The Charlie Davis Orchestra was a

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

band from Indiana that was active in the 1920s and 1930s. For a while the band's vocalist was

Dick Powell Richard Ewing Powell (November 14, 1904 – January 2, 1963) was an American actor, singer, musician, producer, director, and studio head. Though he came to stardom as a musical comedy performer, he showed versatility and successfully transform ...

History

One of the most famous bands in the

Hoosier Hoosier is the official demonym for the people of the U.S. state of Indiana. The origin of the term remains a matter of debate; however, "Hoosier" was in general use by the 1840s, having been popularized by Richmond resident John Finley's 1833 ...

state at the time, the Charlie Davis Orchestra gained notoriety in the 1920s at the Indiana Theatre and the Columbia Club and made radio broadcasts on

WLW WLW (700 AM broadcasting, AM) is a commercial radio, commercial news/talk radio station city of license, licensed to Cincinnati, Ohio. Owned by iHeartMedia, WLW is a clear-channel station, often identifying itself as "The Big One". Its studios ...

and WFBM where many of their recordings were made. The band had close connections with the Royal Peacocks, the

Jean Goldkette John Jean Goldkette (March 18, 1893 – March 24, 1962) was a jazz pianist and bandleader. Life Goldkette was reportedly born on March 18, 1893, in Valenciennes, France,Russel B. Nye (1976). Music in the Twenties: The Jean Goldkette Orchestr ...

orchestra, and

Hoagy Carmichael Hoagland Howard "Hoagy" Carmichael (November 22, 1899 – December 27, 1981) was an American musician, composer, songwriter, actor, author and lawyer. Carmichael was one of the most successful Tin Pan Alley songwriters of the 1930s and 1940s, a ...

. The band toured in the 1920s and 1930s, performing at the

Brooklyn Paramount Theatre The Brooklyn Paramount is a music venue in Downtown Brooklyn, New York City, at the intersection of Flatbush and DeKalb Avenues. It opened in 1928 as a movie palace that occasionally hosted jazz, blues and early rock and roll concerts. In 196 ...

and the New York Paramount Theatre, sharing billing with

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous Big band, jazz orchestra from 1924 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D ...

and Rubinoff. When the band played at the Paramount in New York City in 1930, the leader singer was

. With the advent of the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

, the band and its band members found the market for small and large orchestras change overnight and could not weather the shock of fewer bookings. It disbanded in 1929. Davis wrote about the band in his memoir ''That Band from Indiana'' (1982).

Personnel

* Charlie Davis – piano, trumpet, bandleader * Ralph Hayes – trumpet * Harry Wiliford – trumpet and vocals * Charlie Fach – trombone * Phil Davis – trombone * Ray Shonfield – saxophone * Kenny Knot – piano * Jack Drummond – double bass * Ralph Lillard – drums and composer * Lewis Lowe – vocals *

– vocals

Discography

* "There's No End to My Love for You" (

Vocalion 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 pian ...

, 1928) * "When" (Vocalion, 1928) * "The Drag" (Vocalion, 1928) * "You're a Real Sweetheart" (Vocalion, 1928) * "Just Like a Melody Out of the Sky" (Vocalion, 1928) * "You're A Real Sweetheart" (Vocalion, 1928) * "Suppose Nobody Cared" ( Brunswick, 1928) * "Mean to Me" (

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, ...

, 1929) * " I Never Had A Chance/Rollin' Home" (1934)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Charlie Davis Orchestra Big band bandleaders American jazz bandleaders Jazz ensembles from Indiana Big bands American swing musical groups Territory bands Musical groups from Indiana Gennett Records artists Musical groups disestablished in 1929