HMR Project: History of Music & Modern Recording

Hotsy Totsy Irving Mills

Birth of Jazz: Irving Mills

Irving Mills

Born Isadore Minsky in either Odessa, Russia, or Manhattan, on 16 January 1894, though Irving Mills was a singer also acquainted with violin, he was far more a band director, arranger, lyricist, music publisher and businessman, his talent in forming, managing and promoting bands. Herein find jazz transitioning from the Roaring Twenties to swing via Mills' best-known band, the Hotsy Totsy Gang. In 1919 Mills founded the music publishing company, Jack Mills Inc., with his brother Jack, that to become Mills Music Inc. in 1928. Duke Ellington had been leading orchestras since 1924 and it was Mills who got him booked at the Cotton Club in 1927. Mills would come to own half of Duke Ellington Inc., managing Ellington until 1939. Before that, however, Mills and Ellington formed a duo called the Hotsy Totsy Boys. With Mills at kazoo and vocals, and Ellington on piano the Boys recorded 'Everything Is Hotsy Totsy Now' for Blu-Disc (T1001) on June 8, 1925. Session information herein is from DAHR or Tom Lord.

'Everything Is Hotsy Totsy Now' Hotsy Totsy Boys

8 June 1925 Blu-Disc T1001

Piano: Duke Ellington Kazoo / vocals: Irving Mills

It's thought that it was Mills who named Red Nichols' band the Five Pennies in 1926. Mills' first recordings with his popular Hotsy Totsy Gang arrived on 16 October 1928. Configurations of this group would come to include some of the biggest names in music to come: Jimmy Dorsey, Tommy Dorsey, Eddie Lang, Joe Venuti, Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Red Nichols, et al. Later that year Mills sang vocals with an Ellington Orchestra subgroup that he formed in New York City called the Harlem Footwarmers, recording 'Diga Diga Doo' and 'Doin' the New Lowdown' on 10 July 1928. Mills then organized his own orchestra about the same time he formed Goody's Good Timers with which he sang by the pseudonym of Goody Goodwin. He also put together the Musical Clowns that year which issued as the Whoopee Makers as well.

'Diga Diga Doo' Duke Ellington and His Orchestra Vocal by Irving Mills

10 July 1928 in NYC OKeh 8602

Music: Jimmy McHugh Lyrics: Dorothy Fields

'Since You Went Away' Hotsy Totsy Gang

16 Oct 1928 in NYC Brunswick 4112

Cornet: Jimmy McPartland / Al Harris Trombone: Jack Teagarden

Reeds (clarinet / sax): Benny Goodman / Gil Rodin / Larry Binyon

Piano: Vic Briedis Violin: Al Beller

Banjo / guitar: Dick Morgan Tuba: Harry Goodman

Drums: Ben Pollack Vocal: Irving Mills as Milton Irving

Composition: Reuben C. Riddick / Lewis C. Smith

In 1929 Mills formed a group from out of Ben Pollack's orchestra that he called the Kentucky Grasshoppers, that while tossing together another Ellington subgroup called the Ten Blackberries (also Black Berries) with which he sang as Sunny Smith. A little later that year he performed vocals with his Modernists as well as his Merry Makers. It was also 1929 when Mills discovered both Blanche and Cab Calloway in Chicago, became the manager for both and got them booked at the Cotton Club in Harlem the next year. Cab had been a busboy in 1929. By 1931 he not only ran an orchestra, but would replace Ellington's operation at the Cotton Club. Cab would later record on Mills' Variety record label in 1937.

'Out Where the Blues Begin' Hotsy Totsy Gang

14 Jan 1929 in NYC Brunswick 4200

Cornet: Jimmy McPartland Trumpet: Al Harris Trombone: Jack Teagarden

Reeds (clarinet / sax): Benny Goodman / Gil Rodin / Larry Binyon

Piano: Vic Breidis Banjo / guitar: Dick Morgan

Bass brass: Harry Goodman Drums: Ray Bauduc Vocal: Smith Ballew

Music: Jimmy McHugh Lyrics: Dorothy Fields

'Sweet Savannah Sue' Hotsy Totsy Gang Vocal by Lilian Morton

31 July 1929 in NYC Brunswick 4482

Composition: Harry Brooks / Fats Waller / Andy Razaf

'Ain't Misbehavin'' Hotsy Totsy Gang Vocal by Bill Robinson

4 Sep 1929 in NYC Brunswick 4535

Trumpet: Manny Klein / Phil Napoleon Trombone: Miff Mole

Clarinet: Arnold Brilhart Alto sax / tenor sax: Arnold Brilhart

Bass brass: Joe Tarto Drums: Chauncey Morehouse Tap Dancing: Bill Robinson

Composition: Harry Brooks / Fats Waller / Andy Razaf

This recording: Discogs Old Time Blues RYM

'Harvey' Hotsy Totsy Gang Vocal by Hoagy Carmichael

20 Sep 1929 in NYC Brunswick 4559

Trumpet: Manny Klein / Leo McConville Trombone: Miff Mole

Reeds (clarinet / sax): Jimmy Dorsey / Arnold Brilhart / Pee Wee Russell

Piano: Hoagy Carmichael Bass brass: Joe Tarto Drums: Chauncey Morehouse

Composition: Hoagy Carmichael / Irving Mills

'Manhattan Rag' Hotsy Totsy Gang

7 Nov 1929 in NYC Matrix E31315 Brunswick 4641

Trumpet: Manny Klein / Leo McConville Trombone: Tommy Dorsey

Reeds (clarinet / sax): Jimmy Dorsey / Arnold Brilhart

Piano: Hoagy Carmichael Violin: Matt Malneck Banjo: Dick McDonough

Bass brass: Joe Tarto Drums: Chauncey Morehouse

Composition: Hoagy Carmichael / Irving Mills

'My Little Honey and Me' Hotsy Totsy Gang

7 Nov 1929 in NYC Matrix E31317 Brunswick 4674

Trumpet: Manny Klein / Leo McConville Trombone: Tommy Dorsey

Reeds (clarinet / sax): Jimmy Dorsey / Arnold Brilhart

Piano: Hoagy Carmichael Violin: Matt Malneck Banjo: Dick McDonough

Bass brass: Joe Tarto Drums: Chauncey Morehouse

Composition: Norman Hackforth

'High and Dry' Hotsy Totsy Gang Vocal by Hoagy Carmichael

6 Jan 1930 in NYC Matrix E31317 Brunswick 4674

Trumpet: Manny Klein / Bill Moore Trombone: Tommy Dorsey

Clarinet / alto sax: Jimmy Dorsey Tenor sax: / Babe Russin

Piano: Hoagy Carmichael Piano accordion: Jack Cornell

Bass brass: Joe Tarto Drums: Gene Krupa

Composition: Hoagy Carmichael

'St. James Infirmary' Harlem Hot Chocolates (Ellington subgroup) Vocal by Irving Mills

March 1930 in NYC Hit Of The Week 1046

Trumpet: Arthur Whetsel / Cootie Williams / Freddy Jenkins

Trombone: Joe Nanton / Juan Tizol

Reeds (clarinet or sax): Harry Carney / Johnny Hodges / Barney Bigard

Banjo: Fred Guy String bass: Wellman Braud

Drums: Sonny Greer Arrangement: Duke Ellington

Composition: Wikipedia This recording: Discogs

'Deep Harlem' Hotsy Totsy Gang

6 June 1930 in NYC Matrix E32949 Brunswick 4983

Cornet: Bix Beiderbecke Trumpet: Ray Lodwig Trombone: Jack Teagarden

Clarinet / tenor sax: Benny Goodman Bass sax: Min Leibrook

Piano: Frank Signorelli Violin: Joe Venuti / Matt Malneck

Drums: Gene Krupa

Composition: Matty Malneck / Frank Signorelli / Irving Mills

'Strut Miss Lizzie' Hotsy Totsy Gang

6 June 1930 in NYC Matrix E32950 Brunswick 4983

Cornet: Bix Beiderbecke Trumpet: Ray Lodwig Trombone: Jack Teagarden

Clarinet / alto sax: Benny Goodman Tenor sax: Larry Binyon Bass sax: Min Leibrook

Piano: Frank Signorelli Violin: Joe Venuti / Matt Malneck

Guitar: Lew Green Drums: Gene Krupa Vocal: Dick Robertson

Music: John Turner Layton Lyrics: Henry Creamer

In 1931 Mills formed another top band, the Mills Blue Rhythm Band, which played the Cotton Club and recorded 150 sides until December 1934, disbanding in 1938 [Wikipedia/ Yanow]. This operation issued 'Solitude' in 1934 and 'Ride, Red, Ride' in 1935 for which Mills might be best known overall.

'Mills Blue Rhythm Band' Film

Directed by Roy Mack Released 17 Feb 1934

'Solitude' Mills Blue Rhythm Band Vocal by Chuch Richards

5 Dec 1934 in NYC Columbia 2494-D Charts: #8 Pop 1935

Composition: Duke Ellington / Eddie DeLange / Irving Mills

In 1936 Mills founded the Master and Variety record labels which he sold to Brunswick and Vocalion the next year. This would lead to his becoming head of the American Recording Company. Discogs has Mills recording vocals as Joe Primrose with Jack Hylton and His Orchestra in London in 1937 and 1939. No later recordings are found (by me) and by this time Mills was moving in the more obscure worlds of business like, as ever, music publishing. One experimental investment was his production of the film, 'Stormy Weather', in 1943 starring Cab Calloway and Lena Horne, by which he learned that producing films didn't appeal to him, so he made no more. He was by this time a multi-millionaire. By the age of seventy in 1964 he was earning above a million dollars a year on royalties alone and was retired to Palm Springs, California, by the seventies.

Mills died on 21 April 1985 in Palm Springs, California [obit].

Sources & References for Irving Mills:

Great American Songbook

VF History (notes)