Quick Facts
Biography
Willie Creager was an American jazz drummer and band leader active in the 1920s/30s. In his prime, he led many different music projects, including The Ambassadors, Willie Creager And His Orchestra, Willie Creager And His Entertainers, and Willie Creager's Rhythm Aces. He also recorded under the pseudonym Georgia Collegians.
Creager's earliest known recordings are from the early 1920s. On June 16, 1923, he recorded "Choo Choo Blues" with Art Landry's Syncopatin' Six at Gennett Studio in Richmond, Indiana. The following year, he recorded Benny Davis and James F. Hanley's composition of "Waitin' Around" with Casino Dance Orchestra (saxophonist Harry Moss and conductor Hazay Natzy). In August 1923, his Willie Creager Dance Orchestra released "Rose of the Morning", and "Pretty Peggy".
In October 1924, he led Vocalion Records' studio orchestra The Ambassadors, and recorded "Cuddle Up A Little Closer" and "Dreary Weather" in New York City with Maurice Pierce, Sammy Feinsmith (alto saxophone, clarinet); John Cali (banjo); Joe Meresco (piano); Ted Green (tenor saxophone); Harry De Paola (trombone); Jack Axelrod, Manny Klein (trumpet); and Alex Goldfarb (tuba).
In September and October of 1924, Willie Creager and His Ambassadors, with Louis Katzman as the business manager, performed at The Cinderella Ballroom in New York. In April 1925, he was at the Capitol Theatre in Scranton, Pennsylvania, with his band comprising Jerry Salsbury, Jack 0'Brien, Ed. Smith (saxophone); Henry Levine, James Bindilar, and Hunter Wilder (brass); Duke Enston (banjo); Berte Conte (bass); and Bud Burtson (drums).
In December 1926, his group Willie Creager's Rhythm Aces recorded Jerome Kern's composition of "The Riff Song" in New York, featuring saxophonists Nathan Glantzand Larry Abbott.
In late 1928 and early 1929, Creager and his Orchestra recorded "Crying Blues", "Cat's Kittens", and "It's In The Morning" in New York, with Phil Romano (piano) and Andy Sannella (reeds).
In 1929, Creager made several recordings for Columbia Records. In February, he released "On with the Dance!" and "Kansas City Kitty" with singer Arthur Fields. In May, he recorded "(Sitting Around) Thinking About My Baby" and "Daddy Won't You Please Come Home" with singer Irving Kaufman; Kaufman used the pseudonym "Marvin Young". In August, he recorded three tracks with Kaufman (as Tom Frawley). Also in 1929, Creager recorded "Day Dreams" with Billy James' Dance Orchestra for Oriole Records.
In April 1930, Creager's orchestra was at the Ritz Theater in Scranton, Pennsylvania, providing the music for songwriter/Broadway producer Joseph E. Howard; singers Mary Olcott and Amy Carswell; the Dixie Four; and comedian Bob Hope. The show kicked off with the Irving Berlin hit "Putting on the Ritz."
In 1932, Creager's band was featured in Roy Mack's 1932 musical The Lease Breakers starring Tess Gardella, Isabel Brown, Dulcie Clayton, Maurice Colleano, John Morrissey, and Jan Stamp.
Video: Creager & His Orchestra - "Cat's Kittens" (1928)
Covers
Creager covered several popular songs of the time:
| Year | Track | As | Originally by |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1925 | "Indian Love Call" | Willie Creager & His Orchestra | Leo Reisman and His Orchestra, Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra, Mary Ellis, and Dennis King |
| 1926 | "Because I Love You" | Willie Creager & His Orch. - Vocal Chorus, Leroy Montesanto | Adrian Schubert's Salon Orchestra ‑ Vocal Chorus Arthur Hall |
| 1926 | "Hello Bluebird" | Willie Creager's Rhythm Aces | Original Dixie Rag Pickers |
| 1927 | "The Riff Song" | Willie Creager and His Entertainers | Nathaniel Shilkret and The Victor Orchestra |
| 1927 | "It Made You Happy When You Made Me Cry" | Willie Creager's Dance Orchestra | Isham Jones Orchestra |
| 1929 | "On Top of the World, Alone" | Willie Creager and His Orchestra | Maurice Chevalier |