Shelton Hemphill

Shelton "Scad" Hemphill (March 16, 1906 – January 6, 1960) was an American jazz trumpeter whose career lasted from the mid 1920s through the late 1950s.

Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Hemphill was still in his teens when he played in the band of Fred Longshaw, which accompanied Bessie Smith on recordings in 1924–25. Also in 1924, at age 18, he enrolled at Wilberforce University in Ohio, and was a member of Horace Henderson's student band alongside Ted and Castor McCord. He moved to New York City late in the 1920s, where he played with Benny Carter and Chick Webb before joining the Mills Blue Rhythm Band, playing with this group from 1931 to 1937. He was in Louis Armstrong's band from 1937 to 1944 and Duke Ellington's from 1944 to 1949. In the 1950s, he played occasionally in New York City but left music due to mounting health problems later in the decade.

Shelton Hemphill died in New York City two months and ten days before his 54th birthday. His demise, along with that of blues singer Gladys Bentley, who died twelve days later, was noted in the syndicated column of music critic Ralph J. Gleason.

He is the father of Barry Shelton Hemphill, who spent a career as a vocal artist in the US Army Chorus, retiring at the rank of E-9. Barry Hemphill was also the Artistic Director of The Metropolitan Chorus in Arlington Virginia for 38 years (1977-2015), and has been the Conductor of the renowned Kennedy Center Messiah Sing along every December 23 in Washington, DC, for over 20 years.

Birth and Death Data: Born March 16, 1906 (Birmingham), Died December, 1959 (New York City)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1925 - 1946

Roles Represented in DAHR: trumpet, cornet

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

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 76 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor D5VB-0262 10-in. 5/11/1945 Caravan Duke Ellington Famous Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D5VB-0265 10-in. 5/14/1945 In a sentimental mood Duke Ellington Famous Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D5VB-0274 10-in. 5/16/1945 Every hour on the hour (I fall in love with you) Duke Ellington Famous Orchestra ; Al Hibbler Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D5VB-0518 10-in. 7/30/1945 Things ain't what they used to be Duke Ellington Famous Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D5VB-0662 10-in. 10/8/1945 Tell ya what I'm gonna do Duke Ellington Famous Orchestra ; Joya Sherrill Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D5VB-0663 10-in. 10/8/1945 Come to baby, do! Duke Ellington Famous Orchestra ; Joya Sherrill Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D5VB-0949 10-in. 11/26/1945 I'm just a lucky so-and-so Duke Ellington Famous Orchestra ; Al Hibbler Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D5VB-0951 10-in. 11/26/1945 The wonder of you Duke Ellington Famous Orchestra ; Joya Sherrill Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D6VB-2093 10-in. 7/9/1946 Rockabye river Duke Ellington Orchestra ; Duke Ellington Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D6VB-2095 10-in. 7/9/1946 Transblucency (a blue fog that you can almost see through) Duke Ellington Orchestra ; Duke Ellington Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D6VB-2096 10-in. 7/9/1946 Just squeeze me (but don't tease me) Duke Ellington Orchestra ; Duke Ellington Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D6VB-2113 10-in. 8/26/1946 Back home again in Indiana Duke Ellington Orchestra Piano solo, with jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D6VB-2114 10-in. 8/26/1946 Blue is the night Duke Ellington Orchestra Piano solo, with jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D6VB-2115 10-in. 8/26/1946 Lover man (Oh, where can you be?) Duke Ellington Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with piano and female vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D6VB-2116 10-in. 8/26/1946 Just you, just me Duke Ellington Orchestra Piano solo, with jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D6VB-2117 10-in. 8/26/1946 Beale Street blues Duke Ellington Orchestra Piano solo, with jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D6VB-2130 10-in. 9/3/1946 Swamp fire Duke Ellington Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D6VB-2131 10-in. 9/3/1946 Royal garden blues Duke Ellington Orchestra ; Duke Ellington Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Columbia W141369 10-in. 12/9/1925 At the Christmas ball Bessie Smith Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with cornet and piano instrumentalist, cornet  
Columbia W141370 10-in. 12/9/1925 Lonesome desert blues Bessie Smith Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with cornet and piano instrumentalist, cornet  
Columbia W141373 10-in. 12/9/1925 Squeeze me Bessie Smith Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with cornet and piano instrumentalist, cornet  
Decca 62328 10-in. 7/2/1937 Public melody number one Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca 62329 10-in. 7/2/1937 Yours and mine Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca 62330 10-in. 7/2/1937 Red cap Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca 62335 10-in. 7/7/1937 She's the daughter of a planter from Havana Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
(Results 1-25 of 76 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Hemphill, Shelton," accessed March 28, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/204407.

Hemphill, Shelton. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 28, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/204407.

"Hemphill, Shelton." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 28 March 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/204407

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