Mills Blue Rhythm Band

Mills Blue Rhythm Band
Mills Blue Rhythm Band
	Mills Blue Rhythm Band. From left to right: George Washington, J. C. Higginbotham, Henry "Red" Allen, Wardell Jones and Shelton Hemphill
Background information
Also known as	Blue Rhythm Band, Blue Ribbon Band, Blue Rhythm Boys, The Blue Racketeers, Earl Jackson's Musical Champions, Earl Jackson and his Orchestra, Duke Wilson and his Ten Blackberries, King Carter's Royal Orchestra, Mills Music Masters, Harlem Hot Shots, Coconut Grove Orchestra
Origin	New York City
Genres	Jazz, swing
Years active	1930–1938
Labels	Brunswick, Columbia, Victor, Oriole, Perfect, Regal, Romeo, Banner, Melotone, Variety
Associated acts	Louis Armstrong, Lucky Millinder, Edgar Hayes

The Mills Blue Rhythm Band was an American big band of the 1930s.

The band was formed in Harlem in 1930, with reedman Bingie Madison the first of its many leaders. It started life as the Coconut Grove Orchestra, changing to Mills Blue Rhythm Band when Irving Mills became its manager in 1931. At various times the group was known as the "Blue Rhythm Band", "Blue Ribbon Band", "Blue Rhythm Boys", "The Blue Racketeers", "Earl Jackson's Musical Champions", "Earl Jackson and his Orchestra", "Duke Wilson and his Ten Blackberries", "King Carter's Royal Orchestra", "Mills Music Masters", "Harlem Hot Shots"[1] and uncredited playing behind Louis Armstrong.

The Mills Blue Rhythm Band were based at The Cotton Club in Manhattan. They worked steadily through the 1930s deputizing for the Duke Ellington and Cab Calloway Orchestras; often taking their undesirable engagements.[2] Violinist Carroll Dickerson briefly fronted the band, followed by drummer Willie Lynch in 1931 and then compere Jimmy Ferguson (Baron Lee). Edgar Hayes, Eddie Mallory and Dave Nelson all had temporary stints as band leader until Lucky Millinder permanently took over the role in 1934.

The band recorded 150 sides for a variety of labels including Brunswick, Columbia, Victor, the ARC stable of labels (including Oriole, Perfect, Regal, Romeo, Banner, Melotone, Domino), Variety, and Vocalion. Despite success with a few hit records (including "Truckin'" and "Ride, Red, Ride") and a strong lineup of talented soloists, the group never attained the prominence of their peers. This is often attributed to the lack of a single identifiable leader,[3] and Irving Mills' preference to have the band perform an understudy role.

The group disbanded in 1938. Millinder joined Bill Doggett's band before reforming it into his own orchestra in 1940[4]

Irving Mills revived the Mills Blue Rhythm Band name for two recording sessions in 1947 under the guidance of Van Alexander. The only original band member at either of the 1947 sessions was trumpeter Charlie Shavers.

Members

Red Allen – trumpet
Hayes Alvis – double bass
Ed Anderson – trumpet
Harold Arnold – tenor saxophone
Buster Bailey – clarinet
Billy Banks
Danny Barker – guitar
Alfred Cobbs – trombone
Carroll Dickerson – violin
Harry "Sweets" Edison – trumpet
Joe Garland – tenor saxophone, arrangements
Edgar Hayes – piano
Shelton Hemphill – trumpet
J. C. Higginbotham – trombone
Alex Hill – piano
Charlie Holmes – alto saxophone
Benny James – guitar
Elmer James – bass
Wardell Jones – trumpet
Billy Kyle – piano
Baron Lee (Jimmy Ferguson)
Lawrence Lucie – guitar
Willie Lynch – drums
Bingie Madison – clarinet, tenor saxophone
Eddie Mallory – trumpet
Castor McCord – saxophone
Ted McCord – saxophone
Gene Mikell – clarinet, alto saxophone
Lucky Millinder – bandleader
Frankie Newton – trumpet
Lester Nichols – drums
Wilbur de Paris – trombone
Charlie Shavers – trumpet
Tab Smith – alto saxophone
O'Neill Spencer – drums
Bob Stephens
Carl Warwick – trumpet
George Washington – trombone
Crawford Wethington – clarinet – alto saxophone – baritone saxophone
Harry White – trombone
Ben Williams – tenor saxophone
Eddie Williams – tenor saxophone
John Williams – double bass[5][6][7]

References

The Duke Ellington Music Society
Chilton, John, Ride, Red, Ride, Continuum International Publishing Group, p. 80, ISBN 0-8264-4744-9
The Mills Blue Rhythm Band AJA5634 : Jazz CD Reviews- 2006 MusicWeb International
Lucky Millinder career overview at Southern Music Network
Simmen, Johnny (2002). Kernfeld, Barry (ed.). The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz. 2 (2nd ed.). New York: Grove's Dictionaries. p. 172. ISBN 1-56159-284-6.
"Jammin' for the Jackpot: Big Bands and Territory Bands of the '30s" (PDF). newworldrecords.org. Recorded Anthology of American Music. 2002. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
Gunther Schuller (1991). The Swing Era: The Development of Jazz, 1930–1945. Oxford University Press. pp. 386–. ISBN 978-0-19-507140-5.

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[1] The Duke Ellington Music Society

[2] Chilton, John, Ride, Red, Ride, Continuum International Publishing Group, p. 80, ISBN 0-8264-4744-9

[3] The Mills Blue Rhythm Band AJA5634 : Jazz CD Reviews- 2006 MusicWeb International

[4] Lucky Millinder career overview at Southern Music Network

[New_Grove-5] Simmen, Johnny (2002). Kernfeld, Barry (ed.). The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz. 2 (2nd ed.). New York: Grove's Dictionaries. p. 172. ISBN 1-56159-284-6.

[liner_notes-6] "Jammin' for the Jackpot: Big Bands and Territory Bands of the '30s" (PDF). newworldrecords.org. Recorded Anthology of American Music. 2002. Retrieved 27 January 2019.

[Schuller1991-7] Gunther Schuller (1991). The Swing Era: The Development of Jazz, 1930–1945. Oxford University Press. pp. 386–. ISBN 978-0-19-507140-5.