Castor McCord

Castor "Cass" McCord (May 17, 1907 — February 14, 1963) was an American jazz saxophonist, born in Alabama's largest city, Birmingham, who, with his twin brother, clarinetist and alto saxophonist Ted McCord, started out, at age 17, as a member of Edgar Hayes' Blue Grass Buddies in 1924. Along with Hayes, he attended Ohio's Wilberforce University, where he played in the student band run by Horace Henderson. Later in the 1920s he moved from Ohio to Atlantic City and then to New York City, where he played with the Mills Blue Rhythm Band and Louis Armstrong early in the 1930s. His other collaborators included Eubie Blake and Charlie Matson.

In the middle of the 1930s, McCord played in France for a year and toured India with Leon Abbey in 1936. McCord led his own trio in Amsterdam in 1937, then worked with Walter Rains in Rotterdam the next year. He moved back to New York near the end of the decade, returning to briefly play under Abbey as well as in the bands of Benny Carter, Eddie Mallory, and Claude Hopkins.

In 1940, when he was 33 years old, McCord left music to open a hairdresser shop in Manhattan, running it until his death three months before his 56th birthday.

Birth and Death Data: Born May 17, 1907, Died February 14, 1963

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1930 - 1939

Roles Represented in DAHR: tenor saxophone, clarinet, saxophone

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

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor BS-035355 10-in. 3/27/1939 Lonesome walls Edward Mallory Orchestra ; Ethel Waters Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band instrumentalist, saxophone  
Victor BS-035356 10-in. 3/27/1939 If you ever change your mind Edward Mallory Orchestra ; Ethel Waters Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band instrumentalist, saxophone  
Victor BS-035357 10-in. 3/27/1939 What goes up must come down (And baby, you've been flyin' too high) Ethel Waters Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band instrumentalist, saxophone  
Victor BS-035358 10-in. 3/27/1939 Y' had it comin' to you Edward Mallory Orchestra ; Ethel Waters Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band instrumentalist, saxophone  
Victor BS-041552 10-in. 8/15/1939 Bread and gravy Edward Mallory Orchestra ; Ethel Waters Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band instrumentalist, clarinet  
Victor BS-041553 10-in. 8/15/1939 Down in my soul Edward Mallory Orchestra ; Ethel Waters Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band instrumentalist, clarinet  
Victor BS-041554 10-in. 8/15/1939 Georgia on my mind Edward Mallory Orchestra ; Ethel Waters Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band instrumentalist, clarinet  
Victor BS-041555 10-in. 8/15/1939 Stop myself from worrying over you Edward Mallory Orchestra ; Ethel Waters Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band instrumentalist, clarinet  
Victor BS-041556 10-in. 8/15/1939 Old man Harlem Edward Mallory Orchestra ; Ethel Waters Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band instrumentalist, clarinet  
Victor BS-041557 10-in. 8/15/1939 Push out (Te-huey, te-huey, te-huey) Edward Mallory Orchestra ; Ethel Waters Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band instrumentalist, clarinet  
OKeh W403896 10-in. 4/5/1930 My sweet Louis Armstrong Jazz/ dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, tenor saxophone  
OKeh W403897 10-in. 4/5/1930 I can't believe that you're in love with me Louis Armstrong Orchestra Jazz/ dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, tenor saxophone  
OKeh W403999 10-in. 5/4/1930 Indian cradle song Louis Armstrong Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, tenor saxophone  
OKeh W404000 10-in. 5/4/1930 Exactly like you Louis Armstrong Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, tenor saxophone  
OKeh W404001 10-in. 5/4/1930 Dinah Louis Armstrong Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, tenor saxophone  
OKeh W404002 10-in. 5/4/1930 Tiger rag Louis Armstrong Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, tenor saxophone  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "McCord, Castor," accessed March 28, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/206517.

McCord, Castor. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 28, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/206517.

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

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/206517

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