Jelly Roll, Bix, and Hoagy: Gennett Records and the Rise of America's Musical Grassroots

Philanthropic and Nonprofit Studies

by Richard Lee Kennedy

In a piano factory tucked away in Richmond, Indiana, Gennett Records produced thousands of records featuring obscure musicians from hotel orchestras and backwoods fiddlers to the future icons of jazz, blues, country music, and rock 'n' roll. From 1916 to 1934, the studio debuted such stars as Louis Armstrong, King Oliver, Bix Biederbecke, Jelly Roll Morton, Hoagy Carmichael, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Charley Patton, and Gene Autry. While Gennett Records was overshadowed by competitors such as Victor and Columbia, few record companies documented the birth of America's grassroots music as thoroughly as this small-town label. In this newly revised and expanded edition of Jelly Roll, Bix, and Hoagy, Rick Kennedy shares anecdotes from musicians, employees, and family members to trace the colorful history of one of America's most innovative record companies.

Genres: Music, History, Business

304 pages, Paperback

First published March 22, 1999

About the author

Richard Lee (Rick) Kennedy-veteran communications manager with General Electric Company; former journalist; and freelance music writer for more than 30 years.

Reviews

[Jeff Crompton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure why I had never read this before now, since I'm an aficionado of early jazz. But I recently found myself near Richmond, Indiana, home of Gennett Records, made the 25-mile side trip, and visited the shell of the only building left of the once-mighty Starr Piano/Gennett Records empire.

Gennett recorded some extemely "important" (and wonderful) music in the 1920s - King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band, Bix Beiderbecke's Wolverine Orchestra, The New Orleans Rhythm Kings, Jelly Roll Morton. I didn't realize until reading Kennedy's book, however, that they were also instrumental (no pun intended) in breaking the shared monopoly that Victor and Columbia had on the record industry. And I didn't realize the extent to which, after the glory days of Gennett's early jazz recordings, they concentrated on early country music, much of it issued on their discount Champion label.

Kennedy's book is very thorough and well researched, especially considering that in later years the Gennett family was not at all interested in talking to interviewers about their time in the record business. The writing is utilitarian rather than elegant, but it gets the job done.

And reading this book has put me in the mood to spin some of my original blue-label Gennett 78 RPM records.