The Cab Calloway Orchestra, based at the exclusive

Cotton Club The Cotton Club was a New York City nightclub from 1923 to 1940. It was located on 142nd Street and Lenox Avenue (1923–1936), then briefly in the midtown Theater District (1936–1940).Elizabeth Winter"Cotton Club of Harlem (1923- )" Blac ...

in Harlem, was, for more than a decade, one of the most important jazz bands in America. Different lineups featured the best available established musicians. In 1930, Cab Calloway was hired to replace Duke Ellington at the Cotton Club, and recorded for Brunswick and the ARC

dime store A variety store (also five and dime (historic), pound shop, or dollar store) is a retail store that sells general merchandise, such as apparel, automotive parts, dry goods, toys, hardware, home furnishings, and a selection of groceries. It us ...

labels (Banner, Cameo, Conqueror, Perfect, Melotone, Banner, Oriole, etc.) from 1930 to 1932. In 1932, he signed with Victor for a year, but he was back on Brunswick in late 1934 through 1936, when he signed with manager Irving Mills's short-lived

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), ...

in 1937, and stayed with Mills when the label collapsed and the sessions were continued on

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 ...

through 1939, and then OKeh Records through 1942. When the Cotton Club closed in 1940, Calloway and his band went on a tour of the United States. In 1941 Calloway fired Dizzy Gillespie from his orchestra after an onstage fracas. Calloway wrongly accused Gillespie of throwing a spitball; in the ensuing altercation Gillespie stabbed Calloway in the leg with a small knife. The band broke up in the late 1940s.

Original band members

The first Cab Calloway Orchestra comprised Earres Prince on piano; Walter "Foots" Thomas and Thornton Blue on alto saxes; Andrew Brown on tenor sax; Morris White on banjo; Jimmy Smith on tuba; and DePriest Wheeler on trombone; Leroy Maxey on drums; R.Q. Dickerson and Lammar Wright on trumpets.

Full list of band members

Brass section

;Trombones:

Claude Jones Claude Jones (February 11, 1901 – January 17, 1962) was an American jazz trombonist. Biography Born in Boley, Oklahoma, United States, Jones began playing trombone at the age of 13, and studied at Wilberforce College before dropping out in 1 ...

, Lammar Wright,

Keg Johnson Frederic Homer Johnson (November 19, 1908 – November 8, 1967), known professionally as Keg Johnson, was an American jazz trombonist. Early life He was born in Dallas, Texas. His father was a choir director there and also worked at a local ...

, DePriest Wheeler, Floyd Marmon(1931–34),

Tyree Glenn Tyree Glenn, born William Tyree Glenn (November 23, 1912, Corsicana, Texas, United States, – May 18, 1974, Englewood, New Jersey), was an American trombone and vibraphone player. Biography Tyree played trombone and vibraphone with local Texas ...

, and

Quentin Jackson Quentin "Butter" Jackson

. ;Trumpets: R.Q. Dickerson, Dizzy Gillespie,

Mario Bauza is a character created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the title character of the '' Mario'' franchise and the mascot of Japanese video game company Nintendo. Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his ...

, Adolphus "Doc" Cheatham (1931-9 Shipton, Alyn (2010) ''Hi-de-ho: The Life of Cab Calloway'', p. 68. Oxford University Press
At Google Books. Retrieved 18 May 2013.), Reuben Reeves (1931),

Shad Collins Lester Rallingston "Shad" Collins (June 27, 1910 – June 6, 1978) was an American jazz trumpet player, composer and arranger, who played in several leading bands between the 1930s and 1950s, including those led by Chick Webb, Benny Carter, Count ...

(mid-1940s), Paul Webster (mid-1940s), and

Jonah Jones Jonah Jones (born Robert Elliott Jones; December 31, 1909 – April 29, 2000) was a jazz trumpeter who created concise versions of jazz and swing and jazz standards that appealed to a mass audience. In the jazz community, he is known for his wo ...

. ;Tuba: Jimmy Smith.

Horn section

;Saxophones: Thornton Blue,

Hilton Jefferson Hilton Jefferson (July 30, 1903 – November 14, 1968) was an American jazz alto saxophonist born in Danbury, Connecticut, United States, perhaps best known for leading the saxophone section from 1940–1949 in the Cab Calloway band. Jefferson ...

Ben Webster Benjamin Francis Webster (March 27, 1909 – September 20, 1973) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Career Early life and career A native of Kansas City, Missouri, he studied violin, learned how to play blues on the piano from ...

, Leon "Chu" Berry, Chauncey Haughton, Rudy Powell, Andrew Brown, Walter "Foots" Thomas,

Ike Quebec Ike Abrams Quebec (August 17, 1918 – January 16, 1963) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. He began his career in the big band era of the 1940s, then fell from prominence for a time until launching a comeback in the years before his dea ...

, Arville Harris (1931) and

Jerry Blake Jerry Blake (January 23, 1908 – December 31, 1961) was an American jazz alto saxophonist and clarinetist. Early life Blake was born "Jacinto Chabania" in Gary, Indiana and grew up in Nashville, Tennessee. He played violin before switching to ...

Ben (Benjamin) Whitted (tenor saxophone).

Rhythm section

;Piano: Earres Prince, Benny Payne, Dave Rivera (mid-1940s) ;Guitars:

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 ...

;Bass: Al Morgan,

Milt Hinton Milton John Hinton (June 23, 1910 – December 19, 2000) was an American double bassist and photographer. Regarded as the Dean of American jazz bass players, his nicknames included "Sporty" from his years in Chicago, "Fump" from his time on the ...

;Drums: Leroy Maxey,

Cozy Cole William Randolph "Cozy" Cole (October 17, 1909 – January 9, 1981) was an American jazz drummer who worked with Cab Calloway and Louis Armstrong among others and led his own groups. Life and career William Randolph Cole was born in East Or ...

J. C. Heard James Charles Heard (August 10, 1917 – September 27, 1988) was an American swing, bop, and blues drummer. Biography Heard was born in Dayton, Ohio and was raised in Detroit, Michigan. As a young child, he performed as a tap dancer in a ...

(mid-1940s)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cab Calloway Orchestra American jazz ensembles from New York City Musical groups established in 1930 Musical groups disestablished in the 1940s Orchestras based in New York City Disbanded American orchestras Musical backing groups Jazz musicians from New York (state) 1930 establishments in New York City 1940s disestablishments in New York (state)