Jimmy Durante
James Francis Durante ( də-RAN-tee, Italian: [duˈrante]; February 10, 1893 – January 29, 1980) was an American comedian, actor, singer, and pianist. His distinctive gravelly speech, Lower East Side accent, comic language-butchery, jazz-influenced songs, and prominent nose helped make him one of America's most familiar and popular personalities of the 1920s through the 1970s. He often referred to his nose as the schnozzola (Italianization of the American Yiddish slang word schnoz, meaning "big nose"), and the word became his nickname. |
Birth and Death Data: Born February 10, 1893 (Manhattan), Died January 28, 1980 (Santa Monica)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1921 - 1959
Roles Represented in DAHR: vocalist, piano, composer, songwriter, lyricist, speaker
Notes: Full name: James Francis Durante.
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor | B-25777 | 10-in. | 11/22/1921 | I've got my habits on | Isabelle Patricola | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | composer | |
| Victor | BVE-78568 | 10-in. | 11/22/1933 | Inka dinka doo | Hotel McAlpin Orchestra ; Sam Robbins | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
| Victor | BVE-81100 | 10-in. | 12/26/1933 | Inka dinka doo | The Chanters ; Don Bestor Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with vocal chorus | composer | |
| Victor | BAVE-86662 | 10-in. | 10/3/1934 | Inka-dinka-doo | Orquesta Típica Victor | Instrumental ensemble, with male vocal solo | composer | |
| Columbia | 79986 | 10-in. | 9/13/1921 | Who'll be the next one (to cry over you) | Happy Six | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
| Columbia | 80389 | 10-in. | 6/19/1922 | I ain't never had nobody crazy over me | Nora Bayes | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | songwriter | |
| Columbia | 80434 | 10-in. | 6/30/1922 | I've got my habits on | Garber-Davis Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
| Columbia | W148495 | 10-in. | 5/9/1929 | Can Broadway do without me? | Lou Clayton ; Jimmy Durante ; Eddie Jackson | Comic scene | lyricist, speaker, vocalist, composer | |
| Columbia | W148496 | 10-in. | 5/9/1929 | So I ups to him! | Lou Clayton ; Jimmy Durante ; Eddie Jackson | Comic scene | lyricist, speaker, composer, vocalist | |
| Columbia | W152558 | 10-in. | 11/21/1933 | Inka dinka doo | Ferde Grofé Orchestra ; Rhythm Boys | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal quartet | composer | |
| OKeh | S-70070 | 10-in. | Aug. 1921 | I didn't start in to love you (Until you stopped loving me) | Daisy Martin ; Tampa Blue Jazz Band | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | composer | |
| OKeh | S-70075 | 10-in. | Aug. 1921 | Daddy, your mama is lonesome for you | Mamie Smith and her Jazz Band | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | composer | |
| OKeh | S-70246 | 10-in. | Oct. 1921 | Let's agree to disagree | Jazz Hounds ; Mamie Smith | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | songwriter | |
| OKeh | S-70285 | 10-in. | Oct. 1921 | I've got my habits on | Joseph Samuels Jazz Band | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
| OKeh | S-70650 | 10-in. | May 1922 | Mean daddy blues | Jazz Hounds ; Mamie Smith | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | composer | |
| Brunswick | 6946-6948 | 10-in. | approximately Dec. 1921 | I've got my habits on | Benny Krueger’s Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
| Brunswick | 15288-15291 | 10-in. | 3/26/1925 | You’re talking to the wrong man now | Hamtree Harrington | Male vocal solo, with piano | composer | |
| Edison | 8303 | 10-in. | 11/25/1921 | I've got my habits on | Al Bernard ; Vernon Dalhart | Male vocal duet, with orchestra | composer | |
| Edison | 8509 | 10-in. | 6/27/1922 | At the Honky Tonk Steppers Ball | Al Bernard | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | songwriter | |
| Edison | 8978 | 10-in. | 5/15/1923 | I ain't never had nobody crazy over me | Jazz-O-Harmonists | Jazz/dance band | songwriter | |
| Decca | 81782 | 10/26/1951 | You say the nicest things | Jimmy Durante ; Ethel Merman | vocalist | |||
| Decca | 81783 | 10/26/1951 | A husband, a wife | Jimmy Durante ; Ethel Merman | vocalist | |||
| Decca | 81784 | 10/26/1951 | If you catch a little cold | Jimmy Durante ; Ethel Merman | vocalist | |||
| Decca | 101933 | 3/8/1957 | A real piano player | Jimmy Durante | vocalist | |||
| Decca | 101934 | 3/8/1957 | I'm as ready as I'll ever be-2 | Jimmy Durante | vocalist | |||
| Decca | 101935 | 3/8/1957 | There's a place in the theatre for you ; Who will be with you when I'm far away-3 | Jimmy Durante | vocalist | |||
| Decca | 101936 | 3/8/1957 | Clud Durante medley-4: Start off each day with a song ; Bill Bailey ; I can do without Broadway ; Jimmy the well-dressed man ; So I ups to Him ; Because they all love you | Jimmy Durante | vocalist | |||
| Decca | 101937 | 3/8/1957 | Sing soft, sing sweet, sing gentle-5 | Jimmy Durante | vocalist | |||
| Decca | 101938 | 3/8/1957 | Our voices were meant for each other ; Put on your old grey bonnet ; Waiting for the Robert E. Lee -6 | Jimmy Durante | vocalist | |||
| Decca | 101939 | 3/8/1957 | The boys with the Proboskis-7 | Jimmy Durante | vocalist | |||
| Decca | 101940 | 3/8/1957 | The world needs new faces ; Start off each day with a song ; If you knew Susie-8 | Jimmy Durante | vocalist | |||
| Decca | 101941 | 3/8/1957 | Wingin' with rhythm and blues-9 | Jimmy Durante | vocalist | |||
| Decca | 106420 | 1/30/1959 | Good night | Jimmy Durante | vocalist, instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | 106421 | 1/30/1959 | Inka dinka doo | Jimmy Durante | vocalist, instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | 106422 | 1/30/1959 | Mad bird dog | Jimmy Durante | vocalist, instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | 106423 | 2/2/1959 | Start off each day with a song | Jimmy Durante | vocalist, instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | 106424 | 2/2/1959 | You made me love you | Jimmy Durante | vocalist, instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | 106425 | 2/2/1959 | By the light of the silvery moon | Jimmy Durante | vocalist, instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | 106426 | 2/3/1959 | I want a girl | Jimmy Durante | vocalist, instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | 106427 | 2/3/1959 | Shine on harvest moon | Jimmy Durante | vocalist, instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | 106428 | 2/3/1959 | Carolina in the morning | Jimmy Durante | vocalist, instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | 106429 | 2/3/1959 | Take an L | Jimmy Durante | vocalist, instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | 106430 | 2/3/1959 | The best things in life are free | Jimmy Durante | vocalist, instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | 106431 | 2/3/1959 | Ida, sweet as apple cider | Jimmy Durante | vocalist, instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | L 3480 | 10-in. | 7/26/1944 | Inka dinka doo | Jimmy Durante | vocalist | ||
| Decca | L 3481 | 10-in. | 7/26/1944 | Umbriago | Jimmy Durante | vocalist | ||
| Decca | L 3612 | 10-in. | 9/26/1944 | I am Durante the patron of the arts | Jimmy Durante | vocalist | ||
| Decca | L 3613 | 10-in. | 9/26/1944 | Start off each day with a song | Jimmy Durante | vocalist | ||
| Decca | L 3624 | 10-in. | 10/3/1944 | Who will be with you when I'm far away? | Jimmy Durante | vocalist | ||
| Decca | L 3625 | 10-in. | 10/3/1944 | Broadway my street | Jimmy Durante | vocalist | ||
| Decca | L 3650 | 10-in. | 10/18/1944 | So I ups to him | Jimmy Durante | vocalist | ||
| Decca | L 3651 | 10-in. | 10/18/1944 | Joe goes up—I come down | Jimmy Durante | vocalist | ||
| Decca | L 3652 | 10-in. | 10/18/1944 | Jimmy, the well-dressed man | Jimmy Durante | vocalist | ||
| Decca | L 6388 | 8/12/1951 | How d'ye do and shake hands | Danny Kaye ; Jane Wyman | vocalist | |||
| Decca | L 6389 | 8/12/1951 | Black strap molasses | Danny Kaye ; Jane Wyman | vocalist | |||
| Decca | L 7969 | 11/4/1954 | Pupalina ( My little doll ) | Jimmy Durante | vocalist | |||
| Decca | L 7970 | 11/4/1954 | Little people | Jimmy Durante | vocalist | |||
| Decca | L 8351 | 4/21/1955 | It's bigger than both of us-1 | Patty Andrews ; Jimmy Durante | vocalist | |||
| Decca | L 8352 | 4/21/1955 | When the circus leaves town | Jimmy Durante | vocalist | |||
| Decca | L 8353 | 4/12/1955 | Swingin' with rhythm and blues-3 | Jimmy Durante | vocalist | |||
| Decca | L 8354 | 4/21/1955 | I love you, I do-2 | Jimmy Durante | vocalist | |||
| Decca | [De cat ED-2526] | 3/4/1949 | A real piano player | Jimmy Durante ; Al Jolson | vocalist |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Durante, Jimmy," accessed April 20, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103062.
Durante, Jimmy. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 20, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103062.
"Durante, Jimmy." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 20 April 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Jimmy Durante
Discogs: Jimmy Durante
Allmusic: Jimmy Durante
Apple Music: Jimmy Durante
Grove: Jimmy Durante
IMDb: Jimmy Durante
Britannica: Jimmy Durante
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Durante, Jimmy, 1893-1980 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n81022178
Wikidata: Jimmy Durante - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q471023
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/69731589
MusicBrainz: Jimmy Durante - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/c4c8a72e-a518-48ba-bd59-c27ea6f8d932
Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license
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