Mike Jackson

Mike Jackson (December 23, 1888, Louisville, Kentucky – June 21, 1945, New York City) was an American jazz pianist and composer.

The details of Jackson's early life are not known. In 1921, he began composing songs for the publisher Joe Davis, and soon after worked as an accompanist for a number of early jazz and blues recordings, with Clara Smith, Alberta Hunter, Laura Smith, Thomas Morris (including the New Orleans Blue Five and the Dixie Jazzers Washboard Band), Perry Bradford, and Buddy Christian. He also recorded under his own name as Jackson and His Southern Stompers. With Morris, he worked in the vaudeville show The Wicked Age in 1927. He emigrated to Montreal in 1928, but returned to New York in 1930, where he continued working as a composer.

His compositions included "The Louisville Blues", written with Bob Ricketts in 1921 and recorded by W.C. Handy in 1923; "Scandal Blues" and "Black Hearse Blues", both written in 1925; and "Slender, Tender and Tall" and "Hey, Knock Me a Kiss", both of which were recorded by Jimmie Lunceford and Louis Jordan among others.

Birth and Death Data: Born December 23, 1888 (Louisville), Died June 21, 1945 (New York City)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1923 - 1942

Roles Represented in DAHR: composer, piano, songwriter, baritone vocal, lyricist

= 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 Audio
Victor BVE-35738 10-in. 7/2/1926 Just too bad Mike Jackson ; Mabel Richardson Female-male vocal duet, with cornet and piano vocalist, baritone vocal, songwriter  
Victor BVE-35739 10-in. 7/2/1926 I'm gonna kill myself Mike Jackson ; Mabel Richardson Female-male vocal duet, with cornet and piano vocalist, baritone vocal, composer  
Victor BVE-35762 10-in. 7/13/1926 Lazy drag Thomas Morris ; Morris' Hot Babies Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, piano  
Victor BVE-35763 10-in. 7/13/1926 Jackass blues Thomas Morris ; Morris' Hot Babies Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, piano  
Victor BVE-35764 10-in. 7/13/1926 Charleston stampede Thomas Morris ; Morris' Hot Babies Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, piano  
Victor BVE-36047 10-in. 8/17/1926 Georgia grind Thomas Morris ; Morris' Hot Babies Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, piano, vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BVE-36048 10-in. 8/17/1926 Ham gravy Thomas Morris ; Morris' Hot Babies Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, piano  
Victor BVE-36505 10-in. 9/21/1926 Alabama mamma Mike Jackson Male vocal solo, with piano vocalist, baritone vocal, composer  
Victor BVE-36506 10-in. 9/21/1926 Kissing mule blues Mike Jackson Male vocal solo, with piano vocalist, baritone vocal, composer  
Victor BVE-36846 10-in. 10/20/1926 When a 'gator holler, folks say it's a sign of rain Margaret Johnson Female vocal solo, with instrumental trio instrumentalist, piano  
Victor BVE-36847 10-in. 10/20/1926 Graysom Street blues Margaret Johnson Female vocal solo, with instrumental trio instrumentalist, piano, composer, lyricist  
Victor BVE-36895 10-in. 11/2/1926 My baby doesn't squawk New Orleans Blue Five Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, piano  
Victor BVE-36896 10-in. 11/2/1926 The king of the Zulus New Orleans Blue Five Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, piano  
Victor BVE-36897 10-in. 11/2/1926 South Rampart Street blues New Orleans Blue Five Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, piano  
Victor BVE-36917 10-in. 11/9/1926 Somebody's been lovin' my baby Monette Moore Female vocal solo, with clarinet, cornet, and piano composer  
Victor BVE-36925 10-in. 11/12/1926 Blues from the Everglades Morris' Hot Babies Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, piano  
Victor BVE-36926 10-in. 11/12/1926 P. D. Q. blues Thomas Morris ; Morris' Hot Babies Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, piano  
Victor BVE-36958 10-in. 11/23/1926 I got a mule to ride Edna Winston Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble songwriter  
Victor BVE-36959 10-in. 11/23/1926 Mamma's gonna drop your curtain Edna Winston Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble composer  
Victor BVE-36962 10-in. 11/24/1926 The mess Thomas Morris ; Morris' Hot Babies Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, piano  
Victor BVE-36963 10-in. 11/24/1926 The chinch Thomas Morris ; Morris' Hot Babies Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, piano  
Victor BVE-37681 10-in. 2/14/1927 Second-handed blues Margaret Johnson Female vocal solo, with guitar, piano, and harmonica composer  
Victor BVE-37688 10-in. 2/26/1927 I'll forgive you 'cause I love you, but the wrongs you've done I can't forget Alberta Hunter Female vocal solo, with piano instrumentalist, piano  
Victor BVE-37689 10-in. 2/26/1927 I'm gonna lose myself way down in Louisville Alberta Hunter Female vocal solo, with piano instrumentalist, piano  
Victor BVE-37690 10-in. 2/26/1927 My old daddy's got a brand new way to love Alberta Hunter Female vocal solo, with piano instrumentalist, piano, composer  
Victor BVE-37691 10-in. 2/26/1927 I'm down right now but I won't be down always Alberta Hunter Female vocal solo, with piano instrumentalist, piano  
Victor BVE-37786 10-in. 2/16/1927 'Way after one and my daddy ain't come home yet Edna Winston Female vocal solo, with instrumental quintet composer  
Victor BVE-37822 10-in. 2/16/1927 Blue black bottom Fats Waller Piano solo composer  
Victor BVE-38930 10-in. 5/24/1927 Don't you let your head hang down Robert Cooksey ; Bobby Leecan Guitar and harmonica duet composer  
Victor BVE-39668 10-in. 7/18/1927 Dixie bo-bo Taskiana Four Male vocal quartet, with piano instrumentalist, piano  
Victor BVE-40080 10-in. 11/14/1927 Bye bye Florence Bert Howell Male vocal solo, with pipe organ composer  
Victor BS-028137 10-in. 10/20/1938 Blue grass Peg LaCentra ; Jerry Sears Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble lyricist  
Victor BS-075528 10-in. 6/29/1942 Knock me a kiss Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Ida James Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo composer  
Victor [Trial 1926-07-02-01] 10-in. 7/2/1926 The sho' nuff blues Mike Jackson Male vocal solo, with piano vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor [Trial 1926-07-02-02] 10-in. 7/2/1926 Talkin' too much Mike Jackson Male vocal solo, with piano vocalist, baritone vocal  
Columbia W141044 10-in. 9/24/1925 Onery blues Clara Smith Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with jazz/dance band composer  
Columbia W141045 10-in. 9/24/1925 You get mad Clara Smith Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with jazz/dance band composer, lyricist  
Columbia W141932 10-in. 4/8/1926 Bootlegging daddy Bessie Brown ; George W. Williams Female-male vocal duet ("blues singers"), with piano composer  
Columbia W142589 10-in. 9/3/1926 Numbers on the brain Buddy Christian ; Willie Jackson Male vocal solo ("blues singer"), with banjo composer  
Columbia W142727 10-in. 10/4/1926 Wasn't it nice Howell, Horsley, and Bradford Male vocal trio, with ukulele and piano songwriter  
Columbia 142854 10-in. 10/21/1926 Wasn't it nice? Georgia Strutters Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Columbia W143349 10-in. 1/25/1927 Candy lips Clarence Williams’ Jazz Kings Jazz/dance band composer  
Columbia W146366 10-in. 5/29/1928 I need you Clarence Williams’ Jazz Kings Jazz/dance band songwriter  
Columbia W146825 10-in. 8/1/1928 The keyboard express Clarence Williams’ Jazz Kings Jazz/dance band composer  
Columbia W147385 10-in. 11/2/1928 Meat man Pete Barbecue Bob Male vocal solo ("blues singer"), with guitar composer, lyricist  
Columbia W148639 10-in. 5/28/1929 Them things got me Clarence Williams’ Jazz Kings Jazz/dance band songwriter  
Columbia W148744 10-in. 6/21/1929 Whoop it up Clarence Williams’ Jazz Kings Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer, lyricist  
Columbia W151601 10-in. 6/12/1931 Pete, the dealer in meat Vance Dixon ; Pencils Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer, lyricist  
OKeh S-71151 10-in. January 1923 Louisville blues Handy's Orchestra Jazz/dance band songwriter  
OKeh S-73391 10-in. June 1925 You can dip your bread in my gravy, but you can't have none of my chops Virginia Liston Female vocal solo, with piano, mandolin, and banjo songwriter  
OKeh 74057 10-in. Mar. 1926 Sunset blues Buddy Christian's Creole Five ; Louise Vant Jazz/dance ensemble, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, piano  
OKeh 74058 10-in. Mar. 1926 Texas mule stomp Buddy Christian's Creole Five ; Louise Vant Jazz/dance ensemble, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, piano  
OKeh 74059 10-in. Mar. 1926 Sugar house stomp Buddy Christian's Creole Five Jazz/dance ensemble instrumentalist, piano  
OKeh 74337 10-in. 9/5/1926 Numbers on the brain Sara Martin ; Clarence Williams Female vocal solo, with piano composer  
OKeh 74424 Nov. 1926 Candy lips (I'm stuck on you) Clarence Williams’ Blue Seven ; Eva Taylor Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band composer  
OKeh W80214 10-in. 11/16/1926 Candy lips (I'm stuck on you) Clarence Williams’ Blue Seven ; Eva Taylor Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band composer  
OKeh W80363 10-in. 1/29/1927 Candy lips (I'm stuck on you) Clarence Williams’ Washboard Four Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo (scat) composer  
OKeh W402490 10-in. 7/2/1929 Whoop it up Clarence Williams’ Washboard Band Jazz/dance quartet composer  
Brunswick E3200-E3202 10-in. 6/8/1926 Wasn’t it nice Blackbirds of Harmony Male vocal duet, with piano songwriter  
Brunswick XE19558-XE19561 12-in. 6/14/1926 Wasn’t it nice Male vocal chorus (unidentified; Brunswick Records) Male vocal chorus, with orchestra songwriter  
Brunswick 1080W-1081W 10-in. 8/8/1925 Louisville blues Three Jolly Miners Jazz/dance trio, with clarinet solo composer  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Jackson, Mike," accessed April 24, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/113735.

Jackson, Mike. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 24, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/113735.

"Jackson, Mike." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 24 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/113735

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