Jumpin’ Jive

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The photo above reads “Cab Calloway and His Dancing Boys & Girls ~ 1939,” followed by a list of five dancer’s names, the name of one of the male dancers having been omitted. Dancers names listed seem to be as follows: Mae Williamson, Chink Collins, Joyce Beasley, Oley Barris, Edna Mae Holly.*

From the book A Renaissance in Harlem: Lost Voices of an American Community by Lionel C. Bascom (original published by William Morrow in 1999), 2007 edition, p. 120:

1939

Jumpin’ Jive (Cab Calloway, Frank Froeba, Jack Palmer) — In 1939, Lionel Hampton and his Orchestra recorded the song as “The Jumpin’ Jive.” About five weeks later, Cab Calloway and his Orchestra released their version as “(Hep-Hep!) The Jumpin’ Jive.” A recording by the Andrews Sisters was released in November 1939. It was the B-side of their seventeenth straight top 20 hit, “Chico’s Love Song.” Cab Calloway & his Orchestra and the Nicholas Brothers later performed the song in a famous production number in the 1943 film Stormy Weather.

Lionel Hampton and his Orchestra — recorded as “The Jumpin’ Jive,” on 13 June 1939; issued on Victor 26304 as the B-side of “Memories of You”

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Cab Calloway and his Orchestra — recorded on 17 July 1939; issued as “(Hep-Hep!) The Jumpin’ Jive” on Vocalion 5005, b/w “Trylon Swing”

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Tanzorchester Eddie Tower — recorded in Brussels on 10 November 1940, according to another YouTube posting, and issued on Telefunken A 10232, c/w “Doing the Jive” (Glenn Miller, Chummy MacGregor) — “Eddie Tower” was a pseudonym of Belgian bandleader Emile Deltour

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The Andrews Sisters — released November 1939 as the B-side of Chico’s Love Song (Decca 2756)

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Larry Breese and his Orchestra, with vocals by the Four Toppers — issued c. 1940(?) on Ammor 101, as the B-side of “What’s New”

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Dinah Shore — The provider dates it 1940 and describes the record as a “12 inch radio advertising record by RCA Victor for Lucky Strike cigarettes.” I’ve been unable to locate the catalog number, or to verify the date, elsewhere.

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(above) Stormy Weather (1943) : Bill Robinson, Lena Horne, Cab Calloway

(above) The Nicholas Brothers in the “Jumpin’ Jive” number of Stormy Weather (1943)

“Jumpin’ Jive” in Stormy Weather (1943) – Cab Calloway and his Orchestra with dance by the Nicholas Brothers

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Glenn Miller and his Orchestra, vocal: Marion Hutton — 1944(?)

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* Edna Mae Robinson (née Edna Mae Holly) was a noted dancer who toured Europe with Duke Ellington and Cab Calloway in the 1930s according to an article in the 27 May 2002 issue of Jet magazine. The article also notes that she met boxing great Sugar Ray Robinson in 1940 and the two married three years later. A photo of Holly wearing a mink coat given to her as a birthday present by Robinson graced the first issue of Jet magazine on 1 November 1951. In 1960 the couple divorced.

Charles “Chink” Collins was a member of the Cotton Club Boys when they debuted in the 1934 Cotton Club Parade (revue), and in 1949 became an original member of the Copasetics.