Mike Jackson

Mike Jackson (December 23, 1888, Louisville, Kentucky – June 21, 1945, New York City) was an American jazz pianist and composer.

The details of Jackson's early life are not known. In 1921, he began composing songs for the publisher Joe Davis, and soon after worked as an accompanist for a number of early jazz and blues recordings, with Clara Smith, Alberta Hunter, Laura Smith, Thomas Morris (including the New Orleans Blue Five and the Dixie Jazzers Washboard Band), Perry Bradford, and Buddy Christian. He also recorded under his own name as Jackson and His Southern Stompers. With Morris, he worked in the vaudeville show The Wicked Age in 1927. He emigrated to Montreal in 1928, but returned to New York in 1930, where he continued working as a composer.

His compositions included "The Louisville Blues", written with Bob Ricketts in 1921 and recorded by W.C. Handy in 1923; "Scandal Blues" and "Black Hearse Blues", both written in 1925; and "Slender, Tender and Tall" and "Hey, Knock Me a Kiss", both of which were recorded by Jimmie Lunceford and Louis Jordan among others.

Birth and Death Data: Born December 23, 1888 (Louisville), Died June 21, 1945 (New York City)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1923 - 1942

Roles Represented in DAHR: composer, piano, songwriter, baritone vocal, lyricist

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

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 61 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor BVE-35738 10-in. 7/2/1926 Just too bad Mike Jackson ; Mabel Richardson Female-male vocal duet, with cornet and piano vocalist, baritone vocal, songwriter  
Victor BVE-35739 10-in. 7/2/1926 I'm gonna kill myself Mike Jackson ; Mabel Richardson Female-male vocal duet, with cornet and piano vocalist, baritone vocal, composer  
Victor BVE-35762 10-in. 7/13/1926 Lazy drag Thomas Morris ; Morris' Hot Babies Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, piano  
Victor BVE-35763 10-in. 7/13/1926 Jackass blues Thomas Morris ; Morris' Hot Babies Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, piano  
Victor BVE-35764 10-in. 7/13/1926 Charleston stampede Thomas Morris ; Morris' Hot Babies Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, piano  
Victor BVE-36047 10-in. 8/17/1926 Georgia grind Thomas Morris ; Morris' Hot Babies Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, piano, vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BVE-36048 10-in. 8/17/1926 Ham gravy Thomas Morris ; Morris' Hot Babies Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, piano  
Victor BVE-36505 10-in. 9/21/1926 Alabama mamma Mike Jackson Male vocal solo, with piano vocalist, baritone vocal, composer  
Victor BVE-36506 10-in. 9/21/1926 Kissing mule blues Mike Jackson Male vocal solo, with piano vocalist, baritone vocal, composer  
Victor BVE-36846 10-in. 10/20/1926 When a 'gator holler, folks say it's a sign of rain Margaret Johnson Female vocal solo, with instrumental trio instrumentalist, piano  
Victor BVE-36847 10-in. 10/20/1926 Graysom Street blues Margaret Johnson Female vocal solo, with instrumental trio instrumentalist, piano, composer, lyricist  
Victor BVE-36895 10-in. 11/2/1926 My baby doesn't squawk New Orleans Blue Five Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, piano  
Victor BVE-36896 10-in. 11/2/1926 The king of the Zulus New Orleans Blue Five Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, piano  
Victor BVE-36897 10-in. 11/2/1926 South Rampart Street blues New Orleans Blue Five Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, piano  
Victor BVE-36917 10-in. 11/9/1926 Somebody's been lovin' my baby Monette Moore Female vocal solo, with clarinet, cornet, and piano composer  
Victor BVE-36925 10-in. 11/12/1926 Blues from the Everglades Morris' Hot Babies Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, piano  
Victor BVE-36926 10-in. 11/12/1926 P. D. Q. blues Thomas Morris ; Morris' Hot Babies Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, piano  
Victor BVE-36958 10-in. 11/23/1926 I got a mule to ride Edna Winston Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble songwriter  
Victor BVE-36959 10-in. 11/23/1926 Mamma's gonna drop your curtain Edna Winston Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble composer  
Victor BVE-36962 10-in. 11/24/1926 The mess Thomas Morris ; Morris' Hot Babies Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, piano  
Victor BVE-36963 10-in. 11/24/1926 The chinch Thomas Morris ; Morris' Hot Babies Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, piano  
Victor BVE-37681 10-in. 2/14/1927 Second-handed blues Margaret Johnson Female vocal solo, with guitar, piano, and harmonica composer  
Victor BVE-37688 10-in. 2/26/1927 I'll forgive you 'cause I love you, but the wrongs you've done I can't forget Alberta Hunter Female vocal solo, with piano instrumentalist, piano  
Victor BVE-37689 10-in. 2/26/1927 I'm gonna lose myself way down in Louisville Alberta Hunter Female vocal solo, with piano instrumentalist, piano  
Victor BVE-37690 10-in. 2/26/1927 My old daddy's got a brand new way to love Alberta Hunter Female vocal solo, with piano instrumentalist, piano, composer  
(Results 1-25 of 61 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Jackson, Mike," accessed March 28, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/113735.

Jackson, Mike. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 28, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/113735.

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

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/113735

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