Harlem Playgirls
Encyclopedia
Harlem Playgirls was an African American
swing band active in the Midwest
and throughout the United States
from the mid-1930s to the early 1940s.
circuits, performing in picture houses, jazz club
s, ballroom
s and variety theatres. In the tradition of prior all-girl bands led by musical theater stars, headliners Eddie Crump and Baby Briscoe both led the band as dancing, singing front women. Briscoe had gained prominence in New Orleans and had worked with Lil Hardin Armstrong
’s all-girl band and Joe Robichaux
and his Rhythm Boys. Trombonist Lela Julius and saxophonist Vi Burnside were two of the group’s leading soloists. The group appeared at the Apollo Theater
in New York
in 1937 and competed in the prestigious battle of the bands
contest at Chicago
’s Savoy ballroom
against Johnny Long’s
group in 1938. Many members later went on to perform with the International Sweethearts of Rhythm
and the Prairie View Coeds.
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
swing band active in the Midwest
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
and throughout the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
from the mid-1930s to the early 1940s.
History
Organized by Minneapolis-based drummer Sylvester Rice in 1935 and drawing from members of the popular Dixie Sweethearts, the group toured TOBATheater Owners Bookers Association
Theater Owners Booking Association, or T.O.B.A., was the vaudeville circuit for African American performers in the 1920s and 1930s. The theaters all had white owners and collaborated in booking jazz, blues, comedians, and other performers for black audiences...
circuits, performing in picture houses, jazz club
Jazz club
A jazz club is a venue where the primary entertainment is the performance of live jazz music. Jazz clubs have been in large rooms in the eras of Orchestral jazz and big band jazz and when its popularity as a dance music was common...
s, ballroom
Ballroom
A ballroom is a large room inside a building, the designated purpose of which is holding formal dances called balls. Traditionally, most balls were held in private residences; many mansions contain one or more ballrooms...
s and variety theatres. In the tradition of prior all-girl bands led by musical theater stars, headliners Eddie Crump and Baby Briscoe both led the band as dancing, singing front women. Briscoe had gained prominence in New Orleans and had worked with Lil Hardin Armstrong
Lil Hardin Armstrong
Lil Hardin Armstrong was a jazz pianist, composer, arranger, singer, and bandleader, and the second wife of Louis Armstrong with whom she collaborated on many recordings in the 1920s....
’s all-girl band and Joe Robichaux
Joe Robichaux
Joe Robichaux was an American jazz pianist. He was the nephew of John Robichaux....
and his Rhythm Boys. Trombonist Lela Julius and saxophonist Vi Burnside were two of the group’s leading soloists. The group appeared at the Apollo Theater
Apollo Theater
The Apollo Theater in New York City is one of the most famous, and older, music halls in the United States, and the most famous club associated almost exclusively with Black performers...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in 1937 and competed in the prestigious battle of the bands
Battle of the Bands
Battle of Bands is a contest in which two or more bands compete for the title of "best band". The winner is determined by a panel of judges, the general response of the audience, or a combination. The winning band usually receives a prize in addition to bragging rights. Traditionally, battles of...
contest at Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
’s Savoy ballroom
Savoy Ballroom (Chicago)
The Savoy Ballroom in Chicago, United States was opened on Thanksgiving Eve, November 23, 1927 at 4733 South Parkway. Originally featuring primarily Jazz artists, including Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Earl Hines, Stan Kenton, Dizzy Gillespie, Ella Fitzgerald, Gene Krupa, Woody...
against Johnny Long’s
Johnny Long (musician)
Johnny Long was an American violinist and bandleader, known as "The Man Who's Long on Music". He was raised on a farm in Newell, North Carolina, currently a subdivision of Charlotte. He started practicing with the violin at the age of six, but injured two fingers on his left hand when he was...
group in 1938. Many members later went on to perform with the International Sweethearts of Rhythm
International Sweethearts of Rhythm
The International Sweethearts of Rhythm was the first integrated all women's band in the United States. During the 1940s the band featured some of the best female musicians of the day...
and the Prairie View Coeds.
Sources
- F. Driggs. 1977. “Women in Jazz, A Survey” Liner Notes to Jazz women, A Feminist Retrospective. New York: Stash Records.
- H. Rye: “What the Papers said: the Harlem Play-Girls and Dixie Rhythm Girls (and Dixie Sweethearts),” Storyville 1996/7, ed. L. Wright (Chigwell, England, 1997)
- S. Tucker. Swing Shift: All-Girl Bands of the 1940s. (Durham, NC: Duke University Press 200).
- L. Wright: “Pieces of the Jigsaw: Harlem Playgirls,” Storyville 1998/9 (Chigwell, England, 1999), 178