Arville Harris

Arville Shirley Harris (1904–1954) was an American jazz reedist. He was the brother of Leroy Harris, Sr.

Harris was born in St. Louis and played on riverboats in the early 1920s. He worked in the bands of Hershal Brassfield and Bill Brown, then worked with Clarence Williams, including on recordings, late in the decade. Around the same time he recorded with Fats Waller, King Oliver, Eva Taylor, and Sara Martin. He played in Cab Calloway's group, including on tours of Europe, between 1931 and 1935. In the latter half of the 1930s he worked with Jacques Butler, Baron Lee, and Claude Hopkins. He led a band under his own name in New York at the Majestic Ballroom from ca. 1944 until his death.

Birth and Death Data: Born 1904 (St. Louis), Died 1954

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1929 - 1937

Roles Represented in DAHR: alto saxophone, clarinet, tenor saxophone

= 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-49760 10-in. 3/1/1929 The minor drag Fats Waller’s Buddies Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, alto saxophone, clarinet, tenor saxophone  
Victor BVE-49761 10-in. 3/1/1929 Harlem fuss Fats Waller’s Buddies Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, alto saxophone, clarinet, tenor saxophone  
Brunswick E36212 10-in. 3/3/1931 Minnie the moocher Cab Calloway Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, clarinet, alto saxophone  
Decca 62140 10-in. 4/21/1937 Honey Clude Hopkins Orchestra instrumentalist, clarinet, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone  
Decca 62141 10-in. 4/21/1937 June night Clude Hopkins Orchestra instrumentalist, clarinet, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone  
Decca 62142 10-in. 4/21/1937 Church Street sobbin' blues Clude Hopkins Orchestra instrumentalist, clarinet, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone  
Decca 62143 10-in. 4/21/1937 My kinda love Clude Hopkins Orchestra instrumentalist, clarinet, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Harris, Arville," accessed March 29, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/114223.

Harris, Arville. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 29, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/114223.

"Harris, Arville." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 29 March 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/114223

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