American Quartet

The American Quartet was a four-member vocal group that recorded for various companies in the United States between 1899 and 1925. The membership varied over the years, but the most famous line-up — comprising John Bieling (first tenor), Billy Murray (second tenor), Steve Porter (baritone), and William F. Hooley (bass) — recorded for the Victor Talking Machine Company from 1909 to 1913. The same group of singers also recorded for Edison Records as the Premier Quartet (or Quartette), and for that and other labels as the Premier American Quartet. From 1912 to 1914 the quartet also recorded with countertenor Will Oakland as the Heidelberg Quintet.

Birth and Death Data: Born 1909, Died 1922

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1900 - 1926

Roles Represented in DAHR: Vocal group

Notes: Listed on some disc labels as American Quartette.

Recordings (Results 351-364 of 364 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Edison 7664 10-in. 12/3/1920 I want to be the leader of the band Premier Quartet Male vocal quartet, with orchestra Vocal group  
Edison 7701 10-in. 12/24/1920 Pocahontas Premier Quartet Male vocal quartet, with orchestra Vocal group  
Edison 7707 10-in. 12/28/1920 My mammy Premier Quartet Male vocal quartet, with orchestra Vocal group  
Edison 7779 10-in. 2/4/1921 Aunt Jemima's jubilee Premier Quartet Male vocal quartet, with orchestra Vocal group  
Edison 7784 10-in. 2/8/1921 Casey Jones Premier Quartet Male vocal quartet, with orchestra Vocal group  
Edison 7832 10-in. 3/8/1921 Hey Paw! Premier Quartet Male vocal quartet, with orchestra Vocal group  
Edison 7838 10-in. 3/10/1921 Blue jeans Premier Quartet Male vocal quartet, with orchestra Vocal group  
Edison 7881 10-in. 4/1/1921 I was born in Michigan Premier Quartet Male vocal quartet, with orchestra Vocal group  
Edison 7923 10-in. 4/19/1921 Down yonder Premier Quartet Male vocal quartet, with orchestra Vocal group  
Edison 8042 10-in. 6/2/1921 Melon time in Dixieland Premier Quartet Male vocal quartet, with orchestra Vocal group  
Edison 8084 10-in. 6/21/1921 The nightmare blues Premier Quartet Male vocal quartet, with orchestra Vocal group  
Edison 8313 10-in. 12/8/1921 Down in Midnight Town Premier Quartet Male vocal quartet, with orchestra Vocal group  
Edison 8336 10-in. 1/11/1922 A Darktown quartet rehearsel Premier Quartet Male vocal quartet, unaccompanied Vocal group  
Zonophone [Zo cat 5814-A] 10-in. Before Nov. 1911 Winter American Quartet ; Zonophone Concert Band Male vocal quartet, with band Vocal group  
(Results 351-364 of 364 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "American Quartet," accessed March 5, 2021, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106552.

American Quartet. (2021). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 5, 2021, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106552.

"American Quartet." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2021. Web. 5 March 2021.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106552

External Sources

Wikipedia: American Quartet (ensemble)

Discogs: American Quartet

Linked Open Data Sources

LCNAR: American Quartet - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n92054722

Wikidata: American Quartet (ensemble) - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q4744774

VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/153748628/

MusicBrainz: American Quartet - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/b122bc15-258b-4a7e-bb47-ac6db4d10072

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