Gus Mueller
Gustave "Gussie" Mueller (April 17, 1890 – December 16, 1965) was an early jazz clarinetist. The New Orleans, Louisiana-born Mueller was a top clarinetist with Papa Jack Laine's bands in New Orleans before going to Chicago, Illinois with Tom Brown's band in early 1915. After serving in the Army in World War I he moved to California and joined the early Paul Whiteman Orchestra, with which he moved to New York City. He helped give the Whiteman band a touch of the Dixieland jazz style. One of the Whiteman Orchestra's early hit records, as well as one of the unfortunately few recordings where Mueller can be heard prominently, is Wang Wang Blues which Mueller dominates in a style similar to Larry Shields. Mueller also shares composer credit on "Wang Wang". According to Whiteman, Mueller was reluctant to learning how to read music, for fear that it would impair his abilities as a "hot player". He left the Whiteman band in November 1920, saying "I jes' can't play that 'pretty music' that you all play. And you fellers can't never play blues worth a damn". Mueller returned to California to join his old friend Ray Lopez in the Abe Lyman Orchestra. Mueller stayed in the Los Angeles area and remained active as a musician well in to the 1940s, mainly performing with "Hillbilly" bands. He rejoins Whiteman in Capitol Record's Hollywood studios in 1945, for a recreation of the famous Wang-Wang Blues. On the record Mueller replicates in detail his phrases from the 1920 recording. |
Birth and Death Data: Born April 17, 1890 (New Orleans), Died December 16, 1965 (Hollywood)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1920 - 1930
Roles Represented in DAHR: composer, alto saxophone, clarinet, songwriter
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 1-25 of 29 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | B-24390 | 10-in. | 8/9/1920 | The Japanese sandman | Ambassador Orchestra ; Paul Whiteman | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, alto saxophone | |
Victor | C-24391 | 12-in. | 8/9/1920 | Avalon | Ambassador Orchestra ; Paul Whiteman | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, clarinet, alto saxophone | |
Victor | BVE-24392 | 10-in. | 9/22/1927 | Wang wang blues | Paul Whiteman Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
Victor | B-24392 | 10-in. | 8/9/1920 | Wang-wang blues | Ambassador Orchestra ; Paul Whiteman | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, clarinet, composer | |
Victor | B-24393 | 10-in. | 8/9/1920 | Whispering | Ambassador Orchestra ; Paul Whiteman | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, alto saxophone | |
Victor | C-24394 | 12-in. | 8/19/1920 | Best ever medley | Ambassador Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, alto saxophone | |
Victor | B-24400 | 10-in. | 8/23/1920 | Anytime, anyday, anywhere | Ambassador Orchestra ; Paul Whiteman | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, clarinet, alto saxophone | |
Victor | B-24545 | 10-in. | 11/3/1920 | Honolulu eyes | Ambassador Orchestra ; Paul Whiteman | Jazz/dance band, with whistling | instrumentalist, alto saxophone | |
Victor | C-24545 | 12-in. | 10/22/1920 | Honolulu eyes | Ambassador Orchestra ; Paul Whiteman | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, alto saxophone | |
Victor | B-24546 | 10-in. | 10/22/1920 | Darling | Ambassador Orchestra ; Paul Whiteman | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, alto saxophone | |
Victor | C-24556 | 12-in. | 10/28/1920 | Grieving for you | Ambassador Orchestra ; Paul Whiteman | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, alto saxophone | |
Victor | C-24557 | 12-in. | 10/28/1920 | My wonder girl | Ambassador Orchestra ; Paul Whiteman | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, alto saxophone | |
Victor | C-24560 | 12-in. | 11/3/1920 | Just snap your fingers at care | Paul Whiteman Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, alto saxophone | |
Victor | PBVE-42079 | 10-in. | 3/12/1928 | Wang-wang blues | Sam-Ku-West Harmony Boys | Instrumental ensemble (Hawaiian) | composer | |
Victor | BVE-49673 | 10-in. | 1/22/1929 | Wang-wang blues | Ben's Bad Boys ; Ben Pollack | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
Columbia | 79839 | 10-in. | 5/12/1921 | Wang wang blues | Van and Schenck | Male vocal duet, with orchestra | composer | |
Columbia | 79963 | 10-in. | 8/18/1921 | Wang wang blues | Ted Lewis and his Band | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
Columbia | 143638 | 10-in. | 3/23/1927 | The wang wang blues | Dixie Stompers | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
Columbia | W146163 | 10-in. | 4/20/1928 | The wang wang blues | Red Mountain Trio | Instrumental trio, with male vocal solo and talking | composer | |
Columbia | W148541 | 10-in. | 5/16/1929 | The wang wang blues | Fletcher Henderson's Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | songwriter | |
OKeh | S-7816 | 10-in. | Mar. 1921 | Wang wang blues | Black Devil Orchestra ; J. Tim Brymn | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
OKeh | S-70085 | 10-in. | Aug. 1921 | Wang wang blues | Horace Davis ; Sam Moore | Octo-chorda and guitar duet | composer | |
OKeh | S-70142 | 10-in. | Sept. 1921 | Wang wang blues | Mamie Smith and her Jazz Band | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | composer | |
OKeh | S-70172 | 10-in. | Sept. 1921 | Wang wang blues | Norfolk Jazz Quartet | Male vocal quartet, unaccompanied | composer | |
OKeh | W80731 | 10-in. | 4/14/1927 | The wang wang blues | The Goofus Five | Jazz/dance ensemble | composer |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Mueller, Gus," accessed November 24, 2024, https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/114606.
Mueller, Gus. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 24, 2024, from https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/114606.
"Mueller, Gus." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 24 November 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Gussie Mueller
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Mueller, Gus, 1890-1965 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no2008185693
Wikidata: Gussie Mueller - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q5620939
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/68761400
MusicBrainz: Gussie Mueller - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/1dd660c2-b2ea-497e-811a-21432985783d
Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license
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