Red Callender

Red Callender

George Sylvester "Red" Callender (March 6, 1916 – March 8, 1992) was an American string bass and tuba player. He is perhaps best known as a jazz musician, but worked with an array of pop, rock and vocal acts as a member of The Wrecking Crew, a group of first-call session musicians in Los Angeles. Callender also co-wrote the 1959 top-10 hit "Primrose Lane".

Birth and Death Data: Born Virginia (state of the United States of America), Died March 8, 1992 (Saugus (human settlement in California, United States of America) )

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 951 - 1958

Roles Represented in DAHR: string bass, tuba, leader, songwriter, composer, piano

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

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 110 records)

Company	Matrix No.	Size	First Recording Date	Title	Primary Performer	Description	Role
Victor	PBS-055228	10-in.	12/19/1940	Lost love	Hampton Rhythm Girls ; Lionel Hampton Orchestra ; Lee Young	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and female vocal ensemble	songwriter
Victor	E1VB-0588	10-in.	2/22/1951	Tonight of all nights	Bixie Crawford ; Ernie Freeman Orchestra ; Ernie Freeman	Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band	songwriter
Victor	D6VB-2149	10-in.	9/6/1946	I want a little girl	Louis Armstrong Hot Six	Male vocal, solo with jazz septet	instrumentalist, string bass
Victor	D6VB-2150	10-in.	9/6/1946	Sugar	Louis Armstrong Hot Six	Male vocal, solo with jazz septet	instrumentalist, string bass
Victor	D6VB-2151	10-in.	9/6/1946	Blues for yesterday	Louis Armstrong Hot Six	Male vocal, solo with jazz septet	instrumentalist, string bass
Victor	D6VB-2152	10-in.	9/6/1946	Blues in the South	Louis Armstrong Hot Six	Male vocal solo, with jazz septet	instrumentalist, string bass
Victor	D6VB-2192	10-in.	10/17/1946	Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans	Louis Armstrong ; Dixieland Seven	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo	instrumentalist, string bass
Victor	D6VB-2193	10-in.	10/17/1946	Where the blues were born in New Orleans	Louis Armstrong ; Dixieland Seven	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo	instrumentalist, string bass
Victor	D6VB-2194	10-in.	10/17/1946	Mahogany Hall stomp	Louis Armstrong ; Dixieland Seven	Jazz/dance band	instrumentalist, string bass
Victor	D7VB-0511	10-in.	4/22/1947	From dixieland to be-bop (or Condon meets Gillespie)	Lucky Seven (Lucky Thompson) ; Lucky Thompson	Jazz/dance octet	instrumentalist, string bass
Victor	D7VB-0513	10-in.	4/22/1947	Boppin' the blues	Lucky Seven (Lucky Thompson) ; Lucky Thompson	Jazz/dance octet	instrumentalist, string bass
Excelsior	TR-107	10-in.	1944-1951	Bring enough clothes for three days	Excelsior Hep Cats ; Timmie Rogers		instrumentalist, string bass
Excelsior	OR-172-A	10-in.	12/31/1947	I woke up with a tear drop in my eye	Joe Alexander ; E. Colbert ; Joe Lutcher ; W. McDaniels ; Red Callender Quintet		instrumentalist, string bass
Excelsior	OR-173-B	10-in.	12/31/1947	Donkey serenade	Joe Alexander ; E. Colbert ; Leonard Enois ; Joe Lutcher ; W. McDaniels ; Red Callender Quintet		instrumentalist, string bass
Excelsior	OR-509-B	10-in.	12/31/1951	Dissonance in blues	Red Callender ; Gerald Wilson		instrumentalist, string bass
Philo	P1000A	12-in.	July 1942	Body and soul	Lester Young Trio	Instrumental trio	instrumentalist, string bass
Philo	P1000B	12-in.	July 1942	Indiana	Lester Young Trio	Instrumental trio	instrumentalist, string bass
Philo	P1001A	12-in.	July 1942	Tea for two	Lester Young Trio	Instrumental trio	instrumentalist, string bass
Philo	P1001B	12-in.	July 1942	I can't get started	Lester Young Trio	Instrumental trio	instrumentalist, string bass
Exclusive	EXC-1292	10-in.	12/31/1949	Baby I'm gone	Ernie Andrews ; Dave Barbour ; Red Callender ; Calvin Jackson Orchestra ; Benny Carter ; Calvin Jackson ; Manny Klein ; Jackie Mills		composer, instrumentalist, string bass
Exclusive	EXC-1410	10-in.	12/31/1949	I'm in town	Red Callender ; "Frantic" Fay Thomas ; Lee Young		instrumentalist, string bass
Exclusive	EXC-1411	10-in.	12/31/1949	Waga-waga	Red Callender ; "Frantic" Fay Thomas ; Lee Young		instrumentalist, string bass
Exclusive	EXC-1412	10-in.	12/31/1949	I don't want your money honey	Red Callender ; "Frantic" Fay Thomas ; Lee Young		instrumentalist, string bass
Exclusive	EXC-1413	10-in.	12/31/1949	Lover man	Red Callender ; "Frantic" Fay Thomas ; Lee Young		instrumentalist, string bass
Exclusive	RR-9952	10-in.	12/31/1948	How come	Duke Brooks ; Red Callender ; Lou Gonzales ; Red Callender Trio		instrumentalist, string bass, leader

(Results 1-25 of 110 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Callender, Red," accessed December 24, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/105316.

Callender, Red. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 24, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/105316.

"Callender, Red." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 24 December 2025.