Jazz Remembered

Annette Hanshaw

The name and music of Annette Hanshaw is perhaps not heard or remembered today, and yet it seems that there was something about this vocalist from the 1920s and early 1930s that made an impression on many. The fact that she was called 'The Personality Girl' gives us a clue. An album Annette Hanshaw The Jazz Age Queen sets the scene with Annette taking the popular syncopated songs of the period and mastering the timing - listen to I've Got A Feeling I'm Falling in1929, finishing with her usual 'sign off' of 'That's all!'

Alan Bond told us: "I have a soft spot for Annette Hanshaw and virtually all her known recordings are available via Spotify. I was utterly jealous of Trevor Benwell (of Vintage Jazz Mart) as he got to meet her when he was in the US many years ago (in the 1940s, I think, as Trevor was over there as part of his RAF service) and he had a signed photo of her in among the raft of photo's he had in his front room at Dollis Hill. I did ask him if I could have it when he popped off but it never materialised and Trevor has been gone for a good few years now.

Referring to I've Got A Feeling I'm Falling, someone on YouTube writes: "Life has so many magic, wonderful moments, and we often fail to see or feel them when they are screaming and jumping up and down right in front of us. Sometimes, when I am low, I remember this, and wonder if we could withstand the joy if we took every minute particle in every second. Probably not. HA!!! There is a little of that embedded and overt joy in this song, and I have listened to it ten times in two days. I think I am falling for Annette. That little "That's all" gets me every time."

Notes accompanying a compilation album on the Retrospective label point out 'Not least of the attractions of Annette Hanshaw's work is the galaxy of top jazzmen who backed her. Jimmy Dorsey, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, Manny Klein, Eddie Lang, Miff Mole, Red Nichols, Adrian Rollini, Muggsy Spanier, Jack Teagarden and Joe Venuti the cream of 'white' jazz are just some of jazz greats to be heard.'

Here she is singing Nothin' with the Original Memphis Five on 14th April 1927. The person who has posted this recording on YouTube says: "Annette Hanshaw recorded on that day three sides with the Original Memphis Five, that had some great names in it, like Red Nichols on trumpet, Miff Mole on trombone, George Bohn on reeds, Frank Signorelli on piano and Ray Beauduc on drums. They recorded on this memorable day four sides: Play It, Red - Wistful And Blue - What Do I Care What Somebody Said? and Nothin' . The first tune was an instrumental recording without Annette Hanshaw.

Annette Hanshaw was originally thought to have been born in New York in 1910, beginning her recording career shortly before her 16th birthday. However, it has come to light that she was in fact born nine years earlier in 1901, making her 25 at the time of her first commercial recording in September 1926. In a 1934 poll held by Radio Stars, she received the title of best "female popular singer," alongside Bing Crosby as best "male popular singer." (Ruth Etting came third). King Edward VIII, then the Prince of Wales, was a fan and apparently loved dancing to her music.

There seem to be few live videos of Annette but this one appears on YouTube. It changes from time to time as it is taken down and then put back again, so please let us know if it doesn't work when you look at it:

Annette made many records between 1926 and 1934 for Pathé, Columbia and ARC and issued on various labels including Perfect, Harmony, Diva, Clarion, Velvet Tone, OKeh and Vocalion labels. She recorded under a number of pseudonyms including 'Gay Ellis' (for sentimental numbers) and 'Dot Dare' and 'Patsy Young' (for impersonations of Helen Kane).

Annette made one appearance in the 1933 Paramount short Captain Henry's Radio Show, "a picturization" of the popular Thursday evening radio programme Maxwell House Show Boat, in which she starred from 1932 to 1934. We can watch Annette in Captain Henry's Radio Show (with Annette at 7.06 minutes in and some 'blackface' performances now finally consigned to social history).

Annette Hanshaw retired in the late 1930s and later said: "As a matter of fact, I disliked all of [my records] intensely. I was most unhappy when they were released. I just often cried because I thought they were so poor, mostly because of my work, but a great deal, I suppose, because of the recording ....... I disliked the business intensely. I loathed it, and I'm ashamed to say I just did it for the money. I loved singing, you know, jamming with the musicians when it isn't important to do, but somehow or another I was terribly nervous when I sang ........ You just have to be such a ham and love performing, and I happen to be an introvert, and I just wasn't happy singing, and I wasn't happy with my work as I said.' (Radio interview with Jack Cullen, 1978).

Here is Annette singing Daddy, Won't You Please Come Home in 1929 with the New Englanders (Possibly: Charlie Spivak, (trumpet, trombone) Jimmy Dorsey (clarinet, alto sax); Hymie Wolfson (clarinet, tenor sax); Ben Selvin (violin); Arthur Schutt (piano); Tony Colucci (guitar); Hank Stern brass bass); Stan King (drums) ......

....... and here singing Get Out Under The Moon in 1928.

Later in her life Annette considered making a comeback and produced two unreleased demo recordings but she died of cancer in 1985 at New York Hospital, aged 83, after a long illness.

Ron Geesin is researching more information about Annette and writes: "Ever since I became friends with Brian Rust, starting in 1961 when I joined the Original Downtown Syncopators, I’ve been a Hanshaw fan. When the Syncopators went on a brief tour of NY State in 1962, we had a few days off in New York. At 18, there were two things I wanted to do: one was to walk the length of Harlem Main Street (in a tweed jacket no less); the other was to attempt to meet Annette Hanshaw. In my hotel bedroom, I looked her up in the phone book and there she was. I phoned her, having had the introduction from Brian Rust, and arranged to meet in a little café/bar - no idea where. I can’t remember anything of the conversation, except that towards the end she said, “I’m meeting a man here soon. If he comes in while you’re still here, don’t you dare let on that I was singing all that long time ago!”. Anyway, I’ve been attempting assembly of the complete Hanshaw recordings, including those uncredited with Frank Ferera’s Hawaiians, and may have found a new one. All this is towards a possible proper, and long overdue, biography of the dear lady (having now written 4 books myself). If any of your readers can help, what I would enjoy are connections towards: 1. Chris Ellis’s papers on Hanshaw (no idea where they went); 2. Best sources of the many photographs; 3. Other US contacts who may be sitting on further information. [Please contact Ron here if you can help. Brian Rust's recorded interview with Annette is here - Ed]