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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 751-775 of 859 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Columbia W98570 12-in. 9/6/1928 Concerto in F Roy Bargy ; Paul Whiteman Orchestra Jazz/dance band and piano leader  
Columbia W98575 12-in. 9/17/1928 Concerto in F Roy Bargy ; Paul Whiteman Orchestra Jazz/dance band and piano leader  
Columbia W98576 12-in. 9/15/1928 Concerto in F Roy Bargy ; Paul Whiteman Orchestra Jazz/dance band and piano leader  
Columbia W98577 12-in. 9/17/1928 Jeannine, I dream of lilac time Paul Whiteman Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia W98578 12-in. 9/18/1928 Concerto in F Roy Bargy ; Paul Whiteman Orchestra Jazz/dance band and piano leader  
Columbia W98579 12-in. 9/18/1928 Gypsy Paul Whiteman Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia W98584 12-in. 9/18/1928 Sweet Sue—just you Paul Whiteman Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia W98586 12-in. 9/19/1928 Christmas melodies Paul Whiteman Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with vocal chorus (humming) leader  
Columbia W98589 12-in. 9/21/1928 I can't give you anything but love Paul Whiteman Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia W98610 12-in. 12/13/1928 Liebestraum Paul Whiteman Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader  
Columbia W98653 12-in. 4/25/1929 Song of India Paul Whiteman Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader  
OKeh S-7652 10-in. Nov. 1920 Bonnie lassie Charles Hart Male vocal solo with male vocal quartet and orchestra composer  
OKeh 9541 10-in. 2/26/1926 Flamin' Mamie Merritt Brunies ; Friars Inn Orchestra [Merritt Brunies] Jazz/dance band songwriter  
OKeh S-71507 10-in. May 1923 Wonderful one Hotel Pennsylvania Orchestra ; Vincent Lopez Jazz/dance band composer  
OKeh S-73030 10-in. 12/17/1924 When the one you love loves you Justin Ring Trio ; Bruce Wallace Male vocal solo, with instrumental trio composer  
OKeh S-73169 10-in. 2/13/1925 Madeline (Be mine) Hotel Pennsylvania Orchestra ; Vincent Lopez Jazz/dance band composer  
Brunswick 9706-9708 10-in. approximately Jan. 1923 Wonderful one Carl Fenton’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer  
Brunswick 10894-10896 10-in. 6/20/1923 Wonderful one Allen McQuhae Male vocal solo, with instrumental trio composer  
Brunswick 15610-15611 10-in. 4/21/1925 When the one you love loves you Morton Downey ; Dan Lieberfeld Male vocal solo, with piano composer  
Brunswick E15612 10-in. 4/21/1925 When the one you love loves you Morton Downey ; Dan Lieberfeld Male vocal solo, with piano composer  
Brunswick E1831-E1833 10-in. 11/27/1925 Flamin' Mamie Ernest Hare ; Billy Jones Male vocal duet, with banjo and piano songwriter  
Brunswick E1949-E1951 10-in. 12/16/1925 Flamin' Mamie Ernest Hare ; Billy Jones Male vocal duet, with banjo and piano songwriter  
Brunswick E2040-E2042 10-in. 1/6/1926 Flamin’ Mamie Ernest Hare ; Billy Jones Male vocal duet, with piano songwriter  
Brunswick E17880-E17883 10-in. 2/8/1926 Flamin’ Mamie Mike Markel's Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Brunswick E22913-E22915 10-in. 5/3/1927 Wide open spaces Colonial Club Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
(Results 751-775 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

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