Harry White

Harry Alexander "Father" White (June 1, 1898 – August 14, 1962) was an American jazz trombonist.

As a teenager, White played drums, then switched to trombone after moving to Washington, D.C. around 1919. In the 1920s he played with Duke Ellington, Elmer Snowden, and Claude Hopkins, then started a family band called the White Brothers Orchestra in 1925. This ensemble played the mid-Atlantic states for several years.

Late in the 1920s, White played with Luis Russell, then joined the Mills Blue Rhythm Band in 1931. The following year he joined the orchestra of Cab Calloway, working as an arranger and composer in addition to duties on trombone. One of Calloway's trumpeters, Edwin Swayze, overheard White use the term "jitterbug", and wrote a tune called "The Jitterbug" because of it; Calloway's 1934 recording of it brought the term into widespread currency. He returned to play under Russell in 1935 while Russell's band backed Louis Armstrong. He quit playing for part of the 1930s, then later played with Manzie Johnson, Hot Lips Page, Edgar Hayes, and Bud Freeman.

Birth and Death Data: Born June 1, 1898 (Bethlehem), Died August 14, 1962 (New York City)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1922 - 1938

Roles Represented in DAHR: trombone, songwriter, lyricist, composer

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

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 67 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor B-26486 10-in. 5/24/1922 I wish that there was a wireless to heaven (Then Mama would not seem so far away) Henry Burr Male vocal solo, with celeste, oboe, flute, and orchestra lyricist  
Victor B-26732 10-in. 8/23/1922 Ji-ji-boo Paul Whiteman Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer  
Victor B-28520 10-in. 8/30/1923 Oh! Sister, ain't that hot! Charles Dornberger Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer  
Victor B-28817 10-in. 10/31/1923 Oh! How she lied to me Billy Murray ; Ed Smalle Male vocal duet, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor B-30572 10-in. 8/13/1924 Mrs. Murphy's chowder Billy Murray Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor BRC-69683 10-in. 6/3/1931 Thumpin' 'n' bumpin' Eubie Blake’s Orchestra ; Dick Robertson Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BRC-69963 10-in. 6/18/1931 Moanin' Mills Blue Rhythm Band Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BRC-70109 10-in. 7/1/1931 When I can't be with you Carolina Dandies Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BS-77684 10-in. 9/18/1933 Evenin' Cab Calloway ; Cotton Club Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer  
Victor BS-78504 10-in. 11/2/1933 Harlem camp meeting Cab Calloway ; Cotton Club Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and vocal chorus lyricist, composer  
Victor BS-78505 10-in. 11/2/1933 Zaz zuh zaz Cab Calloway ; Cotton Club Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and vocal chorus songwriter  
Victor BS-92908 10-in. 8/1/1935 Voice of Old Man River Willie Bryant Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BS-022923 10-in. 4/27/1938 Jumpin' Hot Lips Page Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trombone  
Victor BS-022924 10-in. 4/27/1938 Feelin' high and happy Hot Lips Page Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, trombone  
Victor BS-022925 10-in. 4/27/1938 At your beck and call Hot Lips Page Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, trombone  
Victor BS-022926 10-in. 4/27/1938 Rock it for me Hot Lips Page Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, trombone  
Victor BS-022927 10-in. 4/27/1938 Skull duggery Hot Lips Page Orchestra Jazz/dance band songwriter, instrumentalist, trombone  
Victor BS-022928 10-in. 4/27/1938 I let a song go out of my heart Hot Lips Page Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trombone  
Victor BS-023733 10-in. 6/24/1938 (A sky of blue, with you) And so forth Hot Lips Page Orchestra ; Delores Payne Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, trombone  
Victor BS-023734 10-in. 6/24/1938 The pied piper Hot Lips Page Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, trombone  
Victor BS-023735 10-in. 6/24/1938 If I were you Hot Lips Page Orchestra ; Delores Payne Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, trombone  
Victor BS-023736 10-in. 6/24/1938 I'm gonna lock my heart (And throw away the key) Hot Lips Page Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, trombone  
Victor BS-023737 10-in. 6/24/1938 Will you remember tonight tomorrow? Ben Bowers ; Hot Lips Page Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, trombone  
Victor BS-032735 10-in. 6/24/1938 Small fry Hot Lips Page Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, trombone  
Columbia 80300 10-in. 4/18/1922 When those finale hoppers start hopping around Furman and Nash Male vocal duet, with orchestra lyricist  
(Results 1-25 of 67 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "White, Harry," accessed March 28, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/108261.

White, Harry. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 28, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/108261.

"White, Harry." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 28 March 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/108261

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

Feedback

Send the Editors a message about this record.