Alex Hill

Alex Hill (April 22, 1906 – February 1937) was an American jazz pianist.

Hill was a child prodigy on piano, which he learned from his mother. While studying at Shorter College he met Alphonse Trent, and began arranging material for him. He graduated in 1922 and played in various territory bands, including Terrence Holder's. From 1924 to 1926 he led his own ensemble; later in 1926 he played with Speed Webb, and in 1927 he spent time with Mutt Carey's Jeffersonians and Paul Howard's Quality Serenaders.

Late in 1927 he relocated to Chicago, and held a job as an arranger for the Melrose Music Publishing Company, while simultaneously arranging for the Carroll Dickerson Orchestra. He played with Jimmy Wade in 1928, Jimmie Noone in 1929, and Sammy Stewart in 1930. In 1929, Hill plus the guitar players Dan Roberts and Alex Robinson, recorded for Paramount Records billed as the Hokum Boys. Later that year, Ikey Robinson recorded for OKeh Records, both with Jimmy Blythe and later with Hill. In addition, in the second half of 1929 this ensemble was joined by Leroy Carr and Scrapper Blackwell, issuing a small number of recordings billed as the Famous Hokum Boys.

While on tour with Stewart he moved to New York City. There he arranged for Paul Whiteman, Benny Carter, Claude Hopkins, Andy Kirk, Ina Ray Hutton, the Mills Blue Rhythm Orchestra, and Duke Ellington. He also did charts for Fats Waller, Eddie Condon, and Willie Bryant. Additionally, he became staff arranger for the Mills Music Company. He and Fats Waller did a show together in New York called Hello 1931, and accompanied Adelaide Hall. He recorded his own composition Passing Time With Me with Art Gillham on Columbia Records on October 7, 1930.

Hill again put together his own group in 1935, but after playing at the Savoy Ballroom, he disbanded the ensemble due to his tuberculosis. He moved back to Little Rock, Arkansas, and died in 1937 at the age of 30.

Most of his recordings can be found on Alex Hill 1928-34, released on CD by Timeless Records in 1998. It includes recordings he made with Albert Wynn, Jimmy Wade, Jimmie Noone, Junie Cobb, Eddie Condon, and the Hokum Trio. in addition to 11 tunes he did as bandleader.

Birth and Death Data: Born April 19, 1906 (Little Rock), Died February 1, 1937 (Little Rock)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1928 - 1938

Roles Represented in DAHR: piano, composer, songwriter, lyricist, tenor vocal, leader, arranger

Notes: Sometimes listed as Alexander Hill.

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 76-100 of 105 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Brunswick E36655 10-in. 4/23/1931 Shout, Sister, shout Boswell Sisters Female vocal trio, with jazz/dance band songwriter  
Brunswick E36833 10-in. 5/27/1931 Keep a song in your soul Bill Robinson Tap dancing, with orchestra songwriter  
Brunswick C2423 10-in. 10/9/1928 Crying my blues away Gut Bucket Five ; Albert Wynn Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer, lyricist  
Brunswick C2428 10-in. 10/10/1928 Mississippi wobble Jimmy Wade Dixielanders Jazz/dance band composer  
Brunswick C2609 10-in. 11/28/1928 Beau-Koo Jack Walter Barnes ; Royal Creolians Jazz/dance band composer  
Brunswick C2627 10-in. 12/4/1928 Tellin’ my troubles Octavia Dick Female vocal solo, with piano instrumentalist, piano, composer  
Brunswick C2628 10-in. 12/4/1928 Please let me have it Octavia Dick Female vocal solo, with male vocal solo and piano instrumentalist, piano, composer  
Brunswick C2704 10-in. 12/24/1928 Beau-Koo Jack Walter Barnes ; Royal Creolians Jazz/dance band composer  
Brunswick C2921 10-in. 2/7/1929 Don’t cry, honey Junie C. Cobb ; Grains of Corn Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Brunswick C3210 10-in. 3/30/1929 Stompin’ ‘em down Alex Hill Piano solo, with traps lyricist, composer, instrumentalist, piano  
Brunswick C3211 10-in. 3/30/1929 Tack head blues Alex Hill Piano solo, with traps composer, lyricist, instrumentalist, piano  
Brunswick C4105 10-in. 8/21/1929 Beau-Koo Jack Omer Simeon Clarinet solo, with piano and traps composer  
Brunswick C4330 10-in. 9/11/1929 Beau-koo Jack Omer Simeon Clarinet solo, with banjo and piano composer  
Brunswick C4331 10-in. 9/11/1929 Beau-Koo Jack Omer Simeon Clarinet solo, with banjo and piano composer  
Brunswick C5035 10-in. 12/20/1929 Dyin’ with the blues Alex Hill Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader, composer  
Brunswick C5036 10-in. 12/20/1929 Toogaloo shout Alex Hill Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader, composer  
Brunswick C5273 10-in. 2/8/1930 St. James’ Infirmary Alex Hill Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Brunswick C5274 10-in. 2/8/1930 St. James’ Infirmary Alex Hill Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Brunswick C5275 10-in. 2/8/1930 South bound Alex Hill Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader, composer  
Brunswick C5276 10-in. 2/8/1930 Dyin’ with the blues Alex Hill Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader, composer  
Brunswick C5277 10-in. 2/8/1930 Dyin’ with the blues Alex Hill Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader, composer  
Brunswick TCL1485 10-in. 5/20/1931 Crazy 'bout my baby Rex Stewart Instrumental solo songwriter  
Gennett 15278 10-in. 6/27/1929 Hokum blues The Hokum Boys Male vocal solo, with guitar and piano vocalist, tenor vocal, instrumentalist, piano  
Gennett 15279 10-in. 6/27/1929 Somebody's been usin' that thing The Hokum Boys Male vocal duet, with guitar and piano vocalist, tenor vocal, instrumentalist, piano  
Gennett 15280 10-in. 6/27/1929 Caught him doing it The Hokum Boys Male vocal duet, with guitar and piano instrumentalist, piano  
(Results 76-100 of 105 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Hill, Alex," accessed May 6, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104820.

Hill, Alex. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved May 6, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104820.

"Hill, Alex." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 6 May 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104820

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