Harry Yerkes
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Harry A. Yerkes (18 August 1872 – 24 December 1954) was a marimba player, inventor, and recording manager who assembled many recording sessions in the early years of jazz. Many of the sessions organized by Yerkes used his name for the artist credit, including Yerkes' Jazarimba Orchestra and Yerkes' Marimbaphone Band on
Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...
, which are estimated to have some of the best selling records of 1919 and 1921.


Biography

Yerkes began his recording career in 1906, performing on the xylophone. He founded the Yerkes Sound-Effects Company, which developed and marketed a
pneumatic Pneumatics (from Greek 'wind, breath') is the use of gas or pressurized air in mechanical systems. Pneumatic systems used in Industrial sector, industry are commonly powered by compressed air or compressed inert gases. A centrally located a ...
system to play chimes, featured in the
Woolworth Building The Woolworth Building is a residential building and early skyscraper at 233 Broadway (Manhattan), Broadway in the Tribeca neighborhood of Lower Manhattan in New York City. Designed by Cass Gilbert, it was the tallest building in the world f ...
at time of construction. Yerkes joined the Betts & Betts company in 1915, and manufacture of his chime and bells mechanisms was transferred to that company. From 1917 until 1924 he was active as a recording contractor and manager for various dance bands. These groups often included his name, though he was not often an active contributor, musically. He was in charge of a group known as the Yerkes' Novelty Five (sometimes credited to "Novelty Five") which recorded for
Vocalion Records Vocalion Records is an American record label, originally founded by the Aeolian Company, a piano and organ manufacturer before being bought out by Brunswick in 1924. History The label was founded in 1916 by the Aeolian Company, a maker of pi ...
. He subsequently was involved in
The Happy Six The Happy Six was an early jazz band, one of several outfits managed by Harry Yerkes. The made numerous recordings for Columbia Records, many of which were commercial and artistic successes. The Happy Six recorded between from 1919 to 1923. Alc ...
, the Columbia Saxophone Sextette, who produced jazz-tinged records prolifically, both again for Columbia Records, and what is probably the musical group he is most associated with, Yerkes' S. S. Flotilla Orchestra. In 1924 he founded his own record label, Yerkes Dance Records. Other labels Yerkes' outfits appeared on include Edison,
Gennett Gennett Records () was an American record company and label in Richmond, Indiana, United States, which flourished in the 1920s and produced the Gennett, Starr, Champion, Superior, and Van Speaking labels. The company also produced some Supertone, ...
,
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, and
Lyric Lyric may refer to: * Lyrics, the words, often in verse form, which are sung, usually to a melody, and constitute the semantic content of a song * Lyric poetry is a form of poetry that expresses a subjective, personal point of view * Lyric, from t ...
. In 1918 he became an executive at Columbia Records, first as a "field manager", which duties corresponded roughly to that of a talent scout, and then as assistant to Columbia vice-president H. L. Wilson. He resigned this post in 1925. His final recordings as a solo artist were made in 1923.


Style and influence

Most of Yerkes' recordings have limited, if any, jazz content in the modern sense. Some of the performances of Yerkes' groups may be better classified as light classical, but many performances are an important link between ragtime and early, "rudimentary" jazz. However, he was among the early proponents of jazz as a serious form of art. He was also a proponent of blues music, and was a key figure in producing a concert at Aeolian Hall which debuted a symphony by Albert Chiaffarelli which incorporated themes by
W. C. Handy William Christopher Handy (November 16, 1873 – March 28, 1958) was an American composer and musician who referred to himself as the Father of the Blues. He was one of the most influential songwriters in the United States. One of many musician ...
. Although this was not the first attempt to present Handy's music in a concert setting, it was the first which pleased Handy. Yerkes often mixed classical musicians with jazz artists in his sessions, and as such he could be considered an originator of the "jazz fusion" concept. He played an important role in bringing Ted Lewis to Columbia.


References


External links


Harry A. Yerkes recordings
at the
Discography of American Historical Recordings The Discography of American Historical Recordings (DAHR) is a database catalog of master recordings made by American record companies during the 78rpm era. The 78rpm era was the time period in which any flat disc records were being played at ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yerkes, Harry 1872 births 1954 deaths Columbia Records artists Gennett Records artists Vocalion Records artists Edison Records artists