Herman Chittison
Herman "Ivory" Chittison (October 15, 1908 – March 8, 1967) was an American jazz pianist. He was born in Flemingsburg, Kentucky, United States. Chittison began his career in Zack Whyte's territory band in Ohio in 1928. In the early 1930s, he moved to New York and found work as an accompanist to Ethel Waters, Adelaide Hall, and Clarence Williams. He also visited Boston for the first time with a traveling show headlined by comic actor Stepin Fetchit. In late 1933, he went to Europe with the Willie Lewis Orchestra and toured Europe with them; the following year he recorded with Louis Armstrong in Paris. He and Bill Coleman led the Harlem Rhythm Makers. Herman Chittison and trumpeter Bill Coleman left Lewis in 1938 and formed a band that worked extensively in Cairo, Egypt, and traveled as far east as India. In October 1959, Chittison arrived in Boston and was employed as the resident pianist at the Red Garter bar in the Lenox Hotel. He then moved to the Mayfair Lounge in Bay Village. His stay in Boston lasted two years. Chittison had a reoccurring role as the piano player in the Blue Note Bar on the radio series, Casey, Crime Photographer. Herman Chittison died in March 1967, at the age of 58. |
Birth and Death Data: Born October 15, 1908 (Flemingsburg), Died March 8, 1967 (Cleveland)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1929 - 1947
Roles Represented in DAHR: piano, leader, celeste
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 1-25 of 45 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | BS-067905 | 10-in. | 9/17/1941 | Flamingo | Herman Chittison | Piano solo | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-067906 | 10-in. | 9/17/1941 | The man I love | Herman Chittison | Piano solo | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | D7VB-0079 | 10-in. | 1/21/1947 | Blues in my heart | Herman Chittison Trio ; Ethel Waters | Female vocal solo, with guitar, piano, and string bass | leader, instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | D7VB-0257 | 10-in. | 4/14/1947 | Where is Sam? | Bob Smith | Male vocal solo, with piano, guitar, and bass | instrumentalist, piano, leader | |
Victor | D7VB-0258 | 10-in. | 4/14/1947 | You must have been a beautiful baby | Bob Smith | Male vocal solo, with piano, guitar, and bass | leader, instrumentalist, piano | |
Columbia | W152463 | 10-in. | 8/7/1933 | The shim sham shimmy dance | Lowland Singers ; Williams' Jug Band | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo and vocal ensemble | instrumentalist, piano | |
Columbia | W152464 | 10-in. | 8/7/1933 | Organ grinder | Williams' Jug Band | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo and male vocal trio | instrumentalist, piano | |
Columbia | W152465 | 10-in. | 8/7/1933 | Chizzlin' Sam | Williams' Jug Band | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo and male vocal duet | instrumentalist, piano | |
Columbia | W152466 | 10-in. | 8/7/1933 | High society | Lowland Singers ; Williams' Jug Band | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | instrumentalist, piano | |
Columbia | W152467 | 10-in. | 8/7/1933 | Mister, will you serenade? | Williams' Jug Band | Jazz/dance band, with female-male vocal duet | instrumentalist, piano | |
Gennett | 14718 | 10-in. | 1/22/1929 | Mandy | Zach Whyte's Chocolate Beau Brummels | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, piano | |
Gennett | 14787 | 10-in. | 2/11/1929 | Shake it and break it | Zach Whyte's Chocolate Beau Brummels | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, piano | |
Gennett | 14788 | 10-in. | 2/11/1929 | Hum all your troubles away | Zach Whyte's Chocolate Beau Brummels | Jazz/dance band, with vocal; without vocal | instrumentalist, piano | |
Gennett | 14836 | 10-in. | 2/26/1929 | It's tight like that | Zach Whyte's Chocolate Beau Brummels | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, piano | |
Gennett | 14837 | 10-in. | 2/26/1929 | West End blues | Zach Whyte's Chocolate Beau Brummels | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, piano | |
Gennett | 16005 | 10-in. | 12/19/1929 | Good feelin' blues | Zach Whyte's Chocolate Beau Brummels | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, celeste, piano | |
Gennett | 16006 | 10-in. | 12/19/1929 | Wailin' blues | Zach Whyte's Chocolate Beau Brummels | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, celeste, piano | |
Gennett | 16007 | 10-in. | 12/19/1929 | When you're smiling | Zach Whyte's Chocolate Beau Brummels | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, celeste, piano | |
Gennett | 16008 | 10-in. | 12/19/1929 | Sophomore prom | Zach Whyte's Chocolate Beau Brummels | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, celeste, piano | |
Decca | 68708 | 10-in. | 2/14/1941 | Stardust | Delta Rhythm Boys | instrumentalist, piano | ||
Decca | 68709 | 10-in. | 2/14/1941 | My imaginary love | Delta Rhythm Boys | instrumentalist, piano | ||
Decca | 68710 | 10-in. | 2/14/1941 | My blue heaven | Delta Rhythm Boys | instrumentalist, piano | ||
Decca | 68711 | 10-in. | 2/14/1941 | would it be asking too much | Delta Rhythm Boys | instrumentalist, piano | ||
Decca | 68712 | 10-in. | 2/14/1941 | When that man is dead and gone | Mildred Bailey ; Delta Rhythm Boys | instrumentalist, piano | ||
Decca | 68713 | 10-in. | 2/14/1941 | Jenny | Mildred Bailey ; Delta Rhythm Boys | instrumentalist, piano |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Chittison, Herman," accessed November 2, 2024, https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/106794.
Chittison, Herman. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 2, 2024, from https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/106794.
"Chittison, Herman." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 2 November 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Herman Chittison
Discogs: Herman Chittison
Allmusic: Herman Chittison
Grove: Herman Chittison
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Chittison, Herman, 1909-1967 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n93016923
Wikidata: Herman Chittison - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1610246
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/29717557
MusicBrainz: Herman Chittison - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/77e6e46c-d2c1-43c3-a249-7b496e2f1dd0
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