The Early Jazz of Blanche Calloway

Blanche Calloway

Source: Jazz Music Archives

Born on 9 February 1902 in Rochester, New York, singer, Blanche Calloway, was sister of the more famous Cab Calloway who was five years younger. Anyone would tell you that Cab was unique, and so was Blanche as a female bandleader in a patriarchal society where women generally kept home and raised children. Blanche made her professional debut in Baltimore in 1921 with Eubie Blake and Noble Sissle's musical 'Shuffle Along'. After touring for a few years she made her first recordings on November 9, 1925, in Chicago with Louis Armstrong at cornet and Richard Jones on piano: 'Lazy Woman's Blues' and 'Lonesome Lovesick' (Okeh 8279). Touring as a dancer and singer with New York City on her itinerary, 1929 found Calloway on a number of titles with trumpeter, Reuben Reeves, their first recording in Chicago on August 13: 'Black and Blue' (Vocalion 1407). Blanche performed with her brother, Cab, before touring with Andy Kirk's Clouds of Joy, meeting with Kirk at the Pearl Theater in Philadelphia in 1931.

'Lazy Woman's Blues'   Blanche Calloway   First recording

Recorded 9 Nov 1925 in Chicago    Matrix 9458-A   OKeh 8279

Cornet: Louis Armstrong   Piano: Richard M. Jones

Composition: Richard M. Jones

'Lonesome Lovesick Blues'   Blanche Calloway   Second recording

Recorded 9 Nov 1925 in Chicago    Matrix 9459-A   OKeh 8279

Cornet: Louis Armstrong   Piano: Richard M. Jones

Composition: Richard M. Jones

'Moanin' Low'   Blanche Calloway w Ruben River Reeves & His River Boys

Recorded 15 Aug 1929 in Chicago    Vocalion 1407

Music: Ralph Rainger   Lyrics: Howard Dietz

Blanche's first recordings with her Joy Boys spanned five sessions in 1931. The first on March 2 yielded 'Casey Jones Blues' (Vocalion 22640), 'There's Rhythm in the River' and 'I Need Lovin'' (Victor 22641). Much of her band was borrowed from Kirk's Clouds of Joy, such as Harry Lawson and Edgar Battle on trumpet, John Harrington at alto sax and clarinet, Lawrence Freeman on tenor, William Dirvin on banjo and Billy Massey at vocals. With the exception of Battle it was a completely different configuration for 'Growling Dan' and 'I Got What It Takes' recorded on 18 November of 1931 toward Victor 22866. Blanche grooved more titles with her Orchestra in 1934 before her last with her Band in 1935.

'Casey Jones'   Blanche Calloway & Her Joy Boys (Calloway out)

Recorded 2 March 1931 in Camden NJ   Matrix 64068-1   Victor 22641

Trumpet: Harry Lawson / Edgar Battle / Clarence Smith

Trombone: Floyd Brady   Clarinet / alto sax: John Harrington

Alto sax: John Williams   Tenor sax: Lawrence Freeman

Piano: Mary Lou Williams   Banjo: William Dirvin

Tuba: Andy Kirk   Drums: Ben Thigpen

Vocals: Billy Massey / Clarence Smith

Arrangement: Charlie Brown

'There's Rhythm in the River'   Blanche Calloway & Her Joy Boys

Recorded 2 March 1931 in Camden NJ   Matrix 64069-2   Victor 22641

Trumpet: Harry Lawson / Edgar Battle / Clarence Smith

Trombone: Floyd Brady   Clarinet / alto sax: John Harrington

Alto sax: John Williams   Tenor sax: Lawrence Freeman

Piano: Mary Lou Williams   Banjo: William Dirvin

Tuba: Andy Kirk   Drums: Ben Thigpen

Composition: John Jacob Loeb / Paul Francis Webster

'I'm Gettin' Myself Ready for You'   Blanche Calloway & Her Joy Boys

Recorded 27 March 1931 in Camden NJ    Victor 22659

Trumpet: Joe Keyes / Edgar Battle (arrangement) / Clarence Smith

Trombone: Alton Slim Moore   Clarinet / alto sax: Booker Pittman

Alto sax: Leroy Hardy   Tenor sax: Ben Webster

Piano: Clyde Hart   Banjo / guitar: Andy Jackson

Tuba: Joe Durham   Drums: Cozy Cole

Composition: Cole Porter

'Misery'   Blanche Calloway & Her Joy Boys

Recorded 8 May 1931 in Camden NJ    Victor 22717

Music: James P. Johnson   Lyrics: Andy Razaf

'It Looks Like Susie'   Blanche Calloway & Her Joy Boys

Recorded 11 June 1931 in Camden NJ   Matrix 68234-3   Victor 22733

Composition: Cliff Friend   Arrangement: Frank Skinner

'Make Me Know It'   Blanche Calloway & Her Joy Boys

Recorded 11 June 1931 in Camden NJ   Matrix 69027-4   Victor 22736

Composition: Fess Williams

'I Got What It Takes'   Blanche Calloway & Her Joy Boys

Recorded 18 Nov 1931 in Camden NJ   Matrix 69786-1   Victor 22866

Trumpet: Henry Mason / Edgar Battle (arrangement) / Clarence Smith

Trombone: Alton Slim Moore   Clarinet / alto sax: Ernest Purce

Alto sax: Leroy Hardy   Tenor sax: Charlie Frazier

Piano: Clyde Hart   Banjo / guitar: Andy Jackson

Tuba: Joe Durham   Drums: Cozy Cole

Music: Hezekiah Jenkins   Lyrics: Clarence Williams

'Last Dollar'   Blanche Calloway & Her Joy Boys

Recorded 18 Nov 1931 in Camden NJ   Matrix 69789-1   Victor 22862

Trumpet: Henry Mason / Edgar Battle (arrangement) / Clarence Smith

Trombone: Alton Slim Moore   Clarinet / alto sax: Ernest Purce

Alto sax: Leroy Hardy   Tenor sax: Charlie Frazier

Piano: Clyde Hart   Banjo / guitar: Andy Jackson

Tuba: Joe Durham   Drums: Cozy Cole

Composition: Red Nichols

'Catch On'   Blanche Calloway & Her Orchestra

Recorded 17 Aug 1934 in Chicago   Matrix CP-1098-A   Banner 33304

Trumpet: Clarence Smith / Henry Mason / Archie Johnson

Trombone: Alton Slim Moore

Alto sax: Ernest Purce / Roger Boyd   Tenor sax: Charlie Frazier

Piano: Egbert Victor   Guitar: Earl Baker

String bass: Abie Baker   Drums: Walter Conyers

Composition: Blanche Calloway

'I Need Lovin''   Blanche Calloway & Her Orchestra

Recorded 17 Aug 1934 in Chicago   Matrix CP-1099-A   Banner 33224

Trumpet: Clarence Smith / Henry Mason / Archie Johnson

Trombone: Alton Slim Moore

Alto sax: Ernest Purce / Roger Boyd   Tenor sax: Charlie Frazier

Piano: Egbert Victor   Guitar: Earl Baker

String bass: Abie Baker   Drums: Walter Conyers

Music: James P. Johnson   Lyrics: Henry Creamer

'What's a Poor Girl Gonna Do'   Blanche Calloway & Her Orchestra

Recorded 17 Aug 1934 in Chicago   Matrix CP-1100-A   Banner 33224

Trumpet: Clarence Smith / Henry Mason / Archie Johnson

Trombone: Alton Slim Moore

Alto sax: Ernest Purce / Roger Boyd   Tenor sax: Charlie Frazier

Piano: Egbert Victor   Guitar: Earl Baker

String bass: Abie Baker   Drums: Walter Conyers

Composition: Ray Cameron / Blanche Calloway

'You Ain’t Livin’ Right' w 'Louisiana Liza'  Blanche Calloway & Her Band

Recorded 6 Nov 1935 in NYC   Calloway's final vocal recordings

'You Ain’t Livin’ Right'   Matrix M18239-1   Vocalion 3113

'Louisiana Liza'   Matrix 18240-1   Vocalion 3112

Trumpet: Richard Jones / Tommy Stevenson / Archie Johnson

Trombone: Eli Robinson / Vic Dickenson

Alto sax: Joe Eldridge / Chauncey Haughton

Tenor sax: Alvin Campbell / Prince Robinson

Piano: Clyde Hart (Arrangement)   Guitar: Earl Baker

String bass: Abie Baker   Drums: Percy Johnson

'You Ain’t Livin’ Right': Ray Cameron / Blanche Calloway

'Louisiana Liza': Herman Stein / Blanche Calloway

'I Gotta Swing'   Blanche Calloway & Her Band   Instrumental (Blanche out)

Recorded 6 Nov 1935 in NYC   Matrix 18241-1   Vocalion 3112

Trumpet: Richard Jones / Tommy Stevenson / Archie Johnson

Trombone: Eli Robinson / Vic Dickenson

Alto sax: Joe Eldridge / Chauncey Haughton

Tenor sax: Alvin Campbell / Prince Robinson

Piano: Clyde Hart (Arrangement)   Guitar: Earl Baker

String bass: Abie Baker   Drums: Percy Johnson

Composition': Eli Robinson / Blanche Calloway

'Line-a-Jive'   Blanche Calloway & Her Band   Instrumental (Blanche out)

Recorded 6 Nov 1935 in NYC   Matrix 18242-1   Vocalion 3113

Trumpet: Richard Jones / Tommy Stevenson / Archie Johnson

Trombone: Eli Robinson / Vic Dickenson

Alto sax: Joe Eldridge / Chauncey Haughton

Tenor sax: Alvin Campbell / Prince Robinson

Piano: Clyde Hart (Arrangement)   Guitar: Earl Baker

String bass: Abie Baker   Drums: Percy Johnson

Composition': Herman Stein / Blanche Calloway

Now well into the Great Depression, like most other black bandleaders at the time Blanche also faced segregationist America while on tour. it's told that she was jailed and fined $7.50 in 1936 for using the women's bathroom at a gas station in Yazoo, Mississippi. One member of her band who took a pistol whipping during this incident was arrested with her. While she was in jail one of the musicians in her ensemble stole the band's funds, forcing Blanche to sell her sunshine yellow Cadillac for money to get back home since that tour had met its end.

Blanche disbanded her orchestra in 1938, declaring bankruptcy. She headed to Philadelphia during the forties, then Washington D.C. in the fifties to run the Crystal Caverns nightclub. Moving to Miami Beach to become a disc jockey for WMBM Radio for the next couple of decades, it's said that she became the first black woman to vote in Florida in 1958. She also became an active member of the NAACP, the Congress of Racial Equality and the National Urban League. Calloway died in Baltimore on 16 December 1978 at 76 years of age. Her little brother, Cab, followed 15 years later in 1994.