Clarence Williams’ Blue Five

Clarence Williams' Blue Five was a studio band of the early '20s whose membership today seems as phenomenal as its records must have sounded at the time. They were led and organized by pianist/producer Clarence Williams, whose talent at the keyboard was decidedly more marginal than his ability at recruiting extraordinary players — their ranks included Sidney Bechet and Louis Armstrong, and Coleman Hawkins, Buster Bailey, Don Redman, and Bubber Miley also participated in their sessions, frequently fronted by such top vocal talent as Sippie Wallace and Margaret Johnson or, just as often, Williams' own spouse, Eva Taylor. Their records, which heavily featured Armstrong, are among the highlights of the OKeh label's output between 1923 and 1927. He also gathered together musicians as Clarence Williams' Blue Seven, among other ensembles