Luis Russell (6 August 1902 - 11 December 1963) was a jazz pianist and bandleader . Luis Carl Russell was born on Careening Cay, near Bocas del Toro, Panama, in a family of Afro-Caribbean ancestry. His father was a music teacher, and young Luis learned to play violin, guitar, trombone, and piano. He began playing professionally accompanying silent film by 1917, then played at a casino in the city of Colón, Panama. In 1919 he won 3000 United States dollars in a lottery, and used it to move to the United States with his mother and sister, settling in New Orleans, Louisiana. He began performing with New Orleans bands, and took lessons on New Orleans style jazz piano from Steve Lewis. He played with Albert Nicholas's band, then moved to Chicago, Illinois in 1924. In Chicago he played with Doc Cooke and King Oliver, in addition to occasional jobs under his own name and pick up bands in recording studios. With Oliver's band Russell moved to New York City in May of 1927. In October of that year he left Oliver to start his own band. Russell's band became one of the top jazz groups in New York. It was borrowed for gigs and recording dates by such jazz notables as Red Allen, Jelly Roll Morton, and Louis Armstrong; Armstrong wound up taking over the band as front man in 1929 although Russell remained the music director. The band returned to Russell's name while Armstrong played in California and Europe in the early 1930s; Russell and Armstrong were reunited in 1935. They again split paths in 1943 when Russell formed a new band under his own name, which played at the Savoy and Apollo in Manhattan as well as in Atlantic City, New Jersey. In 1948 Russell retired from full time music and opened a notions shop, with irregular band gigs and teaching music on the side. In 1959 he visited Panama where he gave a piano recital of classical music. Luis Russell died of cancer in New York City.
The Luis Russell Orchestra started in Chicago and then moved to New York. They were one of the most innovative bands of their day, but never had the commercial success that they deserved. They are generally considered to be one of the first Swing bands. The outfit featured some of the best hot musicians from New Orleans, such as Barney Bigard, Omer Simeon and Pops Foster. The band first backed up Louis Armstrong in 1929 on the record "Mahogany Hall Stomp". By 1935 Louis Armstrong had taken over the orchestra altogether and for the next eight years they functioned solely as back-up band for Armstrong, with Luis Russell acting as the musical director. Many Jazz historians bemoan the fact that Russell "sold out" and chose to support Armstrong rather than developing his own distinct style, but we should remember that all of this happened during the height of the Depression, when so many great African-American musicians were forced to leave the music business altogether. Not to mention that they were playing with one of the world's greatest artists, Louis Armstrong.
Title After Hour Creep
Recording Date 1943
Recording Location New York, New York New York, New York New York, New York New York, New York New York, New York New York, New York New York, New
Company Manor 1002-A Apollo 1035 Banner 33179 Melotone 13146-A Manor 1006 A Vocalion 1579 Okeh 8766 Apollo
All The Things You Are 5-29-1946 Vocal refrain by Lee Richardson At The Darktown Strutters Ball Vocal Chorus by Sonny Woods
(Shelton Brooks)
8-8-1934
Boogie In The Basement
(Luis Russell)
1945 12-17-1930 12-17-1929 5-29-1946
Case On Dawn
(Luis Russell / Spencer Williams)
Doctor Blues
(Luis Russell / Paul Barbarin)
Dont Take Your Love From Me
(Henry Nemo)
York Feelin' The Spirit
(Luis Russell)
1020 Okeh 8766 Victor 22815 HMV B.4897 Banner 33367 Melotone M 13334-B Manor 1002-B Victor 22789-A Bluebird B-7367-B Apollo 1071 Apollo 1086 Okeh 8849 Banner 33367 Melotone M 13334-A Brunswick 6046 Apollo 1046 Apollo 1071 Apollo 1022 Melotone M-12000
9-6-1929
New York, New York New York, New York
Freakish Blues
(Luis Russell / Paul Barbarin)
8-28-1931
Ghost Of Freaks
(Luis Russell / Paul Barbarin)
8-8-1934
New York, New York New York, New York New York, New York
Garbage Man Blues
(Luis Russell / Klages
1943
Goin' To Town
(Hughie Prince / Harold Mooney)
8-28-1931
Gloomy Sunday Vocal refrain by Lee Richardson 1946
(Seress / Javor / Lewis)
New York, New York New York, New York New York, New York New York, New York New York, New York New York, New York New York, New York New York, New York New York, New York
Gone 10-19-1946 Vocal refrain by Lee Richardson High Tension
(Bee)
9-5-1930
Hokus Pocus
(Luis Russell)
8-8-1934
Honey, That Reminds Me
(Nesbit)
12-17-1930
I'm In A Low Down Mood Vocal by Lee Richardson
(Charles Stewart)
1945
I've Been A Fool Again Vocal refrain by Lee Richardson 1946
(Kizer / Luis Russell)
I've Got A Gal (Whose Love Comes C.O.D.)
(Kizer / Luis Russell / Armstrong)
1945
I Got Rhythm
(George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin)
10-24-1930
Jersey Lightning
(Luis Russell)
9-6-1929
New York, New York
Okeh 8734 Parlophone R 740 Okeh 8811
404047-A
Louisiana Swing
(Luis Russell)
5-29-1930
New York, New York New York, New York New York, New York New York, New York New York, New York New York, New York New York, New York New York, New York
Louisiana Swing
(Luis Russell)
5-29-1930
Okeh 8811
404047-C
Luke The Spook
(Biggs / Luis Russell)
10-19-1946 9-5-1930 8-8-1934
Apollo 1086 Okeh 8830 Vocalion Banner 33399 Melotone M 13366-B Apollo 1035 Banner 33179 Melotone 13146-B Okeh 8811
404049-A
Muggin' Lightly
(Luis Russell / Levy)
Moods
(Rube Bloom)
My Blue Heaven
(Walter Donaldson / Richard Whiting)
8-8-1934
My Silent Love 5-29-1946 Vocal refrain by Lee Richardson Ol' Man River Vocal Chorus by Sonny Woods
(Jerome Kern / Roger Hammerstein)
8-8-1934
On Revival Day
(Andy Razaf)
5-29-1930
New York, New York
On Revival Day
(Andy Razaf)
5-29-1930
New York, New York
Okeh 8811 Parlophone 2186
404049-B
Panama
(Lambert / Dolin)
9-5-1930 5-29-1930
New York, New York New York, New York New York, New York
Okeh 8849 Okeh 8830 Banner 33399 Melotone M 13366-A
Poor Li'L Me
Primitive
(Rube Bloom)
8-8-1934
Sad Lover Blues
(Luis Russell / Richardson)
1945 12-17-1930 12-17-1929 1-15-1929
New York, New York New York, New York New York, New York New York, New York New York, New York New York, New York New York, New York New York, New York New York, New York New York, New York New York, New York New York, New York
Apollo 1012 Okeh 1579 Vocalion 8780 Okeh 8760 Victor 22789-A Okeh 8780 Apollo 1020 Okeh 8734 Apollo 1012 Apollo 1022 Victor 22793-A Manor 1006 B
Saratoga Drag
(Luis Russell / Greely Walton)
Saratoga Shout
(Luis Russell / Charlie Holmes)
Savoy Shout
(Luis Russell / Louis Metcalf / E. Victor)
Say The Word (From the revue "The Third Little Show")
(Harold Adamson / Burton Lane)
8-28-1931
Song Of The Swanee
(Luis Russell / Dux / Walter)
12-17-1929 5-29-1946 9-6-1929 1945 1945
Sweet Memory
(Luis Russell / Holmes / Kizer)
The (New) Call Of The Freaks
(Paul Barbarin)
The Very Thought Of You
(Ray Nobel)
1280 Jive
(Luis Russell / Williams)
You Rascal, You Vocal by Henry Allen
(Sam Thread)
8-28-1931
You Taught Me How To Smile Again
1945
Artist Gus Aiken Red Allen James Archey David Bee Lee Blair Paul Barbarin Chick Bullock
Instrument Trumpet Trumpet, Vocals Trombone Alto Saxophone Guitar Drums, Vibraphone, Vocals Vocals
Robert Cheek Bill Coleman Leonard Davis Vic Dickerson Pops Foster J.C. Higginbotham Teddy Hill Charlie Holmes Will Johnson Henry Jones Bingie Madison Albert Nicholas The Palmer Brothers Lee Richardson Dick Robertson Luis Russell Rex Stewart Nathaniel Story Greely Walton Dicky Wells Sonny Woods
Trumpet Trumpet Trumpet Vocals Bass Trombone, Vocals Tenor Saxophone Clarinet, Alto Saxophone Banjo, Guitar Alto Saxophone Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone Clarinet Vocals Vocals Vocals Piano Cornet Trombone Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone Trombone Vocals
Russell was a native of Panama, but after winning $3000 in a lottery in 1919, he moved with his mother and sister to New Orleans where he made a living as a pianist. In 1925 Russell moved to Chicago to join Doc Cook and his Dreamland Orchestra and then later became the pianist in King Oliver's band. He moved to New York with Oliver in 1927 before he formed his own Luis Russell Orchestra made up of several other King Oliver sidemen. He recorded six songs in 1926 with his Hot Six and Heebie Jeebie Stompers. By 1929 his band had grown to ten-pieces and they recorded a dozen records that are considered some of the first and best examples of Swing music. The band started backing up Louis Armstrong on a few of his early orchestra recordings. In 1935 Louis Armstrong took it over the orchestra altogether and for the next eight years they functioned as back-up band for Armstrong with Russell acting as the musical director. Russell led a new band from 1943-48 that played at the Savoy and Apollo and made a few recordings. The final 15 years of his life he made his living outside of music, operating a candy shop, a toy store and then working as a chauffeur.
Luis Russell And his Orchestra Luis Russell and his Heebie Jeebie Stompers Lou And his Gingersnaps
Russell's Hot Six Luis Russell And his Burning Eight Jungle Town Stompers