The Chocolate Dandies (jazz combos)


The Chocolate Dandies was the name of several American jazz combos from 1928 through the 1940s. The name was an outgrowth of a Broadway production, The Chocolate Dandies, that debuted in 1924. That stage show was composed by Eubie Blake and Noble Sissle

Bands

The first band to record with the name Chocolate Dandies, on the Okeh label in 1928–1929, was the one led by Don Redman, effectively the McKinney's Cotton Pickers under another name. In 1931 King Oliver and Lloyd Smith's Gut-Bucketeers recorded under the same name for Vocalion Records.

Don Redman


  1. The Chocolate Dandies

    1. "Paducah," by Redman, Okeh 8627, Matrix: 401218-B

    2. "Star Dust," by Hoagy Carmichael, Okeh 8668, Matrix: 401219-A
    3. "Birmingham Breakdown," by Duke Ellington, Okeh 8668, Matrix: 401220-B
    4. "Four or Five Times," by Marco Hellman and Byron Gay, Okeh 8627, Matrix: 401221-A

King Oliver


  1. King Oliver and the Chocolate Dandies

    1. "Loveless Love", Vocalion 1610, Matrix: E-36474-A
    2. "One More Time", Matrix: E-36625-A
    3. "When I Take My Sugar To Tea," by Sammy Fain, Irving Kahal, Pierre Norman, Vocalion 1617, Matrix: E-36626-A

Benny Carter

Benny Carter had several ensembles in the 1930s named The Chocolate Dandies.

  1. The Little Chocolate Dandies;

    1. "That's How I Feel Today," by Don Redman, Matrix: 402965-A
    2. "That's How I Feel Today", Matrix: 402965-B
    3. "That's How I Feel Today" Okeh 8728, Matrix: 402965-C
    4. "Six or Seven Times," by Fats Waller & Irving Mills, Matrix: 402966-A

    5. "Six or Seven Times", Matrix: 402966-B
    6. "Six or Seven Times", Matrix: 402966-C
    7. "Six or Seven Times" Okeh 8728, Matrix: 402966-D

  1. The Chocolate Dandies

    1. "Goodbye Blues," Carter, Columbia 35679, Matrix: 404566-A

    1. "We're Friends Again", Brunswick
    2. "What Good Am I Without You?", Brunswick

    1. "Cloudy Skies," by Coleman Hawkins, Columbia 35679, Matrix: 404596-B
    2. "Got Another Sweetie Now," by Harrison, Columbia 36009, Matrix: 404597-B
    4. "Dee Blues," by Carter, Columbia 2543-D, Matrix: 404599-B

  1. The Chocolate Dandies

    1. "Blue Interlude," by Carter, Parlophone R1792, Matrix: 265156-2
    2. "I Never Knew," by Gus Kahn & Ted Fio Rito, Parlophone R1815, Matrix: 265157-1
    3. "I Never Knew", Phontastic 7647, Matrix: 265157-2
    4. "Once Upon a Time," by Carter, Parlophone R1717, Matrix: 265158-1
    5. "Krazy Kapers," by Carter, Parlophone R1743, Matrix: 265159-

Coleman Hawkins


  1. Coleman Hawkins and The Chocolate Dandies

    1. "Smack," Mosaic MR23-123, Matrix: R2995-T
    2. "Smack," Mosaic MR23-123, Matrix: R2995-1
    3. "Smack," Mosaic MR23-123, Matrix: R2995-2
    4. "Smack," Matrix: R2995-3
    5. "Smack," Commodore FL20025, Matrix: R2995-2
    6. "Smack," Commodore 533, Matrix: R2995
    7. "I Surrender Dear," Commodore 1506, Matrix: R2996
    8. "I Surrender Dear," Atlantic SD2-306, Matrix: R2996-2/1
    9. "I Surrender Dear," Mosaic MR23-123, Matrix: R2996-2
    10. "I Surrender Dear," Mosaic MR23-123, Matrix: R2996-3
    11. "I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me," Commodore 1506, Matrix: R2997
    12. "I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me," Commodore XFL14936, Matrix: R2997-1
    13. "Dedication", Commodore 533, Matrix: R2998
    14. "Dedication", Mosaic MR23-123, Matrix: R2998-1
    15. "Dedication", Mosaic MR23-123, Matrix: R2998-2

Others

Versions of groups' names "Chocolate Dandies" continued to play into the 1940s and counted among their members Buck Clayton, Floyd O'Brien, and other members of Carter's and Fletcher Henderson's bands.

Discography (cd)

  • VV AA - The Chocolate Dandies 1928/1940. The most complete anthology contains all the tracks quoted above with the exception of Dedication and the King Oliver session.
  • King Oliver - ''Vocalion & Brunswick Recordings_Farewell Blues''

Alternatives

  • McKinney's Cotton Pickers - The Chronological ''1930-31
  • King Oliver - The Chronological 1930-31
  • Benny Carter - The Chocolate Dandies 1928-1933
  • Coleman Hawkins - The Chocolate Dandies And Leonard Feather's Allstars 1940 And 1943''

General


  1. at Allmusic