Paul Whiteman

Paul Whiteman

Source: Big Band Library

Band leader and composer, Paul Whiteman, was born on 28 March 1890 in Denver. His father was a music supervisor for Denver Public Schools, his mother a former opera singer. As Paul played viola and violin, he was employed by the Denver Symphony Orchestra by 1907, trading that for the San Francisco Symphony in 1914. Joining the Navy in 1918, he led a military band at Mare Island in California through World War I. Whiteman formed a band upon discharge from active duty, then took it to New York City in 1920 as a popular dance operation. Whiteman was leading his Ambassador Orchestra at the Ambassador Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey, when on August 9 of 1920 he recorded 'Wang Wang Blues' to issue on Victor 18694 and HMV B-1178 (UK), other titles not released. DAHR has him recording thirteen titles to issue from August through December of 1920, changing the name of his band to the Paul Whiteman Orchestra that November. His initial titles to issue as the Paul Whiteman Orchestra went down on 26 November per 'Just snap your fingers at care' and 'Caresses' released on Victor 35704 and multiple Gramophones.

'Wang Wang Blues'   Paul Whiteman Ambassador Orchestra

First recording to issue

Recorded 9 August 1920 in Camden NJ   Victor 18694 / HMV B-1178

Composition: Gus Mueller / Henry Busse / Theron "Buster" Johnson   Arrangement: Ferde Grofé

'The Japanese Sandman'   Paul Whiteman Ambassador Orchestra

Second recording to issue   Charts: #1 Nov 1920

Recorded 19 August 1920 in Camden NJ   Victor 18690 / HMV B-1160

Composition: Richard Whiting   Arrangement: Ferde Grofé

'Whispering'   Paul Whiteman Ambassador Orchestra

Third recording to issue   Charts: #1 Oct 1920

Recorded 23 August 1920 in Camden NJ   Victor 18690

Composition: John Schonberger   Arrangement: Ferde Grofé

'Just snap your fingers at care'   Paul Whiteman Orchestra

Medley of 'Just snap your fingers at care', 'Love flowers' & 'Darling'

First recording to issue by the Paul Whiteman Orchestra

Recorded 26 Nov 1920 in NYC   Matrix C-24560   Victor 35704 / Gramophone 3-0577

'Just snap your fingers at care' composed by Chris M. Schonberg

'Love Flowers' & 'Darling' composed by Louis Silvers

Arrangement: Ferde Grofé

'Caresses'   Paul Whiteman Orchestra

Medley of 'Caresses' & 'I'm a lonesome little raindrop'

Second recording to issue by the Paul Whiteman Orchestra

Recorded 26 Nov 1920 in NYC   Matrix C-24582   Victor 35704 / Gramophone (multiple)

'Caresses' composed by James V. Monaco

'I'm a lonesome little raindrop' composed by James F. Hanley

Arrangement: Ferde Grofé

In addition to his orchestra, Whiteman ran as many as 28 bands performing in hotels on the East Coast and earning him a million dollars a year by 1922. A huge name in music, Whiteman was called the King of Jazz "with certainty and dignity" by Duke Ellington, which should settle any quibble that Whiteman wasn't Louis Armstrong. As a bridge between popular music and jazz Whiteman provokes one to wonder just what jazz is, anyway? "Extemporaneous embellishment" may be as close as one can come to defining it in two words, apt from its origins in adding little flourishes to ragtime form, to develop toward long solos that would lead to whole departure from form in free jazz. As jazz is widely accommodating there is "real" jazz for purists as compared to peripheral varieties. Widely credited with the initial breakaway from ragtime to jazz is Buddy Bolden in New Orleans. Some find jazz inclinations in early ragtime musicians like James Europe or Wilbur Sweatman, but general consensus points to the excitable ODJB (Original Dixieland Jazz Band) as the first jazz band of note, demarcating from standard hotel dance (foxtrot) more toward music in itself for listening. Another decade of stride piano bridging ragtime to swing and enter personifications of jazz like fancy pants Cab Calloway at the Cotton Club in Harlem or epitomes like Ella Fitzgerald singing scat. Juxtaposed to that was the "sweet" jazz of the hotel band which focus was dance but gave jazz a little disciplined rein, such as Sammy Kaye. Come the opposite direction of formal music called freestyle, ranging from but noise to pieces highly difficult to perform that arose in the sixties, Albert Ayler perhaps the most notorious.

The blending of popular music with jazz wrought by the emergence of film saw extension in television, particularly with popular crooners like Dean Martin, a different sort of jazziness more at popular music than, say, Cannonball Adderley, who probably represents pure or utter jazz as well as anyone, at least before venturing into freestyle (some find more absence of jazz in freestyle than jazz). Well, so long as you don't leave the cosmos there's probably a little jazz in everything in its own way, like if you burped just now, especially if smoothly adjusting a surprising false note to make it sound on purpose. As for Whiteman, his own concerns with jazz were in the greater atmosphere of orchestrating for the dance venue, and popular he definitely was. Between 1920 and 1934 Whiteman scored 32 No.1 spots on the popularity charts, concerning which jazzmen like Adderley cared about as much as classical artists did, that is, not a lot.

Whiteman's first title to top the charts was 'Whispering' in October of 1920 followed by 'The Japanese Sandman' in November. His last two were in 1934: 'Smoke Gets In Your Eyes' and 'Wagon Wheels'. Transitioning from acoustic to electronic recording in early 1926, it was Whiteman who launched the career of crooner, Bing Crosby (: 'Old Man River' w Bix Beiderbecke in 1928). Prior to the microphone vocalists were better off as "shouters" to reach through the space of large concert halls. "Crooners" like Crosby who sang low, soft and more naturally were made possible upon electronic recording.

Whiteman is perhaps most famous for his performance of George Gershwin's 'Rhapsody in Blue' (composed 1924) in the 1930 film 'King of Jazz'. Along the way of arranging more than 3000 tunes, he was also instrumental to the early career of Mildred Bailey (: 'All of Me' and 'When It's Sleepy Time Down South' in 1931).

'Stumbling'   Paul Whiteman Orchestra

Recorded 30 March 1922 in NYC   Victor 18899-A   Charts: #1 Aug 1922

Composition: Zez Confrey

'Georgia'   Paul Whiteman Orchestra

Recorded 26 April 1922 in NYC   Victor 18899-B

Composition: Walter Donaldson

'Chicago (That Toddlin' Town)'   Paul Whiteman Orchestra

Recorded 23 Aug 1922 in NYC   Victor 18946 / HMV 18946

Composition: Fred Fisher

'Fate'   Paul Whiteman Orchestra

Recorded 18 Jan 1923 in NYC   Victor 19016

Composition: Byron Gay

'It Had to Be You'   Paul Whiteman Orchestra

Recorded 8 April 1924 in NYC   Victor 19339-A   Charts: #8 Oct 1924

Composition: Isham Jones / Gus Kahn

'Valencia'   Paul Whiteman Orchestra   Vocal: Franklyn Baur

First electronic recording issued by Whiteman

Recorded 25 March 1926 in NYC   Victor 20007-A   Charts: #1 June 1926

Composition: José Padilla Sánchez / Lucien Boyer / Jacques Charles

'No More Worryin''   Paul Whiteman Orchestra

 Vocals: Jack Fulton / Charles Gaylord / Austin "Skin" Young

Recorded 26 March 1926 in NYC   Victor 20007-B

Composition: Walter Donaldson / Gus Kahn / Irving Mills

'Moonlight on the Ganges'   Paul Whiteman Orchestra

 Tenor: Austin "Skin" Young

Recorded 13 Aug 1926 in NYC   Victor 20139-B   Charts: #2 Nov 1926

Composition: Chester Wallace / Sherman Myers

'Lonely Melody'   Paul Whiteman Orchestra

Recorded 4 Jan 1928 at Liederkranz Hall in NYC   Victor 21214-B

Composition: Benny Meroff / Hal Dyson / Sam Coslow

'Make Believe'   Paul Whiteman Orchestra   Vocal: Bing Crosby   Charts: #7

Recorded 27 Jan 1928 in Camden NJ   Victor 21218 / 25249   Gramophone (multiple)

Composition: Oscar Hammerstein / Jerome Kern

'Sunshine'   Paul Whiteman Orchestra   Vocal: Bing Crosby   Charts: #6

Recorded 13 Feb 1928 in NYC   Victor 21240-A

Composition: Irving Berlin

'My Ohio Home'   Paul Whiteman Orchestra   Newsreel: Fox Movietone   May 1945

Unissued recording by Columbia 15 May 1945 in NYC synced w film

Cornet: Bix Beiderbecke

Music: Walter Donaldson   Lyrics: Gus Kahn

'That's My Weakness Now'   Paul Whiteman Orchestra   Vocals: The Rhythm Boys

The Rhythm Boys: Bing Crosby / Harry Barris / Al Rinker

Recorded 17 June 1928 in NYC   Columbia 1444-D / 5006

Composition: Sam Stept / Bud Green

'Rhapsody in Blue'   Paul Whiteman Orchestra   Film

'King of Jazz'   Directed by John Murray Anderson   Released 19 April 1930

'Rhapsody in Blue' by Whiteman first charted on Victor 55225 at #3 in 1924

'Rhapsody in Blue' by Whiteman next charted on Victor 35822 at #7 in 1927

Composition: George Gershwin

'Body and Soul'   Paul Whiteman Orchestra   Vocal: Jack Fulton   Charts: #1

Recorded 10 Sep 1930 in NYC   Columbia 2297-D

Composition: Johnny Green / Edward Heyman / Robert Sour

'All Through The Night'   Paul Whiteman Orchestra   Vocal: Bob Lawrence

Recorded 26 Oct 1934 in NYC   Victor 24770 / Gramophone BD-170   Charts: #8 Dec 1934

Composition: Cole Porter

'San'   Paul Whiteman Orchestra

Recorded 19 Feb 1945 in Los Angeles   Capitol 10026

Composition: Lindsay McPhail / Walter Michels   Arrangement: Abe "Glenn" Osser

Tom Lord traces the Whiteman Orchestra to as late as August and September of 1956 for such as 'How High the Moon' and 'Washboard Blues' released on '50th Anniversary' (Grand Award 33-901) and 'The Greatest Stars in My Life' (Grand Award 33-503).

'Jeepers Creepers'   Paul Whiteman Orchestra

Vocals: Jack Teagarden / Johnny Mercer

Recorded 30 Aug 1956 in NYC   Albums:

'50th Anniversary' on Grand Award 33-901 / 1956

'The Greatest Stars in My Life' on Grand Award 33-503 / 1959

Composition: Harry Warren / Johnny Mercer   1938

Whiteman had married his fourth wife, Margaret Livingston, in Denver on 18 August 1931 with whom he adopted four children. They moved to their Walking Horse Farm in New Jersey in 1938 which they left for New Hope, PA, in 1959. Whiteman died of heart attack on 29 December in 1967 in Doylestown, Pennsylvania (obit).