The Original Memphis Five
The Original Memphis Five was an early jazz quintet founded in 1917 by trumpeter Phil Napoleon and pianist Frank Signorelli. Jimmy Lytell was a member from 1922 to 1925. The group made many recordings between 1921 and 1931, sometimes under different names, including Ladd's Black Aces and The Cotton Pickers. Richard Cook and Brian Morton, writing for The Penguin Guide to Jazz, refer to the group as "one of the key small groups of the '20s". The group formed around 1917. The name Original Memphis Five was first used in 1920, and applied to small groups of white musicians throughout the decade. The Ladd's Black Aces name was used from 1921 until 1924. Cook and Morton identify Jimmy Lytell and Miff Mole as standout musicians in the group. Jimmy Durante played piano with Ladd's Black Aces, while both Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey were members of the Original Memphis Five. Occasional vocalists were Anna Meyers, Annette Hanshaw and Vernon Dalhart (as George White). Both Red Nichols and Miff Mole later led their own groups named Original Memphis Five. Phil Napoleon, however, would continue using the group name into the 1980s. |
Birth and Death Data: Born Founded 1917
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1923 - 1931
Roles Represented in DAHR: Musical group
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 1-25 of 63 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | B-27669 | 10-in. | 3/22/1923 | Snakes hips | The Original Memphis Five | Jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
Victor | B-27670 | 10-in. | 3/22/1923 | Who's sorry now? | The Original Memphis Five | Jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
Victor | B-28717 | 10-in. | 10/4/1923 | I've got a song for sale (That my sweetie turned down) | The Original Memphis Five | Jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
Victor | B-28718 | 10-in. | 10/4/1923 | Tin roof blues | The Original Memphis Five | Jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
Victor | B-28911 | 10-in. | 11/6/1923 | Treat 'em rough | The Original Memphis Five | Jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
Victor | B-30876 | 10-in. | 10/1/1924 | How come you do me like you do? | The Original Memphis Five | Jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
Victor | B-30877 | 10-in. | 10/1/1924 | Meanest blues | The Original Memphis Five | Jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
Victor | B-31912 | 10-in. | 2/4/1925 | When my sugar walks down the street (All the birdies go tweet, tweet) | The Original Memphis Five | Jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
Victor | B-31913 | 10-in. | 2/4/1925 | Throw down blues | The Original Memphis Five | Jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
Victor | B-31941 | 10-in. | 2/12/1925 | Sob sister Sadie | The Original Memphis Five | Jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
Victor | BVE-33388 | 10-in. | 9/17/1925 | Bass ale blues | The Original Memphis Five | Jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
Victor | BVE-33389 | 10-in. | 9/17/1925 | Military Mike | The Original Memphis Five | Jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
Victor | BVE-33546 | 10-in. | 10/7/1925 | Lookin' for blues | The Original Memphis Five | Jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
Victor | BVE-33803 | 10-in. | 10/22/1925 | Loud speakin' papa (You'd better speak easy to me) | The Original Memphis Five | Jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
Victor | BVE-33894 | 10-in. | 11/24/1925 | Washboard blues | The Original Memphis Five | Jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
Victor | BVE-34623 | 10-in. | 2/16/1926 | Bell hoppin' blues | The Original Memphis Five | Jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
Victor | BVE-35324 | 10-in. | 4/16/1926 | Static strut | The Original Memphis Five | Jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
Victor | BVE-35325 | 10-in. | 4/16/1926 | Tampeekoe | The Original Memphis Five | Jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
Victor | BVE-37188 | 10-in. | 12/28/1926 | A blues serenade | The Original Memphis Five | Jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
Victor | BVE-37189 | 10-in. | 12/28/1926 | Off to Buffalo | The Original Memphis Five | Jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
Victor | BVE-37190 | 10-in. | 12/28/1926 | Tiger rag | The Original Memphis Five | Jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
Columbia | 81035 | 10-in. | 5/25/1923 | Yes! We have no bananas | The Original Memphis Five | Jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
Columbia | 81036 | 10-in. | 5/25/1923 | Pickles | The Original Memphis Five | Jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
Columbia | 81242 | 10-in. | 9/27/1923 | Walk, Jenny, walk! | Billy Jones ; The Original Memphis Five | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | Musical group | |
Columbia | 81243 | 10-in. | 9/27/1923 | Last night on the back porch | Billy Jones ; The Original Memphis Five | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | Musical group |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Original Memphis Five, The," accessed November 5, 2024, https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/334996.
Original Memphis Five, The. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 5, 2024, from https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/334996.
"Original Memphis Five, The." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 5 November 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Original Memphis Five
Discogs: The Original Memphis Five
Allmusic: The Original Memphis Five
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Original Memphis Five - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n00070009
Wikidata: Original Memphis Five - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q285534
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/156079876
MusicBrainz: Original Memphis Five - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/128a89db-dbf2-412f-9b55-43426ddbfc31
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