  
OKeh W405058 10-in. 11/3/1931 Lazy river Louis Armstrong Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, drums  
OKeh W405059 10-in. 11/3/1931 Chinatown, my Chinatown Louis Armstrong Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and talk instrumentalist, drums  
OKeh W405060 10-in. 11/4/1931 Wrap your troubles in dreams (And dream your troubles away) Louis Armstrong Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, drums  
OKeh W405061 10-in. 11/4/1931 Star dust Louis Armstrong Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, drums  
OKeh W405062 10-in. 11/5/1931 You can depend on me Louis Armstrong Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, drums  
OKeh W405063 10-in. 11/5/1931 Georgia on my mind Louis Armstrong Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, drums  
OKeh W405064 10-in. 11/6/1931 The lonesome road Louis Armstrong Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo, male vocal ensemble, and talk instrumentalist, drums  
OKeh W405065 10-in. 11/6/1931 I got rhythm Louis Armstrong Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with talk instrumentalist, drums  
OKeh W405154 10-in. 3/2/1932 Love, you funny thing! Louis Armstrong Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, drums  
OKeh W405155 10-in. 3/11/1932 New tiger rag Louis Armstrong Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with talk instrumentalist, drums  
OKeh W405166 10-in. 3/11/1932 Keepin' out of mischief now Louis Armstrong Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, drums  
OKeh W405167 10-in. 3/11/1932 Lawd, you made the night too long Louis Armstrong Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 39578 10-in. 6/8/1935 Never too tired to love Caire Brown instrumentalist, drums  
(Results 1-25 of 34 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Hall, Tubby," accessed November 12, 2024, https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/111199.

Hall, Tubby. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 12, 2024, from https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/111199.

"Hall, Tubby." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 12 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/111199

Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license

Feedback

Send the Editors a message about this record.