WILBERT BARANCO
Wilbert Victor Baranco was born in Baton Rouge LA on April 15, 1909 to Beverly and Pearl Baranco. In 1910 his father was a presser in a clothing store while in 1920 he was a janitor in an oil company. By 1927 the family (now increased by the birth of Lester [1911] and Arnold [1915]) had moved to Oakland and Wilbert was a student at Oakland Technical High School.
In 1930 his father was, according to the census, a waiter on the Southern Pacific. He had obtained the job when he first moved to the Bay Area and after working for a year he was eligible for a pass that enabled him to being the rest of his family to join him. Early evidence of Wilbert’s interest in music can be found in his playing the role of Sir Tristan in the grand opera “Martha” (Oakland Tribune August 20, 1927) and in the appearance of “Arnold and Wilbert Baranco and Jerome Swanagan . . . as singers under the direction of Alvin Nurse with Prof. Elmer Keeton, at the organ” at the First A.M.E Church (Oakland Tribune August 16, 1931). In November 1930 the Ivy Leaf club of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority held a party - “Dancing was the feature of the evening’s entertainment; Mr. Wilbert Baranco at the piano. Mr. Baranco really knows how to play, and everyone enjoyed it. The clever young English man, Mr. Reginald Forsythe also favored the guests with several selections” (California Eagle November 24, 1930). In September of 1931 he was a member of a quartet which competed in a radio talent show (Oakland Tribune September 16, 1931), but he was already working as a professional musician by then since the California Eagle of February 13, 1931 reported that “Wilbur [sic] Baranco, popular member of the younger set, is doing his stuff with [Curtis] Mosby’s ever popular orchestra these days,” (1) and by 1932 he was giving his profession as “Musician” in the Oakland City Directory.
In June to July of 1934 he was advertised as appearing with his band for Joe Green (The Cab Calloway of the West) and his Black Birds of 1934 at the Tip Top Club in San Francisco “direct from Grand Terrace Gardens, Chicago.” However the gig was short-lived because of pressure from the local white musicians' union. (2) Along with Green and DeDe Earles he presented spots called “Plantation Cafe” and “Ten Minutes in Harlem” at the San Francisco Examiner Home Appliance Exposition in the Civic Auditorium (San Francisco Examiner September 26 and 29, 1934). In August 1934 he advertised the opening of his popular piano school (Spokesman August 23, 1934) and in December he was leading a band at the Dawn Cafe on Market Street (3) - the band is said to include “two other local boys, Leroy Houston and George Hurd, and a trio of Al Pere’s boys, Herman Grimes, George Nealy and Norville Maxie, as well as Bee Wilson, Mildred Monroe, and Joe Green” (Spokesman December 14, 1934)
In May 1935 “Wilbert Baranco and his ork dished up some red hot tunes“ at the Theatrical Ball (Spokesman May 3, 1935) and in July when the 20-30 Club put on a show called “Night in Harlem” Baranco’s “colored orchestra of San Francisco furnished the music for the dancers” (Oakdale Leader July 4, 1935). In the California Eagle of January 22, 1937 Byron “Speed” Reilly, local dee jay and promoter, reported on the Bay Area scene, including a reference to Wilbert Baranco and Sax Sexias. He next appears as a member of a double quartet organised by his brother Arnold in March 1937, but in August there took place a “Battle of Swing” between Wilbert Baranco’s “Swingcopaters” and Ben Watkins’ Swing Masters organised by Byron Reilly who also presented both bands on his show “Swing Spotlight” on KLS (California Eagle August 12, 1937). A report in the Pittsburgh Courier of December 23, 1939 of a “program depicting the history of the Negro in music” at the Oakland Municipal Auditorium said that “Ben Watkins’ orchestra was also heard playing many orchestrations by Wilbert Baranco.”
He continued to describe himself as “Musician” in his voter registration. In 1939 he had a band at Club Alabam in San Francisco (4). The California Eagle of November 16, 1939 reported that "Wilbert Baranco with his band at the Alabam in Frisco is one of the best on the Coast with Edna Ross and Percy Bost (5) on the vocals." On May 23, 1940 the same newspaper reported that the club refused to increase their pay so they walked out and were replaced by Ben Watkins’ All-Stars but on November 14 said that “the Club Alabam is still polping [sic] with Baranco, Jerome [Richardson] and Jimmy Wright.” April 3, 1941 saw a report of "Baranco, Jerome and Junior at the Club Alabam turning six nights a week to a packed house and with Dee Dee Hackett (6), who is better than ever on the vocals" and a week later "Club Alabam has Baranco, Jerome and Junior with Dee Dee Hackett on the vocals playing to SRO nitely." On May 29, 1941 the Eagle stated "At the Club Alabam Wilber Baranco, piano; Jerome Richardson, sax and Junior Raglin (7), bass. Dee Dee Hackett and Vera Keyes on the vocals. Both are mighty fine." He was still there in 1942 since the San Francisco Directory of that year described him as “Musician Club Alabama.” (8) It was not his only gig at that time since the California Eagle of May 8, 1941 said that "The Larks Club cocktial (sic) hour on Sunday afternoons in Berkeley [featured] the music of Baranco’s Trio with Dee Dee Hackett." In August of 1942 he was providing entertainment at Melody Lane, a piano bar on Bush Street in San Francisco (San Francisco Examiner August 22, 1942).
He registered for the draft in October 1940 but was not enlisted until October 1942. The navy recognised his musical talent and after basic training at Great Lakes IL he was assigned, along with many other distinguished jazz musicians, to the St. Mary’s Pre-Flight School coloured band in Moraga near San Francisco. The San Francisco Chronicle of November 24, 1943, reporting on this, says that he was “formerly with Hite’s and Hampton’s demolition squads.” The Eureka Times obituary (see note 3) says that he “also wrote arrangements for Lionel Hampton and Meredith Wilson, who conducted for NBC Radio in San Francisco.” I have found no documentary evidence for these activities, but they are presumably to be dated to the late thirties/early forties. After the war he moved for a couple of years to Los Angeles where he recorded a number of sessions in 1945-7 (see below for a discography). The only report of a public appearance I have found is at a club called the Doll House in North Hollywood for a month or so in late 1947 (Valley Times October 31 and November 7, 1947).
By 1948 he was back in the Bay Area and began a series of engagements as pianist in various clubs - the Colony Club (April 1947), the Arabian Nights (August 1948), the Mocambo (September 1949 to November 1950), Cook’s (September to December 1951), the Delmar Restaurant (November 1952 - “just returned from an engagement at Las Vegas Desert Inn”) (9) and the Cable Car Village (June -July 1953). After that there is a long gap until 1958 when we find him at the Twelfth Knight restaurant on Sutter (May 1958), at Jay Bedworth’s Tunnel Inn in Lafeyette (June 1958), and then in the Terrace Lounge of the Claremont Hotel, a gig which began in December 1958 and lasted until April 1970. He played piano during the week but at weekends played with a trio for dancing - in 1964 he was joined by Walter Sandford on bass and Earl Watkins on drums. In October 1970 he was at the Newell House in Walnut Creek, in August 1971 at Patty’s Restaurant piano bar on Grand Lake in Oakland and in the last three months of 1971 at the Danville Hotel. November 1973 saw a return to the Claremont, where he remained until February 1974, before going on to the Cape Cod House in Lafayette where he stayed for six years. Throughout the post-war period he taught music - “Baranco spent his last 15 years teaching piano and jazz history at City College and often said, “I love teaching the history class because it’s the history of my life. What a treat it is to share with students!” . . . He retired at the age of 65 but later returned to teaching part-time. Baranco taught at a host of schools including UC Berkeley extension from 1949 to 1964, Merritt College, Sherman and Clay, and Kassmans of Oakland. City College of San Francisco is where he taught a week prior to losing his battle with cancer. He had hoped to complete the Fall 1983 semester” (The Guardsman November 9, 1983). He also often lectured on jazz piano and history to various institutions and offered private tuition.
He died on October 23, 1983.
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Notes:-
(1) Leonard Feather and Ira Gitler, The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz (2007) pp. 35-6, says he worked with Mosby "in early 1930s" while Howard Rye (Grove Music Online) dates his time with Mosby to "around 1933 to 1934."
(2) On this episode see Leta E. Miller, Music & Politics in San Francisco (2012) p. 174.
(3) The Eureka Times Standard October 27, 1943 says he played at the Dawn Club on Annie Street without indicating a date. This will be the same venue as the Dawn Cafe - Annie Street was just off Market Street.
(4) When he registered for the draft on October 16, 1940 he said his employers were Louis Verettte and Vernon Brown, the owners of the Alabam.
(5) Percy Andrew Bost, 1892-1958. He described himself as a "Musician" in the 1940 Census.
(6) A photo of her performing in Seattle may be found in Quin'Nita Cobbins, Seattle on the Spot: The Photographs of Al Smith (2017) pp. 64-5.
(7) Alvin Raglin (1917-1955), bass player, who went straight from his gig at the Club Alabam to replace Jimmy Blanton in Duke Ellington's band; see A. H. Lawrence, Duke Ellington and his World (2003) pp. 307-8.
(8) The California Eagle of July 22, 1943 reported that "Ernie Royal, Wilbur Baranco, Andy Andreson and Eddie Alley were having a ball, jamming at the Club Alabam Saturday night" but this seems more likely to have been a jam session than a paid engagement.
(9) We don't hear of many engagements outside the Bay Area but Joe Darensbourg (Telling It Like It Is [1987] p. 95) recalled that "Wilbert Baranco was a helluva good piano player that worked with me in Seattle, and one time I took him over to Bremerton, too. I knew him from when I was a kid in Baton Rouge. My brother had a shoe shop right across the street from where Wilbert lived in Baton Rouge."
DISCOGRAPHY
Gerard J. Hoogeveen, "Wilbert Baranco's Recordings," Names & Numbers 62 (July 2012) pp. 11-18 compiled a very detailed discography with full details of reissues. What follows is based largely on his work with some corrections and additions; I have included only original issues.
Ernie Andrews Accompanied by Wilbert Baranco Trio
Ernie Andrews, vocal; Wilbert Baranco, piano; Buddy Harper, guitar; Charles Mingus, bass.
Los Angeles, CA, October 4, 1945
GEM20-A You Go To My Head Coronet /G & G 1020
GEM20-B Don't Let The Sun Catch You Cryin' Coronet/G & G 1020, Exclusive 81x
GEM21-A Paradise Lost Coronet/G & G 1021
GEM21-B I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance Coronet/G & G 1021
Duke Henderson/Rabon Tarrant with Lucky Thompson & His All Stars
Duke Henderson, vocal -1; Rabon Tarrant, vocal -2; Karl George, trumpet; Jewell Grant, alto sax; Lucky Thompson, tenor sax; Gene Porter, clarinet; unknown guitar; Wilbert Baranco, piano; probably Charles Mingus, bass; Lee Young, drums.
Los Angeles, CA, November 20, 1945
S 1145 Don’t Keep Me Waiting -1 Delmark DD- 668
S 1146 I’ll Be True -2 Apollo 395
S 1147 Mama Bear Blues -1 Delmark DD-668
S 1148 S. H. Blues -1 Apollo 400
S 1149 Not Worth A Dime -1 Delmark DD-657, DD-668
S 1150 Hey Hey Hey Baby -2 Apollo 395
S 1151 Fool Hearted Woman -1 Apollo 373
S 1152 H. D. Blues -1 Apollo 400
Note:- The label of Apollo 373 (wrongly) lists the backing group as Jack McVea and His All Stars.
Duke Henderson with John “Shifty” Henry & His All Stars (384) or “Wild” Bill Moore And his orchestra (789)
Duke Henderson, vocal; Teddy Buckner, trumpet; Happy Johnson, trombone; Wild Bill Moore, tenor sax; Wilbert Baranco, piano; Gene Phillips, guitar; Shifty Henry, bass; probably Rabon Tarrant, drums; ensemble vocal -1.
Los Angeles, CA, December 4, 1945
S 1153 Let’s Get Vootin’ -1 Delmark DD-668
S 1154 Boogie Man Blues Delmark DD-668
S 1155 Don’t Slam The Door Delmark DD-657, DD-668
S 1156-11 Blues In The Background Delmark DD-668
S 1156-20 Blues In The Background Delmark DD-668
S 1157 Don’t Forget I’m A Married Man Delmark DD-668
S 1158 Women’s Blues Part 1 Apollo 384
S 1159 Woman’s Blues Part 2 Apollo 384
S 1160 Home Coming Blues Apollo 789
Note: Rev. of Apollo 789 by Wild Bill Moore.
Dinah Washington with Lucky Thompson and His All Stars
Dinah Washington, vocal; Karl George, trumpet; Jewel Grant, alto sax; Lucky Thompson, tenor sax; Gene Porter, baritone sax, clarinet; Milt Jackson, vibes; Wilbert Baranco, piano; Charles Mingus, bass; Lee Young, drums.
Los Angeles, CA, December 10, 1945
S1170-3 Wise Woman Blues Apollo 368
S1171-2 Walking Blues Apollo 374
S1172-2 No Voot - No Boot Apollo 368
S1173 Chewin' Woman Blues Apollo 396
Dinah Washington With Lucky Thompson and His All Stars
Dinah Washington, vocal; Karl George, trumpet; Jewel Grant, alto sax; Lucky Thompson, tenor sax; Gene Porter, baritone sax, clarinet; Milt Jackson, vibes-1; Wilbert Baranco, piano; Charles Mingus, bass; Lee Young, drums..
Los Angeles, CA, December 12, 1945
S 1174-2 My Lovin' Papa -1 Apollo 371
S 1175-1 Rich Man's Blues -1 Apollo 374
S 1176 Beggin' Mama Blues -1 Parrot 20-001
S 1177 All Or Nothing Blues Parrot 20-001
Dinah Washington with Lucky Thompson and His All Stars
Dinah Washington, vocal; Karl George, trumpet; Jewel Grant, alto sax; Lucky Thompson, tenor sax; Gene Porter, baritone sax, clarinet; Milt Jackson, vibes-1; Wilbert Baranco, piano; Charles Mingus, bass; Lee Young, drums; Dinah Washington, vocals.
Los Angeles, CA, December 13, 1945
S 1178 Mellow Mama Blues -1 Apollo 371
S-1179 My Voot Is Really Vout -1 Apollo 388
S 1180 Blues For A Day -1 Apollo 388
S-1181 Pacific Coast Blues Apollo 396
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Estelle Edson with Oscar Pettiford and All Stars
Estelle Edson, vocal; Karl George, trumpet; Jewel Grant, alto sax; Leon Beck, baritone sax; Lucky Thompson, tenor sax; Wilbert Baranco, piano; Chuck Norris, guitar; Oscar Pettiford, bass; Roy Porter, drums.
Los Angeles CA, late 1945
BW 163 Be-Baba-Le-Ba Black & White 760
BW 164 Rhythm In A Riff Black & White 760
BW 165 I Changed The Lock Black & White 761
BW 166-2 Don’t Drive This Jive Away Black & White 761, 840
Darby Hicks And His Rhythm
Unknown trumpet; saxes; piano; bass'drums; scat vocal -1.
Los Angeles, CA, late 1945
Ditty Bag Jump Gem 15
Gettin’ Out -1 Gem 18
Composer credit for both titles is to Wilbert Baranco which led Han Enderman, Names & Numbers 63 (October 2012) p. 27, to suggest that “Darby Hicks” here is a pseudonym for Baranco (see appendix below). Gem 15 was advertised in Billboard Nov 17, 1945.
Wilbert Baranco And His Rhythm Bombardiers
Karl George, John Burk, Howard McGhee, Eugene Young, trumpet; Ralph Bledsoe, Henry Coker, Vic Dickenson, George Washington, trombone; Marvin Johnson, Bill Smith, alto sax; Fred Simon, Eli (Lucky) Thompson, tenor sax; Gene Porter, baritone sax; Wilbert Baranco, piano, vocal -1; Buddy Harper, guitar; Charlie Mingus, bass; Earl Watkins, drums; ensemble vocal -2.
Los Angeles, CA, January, 1946
BW183 Night And Day (inst.) Black & White 41
BW184 Weeping Willie (inst.) Black & White 41
BW185 Every Time I Think Of You -1 Black & White 42
BW186 Baranco Boogie -2 Black & White 42
Ivie Anderson And Her All Stars
Ivie Anderson, vocal; Karl George, trumpet; Willie Smith, alto sax; Gene Porter, tenor sax; Buddy Collette, baritone sax; Wilbert Baranco, piano, director; Buddy Harper, guitar; Charlie Mingus, bass; Booker Hart, drums.
Los Angeles, CA, January, 1946
BW203 I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good Black & White 771
BW204 On The Sunny Side Of The Street Black & White 771
BW205 I Thought You Ought To Know Black & White 772
BW206 The Voot Is Here To Stay Black & White 772
Charles Mingus And His Orchestra
Claude Trenier, vocals -1; Karl George, John Plonsky, trumpet; Henry Coker, trombone; Jewel Grant, Willie Smith, alto sax; Gene Porter, Lucky Thompson, tenor sax; Wilbert Baranco, piano; Buddy Harper, guitar; Charles Mingus, bass; Lee Young, drums;.
Los Angeles, CA, January 1946
OR162A Ain't Jivin' Blues -1 Excelsior 162
OR162B Baby, Take A Chance With Me -1 Excelsior 162
OR163A Shuffle Bass Boogie Excelsior 163
OR163B Weird Nightmare -1 Excelsior 163
Note:- A report in the California Eagle of January 31, 1946 says the session took place “recently.“
Wilbert Baranco Orchestra
Wilbert Baranco (leader. arranger, piano, vocal -1), Hobart Dotson, Karl George, poss. Howard McGhee, Snooky Young (trumpet), Henry Coker, Melba Liston, George Washington, Britt Woodman (trombone), Buddy Collette, Jackie Kelso (alto sax), Fred Simon, Lucky Thompson (tenor sax), Gene Porter (baritone sax), Elijah 'Buddy' Harper (guitar), Charles Mingus (bass), Earl Watkins (drums), Monette Moore, vocal -2, Ernie 'Bubbles' Whitman (mc).
Hollywood, CA, ca. March 1946
Bugle Call Rag AFRS-Jubilee 175
Coming And Going -2 AFRS-Jubilee 175
Night And Day AFRS-Jubilee 175
Every Time I Think Of You -1 AFRS-Jubilee 175
Baranco Boogie AFRS-Jubilee 175
Many sources list January 1946 but c. March 1946 is given in AFRS Jubilee Discography by Rainer E. Lotz & Ulrich Neuert.
Johnny Criner Accompanied by The Wilbert Baranco Quintet
V with Karl George, trumpet; Lucky Thompson, tenor sax; Wilbert Baranco, piano; Dave Barbour, guitar; Phil Stevens, bass.
Los Angeles, ca. July 1946
Railroad Man G & G 1024
I Got My Money Blues G & G 1024
Down Home Blues G & G 1025
Bring What Daddy Needs G & G 1025
1025 advertised in Cash Box Aug 5, 1946 and 1024 Aug 12, 1946.
Sylvester Scott And His Orch. with Buddy Harper. Vocal by Wilbert Baranco.
Wilbert Baranco, vocal; Red Mack, trumpet; Martin Gower, alto sax; William Woodman, tenor sax; Sylvester Scott, piano; Buddy Harper, guitar; Bill Davis, bass; Oscar Bradley, drums
Los Angeles, 1946
You’re A Glorious Sight Juke Box 518
Effie Smith with Buddy Harper and his All-Stars
Effie Smith, vocal; Karl George, trumpet; Johnny Kelson, alto sax; Maxwell Davis, tenor sax; Charles Waller, baritone sax; Will Barry (= Wilbert Baranco ?), piano; Buddy Harper, guitar; Red Callender, bass; Oscar Bradley, drums.
Los Angeles, CA, June 21, 1946
Nothin’ You Can Do Aladdin 151
Effie’s Boogie Aladdin 151
Haunted By The Blues Aladdin 152
What You Puttin’ Down Aladdin 152
Go Ahead With Your Lucky Self Aladdin 153
Sugar Daddy Aladdin 153
Note:- Labels on all issues give the piano player as Will Barry. The suggestion that this is a pseudonym for Wilbert Baranco goes back at least as far as the 1994 edition of Blues Records 1943-1970.
Wilbert Baranco Quartet
Wilbert Baranco, piano, vocals; Ulysses Livingston, guitar; Benjamin Booker, bass; Oscar Bradley, drums.
Los Angeles, CA, 1947
BW602 Got An Ache In My Heart Black & White 856
BW603 Baby Look At You Black & White 857
BW604 Blues In C# Minor (inst.) Black & White 120
BW605 Lil' Victor's Boogie Black & White 120
same session.
BW623 Blues Rhapsody, Part I Black & White 859
BW624 Blues Rhapsody, Part II Black & White 859
BW625 Rosetta Black & White 857
BW626 Memories Of You Black & White 856
Note:- 120 was listed under Advance Record Releases In Billboard May 10, 1947. 856 and 857 were reviewed in Billboard March 13, 1948. 859 was reviewed in Billboard April 17, 1948. 856 listed under Advance Record Releases in Billboard March 6, 1948 and 859 on April 10, 1948.
Madge Wilson - Hammond Electric Organ Wilbert Baranco - Piano
Prob. San Francisco, prob. 1952
You Go To My Head Treasure 502
Sometimes I'm Happy Treasure 502
Appendix
If it is accepted that "Darby Hicks" on Gem 15 and 18 may be a pseudonym for Wilbert Baranco it seems logical to suppose that this applies to all the records on the G & G/ Gem/Coronet group in which "Darby Hicks" is involved, viz.:
Johnny Criner Accompanied by Darby Hicks Selected Quartet
I’ve Been Drinkin’ And I’m Drunk Again / Sugar Mama Blues G & G 16
Effie Smith Accompanied by Darby Hicks And His Rhythm
I Been Down In Texas / Root-Lie-Voot G & G 1017
Effie Smith Accompanied by Darby Hicks And His Rhythm
Ooh, What I Dreamed About You Gem 15
Effie Smith Accompanied by Darby Hicks' Selected Trio
Wee Baby Brother Blues Gem 18
Also given the personnel involved Indigo 101 should be included.
Wilbert Baranco does not appear in the BMI and ASCAP databases, though he is credited as composer on Gem 15 ("Ditty Bag Jump" and 18 (Getin' Out"), on Black & White 41 for "Weeping Willie," and, along with Ivie Anderson and Buddy Harper, on Black & White 772 ("The Voot Is Here To Stay)"
The Catalogue of Copyright Entries includes a number of unpublished items in which Baranco was involved, as follows:-
Sweet Irene; words and music by WB, Nov 23, 1929
For You Sweetheart; words and music by WB, Feb 5, 1931
Baby, I’m Thinking Of You; word and music by WB, May 8, 1931
Blue Fantasy, 33
Can't Show My Face In Harlem Today, song, music J. Greene and WB, 5 Nov, 34
What To Do About Him, song arr. WB, 23 Jan, 39
Maybe Someday, song, words Florida M. Baranco [WB's wife], 16 Aug, 40
We'll Budget Our Love, song, words Edward C. McKee, 16 Aug ,40
Riggin' A Gig, 16 Nov, 40
Guiana Yellow Rose, song, arr. WB, 24 June, 41 [song writer appears to be Joseph Josephus]
Ditty Bag Jump, melody, 1 Mar, 43
Hedgehoppin', melody WB, 3 Nov, 44
On 5 Aug, 45 the following songs with words and
melody by W. R. Varnum and WB were registered:-
We've Got No Time For Love
We’re The Pharmacist Mates
All The Men Have Gone To War
By My Side
He’s Giving Me A Bad Time
It’s The Navy Every Time For Me
Knock It Off
The Navy Way
Roger, Wilco And Out
We’re Gonna Pull Those Pin-ups Down
Varnum's naval duties took him to California and
it may be presumed that he encountered Baranco
in that context.
Gettin' Out, melody, 3 Dec, 45
Baby Look At You, words WB, 30 Sept, 46
My Future's A Thing Of The Past, words Mildred Eleanor Carlow, 25 Aug, 46
What More Could I Desire?, words by WB, 4 Feb, 46
I Sing About You, words and music by M. E. Carlow and WB, 12 Aug, 46
Got An Ache In My Heart, words and music by WB, 31 Dec, 46
Sorry You Said Goodbye, arr. WB, copyright William Kenny, words and music William Raymond Coello De Coulode, 23 July, 47 (1)
Lonely Monday Blues, word and music WB, 27 Apr, 51
God Will Help Me Bear My Burdens, words and music Ila Edith Chestnut, arr. WB, 24 Jan, 52
It’s Your Fault; words & music Inez Loewer & WB. Raleigh Music Pub. Co. 15 Mar, 54
I Was Dreaming; words Vivian May Simmons music WB 20 Sep, 54
Sweet Kisses; words Vivian May Simmons music WB 20 Sep, 54
These Arms; words Vivian May Simmons music WB 20 Sep, 54
Hold On To Your Dreams; words & music WB, 17 Jun, 58
My Job: Spread Some Happiness Around; words & music WB, 17 Jun, 58
If You Want The World, words & music WB, 31 Dec, 59
Go! Go! Oakland Oaks; words & music WB 16 Oct, 67
Find A Need And Fill It; words & music WB, 28 May, 76
The Delta Belle, words Marshall Owen, music WB, 30 Dec, 77
(1) Recorded by Bill Kenny in late 1951.
Billboard December 3 1949
