26: Gennett Records

The early recorded history of jazz, blues, and country music in America usually isn’t associated with a place like Richmond, Indiana. However, for a brief period early in the 20th century the Gennett record label based in Richmond recorded music from artists such as Gene Autry, Charley Patton, Blind Lemon Jefferson, and Hoagy Carmichael. Learn about the history of the label from Rick Kennedy, the author of Jelly Roll, Bix, and Hoagy.
Music featured:
Charley Patton – Down the Dirt Road Blues
Fiddlin’ Doc Roberts – Deer Walk
Bix Beiderbecke – Davenport Blues
William Harris – Bullfrog Blues
Hoagy Carmichael & Pals – Stardust
King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band – Chimes Blues
Jelly Roll Morton – King Porter Stomp
Scrapper Blackwell – Blue Day Blues
Recommended:
Blind Lemon Jefferson – Mosquito Moan
Charley Patton – Spoonful Blues
New Orleans Rhythm Kings – Mr. Jelly Lord
Fletcher Henderson – Honey Bunch
Marion McKay – Hootenanny
Sounds Used (freesound.org):
‘locomotive.wav’ by laurent, ‘Stem_Train.wav’ by knufds,
Note: When the episode was originally published, we used an incorrect estimation of the number of white males in the KKK in Richmond in the 1920′s. The issue was corrected in this version of the program. We regret the error.