Resource id #75
Image Source: Wikipedia

Paul Whiteman

Paul Samuel Whiteman (March 28, 1890 – December 29, 1967) was an American bandleader, composer, orchestral director, and violinist.

As the leader of one of the most popular dance bands in the United States during the 1920s and early 1930s, Whiteman produced recordings that were immensely successful, and press notices often referred to him as the "King of Jazz". His most popular recordings include "Whispering", "Valencia", "Three O'Clock in the Morning", "In a Little Spanish Town", and "Parade of the Wooden Soldiers". Whiteman led a usually large ensemble and explored many styles of music, such as blending symphonic music and jazz, as in his debut of Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin.

Whiteman recorded many jazz and pop standards during his career, including "Wang Wang Blues", "Mississippi Mud", "Rhapsody in Blue", "Wonderful One", "Hot Lips (He's Got Hot Lips When He Plays Jazz)", "Mississippi Suite", "Grand Canyon Suite", and "Trav'lin' Light". He co-wrote the 1925 jazz classic "Flamin' Mamie". His popularity faded in the swing music era of the mid-1930s, and by the 1940s he was semi-retired from music. He experienced a revival and had a comeback in the 1950s with his own network television series, Paul Whiteman's Goodyear Revue, which ran for three seasons on ABC. He also hosted the 1954 ABC talent contest show On the Boardwalk with Paul Whiteman.

Whiteman's place in the history of early jazz is somewhat controversial. Detractors suggest that his ornately orchestrated music was jazz in name only, lacking the genre's improvisational and emotional depth, and co-opted the innovations of black musicians. Defenders note that Whiteman's fondness for jazz was genuine. He worked with black musicians as much as was feasible during an era of racial segregation. His bands included many of the era's most esteemed white musicians, and his groups handled jazz admirably as part of a larger repertoire.

Critic Scott Yanow declares that Whiteman's orchestra "did play very good jazz...His superior dance band used some of the most technically skilled musicians of the era in a versatile show that included everything from pop tunes and waltzes to semi-classical works and jazz. [...] Many of his recordings (particularly those with Beiderbecke) have been reissued numerous times and are more rewarding than his detractors would lead one to believe."

In his autobiography, Duke Ellington declared, "Paul Whiteman was known as the King of Jazz, and no one as yet has come near carrying that title with more certainty and dignity."

Birth and Death Data: Born March 28, 1891 (Denver), Died December 29, 1967 (Doylestown)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1920 - 1954

Roles Represented in DAHR: leader, director, composer, violin, songwriter, conductor, other, arranger, session supervisor, speaker, viola

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

Recordings (Results 651-675 of 859 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Columbia W141652 10-in. 2/9/1926 Flamin' Mamie Fred Rose Male vocal solo, with orchestra songwriter  
Columbia W146249 10-in. 5/13/1928 Last night I dreamed you kissed me Paul Whiteman Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia W146250 10-in. 5/13/1928 Evening star (Help me find my man) Paul Whiteman Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal quartet leader  
Columbia W146291 10-in. 5/17/1928 C-o-n-s-t-a-n-t-i-n-o-p-l-e Paul Whiteman Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal quartet leader  
Columbia W146316 10-in. 5/21/1928 'Taint so, honey, 'taint so Paul Whiteman Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with vocal ensemble leader  
Columbia W146317 10-in. 5/22/1928 Is it gonna be long (Till you belong to me)? Paul Whiteman Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader  
Columbia W146318 10-in. 5/22/1928 Japanese mammy Paul Whiteman Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal quintet leader  
Columbia W146319 10-in. 5/22/1928 Get out and get under the moon Paul Whiteman Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and male vocal quartet leader  
Columbia W146320 10-in. 5/22/1928 I'd rather cry over you (Than smile at somebody else) Paul Whiteman Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with vocal sextet leader  
Columbia W146326 10-in. 5/23/1928 In the evening Paul Whiteman Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal trio leader  
Columbia W146327 10-in. 5/23/1928 Oh! You have no idea Paul Whiteman Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader  
Columbia W146328 10-in. 5/23/1928 Mother Goose parade Paul Whiteman Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia W146329 10-in. 5/24/1928 Blue night Paul Whiteman Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia W146334 10-in. 5/25/1928 Felix the Cat Paul Whiteman Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia W146335 10-in. 5/25/1928 (Come back) Chiquita Paul Whiteman Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader  
Columbia W146541 10-in. 6/17/1928 I'm on the crest of a wave Paul Whiteman Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and male vocal trio leader  
Columbia W146542 10-in. 6/17/1928 That's my weakness now Paul Whiteman Orchestra ; Rhythm Boys Jazz/dance band, with male vocal trio leader  
Columbia W146543 10-in. 6/17/1928 Georgie Porgie Paul Whiteman Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal trio leader  
Columbia W146544 10-in. 6/17/1928 If you don't love me Paul Whiteman Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia W146545 10-in. 6/17/1928 Just like a melody out of the sky Paul Whiteman Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and male vocal trio leader  
Columbia W146546 10-in. 6/17/1928 Lonesome in the moonlight Paul Whiteman Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal trio leader  
Columbia W146547 10-in. 6/18/1928 Just a little bit o' driftwood Paul Whiteman Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia W146548 10-in. 6/18/1928 Sorry for me Paul Whiteman Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with vocalist(s) leader  
Columbia W146549 10-in. 6/18/1928 Because my baby don't mean "maybe" now! Paul Whiteman Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and male vocal trio leader  
Columbia W146550 10-in. 6/18/1928 Out-o'-town gal Paul Whiteman Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and male vocal trio leader  
(Results 651-675 of 859 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Whiteman, Paul," accessed March 28, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104378.

Whiteman, Paul. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 28, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104378.

"Whiteman, Paul." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 28 March 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104378

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

Feedback

Send the Editors a message about this record.