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Gennett Records: America’S Musical Grassroots 1920S Music Recording Hotbeds

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Gennett Records: America’S Musical Grassroots 1920S Music Recording Hotbeds Gennett Records: America’s musical grassroots 1920s music recording hotbeds New York City Chicago Richmond, Indiana? Richmond, Indiana Built on a river and a railroad Quaker industrialist Charles Starr 1872: Piano making begins in Richmond James Starr 1880s: Boom on the Whitewater River Company assumes “Starr Piano” name 1893: Gennett takes over Starr Piano Co. John Lumsden from Nashville Jesse French Henry Gennett Henry Gennett builds Starr Piano empire Creates national network of retail stores 1915: 15,000 pianos produced in “Starr Valley” 1915: Starr Piano diversifies Starr label becomes Gennett label New York studio established in 1917 1921: Second studio opens in Richmond Studio Engineer: Ezra Wickemeyer Recording in Richmond Not for the faint of heart! “A boiler room in here!” Curtis Hitch endures the heat! Guy Lombardo Brutal market: Two labels dominated the “78s” business 1922: Supreme Court showdown Gennett ignores patent Gennett strategy: Record everything Enduring stigma… Gennett pressed KKK discs Fred Wiggins Starr Piano store manager in Chicago 1922-123 1922: Introducing Chicago jazz New Orleans Rhythm Kings Starr Piano Store 1923: Jazz’s 1st recorded masterpieces Louis Armstrong’s recording debut King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band – with young Louis 1923-24: Landmark piano solos in Richmond Chicago Jazz Alliance: Gennett Records/Melrose Publishing Fred Gennett Lester Melrose Gennett/Melrose: cross promotion Targeting black record buyers One problem: Ladd’s Black Aces were white 1924: Wolverines come to Richmond Wild boys barnstorm the Midwest Young Man With A Horn: Bix Beiderbecke Bix & Hoagy music alliance Hoagy Carmichael Bix & Wolverines IU Law student 1925: The booze was flowing! Who’s on trombone? 1927: Recording an American classic song “Poor seller” 1920s radio: The new threat Powel Crosley creates a revolution Survival strategy: Dump price Gennett proliferates discount labels Presses Sears mail order discs Yeehaw! Gennett goes hillbilly Richmond becomes a prolific country music studio Diamonds in the Gennett rough Bradley Kincaid Uncle Dave Macon Cowboy singer Gene Autry Gennett blues The roots of rock ‘n’ roll Lonnie Johnson Scrapper Blackwell Bill Broonzy Sam Collins: A blues identity crisis! Sam Collins: Gennett / Black Patti Jim Foster: Superior & Champion Big Boy Woods: Bell Bunny Carter: Conqueror Jelly Roll Hunter: Supertone 1929: The Paramount connection Landmark Delta Blues in Richmond Died three months later Downtown mural Charley Patton debuts 1929: on record in Richmond Charley Patton Mississippi Delta Blues 1936: Family Tree Robert Johnson 1940s: Howlin’ Wolf Muddy Waters Arthur Crudup "High Water (For Charley Patton)" 2001 1950s: Elmore James B.B. King Elvis Presley 1960s: Bob Dylan Rolling Stones Eric Clapton 1934: Gennett music recording ends Sound effects discs for radio Breaking up is hard to do… Fred Gennett 37 GE Title or job number 3/11/2021 1952: Starr Piano finally closes down 1953: 1st detailed Gennett Records article Starr Valley’s Long Goodbye 1950s-60s: Mercury/Decca leases 1970s: Buildings slowly abandoned 1980s: Demolition in valley Gennett studio in 1963 Early 1980s 1990s Reclaiming a lost history Starr Gennett Foundation revives Richmond 41 GE Title or job number 3/11/2021 Library of Congress: National Recording Registry From Richmond, Indiana: *2003: William Jennings Bryan “Cross of Gold” speech (1921) *2004: Hoagy Carmichael Original “Stardust” (1927) *2006: Charley Patton “Pony Blues” (1929) *2009: King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band “Canal Street Blues” (1923) An enduring legacy .
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