Ace Harris

Asa "Ace" Harris (April 1, 1910, New York City – June 11, 1964, Chicago) was an American jazz pianist.

Harris played in several territory bands in the 1930s, working with Billy Steward's Serenaders in 1932 and with Bill Mears's Sunset Royal Serenaders from 1935. In 1937 Harris took over leadership of the Sunset Royal Serenaders, and recorded with them that same year; he remained with the group until 1939.

In 1940 Harris became Pianist for Bill Kenny & The Ink Spots replacing Bob Benson. Harris can be heard playing Piano with The Ink Spots on many Top 10 Pop hits including "Whispering Grass", "Maybe", "We Three (My Echo, My Shadow and Me)", "Java Jive", "I'll Never Smile Again", "I'd Climb The Highest Mountain", "We'll Meet Again", "Do I Worry", "Until The Real Thing Comes Along", "I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire", "Someone's Rocking My Dreamboat", "It's A Sin To Tell A Lie" and more. After Harris died in 1964, another Piano player named "Johnny Harris" toured with a group pretending to be The Ink Spots. This other "Johnny Harris" pretended to be the Johnny "Ace" Harris that recorded toured and appeared in movies with the original Ink Spots and made that claim until his death in 2000.

In 1944, Harris recorded with Hot Lips Page, then joined the Erskine Hawkins Orchestra, with whom he recorded several times. He played with Hawkins until 1947, and returned to play with him again in 1950–51. Harris also recorded with small ensembles in the 1940s and with a jump blues band in 1951–52. He played at the Cloister Inn in Chicago in 1954.

A compact disc of Harris's recordings spanning 1937–52 was released by Jazz Classics in 2004.

Birth and Death Data: Born April 1, 1910 (New York City), Died June 11, 1964 (Chicago)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1945 - 1956

Roles Represented in DAHR: piano, vocalist, composer

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

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 38 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor D5AB-301 10-in. 1/10/1945 Remember Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Erskine Hawkins Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band vocalist  
Victor D5VB-0168 10-in. 3/28/1945 Caldonia Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Ace Harris Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band vocalist  
Victor D5VB-0945 10-in. 11/21/1945 Good dip Erskine Hawkins Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, piano  
Victor D5VB-0946 10-in. 11/21/1945 I guess I'll have to get along without you Dolores Brown ; Erskine Hawkins Orchestra Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band instrumentalist, piano  
Victor D5VB-0947 10-in. 11/21/1945 Holiday for swing Erskine Hawkins Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, piano  
Victor D5VB-0948 10-in. 11/21/1945 Let's have fun tonight Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Ace Harris Male vocal solo, with vocal chorus and jazz/dance band vocalist, instrumentalist, piano  
Victor D6VB-1776 10-in. 5/9/1946 Well, natch! Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Erskine Hawkins Male vocal solo, with vocal chorus and jazz/dance band vocalist  
Victor D6VB-1955 10-in. 10/7/1946 Feelin' low Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Erskine Hawkins Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, piano  
Victor D6VB-1956 10-in. 10/7/1946 Hawk's boogie Erskine Hawkins Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer, instrumentalist, piano  
Victor D6VB-1957 10-in. 10/7/1946 Sammy's nightmare Erskine Hawkins Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, piano  
Decca 76827 9/11/1950 so long, goodbye blues Erskine Hawkins Orchestra instrumentalist, piano  
Decca 76828 9/11/1950 Skippin' and hoppin' Erskine Hawkins Orchestra instrumentalist, piano  
Decca 76829 9/11/1950 Down beat Erskine Hawkins Orchestra instrumentalist, piano  
Decca 76830 9/11/1950 Tennessee waltz Erskine Hawkins Orchestra instrumentalist, piano  
Decca 80262 12/6/1950 After hours-1 Erskine Hawkins Orchestra instrumentalist, piano  
Decca 80263 12/6/1950 No regrets Erskine Hawkins Orchestra instrumentalist, piano  
Decca 80264 12/6/1950 Tuxedo junction-2 Erskine Hawkins Orchestra instrumentalist, piano  
Decca 80265 12/6/1950 Bear mash blues-3 Erskine Hawkins Orchestra instrumentalist, piano  
Decca 80409 1/18/1951 Love never comes around Erskine Hawkins Orchestra instrumentalist, piano, vocalist  
Decca 80410 1/18/1951 Nona-1 Erskine Hawkins Orchestra instrumentalist, piano  
Decca 80411 1/18/1951 Please don't put me down Erskine Hawkins Orchestra instrumentalist, piano  
Decca 80412 1/18/1951 Station break Erskine Hawkins Orchestra instrumentalist, piano  
Decca 81517 9/7/1951 At your beck and call Ace Harris instrumentalist, piano, vocalist  
Decca 81518 9/7/1951 Honey-1 Ace Harris instrumentalist, piano, vocalist  
Decca 81519 9/7/1951 Find me Ace Harris instrumentalist, piano, vocalist  
(Results 1-25 of 38 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Harris, Ace," accessed March 29, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106384.

Harris, Ace. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 29, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106384.

"Harris, Ace." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 29 March 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106384

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