John Collins
John Elbert Collins (September 20, 1913 – October 4, 2001) was an American jazz guitarist who was a member of the Nat King Cole trio. |
Birth and Death Data: Born Montgomery (city in and county seat of Montgomery County, and capital of the State of Alabama, United States), Died October 4, 2001 (Los Angeles (seat of Los Angeles County, and largest city in California, United States) )
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1936 - 1952
Roles Represented in DAHR: guitar, songwriter
= 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 | BS-062747 | 10-in. | 3/10/1941 | Blitzkrieg baby | Una Mae Carlisle ; Les Young Orchestra | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance sextet | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Victor | BS-062748 | 10-in. | 3/10/1941 | Beautiful eyes | Una Mae Carlisle ; Les Young Orchestra | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance sextet | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Victor | BS-062749 | 10-in. | 3/10/1941 | There'll be some changes made | Una Mae Carlisle ; Les Young Orchestra | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance sextet | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Victor | BS-062750 | 10-in. | 3/10/1941 | It's sad but true | Una Mae Carlisle ; Les Young Orchestra | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance sextet | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Victor | D6VB-2792 | 10-in. | 9/5/1946 | Epistrophy | 52nd Street Boys ; Kenny Clarke | Jazz/dance ensemble | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Victor | D6VB-2795 | 10-in. | 9/5/1946 | Royal roost | 52nd Street Boys ; Kenny Clarke | Jazz/dance ensemble | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Victor | D7VB-0643 | 10-in. | 3/11/1947 | (Go to sleep) my sleepy head | Etta Jones | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Victor | D7VB-0644 | 10-in. | 3/11/1947 | I sold my heart to the junkman | Etta Jones | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Victor | D7VB-0645 | 10-in. | 3/11/1947 | The richest guy in the graveyard | Etta Jones | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Victor | D7VB-0646 | 10-in. | 3/11/1947 | Ain't no hurry, baby (with a guy like me) | Etta Jones | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Victor | D7VB-2889 | 10-in. | 12/19/1947 | Riffing at 24th street | Illinois Jacquet Orchestra ; Illinois Jacquet | Jazz nonet | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Victor | D7VB-2890 | 10-in. | 12/19/1947 | Mutton leg | Illinois Jacquet Orchestra | Instrumental ensemble | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Victor | D7VB-2891 | 10-in. | 12/19/1947 | Symphony in Sid | Illinois Jacquet Orchestra ; Illinois Jacquet | Instrumental ensemble | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Victor | D7VB-2892 | 10-in. | 12/19/1947 | A Jacquet for Jack the bellboy | Illinois Jacquet Orchestra ; Illinois Jacquet | Jazz nonet | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Columbia | 28617 | 10-in. | 9/12/1940 | I'm all for you | Billie Holiday | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Columbia | 28618 | 10-in. | 9/12/1940 | I hear music | Billie Holiday | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Columbia | 28619 | 10-in. | 9/12/1940 | The same old story | Billie Holiday | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Columbia | 28620 | 10-in. | 9/12/1940 | Practice makes perfect | Billie Holiday | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Columbia | 29987 | 10-in. | 3/21/1941 | Let's do it | Eddie Heywood Orchestra ; Billie Holiday | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Columbia | 29988 | 10-in. | 3/21/1941 | Georgia on my mind | Eddie Heywood Orchestra ; Billie Holiday | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Columbia | 29989 | 10-in. | 3/21/1941 | Romance in the dark | Eddie Heywood Orchestra ; Billie Holiday | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Columbia | 29990 | 10-in. | 3/21/1941 | All of me | Eddie Heywood Orchestra ; Billie Holiday | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Columbia | CO48296 | 10-in. | 8/8/1952 | Our love isn't legal | Johnny Bond | Male vocal solo, with string band | songwriter | |
| Mercury | 4979 | 10-in. | 1952 | Stay as sweet as you are | Beryl Booker Trio | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Mercury | 4980 | 10-in. | 1952 | Love is the thing | Beryl Booker Trio | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 68332 | 10-in. | 11/11/1940 | 627 stomp | Pete Johnson's Band | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 68333 | 10-in. | 11/11/1940 | Piney Brown blues | Pete Johnson's Band ; Joe Turner | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 68334 | 10-in. | 11/11/1940 | Lafayette | Hot Lips Page Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 68335 | 10-in. | 11/11/1940 | South | Hot Lips Page Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 68435 | 10-in. | 12/3/1940 | Harlem rhumbain' the blues | Hot Lips Page and his Band | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 68436 | 10-in. | 12/3/1940 | No matter where you are | Hot Lips Page and his Band | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 68605 | 10-in. | 1/21/1941 | Wee baby blues | Art Tatum and his Band | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 68606 | 10-in. | 1/21/1941 | Stompin' at the Savoy | Art Tatum and his Band | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 68607 | 10-in. | 1/21/1941 | Last goodbye blues | Art Tatum and his Band | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 68608 | 10-in. | 1/21/1941 | Battery bounce | Art Tatum and his Band | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 76732 | 8/15/1950 | I'll never be free | Ella Fitzgerald | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
| Decca | 76843 | 9/13/1950 | Autumn leaves | Artie Shaw Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
| Decca | 76844 | 9/13/1950 | White Christmas | Artie Shaw Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
| Decca | 76845 | 9/14/1950 | Jingle bells | Artie Shaw Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
| Decca | 76846 | 9/14/1950 | Where or when | Artie Shaw Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
| Decca | 76847 | 9/14/1950 | Blue again | Artie Shaw Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
| Decca | 76899 | 9/26/1950 | Santa Claus got stuck in my chimney | Ella Fitzgerald | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
| Decca | 76900 | 9/26/1950 | Molasses, molasses | Ella Fitzgerald | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
| Decca | 80993 | 5/10/1951 | Experience | Martha Davis | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
| Decca | 80994 | 5/10/1951 | How could anything be so bad | Martha Davis | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
| Decca | 80995 | 5/10/1951 | You're the doctor | Martha Davis | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
| Decca | 80996 | 5/10/1951 | Piano player boogie | Martha Davis | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
| Decca | 81186 | 6/18/1951 | Alarm clock boogie | Bill Darnell ; Georgie Auld Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
| Decca | 81187 | 6/18/1951 | You blew out the flame | Bill Darnell ; Georgie Auld Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
| Decca | 81188 | 6/18/1951 | The Christmas ball | Bill Darnell ; Georgie Auld Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
| Decca | 81189 | 6/18/1951 | It ain't snowing outside | Bill Darnell ; Georgie Auld Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
| Decca | 90601 | 10-in. | 2/5/1936 | Blue skies | Roy Eldridge | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 90602 | 10-in. | 2/5/1936 | Smut | Roy Eldridge | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 90603 | 10-in. | 2/5/1936 | My melancholy baby | Roy Eldridge | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 90604 | 10-in. | 2/5/1936 | Christopher Columbus | Roy Eldridge | instrumentalist, guitar |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Collins, John," accessed January 6, 2026, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/309178.
Collins, John. (2026). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved January 6, 2026, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/309178.
"Collins, John." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2026. Web. 6 January 2026.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: John Collins
Discogs: John Collins
Allmusic: John Collins
Grove: John Collins
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Collins, John, 1913-2001 - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no2009046318
Wikidata: John Collins - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1699643
VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/369148995846059750064
MusicBrainz: John Collins - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/e4303e9c-e35d-4b91-acb2-d88cd0861881
Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license
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