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Jean Schwartz

Jean Schwartz (November 4, 1878 – November 30, 1956) was a Hungarian-born Jewish American composer and pianist. He is best known for his work writing the scores for more than 30 Broadway musicals, and for his creation of more than 1,000 popular songs with the lyricist William Jerome. Schwartz and Jerome also performed together on the vaudeville stage in the United States; sometimes in collaboration with Maude Nugent, Jerome's wife, and the Dolly Sisters. Schwartz was married to Jenny Dolly from 1913 to 1921.

With Jerome, Schwartz created a large body of work for both Broadway and Tin Pan Alley, with the majority of their songs written between the years 1901 and 1910. Many of their popular songs were interpolated into Broadway musicals created by others during the 1900s, 1910s, and 1920s. The pair were also the primary creators of eight Broadway musicals, the most successful of which were Piff! Paff!! Pouf!!! (1904) and The Ham Tree (1905). Their most enduring song, "Chinatown, My Chinatown", was written in 1906, interpolated into their final musical together, Up and Down Broadway (1910), and became a jazz standard when a series of recording artists, including Louis Armstrong and Fletcher Henderson, made popular recordings of the work. Their collaborative output slowed significantly after 1910 and came to an end during World War I.

While Schwartz was mainly concerned with writing the music to his songs, he did on occasion work as a lyricist as well. He was a founding member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers in 1914. Schwartz formed a prolific partnership with the lyricist and playwright Harold Atteridge with whom he created more than a dozen Broadway musicals. Many of these shows were also made with the composer Sigmund Romberg. The trio of Schwartz, Atteridge, and Romberg created five of The Passing Show musical revues together as well as the musicals Monte Cristo, Jr. (1919) and Innocent Eyes (1924). Schwartz also created several Broadway musicals in collaboration with the lyricist Alfred Bryan; sometimes in conjunction with Atteridge as musical book writer.

Schwartz collaborated with many other songwriters during his lengthy career. He wrote the 1918 popular standard "Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody" with Sam M. Lewis and Joe Young. In 1930, he intentionally ended his career as a New York City based songwriter with the aptly named "Au Revoir Pleasant Dreams", a work which became the theme song for Ben Bernie and his orchestra. After this, he lived in retirement in Los Angeles and was mostly finished with music making. His final song of significance, the 1937 popular standard "Trust in Me", was written in collaboration with Milton Ager and Ned Wever. That song has been recorded by numerous artists, most recently by Beyonce for the 2008 film Cadillac Records. He was posthumously inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970.

Birth and Death Data: Born Budapest (capital and largest city of Hungary), Died November 30, 1956

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1901 - 1941

Roles Represented in DAHR: composer, songwriter

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

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 376 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]922 7-in. 7/18/1901 When Mr. Shakespeare comes to town Dan W. Quinn Male vocal solo composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix B-]922 10-in. 10/30/1902 When Mr. Shakespeare comes to town Dan W. Quinn Male vocal solo composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]956 7-in. 9/11/1901 Any old place I can hang my hat is home sweet home to me Will F. Denny Male vocal solo composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]1091 7-in. 11/9/1901 I'm tired S. H. Dudley Male vocal solo composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix B-]1091 10-in. 11/9/1901 I'm tired S. H. Dudley Male vocal solo composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]1295 7-in. 3/5/1902 Back to the woods Arthur Collins ; Joseph Natus Male vocal duet, with piano composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix B-]1295 10-in. 3/5/1902 Back to the woods Arthur Collins ; Joseph Natus Male vocal duet, with piano composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]1319 7-in. 3/13/1902 Since sister Nell heard Paderewski play Dan W. Quinn Male vocal solo composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix B-]1319 10-in. 3/13/1902 Since sister Nell heard Paderewski play Dan W. Quinn Male vocal solo composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix C-]1319 12-in. 7/11/1902 Since sister Nell heard Paderewski play Dan W. Quinn Male vocal solo composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]1324 7-in. 3/14/1902 Nursery rhymes Dan W. Quinn Male vocal solo composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix B-]1324 10-in. 3/14/1902 Nursery rhymes Dan W. Quinn Male vocal solo composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]1326 7-in. 3/14/1902 Rip Van Winkle was, a lucky man Dan W. Quinn Male vocal solo composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix B-]1326 10-in. 3/14/1902 Rip Van Winkle was a lucky man Dan W. Quinn Male vocal solo composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix C-]1326 12-in. 7/11/1902 Rip Van Winkle was, a lucky man Dan W. Quinn Male vocal solo composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]1412 7-in. 5/23/1902 We won't go home until morning Dan W. Quinn Male vocal solo composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix B-]1412 10-in. 5/23/1902 We won't go home until morning Dan W. Quinn Male vocal solo composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix C-]1412 12-in. 7/11/1902 We won't go home until morning Dan W. Quinn Male vocal solo composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]1466 7-in. 7/10/1902 Mister Dooley Dan W. Quinn Male vocal solo composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix B-]1466 10-in. 7/10/1902 Mister Dooley Dan W. Quinn Male vocal solo composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]1468 7-in. 7/10/1902 I'm unlucky Dan W. Quinn Male vocal solo composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix B-]1468 10-in. 7/10/1902 I'm unlucky Dan W. Quinn Male vocal solo composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix C-]1468 12-in. 7/10/1902 I'm unlucky Dan W. Quinn Male vocal solo composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]1859 7-in. 1/12/1903 Any old place I can hang my hat is home sweet home to me Silas Leachman Male vocal solo, with piano composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix B-]1859 10-in. 1/12/1903 Any old place I can hang my hat is home sweet home to me Silas Leachman Male vocal solo, with piano composer  
(Results 1-25 of 376 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Schwartz, Jean," accessed December 26, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106564.

Schwartz, Jean. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 26, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106564.

"Schwartz, Jean." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 26 December 2025.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106564

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