Discogs PWA

Ted Lewis

American jazz bandleader, entertainer, singer and clarinetist. Lewis started his recording career in 1917, playing clarinet in [a=Earl Fuller's Famous Jazz Band]. That band tried to copy the style of the [a=Original Dixieland Jazz Band] after the ODJB had had a tremendous success with its jazzy "Livery Stable Blues" earlier that year. In 1919, Lewis founded his own band. Playing a combination of jazz and dance music, the band became very popular, not least because it included well-known jazz musicians such as [a=Muggsy Spanier] on trumpet and [a=George Brunies] on trombone. Other distinguished musicians that recorded with Lewis' band, but more briefly, include [a=Benny Goodman], [a=Jimmy Dorsey], and [a=Don Murray (2)] on clarinet. Lewis' catchphrase was "Is Everybody Happy?" which itself became the title of a 1929 movie featuring his band. For many years, Ted Lewis recorded exclusively for [l=Columbia], which honored him with his own picture label (1929-1933), a special distinction he shared only with [a=Paul Whiteman]. In 1934, however, Lewis switched to a new start-up label, [l=Decca], for which he re-recorded many of his earlier hits, such as "When My Baby Smiles at Me," "Wear A Hat With A Silver Lining" or "The Sweetheart Of Sigma Chi." Born: June 06, 1890 in Circleville, Ohio. Died: August 25, 1971 in New York City, New York.

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Ted Lewis

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