Seger Ellis

Infobox Musical artist
Name = Seger Ellis


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Born = July 4 1904
Houston, Texas, United States
Died = 1995
Houston, Texas
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Instrument = Voice, Piano
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Genre = Jazz, popular song
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Seger Ellis (b. July 4, 1904 in Houston, Texas - d. 1995 in Houston, Texas) was a jazz pianist and vocalist. He also made a few brief film appearances, most notably in collaboration with director Ida Lupino.

Ellis began his career as pianist playing live for a local Houston radio station (later known as KRPC) in the early 1920s. In 1925 he was added to the orchestra of Lloyd Finlay for a "field trip" recording session for Victor Records and was also allowed to cut two piano solos. Although unissued for technical reasons, these solo efforts led to Ellis being invited to Victor's regular recording studio in Camden, New Jersey to cut a number of piano solos, all or most of them compositions of his own. These were among the earlist records Victor made using the new electric microphone and recording equipment, a technique that was yet not perfected which probably explains why only four of the titles were eventually issued. Of these the coupling "Praire Blues" and "Sentimental Blues" became a minor hit.

After his first recording experiences Ellis returned to Houston and radio work as well as playing in vaudeville theatres. During this period Ellis, mainly on request of his employers at the radio station, began adding singing to his piano playing. His pleasant voice went well with the audiences and in 1927 he was invited to New York to make ocal test recordings. His first issued vocal record was "Sunday" on the Columbia label. This was followed by a string of records for Okeh Records where Ellis was usually backed by small studio groups that he was allowed to pick himself. Ellis used the opportunity to select many of the best jazz musicans of the time including Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, Joe Venuti, Eddie Lang, Andy Sannella and - on two occasions - even Louis Armstrong. On these records Ellis sang in a bittersweet alto, with which he was uncomfortable early in his career, believing his voice to be too high.

Ellis's first recording career ended in 1931. In the late 1930s however, he returned with a big band of his own, known as his "Choirs of Brass Orchestra" with himself conducting and taking occasional vocals. The band also featured his wife, Irene Taylor as a vocalist. Later in his career, Ellis focused more on songwriting, although he continued to record sporadically as well as playing the piano.

Popular compositions

* "No Baby, Nobody But You"
* "You Be You but Let Me Be Me"
* "You're All I Want For Christmas"
* "The Shivery Stomp"

ources

* Lawrence Brown: liner notes for the CD "Praire Blues - The Music of Seger Ellis" (Azure AZ-CD-22)
* Allan Dodge: liner notes for the CD "Seger Ellis: Jazz in a Sentimental Mood" (The Old Masters MB 131)
* Brian Rust: "Jazz Records 1897-1942" (5th edition, Chigwell, Essex 1983)