The Mills Blue Rhythm Band was an American

big band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s ...

active during the 1930s. The band was formed in New York City, United States, in 1930 by drummer Willie Lynch as the Blue Rhythm Band, and then briefly operated as the Coconut Grove Orchestra. Irving Mills became its manager in 1931 and it subsequently assumed the name Mills Blue Rhythm Band. Compere Jimmy Ferguson (Baron Lee) replaced Lynch. Another brief leader, reeds player Bingie Madison, left at the time of the final name change. Over its lifetime, 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". It accompanied Louis Armstrong on some record sides. The Mills Blue Rhythm Band were based at The Cotton Club in Harlem. They worked steadily through the 1930s deputizing for the orchestra of Duke Ellington and Cab Calloway, often taking their undesirable engagements. Mills managed Ellington and Calloway as well.

Edgar Hayes Edgar Junius Hayes (May 23, 1902 – June 28, 1979) was an American jazz pianist and bandleader. Born in Lexington, Kentucky, United States, Hayes attended Wilberforce University, where he graduated with a degree in music in the early 1920 ...

, Eddie Mallory and Dave Nelson all had temporary stints as band leader, until

Lucky Millinder Lucius Venable "Lucky" Millinder (August 8, 1910 – September 28, 1966) was an American swing and rhythm-and-blues bandleader. Although he could not read or write music, did not play an instrument and rarely sang, his showmanship and musical ...

permanently took over the role in 1934. The band recorded 150 sides for labels including Brunswick, Columbia,

Victor The name Victor or Viktor may refer to: * Victor (name), including a list of people with the given name, mononym, or surname Arts and entertainment Film * ''Victor'' (1951 film), a French drama film * ''Victor'' (1993 film), a French shor ...

, the ARC stable of labels (including Oriole, Perfect, Regal,

Romeo Romeo Montague () is the male protagonist of William Shakespeare's tragedy ''Romeo and Juliet''. The son of Lord Montague and his wife, Lady Montague, he secretly loves and marries Juliet, a member of the rival House of Capulet, through a priest ...

Banner A banner can be a flag or another piece of cloth bearing a symbol, logo, slogan or another message. A flag whose design is the same as the shield in a coat of arms (but usually in a square or rectangular shape) is called a banner of arms. Als ...

, Melotone,

Domino Dominoes is a family of tile-based games played with gaming pieces, commonly known as dominoes. Each domino is a rectangular tile, usually with a line dividing its face into two square ''ends''. Each end is marked with a number of spots (also c ...

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

, and

Vocalion Vocalion Records is an American record company and label. History The label was founded in 1916 by the Aeolian Company, a maker of pianos and organs, as Aeolian-Vocalion; the company also sold phonographs under the Vocalion name. "Aeolian" was ...

. Although a few of their records became hits (including "Truckin'" and "Ride, Red, Ride") and the MBRB had a line-up of talented soloists, the group never attained the prominence of their peers. This has been attributed to the lack of a single identifiable leader, and Irving Mills' preference to have the band perform an understudy role. By 1937, the group was billed as Lucky Millinder and his Orchestra and disbanded in 1938. Millinder joined

Bill Doggett William Ballard Doggett (February 16, 1916 – November 13, 1996) was an American pianist and organist. He began his career playing swing music before transitioning into rhythm and blues. Best known for his instrumental compositions "Honky Tonk" ...

's band before reforming it into his own orchestra in 1940. Irving Mills revived the Mills Blue Rhythm Band name for two recording sessions in 1947, under the guidance of

Van Alexander Van Alexander (May 2, 1915 – July 19, 2015) was an American bandleader, arranger, and composer. Early years Van Alexander was born Alexander Van Vliet Feldman in Harlem. His mother was a classical pianist, and she taught him to play the piano. ...

. The only original band member performing at either of the 1947 sessions was trumpeter

Charlie Shavers Charles James Shavers (August 3, 1920 – July 8, 1971) was an American jazz trumpeter who played with Dizzy Gillespie, Nat King Cole, Roy Eldridge, Johnny Dodds, Jimmie Noone, Sidney Bechet, Midge Williams, Tommy Dorsey, and Billie Holiday ...

Members

Red Allen Henry James "Red" Allen, Jr. (January 7, 1908 – April 17, 1967) was an American jazz trumpeter and vocalist whose playing has been claimed by Joachim-Ernst Berendt and others as the first to fully incorporate the innovations of Louis Armst ...

– trumpet *

Hayes Alvis Hayes Alvis (May 1, 1907 – December 29, 1972) was an American jazz bassist and tuba player. Career Alvis began on drums but switched to tuba and bass after playing with Jelly Roll Morton in 1927–1928. He played tuba with Earl Hines from 19 ...

– double bass * Ed Anderson – trumpet * Harold Arnold – tenor saxophone *

Buster Bailey William C. "Buster" Bailey (July 19, 1902 – April 12, 1967) was an American jazz clarinetist. Career history Early career Buster Bailey was taught clarinet by classical teacher Franz Schoepp, who also taught Benny Goodman. Bailey gained his s ...

– clarinet * Billy Banks *

Danny Barker Daniel Moses Barker (January 13, 1909 – March 13, 1994) was an American jazz musician, vocalist, and author from New Orleans. He was a rhythm guitarist for Cab Calloway, Lucky Millinder and Benny Carter during the 1930s. One of Barker's earl ...

– guitar * Alfred Cobbs – trombone *

Carroll Dickerson Carroll Dickerson (November 1, 1895 – October 9, 1957) was a Chicago and New York-based dixieland jazz violinist and bandleader, probably better known for his extensive work with Louis Armstrong and Earl Hines or his more brief work to ...

– violin *

Harry "Sweets" Edison Harry "Sweets" Edison (October 10, 1915 – July 27, 1999) was an American jazz trumpeter and a member of the Count Basie Orchestra. His most important contribution was as a Hollywood studio musician, whose muted trumpet can be heard bac ...

– trumpet *

Joe Garland Joseph Copeland Garland (August 15, 1903, Norfolk, Virginia – April 21, 1977, Teaneck, New Jersey) was an American jazz saxophonist, composer, and arranger, best known for writing "In the Mood". Garland studied music at Shaw University and t ...

– tenor saxophone, arrangements *

– piano * Shelton Hemphill – trumpet * J. C. Higginbotham – trombone * Alex Hill – piano *

Charlie Holmes Charlie Holmes (January 27, 1910 near Boston, Massachusetts – September 19, 1985 in Stoughton, Massachusetts) was an American alto jazz saxophonist of the swing era. He also played clarinet and oboe for the Boston Civic Symphony Orchestra in ...

– alto saxophone * Benny James – guitar *

Elmer James Elmer Taylor James (1910 – July 25, 1954) was an American jazz double-bassist and tubist. Career James primarily played tuba early in his career, including with Gene Rodgers, June Clark, and Chick Webb in the late-1920s. He worked with Webb u ...

– bass * Wardell Jones – trumpet *

Billy Kyle William Osborne Kyle (July 14, 1914 – February 23, 1966) was an American jazz pianist. He is perhaps best known as an accompanist. Biography Kyle was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. He began playing the piano in school and ...

– piano * Baron Lee (Jimmy Ferguson) * Lawrence Lucie – guitar * Willie Lynch – drums * Bingie Madison – clarinet, tenor saxophone * Eddie Mallory – trumpet *

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 ...

– saxophone * Ted McCord – saxophone * Gene Mikell – clarinet, alto saxophone *

– bandleader *

Frankie Newton Frankie Newton (William Frank Newton, January 4, 1906 – March 11, 1954) was an American jazz trumpeter from Emory, Virginia, United States. He played in several New York City bands in the 1920s and 1930s, including those led by Sam Wooding, Chic ...

– trumpet * Lester Nichols – drums * Wilbur de Paris – trombone *

– trumpet *

Tab Smith Talmadge "Tab" Smith (January 11, 1909 – August 17, 1971) was an American swing and rhythm and blues alto saxophonist. He is best remembered for the tracks "Because of You" and "Pretend". He worked with Count Basie, the Mills Rhythm Boys a ...

– alto saxophone * O'Neil Spencer – drums * Bob Stephens * Carl Warwick – trumpet *

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...

– trombone * Crawford Wethington – clarinet – alto saxophone – baritone saxophone * Harry White – trombone * Ben Williams – tenor saxophone * Eddie Williams – tenor saxophone * John Williams – double bass

References

{{Authority control American jazz ensembles from New York City Big bands Territory bands Musical groups established in 1930 1930 establishments in New York City