Jack Pleis
Jack K. Pleis (May 11, 1917 – December 5, 1990) was an American jazz pianist, arranger, conductor, composer and producer. He recorded on London and Decca Records in the 1950s, and Columbia Records in the 1960s. During the course of his career, Pleis worked with many artists, including Louis Armstrong, Harry Belafonte, Bing Crosby, Sammy Davis Jr., Benny Goodman, Earl Grant, Brenda Lee, and Joe Williams. Between 1950 and 1976, more than 150 songs were arranged by Pleis. His surname is pronounced "Pleece" (to rhyme with "fleece"). |
Birth and Death Data: Born Philadelphia, Died December 5, 1990 (Palm Springs)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1939 - 1961
Roles Represented in DAHR: leader, piano, arranger, composer
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 51-75 of 479 records)
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor | D9VB-0991 | 10-in. | 3/24/1949 | A cock-eyed optimist | Eve Young | Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | instrumentalist, piano | |
| Victor | D9VB-1237 | 10-in. | 4/5/1949 | I'm throwing rice (at the girl I love) | Eddy Arnold ; Ben Lambert | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, piano | |
| Victor | D9VB-1239 | 10-in. | 4/5/1949 | Why should I cry? | Eddy Arnold | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, piano | |
| Victor | D9VB-1240 | 10-in. | 4/5/1949 | C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S | Eddy Arnold | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, piano | |
| Victor | D9VB-1271 | 10-in. | 4/12/1949 | There is nothin' like a dame | Zeke Manners and his Gang | Male vocal solo, with vocal group and instrumental ensemble | instrumentalist, piano | |
| Victor | D9VB-1272 | 10-in. | 4/12/1949 | When it's springtime in the Rockies | Zeke Manners and his Gang | Male vocal group, with instrumental ensemble | instrumentalist, piano | |
| Victor | D9VB-1360 | 10-in. | 4/22/1949 | Yodel boogie | Rosalie Allen ; Black River Riders | Female vocal solo, with string band and yodeling | instrumentalist, piano | |
| Victor | D9VB-1361 | 10-in. | 4/22/1949 | Square dance polka | Rosalie Allen ; Black River Riders | Female vocal solo, with string band, piano and accordion | instrumentalist, piano | |
| Victor | D9VB-1362 | 10-in. | 4/22/1949 | Mama, what'll I do? | Rosalie Allen ; Black River Riders | Female vocal solo, with string band, piano and accordion | instrumentalist, piano | |
| Victor | D9AB-1746 | 10-in. | 6/28/1949 | Twenty-four hours of sunshine | The Tattlers | Mixed vocal ensemble, with jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, piano | |
| Victor | D9AB-1747 | 10-in. | 6/28/1949 | Two little new little blue little eyes | The Tattlers | Mixed vocal ensemble, with jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, piano | |
| Victor | D9AB-1748 | 10-in. | 6/28/1949 | Some enchanted evening | Eve Young | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, piano | |
| Victor | D9AB-1749 | 10-in. | 6/28/1949 | Bali Ha'i | Eve Young | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, piano | |
| Victor | D9VB-2233 | 10-in. | 9/13/1949 | Take me in your arms and hold me | Eddy Arnold | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, piano | |
| Victor | D9VB-2235 | 10-in. | 9/13/1949 | Evil tempt me not | Eddy Arnold | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, piano | |
| Victor | D9VB-2236 | 10-in. | 9/13/1949 | When Jesus beckons me home | Eddy Arnold | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, piano | |
| Victor | D9VB-2237 | 10-in. | 9/13/1949 | Will Santy come to shanty town | Eddy Arnold ; Eddy Arnold | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, piano | |
| Victor | D9VB-2238 | 10-in. | 9/13/1949 | Beautiful Isle of Somewhere | Eddy Arnold | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, piano | |
| Victor | D9VB-2239 | 10-in. | 9/13/1949 | The lily of the valley | Eddy Arnold | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, piano | |
| Victor | D9VB-2240 | 10-in. | 9/13/1949 | Softly and tenderly | Eddy Arnold | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, piano | |
| Victor | D9VB-2241 | 10-in. | 9/14/1949 | Mama and daddy broke my heart | Eddy Arnold | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, piano | |
| Victor | D9VB-2242 | 10-in. | 9/14/1949 | Nearest thing to heaven | Eddy Arnold | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, piano | |
| Victor | D9VB-2244 | 10-in. | 9/14/1949 | I'll never slip around again | Panhandle Punchers ; Texas Jim Robertson | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, piano | |
| Victor | D9VB-2245 | 10-in. | 9/14/1949 | Revenge | Panhandle Punchers ; Texas Jim Robertson | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, piano | |
| Decca | 65071 | 10-in. | 2/26/1939 | There's a hole in the old oaken bucket | Jan Savitt Orchestra | instrumentalist, piano, arranger |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Pleis, Jack," accessed December 11, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106364.
Pleis, Jack. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 11, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106364.
"Pleis, Jack." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 11 December 2025.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Pleis, Jack - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n91084892
Wikidata: Jack Pleis - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q18158379
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/21321434
MusicBrainz: Jack Pleis - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/87af1bab-3e13-4cff-b129-8893fd886203
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