Mound City Blue Blowers
The Mound City Blue Blowers were an American novelty jazz ensemble, formed in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. It was co-founded by Red McKenzie and Jack Bland and performed from 1923 to 1936. First assembled in 1923, the group's original members were Red McKenzie playing comb and tissue paper, Dick Slevin on kazoo, and Jack Bland on banjo. The band also included, in lieu of a drum kit, a traveler's suitcase played with foot and whisk brooms by Josh Billings. Their debut recording, the 1924 release "Arkansas Blues" b/w "Blue Blues", was a hit in the Midwest. They recorded twelve tunes in 1924 and 1925; Frankie Trumbauer and Eddie Lang played on some of the tracks. After 1925, McKenzie recorded under his own name as a vocalist, but returned to the Mound City name in 1929 for several sessions with jazz stars including Jack Teagarden, Coleman Hawkins, Glenn Miller, and Pee Wee Russell. In 1931, the group recorded with McKenzie, Hawkins, Muggsy Spanier, and Jimmy Dorsey. The last recordings to bear the Mound City name, 25 songs from 1935–1936, included appearances from Nappy Lamare, Spooky Dickenson, Billy Wilson, Bunny Berigan, Yank Lawson, and Eddie Miller. In 1929–1931, the group also made at least two short performance films: The Opry House (1929) and Nine O'Clock Folks (1931), which included "I Ain't Got Nobody", "Let Me Call You Sweetheart", "My Gal Sal", and "St. Louis Blues". |
Birth and Death Data: Born Founded 1923, Died Ceased 1936
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1924 - 1936
Roles Represented in DAHR: Musical group
Notes: Also listed as Red McKenzie's Celestial Beings and Red McKenzie and the Celestial Beings.
See Also: Mystery Orchestra, The
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 1-25 of 58 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | BVE-50517 | 10-in. | 2/23/1929 | Arkansas blues | The Mystery Orchestra [i.e., Mound City Blue Blowers] | Instrumental ensemble, with male vocal solo | Musical group | |
Victor | BVE-50518 | 10-in. | 2/23/1929 | Never had a reason to believe in you | The Mystery Orchestra [i.e., Mound City Blue Blowers] | Instrumental ensemble | Musical group | |
Victor | BVE-56151 | 10-in. | 9/25/1929 | Tailspin blues | Mound City Blue Blowers | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal chorus | Musical group | |
Victor | BVE-56152 | 10-in. | 9/25/1929 | Never had a reason to believe in you | Mound City Blue Blowers | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | Musical group | |
Victor | BVE-57145 | 10-in. | 11/14/1929 | Hello Lola | Mound City Blue Blowers | Jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
Victor | BVE-57146 | 10-in. | 11/14/1929 | One hour | Mound City Blue Blowers | Jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
Columbia | W148895 | 10-in. | 8/19/1929 | Indiana | Mound City Blue Blowers | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | Musical group | |
Columbia | W148896 | 10-in. | 8/19/1929 | Fire house blues | Mound City Blue Blowers | Jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
Columbia | W351049 | 10-in. | 6/30/1931 | I can't believe that you're in love with me | Mound City Blue Blowers | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | Musical group | |
Columbia | W351051 | 10-in. | 6/30/1931 | Georgia on my mind | Mound City Blue Blowers | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | Musical group | |
Columbia | W351052 | 10-in. | 6/30/1931 | Darktown Strutters' Ball | Mound City Blue Blowers | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | Musical group | |
Columbia | W365050 | 10-in. | 6/30/1931 | You rascal you | Mound City Blue Blowers | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet | Musical group | |
Brunswick | 13491-13493 | 10-in. | 7/9/1924 | Barb wire blues | Mound City Blue Blowers | Jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
Brunswick | 13501-13503 | 10-in. | 7/10/1924 | You ain’t got nothin’ I want | Mound City Blue Blowers | Jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
Brunswick | 14436-14438 | 10-in. | 12/10/1924 | Tiger rag | Mound City Blue Blowers | Jazz/dance quartet | Musical group | |
Brunswick | 14439-14441 | 10-in. | 12/10/1924 | Deep Second Street blues | Mound City Blue Blowers | Jazz/dance quartet | Musical group | |
Brunswick | 14468-14470 | 10-in. | 12/12/1924 | When my sugar walks down the street | Mound City Blue Blowers | Jazz/dance quartet | Musical group | |
Brunswick | 14471-14473 | 10-in. | 12/12/1924 | Panama | Mound City Blue Blowers | Jazz/dance quartet | Musical group | |
Brunswick | 14730-14732 | 10-in. | 1/26/1925 | Best black | Mound City Blue Blowers | Jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
Brunswick | 14733-14735 | 10-in. | 1/26/1925 | Stretch it boy | Mound City Blue Blowers | Jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
Brunswick | 14806-14807 | 10-in. | 2/4/1925 | Play me slow | Mound City Blue Blowers | Jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
Brunswick | 14872-14874 | 10-in. | 2/9/1925 | Gettin’ told | Mound City Blue Blowers | Jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
Brunswick | 14875-14876 | 10-in. | 2/9/1925 | Play me slow | Mound City Blue Blowers | Jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
Brunswick | [E16554a] | 10/8/1925 | [Unknown title(s)] | Mound City Blue Blowers | Jazz/dance band | Musical group | ||
Brunswick | E16302-E16304 | 10-in. | 9/1/1925 | Hot honey | Mound City Blue Blowers | Jazz/dance band | Musical group |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Mound City Blue Blowers," accessed November 4, 2024, https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/108435.
Mound City Blue Blowers. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 4, 2024, from https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/108435.
"Mound City Blue Blowers." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 4 November 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Mound City Blue Blowers - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no00053538
Wikidata: Mound City Blue Blowers - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q6919107
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/130303203
MusicBrainz: Mound City Blue Blowers - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/69d24317-1d5f-4c4b-8f76-d61ea2808f4f
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