Jimmy McLin
James Archibald McLin (June 26, 1908, Brooksville, Florida – December 15, 1983, St. Petersburg, Florida) was an American jazz banjoist and guitarist. McLin started on piano before picking up banjo and, later, guitar. He played locally in Florida before relocating to New York City in 1928, playing both guitar and banjo in the early 1930s for James P. Johnson, Ward Pinkett, and Roy Eldridge. Later in the decade he recorded with Willie "The Lion" Smith, Buster Bailey, Midge Williams, and Billie Holiday. In the early 1940s he worked with Sidney Bechet, Dave Nelson, and Claude Hopkins, then played trombone and mellophone in a military band while serving in the United States Navy during World War II. After his discharge he worked again with Hopkins and played guitar for The Ink Spots. |
Birth and Death Data: Died December 15, 1983
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1937 - 1939
Roles Represented in DAHR: guitar
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 1-25 of 37 records)
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia | W24245 | 10-in. | 3/21/1939 | You're too lovely to last | Billie Holiday | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Columbia | W24246 | 10-in. | 3/21/1939 | Under a blue jungle moon | Billie Holiday | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Columbia | W24247 | 10-in. | 3/21/1939 | Everything happens for the best | Billie Holiday | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Columbia | W24248 | 10-in. | 3/21/1939 | Why did I always depend on you? | Billie Holiday | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Columbia | W24249 | 10-in. | 3/21/1939 | Long gone blues | Billie Holiday | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Brunswick | B20698 | 10-in. | 2/18/1937 | The mood that I'm in | Billie Holiday ; Teddy Wilson Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Brunswick | B20699 | 10-in. | 2/18/1937 | You showed me the way | Billie Holiday ; Teddy Wilson Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Brunswick | B20700 | 10-in. | 2/18/1937 | Sentimental and melancholy | Billie Holiday ; Teddy Wilson Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Brunswick | B20701 | 10-in. | 2/18/1937 | (This is) My last affair | Billie Holiday ; Teddy Wilson Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Decca | 61934 | 10-in. | 4/13/1937 | The swampland is calling me | Willie "The Lion" Smith and his Cubs | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 61935 | 10-in. | 4/13/1937 | More than that | Willie "The Lion" Smith and his Cubs | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 61936 | 10-in. | 4/13/1937 | I'm all out of breath | Willie "The Lion" Smith and his Cubs | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 61937 | 10-in. | 4/13/1937 | I can see you all over the place | Willie "The Lion" Smith and his Cubs | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 62372 | 10-in. | 7/14/1937 | Get acquainted with yourself | Willie "The Lion" Smith and his Cubs | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 62373 | 10-in. | 7/14/1937 | Knock wood | Willie "The Lion" Smith and his Cubs | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 62374 | 10-in. | 7/14/1937 | Peace, brother, peace | Willie "The Lion" Smith and his Cubs | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 62375 | 10-in. | 7/14/1937 | The old stamping ground | Willie "The Lion" Smith and his Cubs | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 62593 | 10-in. | 9/15/1937 | Blues, why don't you let me alone? | Willie "The Lion" Smith and his Cubs | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 62594 | 10-in. | 9/15/1937 | I've got to think it over | Willie "The Lion" Smith and his Cubs | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 62595 | 10-in. | 9/15/1937 | Achin' hearted blues | Willie "The Lion" Smith and his Cubs | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 62596 | 10-in. | 9/15/1937 | Honeymoonin' on a dime | Willie "The Lion" Smith and his Cubs | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Master | M644 | 10-in. | 9/17/1937 | Afternoon in Africa | Buster Bailey Rhythm Busters | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Master | M645 | 10-in. | 9/17/1937 | Dizzy debutante | Buster Bailey Rhythm Busters | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Master | M661 | 10-in. | 9/27/1937 | The one Rose (That's left in heart) | Midge Williams and her Jazz Jesters | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Master | M662 | 10-in. | 9/27/1937 | The lady was a tramp | Midge Williams and her Jazz Jesters | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | instrumentalist, guitar |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "McLin, Jimmy," accessed January 7, 2026, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/330813.
McLin, Jimmy. (2026). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved January 7, 2026, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/330813.
"McLin, Jimmy." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2026. Web. 7 January 2026.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: McLin, Jimmy - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n2021019512
Wikidata: Jimmy McLin - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q29650331
VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/60148996003059752237
MusicBrainz: Jimmy McLin - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/5f519c78-d5b9-46b8-af27-023bfb261e84
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