Hitch's Happy Harmonists
Hitch's Happy Harmonists (also The Happy Harmonists, active 1922-1927) was an early white jazz band from Evansville, Indiana most famous for being the group playing on the first two recordings of Hoagy Carmichael, which were "Bone Yard Shuffle" and "Washboard Blues". The band was led by the pianist Curtis Hitch and was rounded out at different sessions by Fred Rollison (cor), Jerry Bump (tb), Rookie Neal (cl,as), Dewey Neal (bsx), Maurice May (bjo,ts), Earl McDowell (d), Harry Wright (cl), Arnold Abbe (bjo), Haskell Simpson (brass bass), and on the aforementioned songs, Hoagy replaces Hitch on piano.
The band recorded a total of 9 sides for 78 rpm phonograph record, which were released on Gennett Records, Claxtonola Records, Buddy Records, Champion Records and Temple Records. Their style echoed the New Orleans Rhythm Kings and they were influenced by Bix Beiderbecke and The Wolverines, but they lacked a soloist memorable enough to make their recordings particularly compelling. Listening to the Harmonists alongside the Wolverines, Dud Mecum, Emil Seidel and His Orchestra, Hoagy Carmichael and His Pals and Carmichael's Collegians make for a great phonographic tour of Indiana country in the 1920s.[1][2]