Harry White

Harry Alexander "Father" White (June 1, 1898 – August 14, 1962) was an American jazz trombonist.

As a teenager, White played drums, then switched to trombone after moving to Washington, D.C. around 1919. In the 1920s he played with Duke Ellington, Elmer Snowden, and Claude Hopkins, then started a family band called the White Brothers Orchestra in 1925. This ensemble played the mid-Atlantic states for several years.

Late in the 1920s, White played with Luis Russell, then joined the Mills Blue Rhythm Band in 1931. The following year he joined the orchestra of Cab Calloway, working as an arranger and composer in addition to duties on trombone. One of Calloway's trumpeters, Edwin Swayze, overheard White use the term "jitterbug", and wrote a tune called "The Jitterbug" because of it; Calloway's 1934 recording of it brought the term into widespread currency. He returned to play under Russell in 1935 while Russell's band backed Louis Armstrong. He quit playing for part of the 1930s, then later played with Manzie Johnson, Hot Lips Page, Edgar Hayes, and Bud Freeman.

Birth and Death Data: Born June 1, 1898 (Bethlehem), Died August 14, 1962 (New York City)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1922 - 1938

Roles Represented in DAHR: trombone, songwriter, lyricist, composer

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

Recordings (Results 26-50 of 67 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Columbia 80408 10-in. 6/16/1922 I wish there was a wireless to heaven (then Mama would not seem so far away) Billy Jones Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Columbia 81083 10-in. 6/15/1923 Oh! How she lied to me Frank Crumit Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Columbia 81139 10-in. 7/16/1923 Oh! Sister, ain't that hot! Dolly Kay ; Phil Phillips Female vocal solo, with piano songwriter  
Columbia 81308 10-in. 10/16/1923 Oh! Sister, ain't that hot! Frank Westphal Orchestra Jazz/dance band songwriter  
Columbia W151638 10-in. 6/25/1931 Moanin' King Carter and his Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
OKeh S-71615 10-in. June 1923 Oh! How she lied to me Aileen Stanley Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band lyricist  
OKeh S-71703 10-in. July 1923 Oh! Sister, ain't that hot? Billy Jones ; Rega Dance Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
OKeh S-72376 10-in. Mar. 1924 Sing me a song of Hawaii Frank Ferera ; Anthony J. Franchini Guitar duet (Hawaiian) composer  
OKeh S-72765 10-in. Aug. 1924 Mrs. Murphy's chowder Johnny Marvin Male vocal solo, with ukulele lyricist  
OKeh 73739 10-in. 10/26/1925 You can't shush Katie (The gabbiest girl in town) Eva Taylor Female vocal solo, with instrumental sextet lyricist  
Brunswick 8640 10-in. approximately Aug. 1922 Ji-ji-boo Carl Fenton’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer  
Brunswick 10890-10893 10-in. 6/20/1923 Oh! Sister, ain’t that hot! Gene Rodemich’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer  
Brunswick E35987 10-in. 3/30/1931 Moanin’ Mills Blue Rhythm Band Jazz/dance band songwriter  
Brunswick E36212 10-in. 3/3/1931 Minnie the moocher Cab Calloway Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, trombone  
Brunswick E36993 10-in. 7/30/1931 I’m sorry I made you blue Blue Rhythm Boys [Mills Blue Rhythm Band] Jazz/dance band songwriter  
Brunswick C2112 10-in. 7/23/1928 Oh, sister, ain’t that hot Jimmie Noone’s Apex Club Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer  
Brunswick C2266 10-in. 8/23/1928 Oh! Sister ain’t that hot! Jimmie Noone’s Apex Club Orchestra Jazz/dance band songwriter  
Brunswick 1164W-1166W 10-in. 8/14/1925 You can't shush Katy Rube Bloom ; Peggy English Female vocal solo, with piano lyricist  
Edison 1583 10-in. 9/22/1922 Ji-ji-boo Ernest L. Stevens Trio Instrumental trio composer  
Edison 9094 10-in. 7/25/1923 Oh! Sister, ain't that hot! Robert J. White Male vocal solo, with orchestra songwriter  
Edison 9115 10-in. 8/2/1923 Oh! How he lied to me Florence Brady Female vocal solo, with orchestra songwriter  
Edison 9759 10-in. 10/1/1924 Mrs. Murphy's chowder Vernon Dalhart ; Ed Smalle Male vocal duet, with orchestra lyricist  
Arto [Arto Cat 9157B] 10-in. 6/29/1922 I wish there was a wireless to heaven Arthur Fields Baritone vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Decca 60021 10-in. 10/3/1935 I'm in the mood for love Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra instrumentalist, trombone  
Decca 60022 10-in. 10/3/1935 You're my lucky star Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra instrumentalist, trombone  
(Results 26-50 of 67 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "White, Harry," accessed April 26, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/108261.

White, Harry. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 26, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/108261.

"White, Harry." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 26 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/108261

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