Ulysses Livingston
Ulysses Livingston (January 29, 1912, Bristol, Tennessee - October 7, 1988, Los Angeles) was an American jazz guitarist and bass guitarist. Livingston's career in music began in the band of Horace Henderson as a roadie (or, as Henderson called them, "valet"). Prior to this he had played in the band of the West Virginia State College. After his period with Henderson he played in carnival bands on traveling road shows. In the middle of the 1930s he began to get jazz gigs with Lil Armstrong, Frankie Newton, Sammy Price, Coleman Hawkins, and Benny Carter. After moving to New York City, he accompanied Ella Fitzgerald on tour and on record. He served briefly in the military during World War II, but returned to jazz playing on the West Coast in 1943. He played with Cee Pee Johnson in Hawaii in 1947. Alongside his guitar playing, Livingston also sang with the Spirits of Rhythm, and led a group called the Four Blazes. From the 1950s he did freelance work with West Coast jazz musicians and also became active as a record producer. In the 1970s he took up electric bass alongside the guitar, and recorded with both instruments. |
Birth and Death Data: Born Bristol (city in Sullivan County, Tennessee, United States), Died October 7, 1988
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1939 - 1959
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 (Results 26-50 of 75 records)
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decca | 67783 | 10-in. | 5/20/1940 | O.K. for baby | Benny Carter Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 67784 | 10-in. | 5/20/1940 | Serenade to a sarong | Benny Carter Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 68146 | 10-in. | 9/25/1940 | Five o'clock whistle | Ella Fitzgerald | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 68147 | 10-in. | 9/25/1940 | So long | Ella Fitzgerald | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 68148 | 10-in. | 9/25/1940 | Louisville, Ky | Ella Fitzgerald | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 68329 | 10-in. | 11/8/1940 | Taking a chance on love | Ella Fitzgerald | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 68330 | 10-in. | 11/8/1940 | Cabin in the sky | Ella Fitzgerald | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 68331 | 10-in. | 11/8/1940 | I'm the lonesomest gal in town | Ella Fitzgerald | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 68558 | 10-in. | 1/8/1941 | Three little words | Ella Fitzgerald and her Famous Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 68559 | 10-in. | 1/8/1941 | Hello Ma, I done it again | Ella Fitzgerald and her Famous Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 68560 | 10-in. | 1/8/1941 | Wishful thinking | Ella Fitzgerald and her Famous Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 68561 | 10-in. | 1/8/1941 | The one I love (belongs to somebody else) | Ella Fitzgerald and her Famous Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 68562 | 10-in. | 1/8/1941 | The muffin mac | Ella Fitzgerald and her Famous Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 68894 | 10-in. | 3/31/1941 | Keep cool, fool | Ella Fitzgerald and her Famous Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 68895 | 10-in. | 3/31/1941 | No nothing | Ella Fitzgerald and her Famous Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 68896 | 10-in. | 3/31/1941 | My man | Ella Fitzgerald and her Famous Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 69784 | 10-in. | 10/6/1941 | Jim | Ella Fitzgerald | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 69785 | 10-in. | 10/6/1941 | This love of mine | Ella Fitzgerald | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 69875 | 10-in. | 10/28/1941 | Somebody nobody loves | Ella Fitzgerald | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 69876 | 10-in. | 10/28/1941 | You don't know what love is | Ella Fitzgerald | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 69905 | 10-in. | 11/5/1941 | Who are you? | Ella Fitzgerald | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 69906 | 10-in. | 11/5/1941 | I'm thrilled | Ella Fitzgerald | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 69907 | 10-in. | 11/5/1941 | Make love to me | Ella Fitzgerald | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Master | WM1046 | 10-in. | 6/29/1939 | Plymouth Rock | Benny Carter Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Master | WM1047 | 10-in. | 6/29/1939 | Savoy stampede | Benny Carter Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, guitar |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Livingston, Ulysses," accessed January 7, 2026, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/327686.
Livingston, Ulysses. (2026). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved January 7, 2026, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/327686.
"Livingston, Ulysses." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2026. Web. 7 January 2026.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Ulysses Livingston
Discogs: Ulysses Livingston
Allmusic: Ulysses Livingston
Grove: Ulysses Livingston
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Livingston, Ulysses, 1912-1988 - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no92005977
Wikidata: Ulysses Livingston - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q7880928
VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/34648181
MusicBrainz: Ulysses Livingston - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/495773f0-5987-43d4-9744-f3f3b206427a
Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license
Feedback
Send the Editors a message about this record.
