Clarence M. Jones

Clarence M. Jones (born 1889, Wilmington, Ohio – June 1, 1949, New York City) was an American pianist and composer, who worked in jazz, ragtime, and other popular music idioms.

Jones studied at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and published his first tune, "Lightning Rag", in 1908. In the early 1910s he moved to Chicago and set up his own publishing studio, writing compositions and creating piano rolls.

He founded his own ensemble, the Select Orchestra, in 1917, which held a residency at Chicago's Owl Theater until 1922. He then moved the show to the Avenue Theater and changed the marquee name to the Wonderful Orchestra, then the Wonder Orchestra, playing at both the Avenue and the Moulin Rouge Cafe, but by 1924 had returned to playing at the Owl. In 1927, the group moved to the Metropolitan Theater and took the names Syncopators and Hot Papas; while resident here, his soloists included Louis Armstrong and J. Wright Smith. In 1928 he moved once again, to the Grand Theater, where he remained until 1932.

Jones recorded jazz between 1923 and 1928, including as a solo pianist for Autograph and backing Monette Moore and Ollie Powers on Paramount. He recorded with his band for Okeh Records in 1926 and with Laura Smith in 1927 on Victor.

He moved to New York in 1932, where he worked in the publishing house of Clarence Williams. In 1933, he assembled a vocal harmony group called the Southernaires, which recorded in 1939 and 1941 and regularly sang on radio in the 1930s.

Birth and Death Data: Born August 15, 1889 (Wilmington), Died June 1, 1949

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1912 - 1940

Roles Represented in DAHR: composer, piano, songwriter, leader

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

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 31 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor B-12716 10-in. 12/13/1912 Casey Jones went down on the Robert E. Lee Collins and Harlan Male vocal duet, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-13420 10-in. 6/12/1913 That baseball rag Arthur Collins Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-14419 10-in. 2/5/1914 Thanks for the lobster Fred Van Eps Banjo solo, with piano, drum, and traps (take 1); with piano and drums (take 2) composer  
Victor B-14456 10-in. 2/13/1914 Why is the ocean so near the shore (Why, why, why?) Billy Murray Male vocal solo, with male vocal duet and orchestra composer  
Victor B-14951 10-in. 6/11/1914 One wonderful night Arthur Pryor's Band Band composer  
Victor B-16061 10-in. 6/1/1915 One wonderful night (You told me you loved me) Lyric Quartet Mixed vocal quartet, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-18006 10-in. 6/21/1916 Passion dance Six Brown Brothers Saxophone sextet composer  
Victor C-20363 12-in. 7/5/1917 I ain't got nobody Conway's Band Band composer  
Victor B-20443 10-in. 7/24/1917 Sweet cookie mine Peerless Quartet Male vocal quartet, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-27514 10-in. 1/29/1923 Trot along Benson Orchestra of Chicago ; Don Bestor Jazz/dance band composer  
Victor B-31206 10-in. 11/24/1924 I didn't know Jean Goldkette Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer  
Victor BVE-38651 10-in. 6/8/1927 Lonesome refugee Laura Smith Female vocal solo, with piano instrumentalist, piano  
Victor BVE-38652 10-in. 6/8/1927 The Mississippi blues Laura Smith Female vocal solo, with piano instrumentalist, piano  
Victor BVE-38653 10-in. 6/8/1927 Fightin' blues Laura Smith Female vocal solo, with piano instrumentalist, piano  
Victor BVE-38654 10-in. 6/8/1927 Red River blues Laura Smith Female vocal solo, with piano instrumentalist, piano  
Victor BS-058177 10-in. 12/18/1940 Walkin' thru Mockin' Bird Lane Blue Barron ; Three Blue Notes Jazz/dance band, with male vocal trio songwriter  
Columbia 38529 10-in. 12/31/1912 Casey Jones went down on the Robert E. Lee Collins and Harlan Male vocal duet, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 39257 10-in. 2/19/1914 Why is the ocean so near the shore, why, why, why? Ada Jones Female vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 39501 10-in. 7/24/1914 Thanks for the lobster Van Eps Banjo Orchestra Banjo orchestra composer  
Columbia 39986 10-in. 3/25/1915 One wonderful night (You told me you loved me) Henry Burr Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 77380 10-in. 9/25/1917 Sweet cookie mine Handy's Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer  
Columbia 80118 10-in. 12/22/1921 Got to have my daddy blues Dolly Kay Female vocal solo, with orchestra songwriter  
Columbia 80197 10-in. 2/16/1922 Love days Paul Biese Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer  
Columbia 80999 10-in. 5/2/1923 Trot along Van and Schenck Male vocal duet, with orchestra composer  
OKeh 8368 10-in. June 1923 Lonesome lovesick got-to-have-my-daddy blues Byron H. Warner ; Warner's Seven Aces Jazz/dance band songwriter  
(Results 1-25 of 31 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Jones, Clarence M.," accessed March 29, 2023, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106203.

Jones, Clarence M.. (2023). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 29, 2023, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106203.

"Jones, Clarence M.." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2023. Web. 29 March 2023.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106203

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