Tubby Hall

Alfred "Tubby" Hall (October 12, 1895 – May 13, 1945) was an American jazz drummer.

Hall was born in Sellers, Louisiana; his family moved to New Orleans in his childhood. His younger brother Minor "Ram" Hall also became a professional drummer. He played in many marching bands in New Orleans, including with Buddie Petit.

In March 1917 Tubby Hall moved to Chicago, where he played with Sugar Johnny Smith. After two years in the United States Army, he returned to playing in Chicago mostly with New Orleans bands, joining Carroll Dickerson's Orchestra (recording with it in 1927) and later with the groups of King Oliver, Jimmie Noone, Tiny Parham, Johnny Dodds. Noted swing and big-band drummer Gene Krupa said that Hall and Zutty Singleton "were great! They knew every trick and just how to phrase the parts of the choruses behind the horns, how to lead a man in, what to do at the turn-arounds, when to use sticks and when to use brushes, when to go for the rims or the woodblocks, what cymbals are for."

He is seen in Armstrong's movies of the early 1930s, including the live action and Betty Boop cartoon I'll Be Glad When You're Dead, You Rascal You (1932) and A Rhapsody in Black and Blue (1932), made by Paramount. Only Armstrong and Hall got closeups in the two films, and both get their faces transposed with those of racially stereotyped "jungle natives" in the cartoon. Hall morphs from a jazz drummer to a cannibal stirring a cooking pot with two wooden sticks.

His drumming style was forceful and sober, generally maintaining constant tempo on the snare. Jazz critic Hugues Panassié considered him one of the three greatest jazz drummers of his generation, along with Zutty Singleton and Warren "Baby" Dodds.

Tubby Hall died in Chicago.

Birth and Death Data: Born October 12, 1895 (Louisiana), Died May 13, 1945 (Chicago)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1931 - 1940

Roles Represented in DAHR: drums

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

Recordings (Results 26-34 of 34 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Decca 39579 10-in. 6/8/1935 Give a broken heart a break Caire Brown instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 39580 10-in. 6/8/1935 Mama don't want no peas an' rice an' coconut oil Caire Brown instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 39581 10-in. 6/8/1935 Me and my wonderful one Caire Brown instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 90575 10-in. 1/15/1936 He's a different type of guy Jimmie Noone Orchestra instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 90576 10-in. 1/15/1936 'Way down yonder in New Orleans Jimmie Noone Orchestra instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 90577 10-in. 1/15/1936 The blues jumped a rabbit Jimmie Noone Orchestra instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 90578 10-in. 1/15/1936 Sweet Georgia Brown Jimmie Noone Orchestra instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 93030 10-in. 6/5/1940 New Orleans hop scop blues Jimmie Noone Orchestra instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 93031 10-in. 6/5/1940 Keystone blues Jimmie Noone Orchestra instrumentalist, drums  
(Results 26-34 of 34 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Hall, Tubby," accessed April 26, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/111199.

Hall, Tubby. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 26, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/111199.

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

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/111199

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