Harold Baker
Harold "Shorty" Baker (May 26, 1914 in St. Louis, Missouri, US – November 8, 1966) was an American jazz trumpeter. Baker began on drums, but switched to trumpet during his teens. He started his career on riverboats and played with Don Redman in the mid-1930s. He also worked with Teddy Wilson and Andy Kirk before joining Duke Ellington. He married Kirk's pianist Mary Lou Williams and though the two separated shortly thereafter, they never officially divorced. Baker worked on and off in Duke Ellington's Orchestra from 1942 to 1962. He also worked with Johnny Hodges's group in the early 1950s, during the period when Hodges was not a member of Ellington's orchestra. He died of throat cancer in New York at the age of 52. |
Birth and Death Data: Born May 26, 1914 (St. Louis), Died November 8, 1966 (New York City)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1940 - 1959
Roles Represented in DAHR: trumpet
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 1-25 of 80 records)
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| Decca | 67893 | 10-in. | 6/25/1940 | Fine and mellow | Andy Kirk ; Twelve Clouds of Joy | instrumentalist, trumpet | ||
| Decca | 67894 | 10-in. | 6/25/1940 | Scratching in the gravel | Andy Kirk ; Twelve Clouds of Joy | instrumentalist, trumpet | ||
| Decca | 67895 | 10-in. | 6/25/1940 | Fifteen minute intermission | Andy Kirk ; Twelve Clouds of Joy | instrumentalist, trumpet | ||
| Decca | 67896 | 10-in. | 6/25/1940 | Take those blues away | Andy Kirk ; Twelve Clouds of Joy | instrumentalist, trumpet | ||
| Decca | 67917 | 10-in. | 7/8/1940 | Now I lay me down to dream | Andy Kirk ; Twelve Clouds of Joy | instrumentalist, trumpet | ||
| Decca | 67918 | 10-in. | 7/8/1940 | There is no greater love | Andy Kirk ; Twelve Clouds of Joy | instrumentalist, trumpet | ||
| Decca | 67919 | 10-in. | 7/8/1940 | Midnight stroll | Andy Kirk ; Twelve Clouds of Joy | instrumentalist, trumpet | ||
| Decca | 67920 | 10-in. | 7/8/1940 | Little Miss | Andy Kirk ; Twelve Clouds of Joy | instrumentalist, trumpet | ||
| Decca | 68317 | 10-in. | 11/7/1940 | The Count | Andy Kirk ; Twelve Clouds of Joy | instrumentalist, trumpet | ||
| Decca | 68318 | 10-in. | 11/7/1940 | Twelfth Street rag | Andy Kirk ; Twelve Clouds of Joy | instrumentalist, trumpet | ||
| Decca | 68319 | 10-in. | 11/7/1940 | When I saw you | Andy Kirk ; Twelve Clouds of Joy | instrumentalist, trumpet | ||
| Decca | 68363 | 10-in. | 11/18/1940 | If I feel this way tomorrow | Andy Kirk ; Twelve Clouds of Joy | instrumentalist, trumpet | ||
| Decca | 68364 | 10-in. | 11/18/1940 | Or have I ? | Andy Kirk ; Twelve Clouds of Joy | instrumentalist, trumpet | ||
| Decca | 68365 | 10-in. | 11/18/1940 | Baby dear | Kansas City Seven ; Mary Lou Williams | instrumentalist, trumpet | ||
| Decca | 68366 | 10-in. | 11/18/1940 | Harmony blues | Kansas City Seven ; Mary Lou Williams | instrumentalist, trumpet |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Baker, Harold," accessed April 23, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/107198.
Baker, Harold. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 23, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/107198.
"Baker, Harold." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 23 April 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Harold "Shorty" Baker
Discogs: Harold Baker
Allmusic: Harold Baker
Grove: Harold Baker
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Baker, Harold, 1914-1966 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n95005454
Wikidata: Harold "Shorty" Baker - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q353596
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/69114722
MusicBrainz: Harold "Shorty" Baker - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/5b38656a-b836-4585-9cc7-c5e731da9ea0
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