Johnny St. Cyr

Johnny St. Cyr (April 17, 1890 – June 17, 1966) was an American jazz banjoist and guitarist. For banjo his by far most used type in records at least was the six string one. On a famous “action photo” with Jelly Roll Morton’s Red Hot Peppers he is holding a four string banjo, probably tenor. There is, however, no verified information if he ever used such an instrument on records.

St. Cyr was born in New Orleans, Louisiana and raised Catholic. He played for several leading New Orleans bands before moving to Chicago in 1923. He is best remembered as a member of Louis Armstrong's Hot Five and Hot Seven bands. He also played with Jelly Roll Morton's Red Hot Peppers. He composed the standard "Oriental Strut", known for its adventurous chord sequence.

During the 1950s, he performed and led a group named Johnny St. Cyr and His Hot Five and recorded with Paul Barbarin and George Lewis. From 1961 until his death in 1966, St. Cyr was the bandleader of the Young Men from New Orleans, who performed at Disneyland. He died in Los Angeles, California, and is buried in Evergreen Cemetery, in Los Angeles.

Birth and Death Data: Born April 17, 1890 (New Orleans), Died June 17, 1966 (Los Angeles)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1918 - 1927

Roles Represented in DAHR: banjo, guitar, speaker, songwriter, composer

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

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 86 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor B-21549 10-in. 2/27/1918 Mamma's baby boy Earl Fuller's Famous Jazz Band Jazz/dance band composer  
Victor BVE-36239 10-in. 9/15/1926 Black bottom stomp Jelly Roll Morton ; Red Hot Peppers Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, banjo  
Victor BVE-36240 10-in. 9/15/1926 Smoke-house blues Jelly Roll Morton ; Red Hot Peppers Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, banjo  
Victor BVE-36241 10-in. 9/15/1926 The chant Jelly Roll Morton ; Red Hot Peppers Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, banjo  
Victor BVE-36283 10-in. 9/21/1926 Sidewalk blues Jelly Roll Morton ; Red Hot Peppers Jazz/dance band, with talk instrumentalist, banjo, speaker  
Victor BVE-36284 10-in. 9/21/1926 Dead man blues Jelly Roll Morton ; Red Hot Peppers Jazz/dance band, with talk instrumentalist, banjo, speaker  
Victor BVE-36285 10-in. 9/21/1926 Steamboat stomp Jelly Roll Morton ; Red Hot Peppers Jazz/dance band, with talk instrumentalist, banjo, speaker  
Victor BVE-37254 10-in. 12/16/1926 Someday sweetheart Jelly Roll Morton ; Red Hot Peppers Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor BVE-37255 10-in. 12/16/1926 Grandpa's spells Jelly Roll Morton ; Red Hot Peppers Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor BVE-37256 10-in. 12/16/1926 Original Jelly-Roll Jelly Roll Morton ; Red Hot Peppers Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor BVE-37257 10-in. 12/16/1926 Doctor Jazz stomp Jelly Roll Morton ; Red Hot Peppers Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, banjo  
Victor BVE-37258 10-in. 12/16/1926 Cannon ball Jelly Roll Morton ; Red Hot Peppers Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia W142426 10-in. 7/13/1926 Perdido Street blues New Orleans Wanderers Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, banjo  
OKeh 9446 10-in. 11/6/1925 New Orleans shags Richard M. Jones Three Jazz Wizards Jazz/dance trio instrumentalist, banjo  
OKeh 9447 10-in. 11/6/1925 Spanish shawl Albert Nicholas ; Richard M. Jones Three Jazz Wizards Clarinet solo, with piano and banjo instrumentalist, banjo  
OKeh 9448 10-in. 11/6/1925 29th and Dearborn Albert Nicholas ; Richard M. Jones Three Jazz Wizards Clarinet solo, with piano and banjo instrumentalist, banjo  
OKeh 9449 10-in. 11/6/1925 Wonderful dream Richard M. Jones Three Jazz Wizards Jazz/dance trio, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, banjo  
OKeh 9471 10-in. 11/11/1925 Gambler's dream Hociel Thomas Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance ensemble instrumentalist, banjo  
OKeh 9472 10-in. 11/11/1925 Sunshine baby Hociel Thomas Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance ensemble instrumentalist, banjo  
OKeh 9473 10-in. 11/11/1925 Adam and Eve had the blues Louis Armstrong's Jazz Four ; Hociel Thomas Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band instrumentalist, banjo  
OKeh 9474 10-in. 11/11/1925 Put it where I can get it Louis Armstrong's Jazz Four ; Hociel Thomas Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance ensemble instrumentalist, banjo  
OKeh 9475 10-in. 11/11/1925 Wash woman blues Hociel Thomas Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance ensemble instrumentalist, banjo  
OKeh 9476 10-in. 11/11/1925 I've stopped my man Hociel Thomas Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance ensemble instrumentalist, banjo  
OKeh 9484 10-in. 11/12/1925 My heart Louis Armstrong ; Hot Five Jazz/dance ensemble instrumentalist, banjo  
OKeh 9485 10-in. 11/12/1925 Yes! I'm in the barrel Louis Armstrong ; Hot Five Jazz/dance ensemble instrumentalist, banjo  
(Results 1-25 of 86 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "St. Cyr, Johnny," accessed March 18, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/112561.

St. Cyr, Johnny. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 18, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/112561.

"St. Cyr, Johnny." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 18 March 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/112561

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