Cab Calloway

Cabell "Cab" Calloway III (December 25, 1907 – November 18, 1994) was an American jazz singer, dancer, and bandleader. He was associated with the Cotton Club in Harlem, New York City, where he was a regular performer.

Calloway was a master of energetic scat singing and led one of the United States' most popular big bands from the start of the 1930s to the late 1940s. Calloway's band included trumpeters Dizzy Gillespie and Adolphus "Doc" Cheatham, saxophonists Ben Webster and Leon "Chu" Berry, New Orleans guitarist Danny Barker, and bassist Milt Hinton.

Calloway had several hits in the 1930s–1940s, becoming known as the "Hi-de-ho" man of jazz for his most famous song, "Minnie the Moocher", recorded in 1931. He also made several stage, film, and television appearances until his death in 1994 at the age of 86. He influenced later singers such as Michael Jackson and various hip-hop performers. Calloway was the first African American musician to sell a million records from a single song and to have a nationally syndicated radio show. He is in the Grammy Hall of Fame and received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

There was latter interest in 1980 when he appeared in The Blues Brothers film.

Birth and Death Data: Born December 25, 1907 (Rochester), Died November 18, 1994 (Hockessin)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1930 - 1961

Roles Represented in DAHR: vocalist, director, leader, songwriter, composer, lyricist

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

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 80 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor CRC-53039 12-in. 4/20/1931 I'll make fun of you Cab Calloway ; Cotton Club Orchestra ; Hellmut H. Hellmut Radio broadcast : Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo, and announcements director  
Victor CRC-53040 12-in. 4/21/1931 Something to remember you by [conclusion] Cab Calloway ; Cotton Club Orchestra ; Hellmut H. Hellmut Radio broadcast : Jazz/dance band, with female and male vocal solos, and announcements vocalist, director  
Victor CRC-53041 12-in. 4/21/1931 The mystery song Cab Calloway ; Cotton Club Orchestra ; Hellmut H. Hellmut Radio broadcast : Tap dancing with piano, jazz/dance band with male vocal solo, and announcements vocalist, director  
Victor CRC-53042 12-in. 4/21/1931 St. Louis blues [conclusion] Cab Calloway ; Cotton Club Orchestra ; Hellmut H. Hellmut Radio broadcast : Jazz/dance band with male vocal solo, male vocal trio with piano, and announcements vocalist, director  
Victor CRC-53043 12-in. 4/21/1931 Farewell blues Cab Calloway ; Cotton Club Orchestra ; Hellmut H. Hellmut Radio broadcast : Jazz/dance band, and announcements director  
Victor ABRC-64084 10-in. 4/2/1931 Minnie the Moocher Five Rhythm Kings Jazz/dance band, with vocal solo songwriter  
Victor ABRC-64087 10-in. 4/2/1931 Minnie the moocher Five Rhythm Kings Jazz/dance band, with vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BRC-69980 10-in. 6/26/1931 Minnie the Moocher Chick Bullock ; Mills Blue Rhythm Band Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet and vocal chorus songwriter  
Victor BRC-72560 10-in. 5/10/1932 The scat song Billy Banks Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer  
Victor BS-74732 10-in. 12/27/1932 The scat song The Sizzlers Male vocal trio, with piano composer  
Victor BS-77684 10-in. 9/18/1933 Evenin' Cab Calloway ; Cotton Club Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist, director  
Victor BS-77685 10-in. 9/18/1933 I learned about love from her Cab Calloway ; Cotton Club Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo director, vocalist  
Victor BS-77697 10-in. 9/21/1933 Little town gal Cab Calloway ; Cotton Club Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo director, vocalist  
Victor BS-77698 10-in. 9/21/1933 Harlem hospitality Cab Calloway ; Cotton Club Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo director, vocalist  
Victor BS-78503 10-in. 11/2/1933 The lady with the fan Cab Calloway ; Cotton Club Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and vocal chorus songwriter, vocalist, director  
Victor BS-78504 10-in. 11/2/1933 Harlem camp meeting Cab Calloway ; Cotton Club Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and vocal chorus vocalist, director  
Victor BS-78505 10-in. 11/2/1933 Zaz zuh zaz Cab Calloway ; Cotton Club Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and vocal chorus songwriter, vocalist, director  
Victor BS-78506 10-in. 11/2/1933 Father's got his glasses on Cab Calloway ; Cotton Club Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo director, vocalist  
Victor BVE-78866 10-in. 12/18/1933 Minnie the Moocher Cab Calloway ; Cotton Club Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and chorus songwriter, vocalist, director  
Victor BVE-78867 10-in. 12/18/1933 The scat song Cab Calloway ; Cotton Club Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and chorus composer, vocalist, director  
Victor BS-78868 10-in. 12/18/1933 Kicking the gong around Cab Calloway ; Cotton Club Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and chorus vocalist, director  
Victor BVE-78869 10-in. 12/18/1933 There's a cabin in the cotton Cab Calloway ; Cotton Club Orchestra ; Bennie Payne Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet vocalist, director  
Victor BS-81088 10-in. 1/22/1934 'Long about midnight Cotton Club Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist, director  
Victor BS-81089 10-in. 1/22/1934 Moon glow Cab Calloway ; Cotton Club Orchestra Jazz/dance band director  
Victor BS-81090 10-in. 1/22/1934 Jitter bug Cab Calloway ; Cotton Club Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and vocal ensemble vocalist, songwriter, director  
(Results 1-25 of 80 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Calloway, Cab," accessed June 2, 2023, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103488.

Calloway, Cab. (2023). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved June 2, 2023, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103488.

"Calloway, Cab." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2023. Web. 2 June 2023.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103488

Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license

Feedback

Send the Editors a message about this record.