Don Kirkpatrick

Don Kirkpatrick (June 17, 1905 – May 13, 1956) was an American jazz pianist and arranger.

He was born in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. Kirkpatrick worked intermittently with Chick Webb between 1927-1937 and with Don Redman from 1933-1937; it is for these associations that he is best known. Aside from this, he worked with Harry White, Elmer Snowden, Zutty Singleton, and Mezz Mezzrow, and worked as a freelance arranger after his time with Webb and Redman. Kirkpatrick also arranged for the bands of Benny Goodman, Count Basie, and Cootie Williams.

After the swing era, Kirkpatrick played with Bunk Johnson (1947), Sidney Bechet (1951), Wilbur De Paris (1952–55), and Doc Cheatham (1955). He never led his own recording session. In 1956 he died at age 50, of complications from pneumonia.

Birth and Death Data: Born Charlotte, Died May 13, 1956

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1932 - 1937

Roles Represented in DAHR: piano

= 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-74822 10-in. 12/8/1932 I hate to leave you now Louis Armstrong Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with trumpet solo and male vocal solo instrumentalist, piano  
Columbia W152720 10-in. 2/23/1934 The gold diggers' song Henry Allen ; Benny Morton Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and trumpet solo instrumentalist, piano  
Master M505 10-in. 5/28/1937 Stormy weather Don Redman Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with vocal chorus instrumentalist, piano  
Master M506 10-in. 5/28/1937 Exactly like you Don Redman Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with vocal chorus instrumentalist, piano  
Master M507 10-in. 5/28/1937 The man on the flying trapeze Don Redman Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, piano  
Master M508 10-in. 5/28/1937 On the sunny side of the street Don Redman Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with vocal chorus instrumentalist, piano  
Master M509 10-in. 5/28/1937 Swingin' with the fat man Don Redman Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, piano  
Master M510 10-in. 5/28/1937 Sweet Sue (Just you) Don Redman Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, piano  
Master M511 10-in. 5/28/1937 That naughty waltz (Take me in your arms again and waltz, waltz, waltz) Don Redman Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, piano  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Kirkpatrick, Don," accessed December 11, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106327.

Kirkpatrick, Don. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 11, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106327.

"Kirkpatrick, Don." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 11 December 2025.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106327

Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license

Feedback

Send the Editors a message about this record.