Harry Brooks

Harry Brooks (September 20, 1895 – June 22, 1970) was an American writer of popular songs, jazz pianist and composer in the 1920s to the early 1950s.

Brooks was born in Homestead, Pennsylvania. After graduating from his hometown high school in 1914, he worked as a pianist with Pittsburgh bands (dance orchestras) and then as a staff composer for a publishing company. He is recalled mostly in the 21st century for his work with his friends Thomas "Fats" Waller and the lyricist Andy Razaf. Brooks was the composer of several hit songs including his composition "Ain't Misbehavin'", written with Waller and Razaf.

Also with Razaf and Waller, Brooks scored the Broadway shows Snapshots of 1921 and Connie's Hot Chocolates. He died, aged 74, in Teaneck, New Jersey.

Birth and Death Data: Born September 20, 1895 (Homestead), Died June 22, 1970

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1921 - 1947

Roles Represented in DAHR: composer, piano, trombone, songwriter, arranger

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

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 85 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor B-25501 10-in. 7/19/1921 Saturday Victor Arden ; Phil Ohman Piano duet composer  
Victor B-25515 10-in. 8/16/1921 Saturday Aileen Stanley Female vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor BVE-49492 10-in. 8/2/1929 Ain't misbehavin' Fats Waller Piano solo composer  
Victor BVE-49493 10-in. 8/2/1929 Sweet Savannah Sue Fats Waller Piano solo composer  
Victor BVE-53498 10-in. 7/9/1929 Ain't misbehavin' Leo Reisman Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer  
Victor BVE-53968 10-in. 7/30/1929 Ain't misbehavin' Gene Austin Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor BVE-55928 10-in. 9/20/1929 Sweet Savannah Sue Royal Flush Orchestra ; Fess Williams Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer  
Victor BVE-55929 10-in. 9/20/1929 Ain't misbehavin' Royal Flush Orchestra ; Fess Williams Jazz/dance band, with male vocal quartet composer  
Victor BVE-58529 10-in. 1/28/1930 After you've gone Gene Austin Male vocal solo, with orchestra instrumentalist, piano  
Victor BVE-58530 10-in. 1/28/1930 St. James infirmary Gene Austin Male vocal solo, with orchestra instrumentalist, piano  
Victor BVE-59122 10-in. 1/27/1930 My man o' war Lizzie Miles Female vocal solo, with piano instrumentalist, piano  
Victor BVE-59123 10-in. 1/27/1930 Electrician blues Lizzie Miles Female vocal solo, with piano instrumentalist, piano  
Victor BVE-59124 10-in. 1/27/1930 Good time papa Lizzie Miles Female vocal solo, with piano instrumentalist, piano  
Victor BVE-59125 10-in. 1/27/1930 You ain't had no blues (Till some other woman takes your man) Lizzie Miles Female vocal solo, with piano instrumentalist, piano  
Victor BVE-59693 10-in. 4/11/1930 My gal is good for nothing but love Cotton Club Orchestra ; Duke Ellington Jazz/dance band composer  
Victor BS-92580 10-in. 7/9/1935 Ain't misbehavin' Paul Whiteman Orchestra ; Jack Teagarden Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer  
Victor BS-99726 10-in. 2/28/1936 Swing, Mr. Charlie Don Darcy ; Louis King Garcia Swing Band Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BS-014296 10-in. 9/17/1937 Ain't misbehavin' Boots and his Buddies ; Cora Woods Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo composer  
Victor BS-045747 10-in. 12/12/1939 (What did I do to be so) Black and blue Ragtime Band [Muggsy Spanier] Jazz/dance band composer  
Victor BS-074384 10-in. 6/1/1942 Ain't misbehavin' (I'm savin' my love for you) Tony Pastor Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer  
Victor D7VB-0075 10-in. 1/20/1947 Ain't misbehavin' Art Tatum Piano solo composer  
Columbia 79888 10-in. 6/14/1921 Saturday Nora Bayes Female vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Columbia W148640 10-in. 5/28/1929 That rhythm man Sonny Greer and his Memphis Men Jazz/dance band composer  
Columbia W148762 10-in. 6/28/1929 Ain't misbehavin' Charleston Chasers Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo composer  
Columbia 148791 10-in. 7/6/1929 Ain't misbehavin' Jerry Mason and his Californians [Selvin's Orchestra] ; Robert Wood Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer  
(Results 1-25 of 85 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Brooks, Harry," accessed December 5, 2023, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/105536.

Brooks, Harry. (2023). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 5, 2023, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/105536.

"Brooks, Harry." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2023. Web. 5 December 2023.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/105536

External Sources

Wikipedia: Harry Brooks

Discogs: Harry Brooks

Linked Open Data Sources

LCNAR: Brooks, Harry, 1895-1970 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n87121594

Wikidata: Harry Brooks - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q5667534

VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/36145971362932331382

MusicBrainz: Harry Brooks - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/cfb5c397-2fae-4ab2-b5af-9a294fb86978

FAST: http://id.worldcat.org/fast/1480481

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

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