Andrew Dewey Kirk (May 28, 1898 – December 11, 1992)
was an American
jazz saxophonist and tubist who led the Twelve Clouds of Joy, a band popular during the
swing era.
He was born in
Newport, Kentucky, United States.
Kirk grew up in
Denver,
Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the ...
, where he was tutored by Wilberforce Whiteman,
Paul Whiteman
Paul Samuel Whiteman (March 28, 1890 – December 29, 1967) was an American bandleader, composer, orchestral director, and violinist.
As the leader of one of the most popular dance bands in the United States during the 1920s and early 1930s, W ...
's father. Kirk started his musical career playing with George Morrison's band, but then went on to join
Terrence Holder's Dark Clouds of Joy.
In 1929, he was elected leader after Holder departed.
Renaming the band Clouds of Joy, Kirk also relocated the band from
Dallas,
Texas, to
Kansas City, Missouri.
Although named the Clouds of Joy, the band has also been known as the Twelve Clouds of Joy due to the number of musicians in the band.
They set up in the Pla-Mor Ballroom on the junction of 32nd and Main in Kansas City and made their first recording for
Brunswick Records
Brunswick Records is an American record label founded in 1916.
History
From 1916
Records under the Brunswick label were first produced by the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company, a company based in Dubuque, Iowa which had been manufacturing prod ...
that same year.
Mary Lou Williams
Mary Lou Williams (born Mary Elfrieda Scruggs; May 8, 1910 – May 28, 1981) was an American jazz pianist, arranger, and composer. She wrote hundreds of compositions and arrangements and recorded more than one hundred records (in 78, 45, and ...
came in as pianist at the last moment, but she impressed Brunswick's
Dave Kapp
Kapp Records was an independent record label started in 1954 by David Kapp, brother of Jack Kapp (who set up American Decca Records in 1934). David Kapp founded his own label after stints with Decca and RCA Victor. Kapp licensed its records to L ...
, so she became a member of the band.
After their first recordings in 1929–1930, they grew popular as they epitomized the Kansas City jazz sound. In mid-1936, he was signed to
Decca Decca may refer to:
Music
* Decca Records or Decca Music Group, a record label
* Decca Gold, a classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group
* Decca Broadway, a musical theater record label
* Decca Studios, a recording facility in We ...
and made scores of popular records until 1946.
He presumably disbanded and reformed his band during that six-year recording layoff, as his 1929–1930 Brunswick appeared to have sold well enough to stay in the catalog through the period and 1933-34 pressings (with the mid-1930s label variations) have been seen.
In 1938, Kirk and band held the top spot of the ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' chart for 12 weeks with "I Won't Tell a Soul (I Love You)", written by
Hughie Charles and
Ross Parker, featuring
Pha Terrell
Elmer "Pha" Terrell (May 25, 1910 in Kansas City, Missouri - October 14, 1945 in Los Angeles) was an American jazz singer.
Terrell was working in nightclubs locally in Kansas City in the early 1930s as a singer, dancer, and emcee when he was dis ...
on vocals. In 1942, Kirk and His Clouds of Joy recorded "Take It and Git", which on October 24, 1942, became the first single to hit number one on the
Harlem Hit Parade
The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by ''Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 p ...
, the predecessor to the ''Billboard'' R&B chart. In 1943, with
June Richmond
June Richmond (July 9, 1915 in Chicago, Illinois – August 14, 1962 in Gothenburg, Sweden) was an American jazz singer and actor.
June Richmond is considered the first African-American jazz singer who sang regularly in a white band when sh ...
on vocals, he had a number 4 hit with "
Hey Lawdy Mama".
Clouds of Joy
The band at various times included
Buddy Tate
George Holmes "Buddy" Tate (February 22, 1913 – February 10, 2001) was an American jazz saxophonist and clarinetist.
Biography
Tate was born in Sherman, Texas, United States, and first played the alto saxophone. According to the website All A ...
(tenor saxophone),
Claude Williams (violin),
Pha Terrell
Elmer "Pha" Terrell (May 25, 1910 in Kansas City, Missouri - October 14, 1945 in Los Angeles) was an American jazz singer.
Terrell was working in nightclubs locally in Kansas City in the early 1930s as a singer, dancer, and emcee when he was dis ...
(vocals), Mary Lou's then husband,
John Williams,
Bill Coleman,
Ken Kersey
Kenneth Lyons Kersey (April 3, 1916 – April 1, 1983) was a Canadian jazz pianist who spent most of his life working in the United States.
Early life
Kersey was born in Harrow, Ontario, on April 3, 1916 into a musical family. He studied piano a ...
,
Dick Wilson
Dick Wilson (July 30, 1916 – November 18, 2007) was an American actor who was best known as grocery store manager Mr. George Whipple in more than 500 Charmin bathroom tissue television commercials (1965–89, 1999–2000).
Biography
Dick ...
,
Don Byas,
"Shorty" Baker,
Howard McGhee,
Jimmy Forrest James, Jim or Jimmy Forrest may refer to:
Sports
* James Forrest (rugby union) (born 1907), Scotland international rugby union player
* James Forrest (baseball) (1897–1977), American baseball player
* James Forrest (basketball) (born 1972), Am ...
,
Ben Smith,
Fats Navarro,
Charlie Parker
Charles Parker Jr. (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955), nicknamed "Bird" or "Yardbird", was an American jazz saxophonist, band leader and composer. Parker was a highly influential soloist and leading figure in the development of bebop, a form ...
(briefly),
Reuben Phillips,
Ben Thigpen,
Henry Wells,
Milt Robinson,
Floyd Smith
Floyd Robert Donald Smith (born May 16, 1935, in Perth, Ontario) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre and coach.
Biography
Smith grew up in Galt, Ontario, playing junior hockey with the Galt Black Hawks. He made his National H ...
,
Hank Jones,
Johnny Lynch
Johnny Lynch (born 28 September 1981) is a Scottish musician who performs under the pseudonym The Pictish Trail. After graduation from the University of St Andrews, Lynch ran Fence Records from 2003 until 2013 and has since been running Lost ...
,
Joe Williams,
Big Jim Lawson,
Gino Murray and
Joe Evans.
Their pianist, and the band's arranger, was
Mary Lou Williams
Mary Lou Williams (born Mary Elfrieda Scruggs; May 8, 1910 – May 28, 1981) was an American jazz pianist, arranger, and composer. She wrote hundreds of compositions and arrangements and recorded more than one hundred records (in 78, 45, and ...
, who went on to become a prominent figure in jazz.
In 1948, Kirk disbanded the Clouds of Joy and continued to work as a musician, but eventually switched to hotel management and real estate.
He also served as an official in the Musicians' Union.
Death
He died of
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As ...
in New York at the age of 94.
Discography
* ''Andy Kirk And His Clouds Of Joy: Souvenir Album, Vol. 1'' (recorded 1936–1941) (Coral #56019
0" LP 1951)
* ''A Mellow Bit Of Rhythm'' (recorded 1956; re-recordings of 12 of his hits; album reissued as ''Clouds From The Southwest'') (RCA Victor #1302
P 1956; reissue: RCA France #42418
P 1979)
* ''Clouds Of Joy'' (recorded 1930) (Ace Of Hearts #105
P 1966)
* ''Twelve Clouds Of Joy'' (recorded 193?) (Ace Of Hearts #160
P 1967)
* ''Instrumentally Speaking (1936–1942)''
ndy Kirk & His Clouds Of Joy #1/Jazz Heritage Series #16(Decca #79232
P 1968; MCA France #510033
P197?; reissue: MCA #1308
P 1980)
* ''Andy Kirk & His 12 Clouds Of Joy: March 1936'' (Mainstream #399
P 1973)
* ''The Lady Who Swings The Band (1936–1938)''
ndy Kirk & His Clouds Of Joy #2/Jazz Heritage Series #70(MCA France #510121
P 1975; reissue: MCA #1343
P 1982)
* ''Clouds At Sundown (1938–1942)''
ndy Kirk & His Clouds Of Joy #3/Jazz Heritage Series #74(MCA France #510133
P 1975)
* ''The Best Of Andy Kirk'' (recorded 1936–1954) (MCA #4105
-LP set 1976)
* ''Walkin' & Swingin' '' (recorded 1936–1941) (Affinity #1011
P 1983)
* ''Cloudy'' (recorded 1929–1930) (Hep #1002
P 1984)
* ''All Out For Hicksville'' (recorded 1930–1931) (Hep #1007
P 1985)
* ''The Uncollected Andy Kirk And The Clouds Of Joy: 1944'' (Hindsight #227
P 1986)
* ''Kansas City Bounce 1936–1940'' (Black & Blue #59.240, 1991)
* ''The Chronological Andy Kirk And His 12 Clouds Of Joy 1929–1931'' (Classics #655, 1992)
* ''The Chronological Andy Kirk And His 12 Clouds Of Joy 1936–1937'' (Classics #573, 1991)
* ''The Chronological Andy Kirk And His 12 Clouds Of Joy 1937–1938'' (Classics #581, 1991)
* ''The Chronological Andy Kirk And His 12 Clouds Of Joy 1938'' (Classics #598, 1991)
* ''The Chronological Andy Kirk And His 12 Clouds Of Joy 1939–1940'' (Classics #640, 1992)
* ''The Chronological Andy Kirk And His Clouds Of Joy 1940–1942'' (Classics #681, 1993)
* ''The Chronological Andy Kirk And His Orchestra 1943–1949'' (Classics #1075, 2000)
* ''Andy Kirk & Mary Lou Williams: Mary's Idea'' (recorded 1936–1937, and 1939–1941) (GRP #622, 1993)
* ''Andy Kirk: The 12 Clouds Of Joy With Mary Lou Williams'' (recorded 1929–1940) (ASV Living Era #5108, 1993)
* ''An Introduction To Andy Kirk: His Best Recordings 1929–1946'' (Best Of Jazz #4053, 1996)
* ''Jukebox Hits 1936–1949'' (Acrobat #4077, 2005)
See also
*
Kansas City Jazz
*
Mary Lou Williams
Mary Lou Williams (born Mary Elfrieda Scruggs; May 8, 1910 – May 28, 1981) was an American jazz pianist, arranger, and composer. She wrote hundreds of compositions and arrangements and recorded more than one hundred records (in 78, 45, and ...
Notes
References
*Andy Kirk, ''Twenty Years on Wheels. As Told to Amy Lee''. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1989.
*Frank Driggs & Chuck Haddix, ''Kansas City Jazz: From Ragtime to Bebop – A History''. Oxford: Oxford University, Oxford 2005;
External links
Andy Kirk recordingsat the
Discography of American Historical Recordings.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kirk, Andy
1898 births
1992 deaths
Big band bandleaders
Swing tubists
Swing bandleaders
American jazz bandleaders
American jazz bass saxophonists
American male saxophonists
American jazz tubists
American male jazz musicians
20th-century American conductors (music)
20th-century American saxophonists
20th-century American male musicians
Hep Records artists
GRP Records artists
Deaths from Alzheimer's disease