Irving Mills' Hotsy Totsy Gang - Dig(g)a Digga Do(o)
- 14 years ago
Irving Mills (1894-1985) was a jazz music publisher, also known by the name of Joe Primrose. He founded Mills Music with his brother Jack in 1919. Between 1919 and 1965, when they sold Mills Music, Inc., they built and became the largest independent music publisher in the world. Irving and Jack discovered a number of great songwriters, among them Sammy Fain, Harry Barris, Gene Austin, Hoagy Carmichael, Jimmy McHugh, and Dorothy Fields. He either discovered or greatly advanced the careers of Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, Ben Pollack, Jack Teagarden, Benny Goodman, Will Hudson, Raymond Scott and many others.
Although not a musician himself (he did sing, however), Irving decided to put together his own studio recording group. In Irving Mills and his Hotsy Totsy Gang he had for sidemen the Dorsey Bros, Venuti, Lang, Brillhardt, Schutt, and Klein. Other variations of his bands featured Miller, Goodman and Red Nichols. This great record, with uncredited vocal, was made in 1928.
Although not a musician himself (he did sing, however), Irving decided to put together his own studio recording group. In Irving Mills and his Hotsy Totsy Gang he had for sidemen the Dorsey Bros, Venuti, Lang, Brillhardt, Schutt, and Klein. Other variations of his bands featured Miller, Goodman and Red Nichols. This great record, with uncredited vocal, was made in 1928.