Casper Reardon

Casper Reardon (April 15, 1907 – March 9, 1941) was an American classical and jazz harpist. He studied classical harp at the Curtis Institute of Music and went on to play for the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Later on, he played jazz. The harp had been used in dance music for occasional flourishes before Reardon, but he is considered a first for using harp as a jazz instrument for solos and performances. By 1936, he was described as the "World's Hottest Harpist". During the following year he played "Cousin Caspar" in the film, You're a Sweetheart. In 1938, he played harp for the Broadway musical, I Married an Angel. As a jazz musician he can be heard on albums by Jack Teagarden and Paul Whiteman. He recorded a handful of records for Liberty Music Shop Records and Schirmer Records. He died in March 1941, in New York, at the age of 33 from kidney failure.

Birth and Death Data: Born April 15, 1907 (New York, New York), Died March 9, 1941 (New York City)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1933 - 1941

Roles Represented in DAHR: piano, harp

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

Recordings

Company	Matrix No.	Size	First Recording Date	Title	Primary Performer	Description	Role
Victor	BS-75226	10-in.	2/15/1933	Tap dance routine—No. 1	Edna Holdt ; Casper Reardon	Dance instruction, with tap dancing and piano	instrumentalist, piano
Victor	BS-75227	10-in.	2/15/1933	Tap dance routine—No. 2	Edna Holdt ; Casper Reardon	Dance instruction, with tap dancing and piano	instrumentalist, piano
Victor	BS-75228	10-in.	2/15/1933	Tap dance routine—No. 3	Edna Holdt ; Casper Reardon	Dance instruction, with tap dancing and piano	instrumentalist, piano
Victor	BS-75229	10-in.	2/15/1933	Tap dance routine—No. 4	Edna Holdt ; Casper Reardon	Dance instruction, with tap dancing and piano	instrumentalist, piano
Victor	BS-75230	10-in.	2/15/1933	Tap dance routine—No. 5	Edna Holdt ; Casper Reardon	Dance instruction, with tap dancing and piano	instrumentalist, piano
Victor	BS-75231	10-in.	2/15/1933	Tap dance routine—No. 6	Edna Holdt ; Casper Reardon	Dance instruction, with tap dancing and piano	instrumentalist, piano
Victor	BS-75232	10-in.	2/15/1933	I'm getting myself ready for you	Casper Reardon	Piano solo, for dance instruction	instrumentalist, piano
Victor	BS-75233	10-in.	2/15/1933	My one and only	Casper Reardon	Piano solo, for dance instruction	instrumentalist, piano
Victor	BS-75234	10-in.	2/15/1933	Loveless love	Casper Reardon	Piano solo, for dance instruction	instrumentalist, piano
Victor	BS-75532	10-in.	3/16/1933	Accompaniment for soft-shoe	Casper Reardon	Piano solo for dance instruction	instrumentalist, piano
Victor	BS-75533	10-in.	3/16/1933	Accompaniment for advanced tap	Casper Reardon	Piano solo for dance instruction	instrumentalist, piano
Victor	BS-75534	10-in.	3/16/1933	Accompaniment for professional routine	Casper Reardon	Piano solo for dance instruction	instrumentalist, piano
Victor	BS-75542	10-in.	3/20/1933	Accompaniment for waltz clog	Casper Reardon	Piano solo for dance instruction	instrumentalist, piano
Victor	BS-75543	10-in.	3/20/1933	Accompaniment for beginners' tap	Casper Reardon	Piano solo for dance instruction	instrumentalist, piano
Victor	BS-75544	10-in.	3/20/1933	Accompaniment for beginners' advanced tap	Casper Reardon	Piano solo for dance instruction	instrumentalist, piano
Victor	BS-011654	10-in.	8/5/1937	Can I forget you	Jean Sablon	Male vocal solo, with orchestra	instrumentalist, harp
Victor	BS-060621	10-in.	2/5/1941	Moments like this	Yvette	Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble	instrumentalist, harp
Victor	BS-060622	10-in.	2/5/1941	Twilight dance of the flowers	Yvette	Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble	instrumentalist, harp
Victor	BS-060623	10-in.	2/5/1941	Las chiapanecas (While there's music there's romance)	Yvette	Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble	instrumentalist, harp
Victor	BS-060624	10-in.	2/5/1941	It's always you	Yvette	Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble	instrumentalist, harp
Decca	60337	10-in.	1/15/1936	Moonburn	Bob Terry Orchestra		instrumentalist, harp
Decca	60338	10-in.	1/15/1936	My heart and I	Bob Terry Orchestra		instrumentalist, harp
Decca	60339	10-in.	1/15/1936	It's been so long	Bob Terry Orchestra		instrumentalist, harp
Decca	60340	10-in.	1/15/1936	Sing an old-fashioned song	Bob Terry Orchestra		instrumentalist, harp

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Reardon, Casper," accessed October 4, 2023, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/109744.

Reardon, Casper. (2023). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved October 4, 2023, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/109744.

"Reardon, Casper." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2023. Web. 4 October 2023.