Happy Caldwell
Albert W. "Happy" Caldwell (sometimes incorrectly spelled Cauldwell) (July 25, 1903 in Chicago – December 29, 1978 in New York City) was an American jazz clarinetist and tenor saxophonist. Caldwell began on clarinet at age 16, playing in the Eighth Illinois Regimental Band and soon after in an Army band. He studied to be a pharmacist but eventually gave up his medicinal studies for jazz. He worked with Bernie Young early in the 1920s in Chicago, where he recorded for the first time in 1923. Around this time he also began doubling on tenor saxophone. In the middle of the 1920s he played with Mamie Smith's Jazz Hounds, Bobby Brown's Syncopaters, Elmer Snowden, Billy Fowler, Thomas Morris, Willie Gant, and Cliff Jackson. In 1929, he recorded with Louis Armstrong. In the 1930s, Caldwell played with Vernon Andrade, Tiny Bradshaw, and Louis Metcalfe, and led his own band, the Happy Pals, in the middle of the decade. He played at Minton's in New York City for a short time, then moved to Philadelphia, where he played with Eugene Slappy and Charlie Gaines. He returned to New York and put together a new ensemble in the 1940s, continuing to work in small settings for several decades. In the 1970s, he played with Jimmy Rushing, including on international tours. |
Birth and Death Data: Born July 25, 1903 (Chicago), Died December 29, 1978 (New York City)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1926 - 1939
Roles Represented in DAHR: tenor saxophone, clarinet
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 1-25 of 26 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | BVE-35762 | 10-in. | 7/13/1926 | Lazy drag | Thomas Morris ; Morris' Hot Babies | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, clarinet, tenor saxophone | |
Victor | BVE-35763 | 10-in. | 7/13/1926 | Jackass blues | Thomas Morris ; Morris' Hot Babies | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, clarinet, tenor saxophone | |
Victor | BVE-35764 | 10-in. | 7/13/1926 | Charleston stampede | Thomas Morris ; Morris' Hot Babies | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, clarinet, tenor saxophone | |
Victor | BVE-36047 | 10-in. | 8/17/1926 | Georgia grind | Thomas Morris ; Morris' Hot Babies | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, clarinet, tenor saxophone | |
Victor | BVE-36048 | 10-in. | 8/17/1926 | Ham gravy | Thomas Morris ; Morris' Hot Babies | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, clarinet, tenor saxophone | |
Victor | BVE-48345 | 10-in. | 2/8/1929 | I'm gonna stomp Mr. Henry Lee | Eddie's Hot Shots | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | |
Victor | BVE-48346 | 10-in. | 2/8/1929 | That's a serious thing | Eddie's Hot Shots | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | |
Victor | BS-010571 | 10-in. | 6/14/1937 | Hot Club stomp | Mezz Mezzrow Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | |
Victor | BS-010572 | 10-in. | 6/14/1937 | The swing session's called to order | Mezz Mezzrow Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | |
Victor | BS-041360 | 10-in. | 9/28/1939 | Climax rag | Jelly Roll Morton ; New Orleans Jazzmen | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | |
Victor | BS-041361 | 10-in. | 9/28/1939 | Don't you leave me here | Jelly Roll Morton ; New Orleans Jazzmen | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | |
Victor | BS-041362 | 10-in. | 9/28/1939 | West End blues | Jelly Roll Morton ; New Orleans Jazzmen | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | |
Victor | BS-041363 | 10-in. | 9/28/1939 | Ballin' the jack | Jelly Roll Morton ; New Orleans Jazzmen | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | |
Victor | BS-041456 | 10-in. | 9/14/1939 | Oh, didn't he ramble | Jelly Roll Morton ; New Orleans Jazzmen | Jazz/dance band, with talk | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | |
Victor | BS-041457 | 10-in. | 9/14/1939 | High society | Jelly Roll Morton ; New Orleans Jazzmen | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | |
Victor | BS-041458 | 10-in. | 9/14/1939 | I thought I heard Buddy Bolden say | Jelly Roll Morton ; New Orleans Jazzmen | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | |
Victor | BS-041459 | 10-in. | 9/14/1939 | Winin' boy blues | Jelly Roll Morton ; New Orleans Jazzmen | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | |
OKeh | W401689 | 10-in. | 3/5/1929 | Knockin' a jug | Louis Armstrong Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | |
Decca | 38693 | 10-in. | 9/19/1934 | Shout, sister, shout | Tiny Bradshaw Orchestra | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone, clarinet | ||
Decca | 38694 | 10-in. | 9/19/1934 | Mister, will you serenade? | Tiny Bradshaw Orchestra | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone, clarinet | ||
Decca | 38695 | 10-in. | 9/19/1934 | The Darktown Strutters' Ball | Tiny Bradshaw Orchestra | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone, clarinet | ||
Decca | 38696 | 10-in. | 9/19/1934 | The Sheik of Araby | Tiny Bradshaw Orchestra | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone, clarinet | ||
Decca | 38785 | 10-in. | 10/3/1934 | Ol' man river | Tiny Bradshaw Orchestra | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone, clarinet | ||
Decca | 38786 | 10-in. | 10/3/1934 | I ain't got nobody | Tiny Bradshaw Orchestra | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone, clarinet | ||
Decca | 38787 | 10-in. | 10/3/1934 | I'm a ding dong Daddy | Tiny Bradshaw Orchestra | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone, clarinet |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Caldwell, Happy," accessed November 2, 2024, https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/107794.
Caldwell, Happy. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 2, 2024, from https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/107794.
"Caldwell, Happy." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 2 November 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Happy Caldwell
Discogs: Happy Caldwell
Allmusic: Happy Caldwell
Grove: Happy Caldwell
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Caldwell, Happy - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n98011003
Wikidata: Happy Caldwell - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1584251
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/53459497
MusicBrainz: Happy Caldwell - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/7081d644-65ea-46fd-9c09-5be3b7c2158f
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