The Sonora Label

Revision note: We are thankful to Barbara Negleman Pogioli for correcting our information on the Gordon Trio. Courtesy of Jeremy Emmi, we have now documented Sonora 4015 through 4020, which were packaged as album M-257. Like other Sonoras in the 4000 series, they were reissues from the Musical Masterpieces label (and had already been used in a Masterpiece album). We have taken advantage of Marv Goldberg's excellent article on the Loumell Morgan Trio to improve our coverage of the Jim Jam Trio (which was started by Morgan's former bassist). We have also added to our bio of singer Roberta Lee. Courtesy of Martin Bryan, we have added information about Sonora album DA-270, which was issued toward the end of the "Interregnum," just before Sonora began recording its own sessions, and MS-491, one of the company's last albums from 1947.

Sonora was one of the first postwar independent labels. It actually got going during the war, at one of the least propitious times imaginable for the record industry: August of 1942.

Sonora was not some tiny start-up. Unusually, it was a new division of an established company. Sonora records in 1942 carried nearly the same logo as advertisements for Sonora phonographs had, back in 1919; Sonora sleeves boasted of 30-plus years in business (the vast majority of it not spent making records).

Around 1900, the Sonora Chime Company had begun making chiming clocks in New York City. It eventually developed chiming bells (hence the bell that figured in all of the successor company trademarks). These were licensed by a better-known company and built into Seth Thomas clocks. In 1909, Sonora made an initial, unsuccesful, move into "hornless" phonographs (in those days, patents were still fresh on competitors' machines). But in 1913, while still based in New York, it was reincorporated as the Sonora Phonograph Company. The big phonograph manufacturers, such as the Victor Talking Machine Company, would string out their patents well into the 1920s, but Sonora was tolerated as a competitor because it offered only high-end machines, some of which cost more than a new automobile. Sonora may also have been in the piano business for a while; we have learned of a Sonora toy piano, with a chime mechanism inside, that dates from around 1914; it was used by a piano saleman for promotional purposes. We will add a photo soon.

Sonora began a westward migration in 1923, when it merged with a furniture company based in Saginaw, Michigan, which had been making the cabinets for its players. In 1924, Sonora expanded into radios, initially with innards manufactured by other companies, and in 1927, the company's headquarters relocated to Saginaw. For a time, Sonora radios were being made and sold in Canada and in France as well as the USA.

The Great Depression hit Sonora hard; from 1930 onward it was in and out of receivership. On April 10, 1938, the company resurfaced from a bankruptcy as Sonora Radio and Television Corporation. It had made another westward move; its head offices were now in the Merchandise Mart in Chicago.

Sonora renewed its commitment to record players the next year, when it cut a deal with Eli Oberstein's new independent venture, United States Record Company. In July 1939, Down Beat ("Oberstein's 3 Million Deal," p. 29) announced that Oberstein had contracted to provide Sonora with 3 million pressings per year. Oberstein released a bunch of material (some newly recorded, some from other sources) on his Varsity and Royale labels, but his company was broke by the end of 1940.

There wasn't much of a market for televisions yet, but in 1940, Sonora was selling enough radios to get by. It reported sales of $200,000, which put it in a tie for 14th out of 18 among American radio manufacturers. Around this time the company opened a division, also located in Chicago, that made vacuum tubes for its radios.

When Sonora decided to branch out into making records, the company's headquarters were still in Chicago, and stories that included comment from the company's president, Joseph Gerl, would all be bylined there. The move into records may have been, in part, a reaction to wartime restrictions on the manufacture of radios for the civilian market. But there were other wartime restrictions... Because the record operation opened right after the American Federation of Musicians imposed the first recording ban, Sonora's modus operandi was to buy masters (most often of classics or light classics) and reissue them. But there were long-term plans; the company's management wanted to build Sonora up into another major label, specifically a rival to RCA Victor. The ambition was to take considerable market share in records as well as in radios and players.

At first, Sonora Records was strictly in the album business. During 1942 and 1943, it was probably responsible for 24 sets of 78s. These were all pressed from masters it had purchased. The sources were Eli Oberstein's various companies (which had folded in 1940) and Gordon Mercer's Musicraft label (which had also shut down; the Musicraft label that most collectors know was resurrected under new ownership in 1943). Initially, the company made straight reissues of some Musicraft albums with new cover art: 5-pocket albums, which Musicraft sometimes used but Sonora would avoid when putting out its own recordings, are giveaways.

Billboard noted that the company was out scouting distributors in June 1943, and the plans obviously included starting up its own recording operation, because Sonora was one of the very first to sign a new agreement with the American Federation of Musicians in November 1943. The parent company moved from the Merchandise Mart to 325 North Hoyne Street, the address seen in many a Sonora record ad, in September 1943.

Early Sonora albums carried numbers in 200, 300, and 400 series. The prefixes were M or DA, whose exact meanings remain unknown to us. The individual 10-inch records (which were not meant to be sold as singles) carried numbers in a 4000 series. Sonora also released a few albums of 12-inch records; for these, the individual 78s carried numbers in a 19000 series. The most common prefix to the matrix numbers was MM (which, according to Dave Diehl, stood for Musical Masterpieces, the full name of the Musicraft company's classical series). Additional items came from Eli Oberstein's companies.

Most early Sonora albums are rare and obscure today, but those that we have seen sport clean, smooth surfaces. Sonora must have had access to some of the best "presseries," during a difficult period for record manufacturing. In fact, the 1942 and 1943 pressings are usually better than those that the company made in 1946 and 1947, when it ran its own pressing plants. Although we do not know exactly how this was accomplished, Sonora had acquired a big allotment of scarce shellac. Shellac quotas were pegged to 1939 production levels, so the most likely source, Eli Oberstein, controlled tons of the stuff even though he had no active record company during the war.

Our thanks to G. P. Gennaro for his research on the classical recordings in the 4000s and the 19000s, to Harry Sicherman for information about his copy of M 451, Cowboy Ballads Featuring the Rangers Quartet, to Janice Wakefield for information about items from M 259 and M 261, to Tyrone Settlemier for information about other 78s in the series, and to Dave Diehl for his research on the origins of the 4000 and 19000 series. Jeremy Emmi provided the label photos from M-257, a five-pocket album that was a straight reissue of Masterpiece A12, Festival of Opera.

Every side in the 4000s and the 19000s was recorded by another company. MM matrix numbers (on all of the 19000s we have seen, and the majority of the 4000s) point to the Musical Masterpieces series, on the prewar Musicraft label, which was run out of New York City and owned by Gordon Mercer. Items recorded by Eli Oberstein originally had a US prefix, which usually did not appear on Sonora masters; most if not all of these had been released on his Royale label, though a few may have appeared on the first edition of his Varsity label.

Where we know the original issue, we will indicate in brackets after Sonora's release number. It can be seen how Masterpiece material had sometimes also been released on an Oberstein label (it was Royale for all that we have identified so far). From the matrix series, we infer that such items were initially recorded for Oberstein, then dealt to Mercer, but we are far from sure.

We will provide original recording dates when we learn them (so far, we have a handful). The first Musicraft label was in operation from 1936 to 1940. Massimo Freccia, a refugee from Mussolini's Italy, took over as conductor of the Havana Philharmonic in 1939 (he stayed till 1943, when he was finally able to gain entry to the United States). Varsity and Royale, each part of Oberstein's United States Record corporation, did all their new recording in 1939 and 1940. Masterpiece releases were cheaply made and obscure in origin (we wonder whether their obscurity was deliberate). They seldom credited their artists on the labels ("Violin and piano" or "Tenor with orchestra" were the norm). When we identify the artists here we are therefore relying on some of the Sonora labels. Sonora's information was not always correct, however; in at least one case, the company appears to have misindentified another operatic tenor as Jan Peerce. The company also confused a real Jan Peerce side with another one of his recordings that had served as the flip on the same Masterpiece 78. On another occasion, Sonora attributed to violinist Roman Totenberg and "piano accompaniment" (identified on another occasion as by Adolph Baller) when the original release was credited to violinist Eddy Brown (who, just to keep us more confused, later become a Sonora artist himself) and pianist Jascha Zayde.

We are still seeking information on other Sonoras in the 4000s. We do not know, for instance, whether the company aimed to reissue everything in the the 10-inch Masterpiece series, which ran from 8501 to at least 8602, or chose to pass on some items. The highest number we've found on a 4000 series Sonora is 4070.

Matrix	Sonora Release	Album	Artist	Title	Recording Date	Release Date
	4000 A










		M 352	Metropolitan Concert Orchestra \| Leo Gottesman, Conductor	Gay Vienna Waltzes









(US)1565-1	4011-A [Royale 1875, Masterpiece 8507A]	M 256	Roman Totenberg, Violinist \| piano accompaniment	Peer Gynt Suite \| Solvejg's Song	Apr-40
MM 850 A	4011-B [Masterpiece 8513-A]	M 256	Roman Totenberg, Violinist \| piano accompaniment	Air on the G String (Bach)
(US)1566-1	4012-A [Royale 1875, Masterpiece 8507B]	M 256	Violin and Piano	The Prophet Bird (Schumann)	Apr-40
MM 925 B	4012-B [Masterpiece 8541]	M 256	Violin and Piano	Spring Song (Mendelssohn)
MM 849 A	4013-A [Masterpiece 8513-B]	M 256	Violin and Piano	Liebestraume [sic] (Liszt)
MM 849 A	4013-A [second label] [Masterpiece 8513-B]	M 256	Roman Totenberg, Violinist \| piano accompaniment	Liebestraume [sic] (Liszt)
MM 926 A	4013-B [Masterpiece 8541]	M 256	Roman Totenberg, Violinist \| piano accompaniment	Souvenir (Drdla)
MM 929 B	4014-A [Masterpiece 8549]	M 256	Violin and Piano	Traumerei [sic] (Schumann)
MM 927 A	4014-B	M 256	Violin and Piano	On Wings of Song (Mendelssohn)
MM 930 A	4015-A	M 256	Violin and Piano	Spanish Dance Op. 22 No. 3 (Sarasate)
MM 930 A	4015-A [second label]	M 256	Roman Totenberg, Violinist \| piano accompaniment	Spanish Dance Op. 22 No. 3 (Sarasate)
MM 928 A	4015-B [Masterpiece 8549]	M 256	Violin and Piano	Meditation \| From Thais (Massenet)
MM 928 A	4015-B [second label; Masterpiece 8549]	M 256	Roman Totenberg, Violinist \| piano accompaniment	Meditation \| From Thais (Massenet)
7919-41	4016-A [Masterpiece 8506-B]	M-257	Tenor and Orchestra	Rigoletto \| La Donna E Mobile (Verdi)
MM 934 A	4016-B [Masterpiece 8546-B]	M-257	Tenor and Orchestra	Salut, Demeure (Faust) \| Gounod
MM 931 B	4017-A [Masterpiece 8546-A]	M-257	Tenor and Orchestra	Di Quella Pira (Il Trovatore) \| Verdi
MM 932 A	4017-B [Masterpiece 8545-A]	M-257	Tenor and Orchestra	Celeste Aida (Aida) \| Verdi
MM 933 A	4018-A [Masterpiece 8545-B]	M-257	Tenor and Orchestra	M'Appari (Martha) \| von Flotow
MM 933 A	4018-A [second label; Masterpiece 8545-B]	M-257	Jan Peerce, Tenor \| Symphony Orchestra \| Erno Rapee, Conductor	M'Appari (Martha) \| von Flotow
7920-42	4018-B [Masterpiece 8506-A]	M-257	Tenor and Orchestra	Pagliacci \| Vesti la Giubba (Leoncavallo)
7920-42	4018-B [second label; Masterpiece 8506-A]	M-257	Jan Peerce, Tenor \| Symphony Orchestra \| Erno Rapee, Conductor	Pagliacci \| Vesti la Giubba (Leoncavallo)
MM 906 A	4019-A [Masterpiece 8543-A]	M-257	Soprano and Orchestra	My Heart at Thy Sweet Voice (Samson and Delilah) \| Saint-Saens [sic]
MM 911 A	4019-B [Masterpiece 8544-A]	M-257	Soprano and Orchestra	Habanera (Carmen) \| Bizet
MM 908 C	4020-A [Masterpiece 8544-B]	M-257	Soprano and Orchestra	Vedrai, Carino (Don Giovanni) \| Mozart
MM 907 A	4020-B [Masterpiece 8543-B]	M-257	Soprano and Orchestra	Una Voce Poco Fa (Barber of Seville) \| Rossini
MM 724	4021-A [Masterpiece 8501B]	M 258	Roman Totenberg, Violin \| Adolph Baller, Piano	Brahms \| Hungarian Dance No. 5
MM 723-B	4021-B [Masterpiece 8501A]	M 258	Roman Totenberg, Violin \| Adolph Baller, Piano	Schubert \| Serenade
		M 258
MM 736 A	4022-B	M 258	String Ensemble	Tschaikowsky \| Andante Cantabile
MM 909 A	4023-A	M 258	Judith Hellwig, Soprano with Concert Orchestra	Les Filles de Cadiz (Leo Delibes)
MM 910 B	4023-B	M 258	Judith Hellwig, Soprano with Concert Orchestra	Queen of the Night \| Aria—The Magic Flute (Mozart)
US1175-1	4024 A [Royale 1816, Masterpiece 8521]	M 258	Jan Peerce, Tenor \| Piano Accompaniment	I Love Life	18-Dec-39
US7918-39	4024-B [Royale 1781B, Masterpiece 8508-B]	M 258	Jan Peerce, Tenor \| Concert Orchestra \| Erno Rapee, Conductor	Macushla [L'Amour, Toujours L'Amour]	Oct-39


35029-D1	4026-A [Masterpiece 8520-A]	M-259	Salon Orchestra	Song of India (Rimsky-Korsakoff)
35004-D1	4026-B [Masterpiece 8520-B]	M-259	Salon Orchestra	Loin du Bal (Gilet)
MM 848 A	4027-A [Masterpiece 8514-A]	M-259	String Ensemble	Cavalleria Rusticana \| Entr'acte Music (Mascagni)
MM 847 A	4027-B [Masterpiece 8514-B]	M-259	String Ensemble	La Paloma
MM 962 A	4028-A [Masterpiece 8569]	M 259	Violin and Piano	Gavotte in E Major (Bach)
MM 961 B	4028-B [Masterpiece 8569]	M 259	Violin and Piano	The Swan (Saint-Saëns)
MM 939-C	4029-A [Masterpiece 8561-B]	M 259	Tenor and Orchestra	Romance \| The Pearl Fishers (Bizet)
MM 942-A	4029-B [Masterpiece 8561-A]	M 259	Tenor and Orchestra	Una Furtiva Lagrima \| L'Elisir d'Amour (Donizetti)
35031-D1	4030-A [Royale 1881, Masterpiece 8516-A]	M 259	Salon Orchestra	None but the Lonely Heart (Tschaikowsky)
35032-D1	4030-B [Masterpiece 8516-B]	M 259	Salon Orchestra	Hungarian Dance No. 6 (Brahms)
		M 455	The Musical Brigadiers	Listen America!









		M 454	Manhattan Concert Orchestra and Quartet	Old Time Favorite Medleys









MM 1118 A	4041-A [Masterpiece 8599-B]	M 451	The Rangers \| Male Quartet	Old Chisholm Trail; Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie
MM 1115 A	4041-B [Masterpiece 8600-B]	M 451	The Rangers \| Male Quartet	Jesse James
MM 1112 A	4042-A [Masterpiece 8599-A]	M 451	The Rangers \| Male Quartet	Whoopee Ti Yi O
MM 1116 A	4042-B	M 451	The Rangers \| Male Quartet	Billy Boy; Curtains of Night
MM 1113 A	4043-A [Masterpiece 8600-A]	M 451	The Rangers \| Male Quartet	Home on the Range
MM 1119 A	4043 B [Masterpiece 8602-A]	M 451	The Rangers \| Male Quartet	The Cowboy's Dream
MM 1114 A	4044-A [Masterpiece 8602-B]	M 451	The Rangers \| Male Quartet	Goodbye Old Paint
MM 1117 A	4044-B	M 451	The Rangers \| Male Quartet	Red River Valley






	4048 A	M 452	Playland
	4048 B	M 452	Playland
MM 1095	4049 A	M 452 (3)	Playland	"Mary Had a Little Lamb; Little Bo-Peep; Little Boy-Blue; Baa, Baa, Black Sheep; Humpty Dumpty; The King of France; Jack & Jill"
MM 1094 A #2	4049 B	M 452 (4)	Playland	"Cock-a-Doodle-Doo; Lazy Mary; Hot Cross Buns; To Market; Pussy Cat, Where Have You Been; Hickory Dickory Dock; Little Jack Horner; Sing a Song of Sixpence"
	4050 A	M 452	Playland
	4050 B	M 452	Playland
MM 955 A	4051 A [Masterpiece 8552-A]	DA 353	Gilbert & Sullivan Light Opera Company	Selections from Pirates of Penzance		1944
MM 954 A	4051 B [Masterpiece 8550-B]	DA 353	Gilbert & Sullivan Light Opera Company	Selections from The Mikado
MM 956 B	4052 A [Masterpiece 8552-B]	DA 353	Gilbert & Sullivan Light Opera Company	Selections from Pirates of Penzance
MM 953 A #2	4052 B [Masterpiece 8550-A]	DA 353	Gilbert & Sullivan Light Opera Company	Selections from The Mikado
MM 951 B #2	4053 A [Masterpiece 8551-A]	DA 353	Gilbert & Sullivan Light Opera Company	Selections from Iolanthe
MM 958 B	4053 B [Masterpiece 8553-B]	DA 353	Gilbert & Sullivan Light Opera Company	Selections from H. M. S. Pinafore
MM 952 A	4054 A [Masterpiece 8551-B]	DA 353	Gilbert & Sullivan Light Opera Company	Selections from Iolanthe
MM 957 B	4054 B [Masterpiece 8553-A]	DA 353	Gilbert & Sullivan Light Opera Company	Selections from H. M. S. Pinafore
	4055-A	M 261	Havana Philharmonic Orchestra \| Massimo Freccia, Conductor	Wedding March (Wagner)
	4055-B [Masterpiece 8548]	M 261	Havana Philharmonic Orchestra \| Massimo Freccia, Conductor	Coronation March (Meyerbeer)
MM 882-B-2	4056-A [Masterpiece 8542]	M 261	Havana Philharmonic Orchestra \| Massimo Freccia, Conductor	March Militaire (Schubert)
MM 1047-A	4056-B [Masterpiece 8595]	M 261	Havana Philharmonic Orchestra \| Massimo Freccia, Conductor	Turkish March from Ruins of Athens (Beethoven)
MM 1059-A	4057-A [Masterpiece 8595]	M 261	Havana Philharmonic Orchestra \| Massimo Freccia, Conductor	Radetsky March (J. Strauss)
MM 893-B	4057-B [Masterpiece 8548]	M 261	"Havana Philharmonic Orchestra \| Massimo Freccia, Conductor"	March of the Smugglers from Carmen (Bizet)
MM 1065-A	4058-A	M 261	"Havana Philharmonic Orchestra \| Massimo Freccia, Conductor"	March of the Sardar from Caucasian Sketches (Ippolitow-Iwanow)
MM 1064-B	4058-B	M 261	Havana Philharmonic Orchestra \| Massimo Freccia, Conductor	In the Mosque from Caucasian Sketches (Ippolitow-Iwanow)
MM 902 C	4059-A [Masterpiece 8540]	M 262	Adolph Baller, concert pianist	The Minute Waltz (Chopin)
MM 990 A	4059-B [Masterpiece 8564]	M 262	Adolph Baller, concert pianist	Minuet in G (Beethoven)
MM 991 A	4060-A	M 262	Adolph Baller, concert pianist	Prelude in G Minor and Prelude in C Minor (Rachmaninoff)
MM 904 B	4060-B [Masterpiece 8547]	M 262	Adolph Baller, concert pianist	Fur Elise (Beethoven)
MM 903 B	4061-A [Masterpiece 8540]	M 262	Adolph Baller, concert pianist	Polonaise Militaire (Chopin)
MM 905 D	4061-B [Masterpiece 8547]	M 262	Adolph Baller, concert pianist	Die Fledermaus (J. Strauss)
MM 988 A	4062-A	M 262	Adolph Baller, concert pianist	Nocturne in E Flat (Chopin)
MM 989 A	4062-B [Masterpiece 8564]	M 262	Adolph Baller, concert pianist	Spring Song (Mendelssohn)
	4063-A	DA-263	Havana Philharmonic Orchestra \| Massimo Freccia, Conductor	Morning (Grieg)
	4063-B	DA-263	Havana Philharmonic Orchestra \| Massimo Freccia, Conductor	Midsummer Night's Dream Part I (Mendelssohn)
MM 877 B2	4064-A	DA-263	Havana Philharmonic Orchestra \| Massimo Freccia, Conductor	Midsummer Night's Dream Part II—Scherzo (Mendelssohn)
MM 1067 A	4064-B	DA-263	Havana Philharmonic Orchestra \| Massimo Freccia, Conductor	Anitra's Dance from Peer Gynt Suite (Grieg)
MM 1051 A	4065-A	DA-263	Havana Philharmonic Orchestra \| Massimo Freccia, Conductor	Moment Musicale [sic] (Schubert)
MM 884 A	4065-B [Masterpiece 8538-A]	DA-263	Havana Philharmonic Orchestra \| Massimo Freccia, Conductor	Barcarolle from Tales of Hoffman (Offenbach)
MM 1054 A	4066-A	DA-263	Havana Philharmonic Orchestra \| Massimo Freccia, Conductor	The Swan (Saint-Saens)
MM 878 A	4066-B [Masterpiece 8538-B]	DA-263	Havana Philharmonic Orchestra \| Massimo Freccia, Conductor	Spanish Dance (de Falla)
US1260-1	4067 A [Royale 1829, Masterpiece 8536]	M 354	Jan Peerce, Tenor \| Piano Accompaniment	Trees	Jan-40
MM 966 A	4067 A [Masterpiece 8592-A]	M 354	Jan Peerce, Tenor [?] \| Piano Accompaniment	Believe Me If All Those Enduring Young Charms
US1310-1	4068 A [Royale 1835, Masterpiece 8536]	M 354	Jan Peerce with organ	Oh Promise Me	Feb-40
MM 916 C	4068 B [Masterpiece 8539]	M 354	Amy Laughton with piano	Love's Old Sweet Song
MM 732 B	4069 A [Masterpiece 8502B]	M 354	Amy Laughton, Soprano \| String Quartet and Piano Accompaniment	Ave Maria (Gounod)
MM 844 C	4069 B [Masterpiece 8510]	M 354	Amy Laughton, Soprano \| String Quartet and Piano Accompaniment	Lullaby (Brahms)
MM 979 A	4070 A	M 354	Mixed Quartet with Piano Accompaniment	Drink to Me Only with Thine Eyes (Jonson)
MM 845 A	4070 B [Masterpiece 8510]	M 354	Amy Laughton, Soprano \| String Quartet and Piano Accompaniment	I Love You (Grieg)

The 19000 series consisted of 12-inch 78s (the only records that Sonora would issue in the larger format). All were originally recorded for the Musical Masterpiece 12000 series. There could be more 19000s than we're presently aware of, because Masterpiece is known to have issued some 12-inch sets (such as a complete Mozart Symphony "Number 40" in G minor, K550) that do not appear on this list.

The Sonora "red" label, used throughout the company's history both for albums and single releases, was burgundy with gold print. Initially the word "Sonora" appeared in heavy Old English type, the bell to the right of the name had doubled edges, the label had a gold rim, and there was plenty of frilly scrollwork. (In 1945, the company would lightly modernize the print, reduce the bell to a single outline, and trim the frillwork). The same design, in white on red-orange, appeared on Sonora's line of lacquer recording blanks (because of the parent company's role as a manufacturer of electrical equipment, the blanks carried the UL seal of approval on their labels.) One exception: multicolored Sonora Playland labels, in a style influenced by the Wizard of Oz books, were used on the children's records, including Uncle Don Carney's various releases. A modified version was employed on two albums of more lavishly produced children's stories, which used several voice actors and instrumental accompaniment.

There was a period of transition, lasting around 5 months, from the parent company's move out of the Merchandise Mart, in September 1943, up to the official launch of the music division's new recording efforts in February 1944.

Sonora started a new 1000 release series for its 10-inch 78s. Abandoning the old matrix series, it didn't immediately launch a new one. Consequently, the individual 78s in several albums (our best guess is that there were 7) are strictly A and Bs; they carry no matrix numbers distinct from their release numbers. The early 1000 series albums were still being compiled from licensed material. Without the original matrices the sources are harder to trace; however, the generic names ("Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra") suggest that the Masterpiece catalogue was still being mined. (The company got clearance to record from the Musicians Union in November 1943.)

One case that we have been able to examine more thoroughly, album M 355, recycled 4 records out of the five that had appeared on Masterpiece album A-3. It's possible Masterpiece A-3 was already reissued in full on an early Sonora album not yet documented. Another such album is DA-270, which may have been partly drawn from DA 252, a 12-inch album by the Havana Philharmonic Orchestra, which in turn had been a three-pocket album on Masterpiece. If so, editing and remastering (from 12-inch to 10-inch) were necessary, and the excerpts from Tchaikovsky's Fifth Symphony had to be taken from a different source.

The company's music division was separately incorporated in February 1944 (Billboard, February 12, 1944, p. 67). Sonora's first announced recording sessions in the United States took place that same month; as would often be the case in future years, the company used WOR Studios in New York City (Billboard, February 19, 1944). The initial sessions actually coincided with the opening of a New York office.

No fewer than 5 albums came out of these sessions. Sonora rashly announced that it was going to keep right on cranking out 5 albums per month, a pace it couldn't maintain (60 a year!) and didn't try to. The new albums carried an MS prefix (the S meant they were Sonora's own recordings) and their release numbers quickly settled into the 400 series. And each side carried a matrix number in the 1500 series, which would continue until Sonora ceased recording.

First up was an 8-tune set by Lani McIntire and his Aloha Islanders, a medium-sized band, including vibes and violins, that purveyed a sedate brand of Hawaiian music and consequently enjoyed a long residency at the Ambassador Hotel in New York City. Hitting the stores in March 1944, MS 457 was the first album in the new series to see release. It must have pulled in some sales, because copies still show up with regularity on the used market.

Next, the company brought in Noy Gorodinsky and his Gypsy Ensemble, whose MS 271 would be the last album in the 200 series. There are also still a few copies of this album around today.

Pauline Alpert was a classically trained novelty pianist who also flashed some boogie chops. She was born Pauline Edith Alpert, in New York City on December 27, 1900. Her father was a portrait painter and her mother played the piano, giving Pauline her first lessons when she was 2 years old. The family moved to Rochester, New York, when she was a young child; at age 11 she was giving piano lessons (25 cents each) to help support them. She won a full scholarship to the Eastman School of Music. She liked playing her own arrangements of popular tunes, and went into vaudeville and radio work. With a rock-solid technique that was praised by Zez Confrey and George Gershwin, among others, she was billed as "The Young Lady Who Sounds like Two Pianos" and the "Whirlwind Pianist."

She walked into the offices of the Duo-Art piano roll company and was immediately signed to make piano rolls for them. In fact, her piano rolls would outnumber her records by a substantial margin, and her biggest following today is among player-piano enthusiasts. In 1927, however, she made 8 sides for Victor, 6 of which were released. She also appeared in two Vitaphone shorts, one in 1927 and one in 1935.

Though she had not made any records in 16 years, Pauline Alpert was working regularly in New York City when Sonora signed her. She recorded a solo album (MS 460) of standards and Raymond Scott numbers (for more about their composer, see below); she also included her own composition, "Dream of a Doll." Alpert would record a second 4-pocket album in 1945, for the New York-based Pilotone label. Although the Pilotone was her last commercial recording, she also worked for Muzak, using Peggy Anderson as a pseudonym. In later years, when she heard herself in the lobby of a building, she would say, "It's nice to know I'm still around."

In 1940, Pauline Alpert married Sidney Rooff, a physician who played the violin in his spare time. By her 70s, she had limited mobility but had not lost any of her pianistic skills, as can be seen from a 1979 video of her playing a Gershwin medley, interspersed with "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes," "It Had to Be You," and several other pieces, including a couple of stride passages (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rd68aylJrbo). Pauline Alpert died in the Bronx on April 6, 1988. We are indebted to the Automatic Musical Instrument Collectors' Association for the detailed retrospective on this artist at http://www.amica.org/Live/Organization/Honor-Roll/alpert.htm.

Then, after an unexplained gap in the 1500 matrix series (an album that Sonora decided to sit on?), popular children's show host Uncle Don Carney, who had been doing radio at WOR since 1928, made his first appearance for the company. Uncle Don's Playland was a 3-pocket collection of nursery rhymes interspersed with patter and given basic piano accompaniment by Uncle Don himself.

Last in the initial batch was Bob Stanley and his Orchestra, performing a batch of popular waltz tunes that were released on MS 459. Stanley led what was closer to a chamber orchestra than a "sweet" dance band, and the company used him for sentimental pop material as well as light classics. At the same sessions, Stanley cut a batch of Strauss waltzes, which were used on his next album, MS 461.

From 1948 paperwork on the sale of Sonora masters, Dave Diehl discovered that Bob Stanley and Stanislaw Mroczek (the leader of a big band that played polkas) were the same person. Many years later, Royale would reissue some of the polka band material under Bob Stanley's name. The usual procedure in 1940s America would have been for Stanislaw Mroczek to take Bob Stanley as his stage name. Yet it occurs to us that Bob Stanley is a suboptimal name for a polka artist, and we don't presently know what name was on the leader's birth certificate. However he was identified, Mroczek/Stanley did enough recording for Sonora to make him the de facto house bandleader.

Some of the MS albums purposely duplicated repertoire from the older M series (for example, Strauss waltzes and other light classics). Either licenses were about to expire (ownership of many ex-Oberstein properties changed in 1944), or Sonora merely felt that it could make better recordings itself. In one case that we know of, Sonora pinched a few pennies by reusing the cover off an M-series album that had consisted of licensed material for an MS album of new recordings. Hence, what had been previously titled "Playland" reappeared, with most of the same nursery rhymes, as "Uncle Don's Playland"—the album's spine mentioned Uncle Don and the cover art didn't. Some copies of the album were sold with one of the predecessor 78s mistakenly substituted for one of Uncle Don's.

In the next batch of albums, Sonora included a set of lullabyes (MS 462) performed by a string ensemble under the leadership of violinist Eddy Brown, who had previously recorded quite a bit for Oberstein's Royale label. Two classically trained female singers, soprano Crys Holland and alto Jean Merrill, also contributed.

The individual records were now in a 1000 series. Every item in the series (eventually there would be nearly 200 of them) appeared as part of an album. The first 78 in the Lani McIntire album, MS 457, was individually numbered Sonora 1028, and the first matrix number was 1500.

By the middle of 1944, Sonora had reached 1062: Billboard reviewed Enric Madriguera's Latin set on MS 463 on June 24, 1944 (p. 72). Enric Madriguera was born in Barcelona in 1904; a child prodigy on the violin, he studied with Leopold Auer. He arrived in the Western Hemisphere in the 1920s—for a time he conducted the Cuban Philharmonic—and by 1928 was playing in Ben Selvin's studio orchestra for Columbia. He started his own band in 1932 to play the Biltmore Hotel, initially concentrating on standard dance-band material. By 1940 he was recording Latin music almost exclusively. Madriguera's outfit played the fancy hotels and high-toned nightspots, and carried a vocalist (first, Helen Ward; later, his wife, Patricia Gilmore) who sang mostly in English. The reviewer even recommended the individual 78s for jukebox play; in a distributor's ad from the Billboard of December 15, 1945, 78s out of various Sonora albums were offered singly to jukebox operators. An oddly numbered Sonora 999 has shown up; it looks like an isolated single spun off from the album. Madriguera had previously recorded for Columbia, RCA Victor, and Brunswick. He ended up making just the one album for the company; on March 9, 1946, Billboard announced (p. 22) that Madriguera had left Sonora for Vogue, the Detroit-based maker of "picture disks." When his big band stopped being economically viable, Enric Madriguera and Patricia Gilmore retired to Danbury, Connecticut, where he died in 1973.

Sonora signed a singer named Frank Connors, a very high Irish tenor who obliged with "Mother Machree" and "I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen." On his first album (MS 465), Connors was backed by the ubiquitous Bob Stanley Orchestra.

Sonora rounded out its roster with an album of Western songs performed sentimentally by Red River Dave (MS 464), a collection of Viennese but non-Straussian waltzes by Bob Stanley (MS 466), and a set of polkas (MS 458) by a tight Eastern-style band led by the Stanley alter ego, Stanislaw Mroczek. The Red River Dave set contained several of the Western songs previously released on the Ranger Quartet album (M 451), which was derived from Masterpiece material; here is one instance of what looks like deliberate replacement. Lots of Red River Dave sets must have been sold, because in 2016 copies of the entire album were almost continuously available on the used market.

Following the second and third offerings by Stanley/Mroczek, Sonora turned to another bandleader with two names, Murray Kellner aka Kel Murray. A violinist, Murray Kellner entered a recording studio in 1925 and was rarely missed a recording session for another 45 years, his last known appearance taking place in 1970. "If a musician's popularity was based purely on a system of tallying up every time had been heard by an individual set of ears," writes Eugene Chadbourne (http://www.allmusic.com/artist/murray-kellner-mn0001576130/biography), then musicians like Kellner who played on countless pop records with added string sections would be "superstars of the music business." On records, Kellner accompanied everyone from Vernon Dalhart to Frank Sinatra and Doris Day. He was also a member of a Paul Whiteman-sponsored studio group called The Virginians. As a leader he made records in the 1920s for Edison with Murray Kellner's Dinner Music Ensemble, and later led dance music dates for Royale, which was probably where Sonora got the idea to record him. In the 1930s, rebounding from a bankruptcy, he started using the name Kel Murray. His first Sonora album came out under that name, but the full title—Kel Murray's Dinner Music—would have told older record buyers what to expect. He would return to the label in 1946, making 2 further albums under his real name.

Sonora scored a coup when it landed Robert Russell Bennett, a well-known arranger and conductor for Broadway shows, for a two-album deal. MS 468, Broadway Hits of Today, got a prompt release; MS 475, Broadway Hits of Yesterday, was held till 1945. Both consisted of instrumental renditions played by a large orchestra. Despite the absence of vocals, the Bennett albums moved Sonora a little closer to contemporary popular music. However, the label wasn't able to keep him. Bennett's services were in too much demand from RCA Victor and Columbia when those labels finally signed with the American Federation of Musicians.

In October 1944, when Billboard put out its Music Year Book, Sonora bought a full-page ad (p. 174) to promote the 10 albums that it had recorded and released since March of that year. Several more were already in the can, and the matrix numbers had already moved past 1600.

Album production continued into 1945, albeit at a slower pace now that Sonora had put itself on the map.

During the first half of the year, a string orchestra led by Kel Murray put out an album of light classics (MS 467), and the Ben Yost Singers did a nostalgic assortment (MS 469) of barbershop quartet numbers. There were sequels by Lani McIntire (MS 471; "Drowsy Waters" is the title that tells you all you need to know) and Frank Connors (MS 472).

The most important new artist signed to the label, however, was Mark Warnow (1900-1949), a violinist who, since 1939, had been leading the orchestra on the CBS radio show Your Hit Parade. Warnow's album, released to much fanfare in February 1945, featured two pop singers (Jerry Wayne and Vera Barton) and a repertoire that the company obviously wanted to explore further: current pop hits and standards.

On July 14, 1945, Billboard announced that Sonora had a pressing plant up and running in Meriden, Connecticut (p. 16); the plant had been in the works for about a year. That summer, the company seems to have concentrated on getting everything up to speed at the plant, perhaps also on gearing up for the changes planned for the fall; no new recording took place.

By the middle of 1945, Sonora had released 19 albums of new material. The company would ultimately be responsible for 50, according to Billboard magazine (November 29, 1947, p. 20). Nearly all were of the 4-pocket variety. Albums in Sonora's children's series (e.g., Uncle Don at the Zoo) were normally restricted to 3 pockets, but there were four "envelopes" with room for two 78s (each also, as it turns out, by Uncle Don).

Press coverage during 1944 and the first half of 1945 had pegged Sonora exclusively as a maker of albums. But on October 20, 1945, Billboard told its readers how "Sonora Yens Pops, Too." "Up to now confined to albums, Sonora aims to take full advantage of its radio and tele backing and make a play for single-disk selling" (p. 20).

Sonora had now signed Mark Warnow and singer Dick Todd to five-year contracts (!) and was planning to increase its production significantly after January 1, 1946. Recording resumed in September 1945, around 1660 in the company's matrix series. Two new series of singles were rolled out in November: the 3000 series was launched with a Christmas record by—who else?—Warnow and Todd, and an H7000 Hillbilly series opened for business with H7001 by Fred Kirby.

Preparing for the two new series, the company adjusted its Sonora with bell logo to lighten it up, reducing the thickness of the lettering and removing the double bell outline, took some scrollwork off each side of the label, and altered the gold rim, otherwise keeping the same basic red-label design. Even after the revamp, the label had a distinctly retro look.

Initially meant as a pop series, the 3000s eventually came to include jazz combo and big band releases, along with Latin and polka sides; they would top out at 3045. Country and Western singles in the H7000 series went on for something like 45 releases (the last that we have heard of was H7049).

Finally, in October 1946, Sonora added a 100 series for R&B; this got as far as 16 or 17 releases.

The first session in September 1945 produced MS-473, an album of Christmas carols by the Sonora Choristers, under the direction of Eugene Mott. Some disks from set show the old Sonora label and some show the new.

Next up was Mark Warnow, including Sonora 3000 with Dick Todd; this was the first session in the 1500 series not to be released on an album. (Despite the hoopla about a five-year contract, Warnow would make this session and just one more before he either asked to be released or Sonora lost interest in him.)

Also cutting in September 1945 was the very first combo with some jazz interest to record for the company. It was an unlikely ensemble: three accordions, two guitars, and bass. The group was led by the accordion virtuoso Joe Biviano, who seemed to like nearly any kind of music. He had already appeared at the first Carnegie Hall concert to feature accordion soloists, back in 1938. His "Rhythm Sextette" (Biviano, John Serry, and Angelo Dellaira, accordions; Tony Mottola and Tony Colucci, guitars; and Ward Lay, bass) played in a style between Western Swing and the unmodified variety: "That's a Plenty," "The Jazz Me Blues," and a Swing original called "Leone Jump" were 3 of the titles recorded. All 8 appeared on the Accordion Capers album (MS 476); "Little Brown Jug" and "Leone Jump" were also selected for single release on Sonora 3001. Biviano was one of those multi-genre musicians, like guitarist and violinist Remo Biondi, whose work has received insufficiant attention from jazz fans.

Before the 1945 was out, Sonora added another Uncle Don album (MS 474, the usual 3 78s), recorded a set of spirituals sung by Kenneth Spencer (MS 478), and another batch of titles by Vera Barton accompanied by Mark Warnow (released on Sonora 3002 and 3005). The main matrix series had now reached up to the 1690s.

Sonora also picked up several Country and Western artists from radio station WBT in Charlotte, North Carolina: Fred Kirby, The Carolina Playboys, and Whitey & Hogan. Their first sessions were recorded for Sonora at the WBT studios, and carried matrix numbers in a separate 500 series (occasionally prefixed with an RR instead of the Sonoran SR). Although the WBT affiliations were displayed on the labels of many of their Sonora releases, the Country recordings in the 500 matrix series ended at 523, and subsequent sessions, cut at Sonora's customary venues, were given numbers in the main 1500 series. The Fred Kirby discography by Tony Russell, Praguefrank, Mario Manciotti, and Murray Kirch (http://countrydiscoghraphy2.blogspot.com/2014/12/fred-kirby.html) agrees with our assessment of what that means, putting Kirby's first session for Sonora at WBT Studios, and the second, third, and fourth at WOR Studios in New York City.

Fred Kirby was born Frederick Austin Kirby, in Charlotte, North Carolina, on July 19, 1910. He began working on radio in 1931, for WIS in Columbia, South Carolina, but quickly moved to WBT in Charlotte, where he appared on Briarhopper Time and Crazy Barn Dance (John W. Rumble, "Fred Kirby," Encyclopedia of Country Music, 2nd edition, p. 268). His recording career began in September 1932, when he cut duets with steel guitar player Cliff Carlisle at four New York sessions spread out over a week. Three sides were released on Conqueror. From 1936 through 1938, Kirby was under contract to RCA Victor, recording a slew of sides over 9 sessions. Most were done with steel guitar player Don White, but some added other musicians. Some were released on Bluebird, others on the Montgomery Ward label. During this period he spent time at WLW in Cincinnati and WLS in Chicago. During World War II, he was based in Saint Louis, where he was called the Victory Cowboy because of his appearances at war bond rallies. When Kirby signed with Sonora, he was recently back at WBT with his own show, he was on his third record company and it had been seven years since his last commercial recording. Personnel on his first session was Fred Kirby (guitar, vocals), Don White (steel guitar), probably Arval Hogan (mandolin, vocal), probably Roy "Whitey" Grant (guitar, vocal), and other musicians.

The Carolina Playboys recorded only for Sonora. That's because they were an all-star group of performers associated with WBT, and three of them (initially) were under their own contracts to the company. The core of the group was Fred Kirby (guitar, vocal), Walden Whystell aka Don White (steel guitar, vocal), Arval Albert Hogan (mandolin, vocal), and Roy "Whitey" Grant (guitar, vocal)—three of these names should already be familiar. The Playboys' three sessions for are all said to have been done at WBT, but why the Playboys would have insisted on staying in Charlotte when several of the group's members were going to New York to record is unclear (see Dick Grant's discography at http://countrydiscoghraphy2.blogspot.com/2015/11/carolina-playboys-by-dick-grant.html).

Fred Kirby and the Carolina Playboys made their first sides in batches of 8, as though album releases were planned on each. Only Fred Kirby actually ended up getting one (MS 477). The Kirby album was heavy on sentimental, old-timey material. The Playboys got 4 singles out of their first session (H 7002 and 7005-7007); Whitey and Hogan got two (H 7003 and 7004) from a four-tune outing.

Whitey and Hogan were Roy Grant and Arval Hogan. Roy Grant was born in Shelby, North Carolina on April 7, 1916; Arval Hogan on July 24, 1911 in Robbinsville, North Carolina. They began working as a duo in 1935, when both were working at the same mill in Gastonia, North Carolina, and did their first radio work for WSPA in Spartanburg, South Carolina. They made their first recordings in 1939, when, working as a duo, they laid down 16 sides in a single day for Decca in New York. All 16 were released. In 1941, they began working for WBT. Their four-tune session for Sonora, again as a duo, was their second under their own names (see the discography by Dick Grant, Dave Sax, Al Turner, Tony Russell, Mario Manciotti and Praguefrank at http://countrydiscoghraphy2.blogspot.com/2014/12/whitey-and-hogan-briarhoppers.html).

While continuing to record with the Carolina Playboys and behind Fred Kirby, Whitey and Hogan appear to have let their own contracts lapse. In January 1947, they were in Linden, New Jersey, doing 4 tunes for DeLuxe; a second session followed in November. DeLuxe 5023, from their first session, billed them as Whitey & Hogan | Charlotte, North Carolina. 5038, from their second, was credited to Whitey & Hogan and The Farmhands. Toward the end of 1948, adding a third member, they cut a single for the Philadelphia-based Cowboy label. In later years Whitey and Hogan made a series of LPs for Old Homestead (2 LPs in 1977) and 4 LPs and a CD for Lamon (over a series of sessions starting in 1980 and ending in the 1990s), all as leaders of various Briarhopper groups. They retired from performing in 2001, after 66 years. Arval Hogan died in Charlotte on September 12, 2003, and Whitey Grant died in Charlotte on September 17, 2010.

Sonora was now entering its year of peak activity, laying down 276 masters in its main 1500 series. During the first half of 1946, the company recorded and released a wide array of music.

Ed Durlacher and his Top Hands produced album of square dance tunes, performed by a string band with a fiddler who doubled on alto saxophone. There was lots of calling by Durlacher.

Sonora signed Bob Chester, a tenor saxophonist from Detroit. Born on March 20, 1908, Chester was the stepson of the man who ran Fisher Body Works for General Motors. He worked for Ben Bernie, Irving Aaronson, and Ben Pollack before starting his own band in Detroit around the beginning of 1939; it was not commercially successful. But by midyear, he launched a new band on the East Coast that got the engagements and appeared on the radio. In fact, Chester got a recording deal with Bluebird that put his band in the studio nearly once a month for three years, starting in July 1939. Initially a follower of the Glenn Miller formula, Chester had gradually incorporated "hotter" elements into his presentation. Chester's last two sessions before the first Petrillo ban hit, in May and June 1942, included arranger Paul Jordan playing piano. He formed a new band early in 1944, with Teddy Napoleon at the piano, and signed with Hit. At the end of 1944, he disbanded, in part because of a dispute with his agents at MCA, and took a hiatus; then he put a new band together in March 1945. In January 1946 Chester signed with Sonora. Sonora 3004 featured crooner Larry Butler on one side, and slick chick Lora Jamison on the other; both sides were fairly peppy Swing numbers. The other two sides from the session, both with drippy vocals by Butler, were released on Sonora 3006. (Tom Lord's Jazz Discography purposely leaves out Chester's sessions for Hit and Sonora, on the grounds that they had less jazz content than his Bluebirds. We are skeptical, since Bluebird obviously preferred numbers with vocalists—and got them at least 75% of the time.)

And the company put out 4 sides by a big band led by musical visionary Raymond Scott. From 1942 through 1944, Scott had been the music director and bandleader for CBS radio; unusually for the time, his studio band was integrated, and several name jazz musicians were featured (such as Charlie Shavers on trumpet).

Raymond Scott's real name was Harry Warnow. Born in Brooklyn, New York, on September 10, 1908, he was the younger brother of Mark Warnow, who had been born before Joseph and Sarah Warnow emigrated from Ukraine (then part of the Russian empire). Harry Warnow graduated from the Juilliard School of Music in 1931 and took a job playing piano with the CBS radio band, which was led by his older brother. He took the name Raymond Scott when the band began playing his compositions. From 1937 through 1939, he led the Raymond Scott "Quintette" (there were actually six in the combo), which drew most of its members from the CBS band. Drawing inspiration from jazz (though the final versions of the pieces did not include improvising) and from the classics, Scott recorded for Irving Mills' Master label, where he scored several hits. In the 1940s, many of these pieces were used in Warner Brothers cartoons, considerably expanding his audience. In 1939, Scott started a big band, then in 1942, he took over the CBS radio band, leaving in 1944 to pursue other projects (such as writing a Broadway musical).

Mark Warnow probably recommended Scott to Sonora. Three of the sides that were released on Sonora 3003 and 3008 carried matrix numbers in the 500s, indicating that they had been recorded by the radio network. A fourth carried a matrix number in a different series, indicating that Scott had recorded it himself and brought the master to Sonora.

Raymond Scott did not continue with Sonora, most likely because he lost interest in leading a big band. In 1948, he started a new "quintette," which appeared on a CBS radio show, and released some recordings of it on a new Master label. In 1949, after the death of his brother, he took over as the bandleader for Your Hit Parade, which in 1950 moved to NBC TV. The show, which ran through 1957, paid him very well. He was no longer interested in pop, so he plowed the money into his research on electronic music. In his later years, Scott worked on such instruments as the Clavivox and the Electronium, which in time were overshadowed by the Moog and other synthesizers; the main outlet for his electronic music was TV and radio commercials. He became increasingly reclusive, and in 1987 suffered a disabling stroke. In 1992, there was a major revival of interest in his music, sparked by a Sony CD of his Quintette recordings produced by Irwin Chusid. Raymond Scott died in North Hills, California, on February 8, 1994.

A Musical Bouquet, still another album by the prolific Bob Stanley consisted of standards ("Pretty Little Poppy," "Lilacs in the Rain") whose titles referred to flowers.

The company made a jazz pickup when it signed clarinetist Jerry Wald, a disciple of Artie Shaw's who had started his own big band. Wald was frequently written up in Billboard during this period, though the entertainment scribes thought that his orchestra lacked a strong enough commercial profile (the usual advice was to hire singers who pleased bigger crowds). The first release, on Sonora 3007, featured a female vocalist, Anne Russell, singing standards. Even when oriented toward the pop market, Wald's records typically featured two or three jazz solos, including one by the leader.

With Fred Kirby's second session in February 1946, Sonora began recording its Country artists in the studios that it normally used. This was a four-tune outing at WOR Studios, with the same basic personnel as on the first. Sonora H 7008 and H 7009 feature contemporary Country tunes with catchy titles rather than traditional material. His third session, in November, was album-length (8 sides), but releases got spread out from H 7023 all the way to H 7043, and his band was now referred to as the Mountaineers. Basic personnel, however, was the same as before. The songs were a mix of new ("Boogie Woogie Farmer") and old.

Bob Stanley returned to record some sentimental standards, this time intended for singles only. Sonora 3015 paired "Carolina Moon" and "Meet Me Tonight in Dreamland."

With Jesse Rogers, a tenor who was billed as "Texas' Blue Yodeler," Sonora expanded its Country signings beyond North Carolina and WBT. Rogers was doing a show on a radio station in Philadelphia when he came to the label's attention. Jesse Otto Rodgers was born in Claremore, Oklahoma, on March 5, 1913. In the 1930s, he was indeed based in Texas, and his first record company, Victor, liked the Rodgers spelling. The company recorded him in San Antonio and released his singles on the Bluebird and Montgomery Ward labels. (See the discography by Tony Russel, Michel Ruppli, Walter Gabriel, Praguefrank, Murray Kirch, Mario Manciotti, and Steve Hathaway at http://countrydiscography.blogspot.com/2012/07/jesse-rogers.html.) He cut two sessions in 1934, two in 1935, one in 1936, and one in 1937. Postwar, Sonora was the first record company to show an interest in him.

Much was expected of him; Rogers was called in for 14 sides, enough for an album of Western tunes (MS 481) and three singles (Sonora H 7012 through H 7014).

The Carolina Playboys also cut enough new sides for an album, but although everything did get released, their session was channeled into singles (H 7015 through H 7018).

In February 1946, the company added another non-WBT Country act, the three Moore Sisters , Viola, Bella, and Yvonne. They were brought into WOR Studios right away in February, leading to their first release in April (Sonora H 7010), then promptly again in May. Such titles as "Palace in Dallas" and "Boogie-Woogie Cowboy" give an adequate idea of their style.

Next came the first R and B signing. The Velvetones were a vocal/instrumental group out of Newark, New Jersey; they had previously recorded in January 1946 for the small New York-based company Coronet. From its first session for Sonora, which took place around June of 1946, the group released two singles in the red-label series, Sonora 3010 and 3012. Marv Goldberg in his article on the group (http://www.uncamarvy.com/Velvetones/velvetones.html) supplies the history of the group's sessions, and the personnel.

Bob Chester returned for another pop session, this time featuring a crooner named Lou Gardner. Two sides were released on Sonora 3011.

More album-oriented was a further session of children's songs by Uncle Don. In addition, Sonora released an album of military tunes by the Singing Sentinels, and a collection of hymns by the Sonora Chapel Choir, another choral group led by Eugene Mott, who had first recorded for the company in September 1945.

Dave Diehl has noted that Sonora 1143, from the Chapel Choir album, was mastered and probably also pressed by Capitol Records, at its plant in Scranton, Pennsylvania. How often Sonora farmed work out to Capitol needs further investigation.

Sonora closed out the first half of the year with two elaborate children's albums, commanding forces far in excess of Uncle Don and his elementary piano. First, a Tick-Tock-Tale, a story about animated clocks, was produced with music by Classical composer Paul Creston. Then Lynn Duddy supervised a series of staged excerpts from such classics as Cinderella, featuring radio actors and a chamber orchestra led by Archie Bleyer.

The company took a few weeks off during the summer. When it returned to action, the second half of 1946 was just as busy as the first.

Jerry Wald was back with his big band. He had a new female vocalist named Mary Nash—whether she was hired at the prompting of the Billboard scribes, we don't know. More to the point, Sonora let him record two jazz instrumentals ("Diga Diga Doo" and "Rumba Fantasy"), which were paired on Sonora 3016. The Nash vocals appeared on 3014. Sonora 3016 is one of the Sonora 78s still sought by today's collectors.

Hal Horton, who made two sessions for Sonora, the first in July 1946, was not mainly a recording artist. Born in Montclair, New Jersey, in 1893, Hal Horton was a vaudevillian (first on-stage appearance at age 10) and a sideshow barker before he got into broadcasting. He worked at stations in Davenport, Iowa, and across the border in Mexico, before landing on WRR in Dallas with a hillbilly show in 1936. In the early 1940s, he started his Hillbilly Hit Parade show on KRLD, expanding to add a Mutual Network show and a music publishing company. Suffering from heart disease, he made no more recordings after his Sonora session. Hal Horton died on November 28, 1948, two weeks after making his last broadcast from a studio on his back porch. (See "Hal Horton," in Paul Kingsbury, Michael McCall, and John W. Rumble, The Encyclopedia of Country Music (2nd edition), New York: Oxford, p. 229).

Next up was one Jerry Sellers, who sang "Smart Little Fool" and "I Get the Blues when It Rains" for the pop series, on Sonora 3019.

Joe Biviano returned with a quintet, unambiguously playing jazz on Sonora 3021 and 3023.

The company signed another sweet band led by Saxie Dowell, who had played in Hal Kemp's band before the war and had just returned from a long tour in the Navy as a war hero. Dowell relied on other vocalists to handle the sentimental tunes but programmed a lot of comic items, which he sang himself. His first Sonora release, on 3029, played up the comedy.

The harmonica duo of Jimmy and Mildred Mulcay made an album. Jimmy Mulcay was a showbiz veteran who had been featured as a harmonica player since the late 1920s (when he was known as Gus). His wife Mildred learned the instrument from scratch when she joined the act; soon she was outplaying her husband. Another veteran, Murray Kellner, was in charge of the accompaniment. The Mulcays' album was released in October.

Matrix	Sonora #	Album	Artist	Title	Recording Date	Release Date
506-1	1113-A	MS 477-1	Fred Kirby of W B T's Briarhoppers	Please Don't Take My Baby		May-46
502-2	1113-B	MS 477-2	Fred Kirby of W B T's Briarhoppers	Hang Your Head in Shame		May-46
507-2	1114-A	MS 477-3	Fred Kirby of W B T's Briarhoppers	Somewhere a Heart Is Breaking		May-46
503-2	1114-B	MS 477-4	Fred Kirby of W B T's Briarhoppers	Hello My Baby		May-46
505-2	1115-A	MS 477-5	Fred Kirby of W B T's Briarhoppers	Bury My Heart Beneath the Roses		May-46
500-3	1115-B	MS 477-6	Fred Kirby of W B T's Briarhoppers	When It's Reveille Time in Heaven		May-46
504-1	1116-A	MS 477-7	Fred Kirby of W B T's Briarhoppers	Our Hearts Beat Together		May-46
501-3	1116-B	MS 477-8	Fred Kirby of W B T's Briarhoppers	Out of My Mind		May-46
1684-2	1117-A	MS 478-1	Kenneth Spencer With Piano Accomp.	Water Boy	Oct-45	May-46
1682-2	1117-B	MS 478-2	Kenneth Spencer With Piano Accomp.	Hear De Lam's Acryin' \| Goin' to Ride up in De Chariot	Oct-45	May-46
1688-2	1118-A	MS 478-3	Kenneth Spencer With Piano Accomp.	Deep River	Oct-45	May-46
1685-2	1118-B	MS 478-4	Kenneth Spencer With Piano Accomp.	Every Mail Day	Oct-45	May-46
1683-2	1119-A	MS 478-5	Kenneth Spencer With Piano Accomp.	City Called Heaven	Oct-45	May-46
1686-2	1119-B	MS 478-6	Kenneth Spencer With Piano Accomp.	There's a Man Goin' Roun' Takin' Names \| Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho	Oct-45	May-46
1689-2	1120-A	MS 478-7	Kenneth Spencer With Piano Accomp.	Go Down Moses	Oct-45	May-46
1687-2	1120-B	MS 478-8	Kenneth Spencer With Piano Accomp.	"Black Sheep, Where You Left You' Lamb \| Little David, Play on Yo Harp"	Oct-45	May-46
1696-1	1121-A	MS 479-1	Ed Durlacher and The Top Hands	Nellie Bly	Jan-46	May-46
1698-2	1121-B	MS 479-2	Ed Durlacher and The Top Hands	Virginia Reel	Jan-46	May-46
1699-1	1122-A	MS 479-3	Ed Durlacher and The Top Hands	Uptown-Downtown	Jan-46	May-46
1695-2	1122-B	MS 479-4	Ed Durlacher and The Top Hands	Sanita Hill	Jan-46	May-46
1694-2	1123-A	MS 479-5	Ed Durlacher and The Top Hands	Red River Valley	Jan-46	May-46
1697-2	1123-B	MS 479-6	Ed Durlacher and The Top Hands	Loobie Lou \| Skip to My Lou	Jan-46	May-46
1701-2	1124-A	MS 479-7	Ed Durlacher and The Top Hands	You Did It So Well - So Do it Again	Jan-46	May-46
1700-2	1124-B	MS 479-8	Ed Durlacher and The Top Hands	Back to Back	Jan-46	May-46
1707-2	1125-A	MS 480-1	Bob Stanley and Orchestra	Orchids in the Moonlight - Tango	Feb-46	Jul-46
1708-1	1125-B	MS 480-2	Bob Stanley and Orchestra	In Apple Blossom Time - Waltz	Feb-46	Jul-46
1711-2	1126-A	MS 480-3	Bob Stanley and Orchestra	Tangerine - Fox Trot	Feb-46	Jul-46
1712-2	1126-B	MS 480-4	Bob Stanley and Orchestra	Love Sends a Little Gift of Roses - Waltz	Feb-46	Jul-46
1706-2	1127-A	MS 480-5	Bob Stanley and Orchestra	Pretty Little Poppy - Rhumba (Amapola)	Feb-46	Jul-46
1710-2	1127-B	MS 480-6	Bob Stanley and Orchestra	When You Wore a Tulip - Fox Trot (And I Wore a Big Red Rose)	Feb-46	Jul-46
1709-1	1128-A	MS 480-7	Bob Stanley and Orchestra	Won't Somebody Buy My Violets - Tango (La Violetera)	Feb-46	Jul-46
1713-1	1128-B	MS 480-8	Bob Stanley and Orchestra	Lilacs in the Rain - Fox Trot	Feb-46	Jul-46
1736-1	1129-A	MS 481-1	Jesse Rogers With Orch. Accomp.	Ridin' down the Canyon	Mar-46
1742-2	1129 B	MS 481-2	Jesse Rogers With Orch. Accomp.	Old Conestoga Wagon	Mar-46
1735-2	1130-A	MS 481-3	Jesse Rogers With Orch. Accomp.	The Yellow Rose of Texas	Mar-46
1741-2	1130-B	MS 481-4	Jesse Rogers With Orch. Accomp.	Patent Leather Boots	Mar-46
1734-2	1131-A	MS 481-5	Jesse Rogers With Orch. Accomp.	The Cattle Call	Mar-46
1739-2	1131-B	MS 481-6	Jesse Rogers With Orch. Accomp.	Back in the Saddle Again	Mar-46
1737-1	1132-A	MS 481-7	Jesse Rogers With Orch. Accomp.	When the Bloom Is on the Sage	Mar-46
1740-1	1132-B	MS 481-8	Jesse Rogers With Orch. Accomp.	Roll Along Prairie Moon	Mar-46
1781-2	1133-A	MS 482-1	Uncle Don	Queen of Hearts-I Love Sixpence-The Vegetable Song		10-Jul-46
1780-1	1133-B	MS 482-2	Uncle Don	Kilkenny Cats-For Want of a Nail-Solomon Grundy-A Week of Birthdays-The King of Cannibal Islands
1784-2	1134-A	MS 482-3	Uncle Don	The Old Woman and the Peddler-Ding Dong Bell-Jenny Wren
1783-1	1134-B	MS 482-4	Uncle Don	Sleeping-I Had a Little Pony-Little Fred-Dance to Your Daddy-The Clock-Fingernails
1782-1	1135-A	MS 482-5	Uncle Don	There Was a Man in Our Town-Punch and Judy-This Is the House that Jack Built
1785-1	1135-B	MS 482-6	Uncle Don	Clever Hen-Come out to Play-Baby Doll-Boy and the Sparrow-One I Love-Ride Away
1759-2	1136-A	MS 483-1	The Singing Sentinels	Desert Blue & Silver	Apr-46	Jul-46
1753-3	1136-B	MS 483-2	The Singing Sentinels	Lonesome Road \| Colorado Trail	Apr-46	Jul-46
1756-2	1137-A	MS 483-3	The Singing Sentinels	Down Moblie \| Way Down Yonder in the Cornfield	Apr-46	Jul-46
1757-2	1137-B	MS 483-4	The Singing Sentinels	Old Aunt Jemima \| Dinah's in the Kitchen \| I Told Her That I Loved Her in the Moonlight	Apr-46	Jul-46
1755-2	1138-A	MS 483-5	The Singing Sentinels	Brass Wagon \| Wait for the Wagon	Apr-46	Jul-46
1758-2	1138-B	MS 483-6	The Singing Sentinels	My Lord What a Mawnin' \| Golden Slippers	Apr-46	Jul-46
1752-2	1139-A	MS 483-7	The Singing Sentinels	"Long, Long Ago \| Hoosen Johnny \| Skip to My Lou"	Apr-46	Jul-46
1754-2	1139-B	MS 483-8	The Singing Sentinels	Blue Tail Fly	Apr-46	Jul-46
1792-2	1140-A	MS 484-1	"Sonora Chapel Choir Under Direction of Eugene Mott (John Herrick, Solo)"	O Love That Will Not Let Me Go \| The Church's One Foundation		Jul-46
1793-1	1140-B	MS 484-2	Sonora Chapel Choir Under Direction of Eugene Mott	Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory \| Onward Christian Soldiers		Jul-46
1788-1	1141-A	MS 484-3	Sonora Chapel Choir Under Direction of Eugene Mott	Abide with Me \| Now the Day Is Over		Jul-46
1791-2	1141-B	MS 484-4	Sonora Chapel Choir Under Direction of Eugene Mott	Crown Him with Many Crowns \| Saviour Again to Thy Dear Name We Raise		Jul-46
1786-1	1142-A	MS 484-5	Sonora Chapel Choir Under Direction of Eugene Mott	Lead Kindly Light \| Nearer My God to Thee		Jul-46
1787-1	1142-B	MS 484-6	Sonora Chapel Choir Under Direction of Eugene Mott	Rock of Ages \| A Mighty Fortress		Jul-46
1790-2	1143-A	MS 484-7	Sonora Chapel Choir Under Direction of Eugene Mott	"Holy, Holy, Holy \| Come Thou Almighty King"		Jul-46
1794-1	1143-B	MS 484-8	Sonora Chapel Choir Under Direction of Eugene Mott	O Beautiful for Spacious Skies \| Faith of Our Fathers		Jul-46
1795-2	1144-A	MS 485-1	Written and Directed by Jules Werner \| Music Composed and Directed By Paul Creston	Tick-Tock-Tale 1		Oct-46
1796-2	1145-A	MS 485-2	Written and Directed by Jules Werner \| Music Composed and Directed By Paul Creston	Tick-Tock-Tale 2		Oct-46
1797-1	1146-A	MS 485-3	Written and Directed by Jules Werner \| Music Composed and Directed By Paul Creston	Tick-Tock-Tale 3		Oct-46
1798-1	1146-B	MS 485-4	Written and Directed by Jules Werner \| Music Composed and Directed By Paul Creston	Tick-Tock-Tale 4		Oct-46
1799-1	1145-B	MS 485-5	Written and Directed by Jules Werner \| Music Composed and Directed By Paul Creston	Tick-Tock-Tale 5		Oct-46
1800-1	1144-B	MS 485-6	Written and Directed by Jules Werner \| Music Composed and Directed By Paul Creston	Tick-Tock-Tale 6		Oct-46
1801-2	1147-A	MS 486-1	Lyn Duddy Swing Choir Featuring Joan Lazer and Richard Leone \| Orchestra Directed by Archie Bleyer	Jack and the Beanstalk Part 1	Jul-46	Oct-46
1831-3	1147-B	MS 486-2	Lyn Duddy Swing Choir Featuring Joan Lazer and Richard Leone \| Orchestra Directed by Archie Bleyer	Hansel and Gretel Part 3	Jul-46	Oct-46
1802-2	1148-A	MS 486-3	Lyn Duddy Swing Choir Featuring Joan Lazer and Richard Leone \| Orchestra Directed by Archie Bleyer	Jack and the Beanstalk Part 2	Jul-46	Oct-46
1830-2	1148-B	MS 486-4	Lyn Duddy Swing Choir Featuring Joan Lazer and Richard Leone \| Orchestra Directed by Archie Bleyer	Hansel and Gretel Part 2	Jul-46	Oct-46
1803-2	1149-A	MS 486-5	Lyn Duddy Swing Choir Featuring Joan Lazer and Richard Leone \| Orchestra Directed by Archie Bleyer	Jack and the Beanstalk Part 3	Jul-46	Oct-46
1829-1	1149-B	MS 486-6	Lyn Duddy Swing Choir Featuring Joan Lazer and Richard Leone \| Orchestra Directed by Archie Bleyer	Hansel and Gretel Part 1	Jul-46	Oct-46
1832-1	1150-A	MS 486-7	Lyn Duddy Swing Choir Featuring Joan Lazer \| Orchestra Directed by Archie Bleyer	Cinderella Part 1	Jul-46	Oct-46
1806-2	1150-B	MS 486-8	Lyn Duddy Swing Choir Featuring Joan Lazer \| Orchestra Directed by Archie Bleyer	Cinderella Part 2	Jul-46	Oct-46
1835-2	1151-A	MS 487-1	Jimmy and Mildred Mulcay \| Harmonica Virtuosi Accomp. by Murray Kellner and Orchestra	Blue Skies	Aug-46	Oct-46
1836-2	1151-B	MS 487-2	Jimmy and Mildred Mulcay \| Harmonica Virtuosi Accomp. by Murray Kellner and Orchestra	Tabú	Aug-46	Oct-46
1840-1	1152-A	MS 487-3	Jimmy and Mildred Mulcay \| Harmonica Virtuosi Accomp. by Murray Kellner and Orchestra	Tiger Rag	Aug-46	Oct-46
1839-2	1152-B	MS 487-4	Jimmy and Mildred Mulcay \| Harmonica Virtuosi Accomp. by Murray Kellner and Orchestra	Malagueña	Aug-46	Oct-46
1838-2	1153-A	MS 487-5	Jimmy and Mildred Mulcay \| Harmonica Virtuosi Accomp. by Murray Kellner and Orchestra	St. Louis Blues	Aug-46	Oct-46
1837-1	1153-B	MS 487-6	Jimmy and Mildred Mulcay \| Harmonica Virtuosi Accomp. by Murray Kellner and Orchestra	"I Surrender, Dear"	Aug-46	Oct-46
1834-1	1154-A	MS 487-7	Jimmy and Mildred Mulcay \| Harmonica Virtuosi Accomp. by Murray Kellner and Orchestra	Swanee River (Old Folks at Home)	Aug-46	Oct-46
1833-2	1154-B	MS 487-8	Jimmy and Mildred Mulcay \| Harmonica Virtuosi Accomp. by Murray Kellner and Orchestra	Mildred's Boogie	Aug-46	Oct-46
1929-1	1155-A	MS 488-1	Uncle Don	Bus Trip to the the Zoo \| Visit with the Giraffe
1930-1	1155-B	MS 488-2	Uncle Don	The Ostrich
1931-1	1156-A	MS 488-3	Uncle Don	The Polar Bear \| The Kangaroo
1932-1	1156-B	MS 488-4	Uncle Don	The Lions \| The Monkeys
1933-1	1157-A	MS 488-5	Uncle Don	The Elephant \| The Camel
1934-1	1157-B	MS 488-6	Uncle Don	The Seals
1841-2	1158-A	MS 489-1	Murray Kellner and Orchestra	Singin' in the Rain	Aug-46	Oct-46
1846-2	1158-B	MS 489-2	Murray Kellner and Orchestra	Let a Smile Be Your Umbrella (On a Rainy Day)	Aug-46	Oct-46
1842-1	1159-A	MS 489-3	Murray Kellner and Orchestra	Rain	Aug-46	Oct-46
1845-1	1159-B	MS 489-4	Murray Kellner and Orchestra	Autumn Showers	Aug-46	Oct-46
1842-2	1160-A	MS 489-5	Murray Kellner and Orchestra	April Showers	Aug-46	Oct-46
1847-2	1160-B	MS 489-6	Murray Kellner and Orchestra	Over the Rainbow	Aug-46	Oct-46
1844-1	1161-A	MS 489-7	Murray Kellner and Orchestra	Call Me on Some Rainy Afternoon	Aug-46	Oct-46
1848-2	1161-B	MS 489-8	Murray Kellner and Orchestra	Look for the Silver Lining	Aug-46	Oct-46
2071-1	1162 A	UD-1 1	Uncle Don	Birds and Bees
2072-1	1162 B	UD-1 1	Uncle Don	Circus Song
	1163 A	UD-1 2	Uncle Don	Circus Day with Uncle Don
	1163 B	UD-1 2	Uncle Don


1899-2	1165-A	MS 490-1	D'Artega and His Orchestra \| Piano-Milton Kaye	Tschaikowky's Piano Concerto		May-47
1905-1	1165-B	MS 490-2	D'Artega and His Orchestra \| Trombone-Will Bradley \| Trumpet-Charles Margulies	My Heart at Thy Sweet Voice		May-47
1898-1	1166-A	MS 490-3	D'Artega and His Orchestra \| Vocal-Tony Russo \| Trombone-Will Bradley	Beware My Heart		May-47
1897-1	1166-B	MS 490-4	D'Artega and His Orchestra	Tschaikowsky's Fifth Sympony		May-47
1908-2	1167-A	MS 490-5	D'Artega and His Orchestra \| Violin-Jacques Margolies	Tschaikowsky's Violin Concerto		May-47
1900-2	1167-B	MS 490-6	D'Artega and His Orchestra \| Piano-Milton Kaye	Fire Dance		May-47
1906-1	1168-A	MS 490-7	D'Artega and His Orchestra	Brown Danube		May-47
1907-2	1168-B	MS 490-8	D'Artega and His Orchestra \| Vocal-Tony Russo	Night of Memories		May-47

In September 1946, Sonora finally decided it was interested in rhythm and blues, for which it would launch a 100 "race" series.

The first artist signed was trombonist Clyde Bernhardt, who took a combo into the studio the same month. The four sides saw prompt release on Sonora 100 and 101. The leader's vocals were heavily featured, but there was room for solos from all four horns in the combo.

Unquestionably the biggest jazz name in the Sonora catalogue was Coleman Hawkins, the father of the tenor saxophone. Born in St. Joseph, Missouri, in 1904, Hawk had been a prominent contributor since 1920, when he broke in with Mamie Smith's Jazz Hounds. After a brilliant career with Fletcher Henderson's band (1923-1934), a sojourn in Europe, and a triumphant return to the United States in 1939, he was still at the peak of his powers as jazz underwent the Swing to Bop transition. While the World War II recording ban was letting up, Hawk went with any label that would make him a decent offer; among these were indies of such varying stature as Asch, Signature, Apollo, Regis, and Joe Davis. In 1946, Sonora was a bigger company than Asch or Apollo, but landing Hawkins was still a coup.

The session took place in September 1946, not in December, as has been stated in Lord's Jazz Discography. Hawk's combo included alto saxophonist Porter Kilbert, who joined the Red Saunders band in New York, then went on the road with Saunders shortly after Saunders recorded behind Big Joe Turner for National on October 11 and 12. The resulting sides were released in the 3000 pop series, not the 100 R&B series. Sonora 3027 was advertised in the October 26, 1946 issue of Billboard, and both of Hawk's Sonora releases, 3024 and 3027, showed up in the company's ad in the November 2, 1946 issue.

Another newly signed leader was pianist Griff Williams, at the helm of yet another sweet band. Williams, who had been leading a band since 1933, was yet another veteran of the old Oberstein labels. The two Williams sides of which we are aware, released on Sonora 3028, both featured crooners; however, the leader was accorded some solo space on them.

September 1946 turned out to be a busy month, with more sessions to come. Enric Madriguera had departed to bigger labels; Sonora filled its Latin vacancy with Maya and his Rhumba Ambassadors, a high-energy ensemble. Two releases ensued, on Sonora 3025 and 3031.

Stu Davis would be the second-last Country musician signed to Sonora. Born David Stewart, on July 7, 1921, in Regina, Saskatchewan, he was making his recording debut for Sonora. He recorded 8 sides at two sessions that were held a few days apart in September 1946. From the information available to us, New York studio musicians were used, suggesting Davis was a long way from home and not traveling with his own band. Davis reportedly had Tony Mottola on guitar, Vaughn Horton on steel guitar, Bertram Hirsch on fiddle, Joe Biviano (already a Sonora artist) on accordion, and Henry Questa on clarinet, plus an unidentified bassist. Davis got four releases on Sonora: H 7021, H 7024, H 7027, and H7029. This was enough for an album but the company doesn't seem to have been interested.

Davis made one more session in New York, 8 sides in October 1947, but it was for RCA Victor, with the same personnel as before (maybe Ray Sims was the bassist). He seems to have switched labels as soon as his Sonora contract expired. The rest of Stu Davis's recording activity took place in Canada: sessions in Vancouver and Edmonton, for Aragon (two in 1949, plus isolated tracks from 1950 and 1952); then enough for two LPs for London, in Montréal in 1956. He made a single in 1958 for a label called Apex, but his later activity was nearly all with London, leading to 13 more LPs through the end of the 1960s. He recorded another album for Dominion in 1971 and one for Birchmount in 1975. Stu Davis died at the age of 85 on March 25, 2007. (See the Stu Davis discography by Praguefrank, Mario Manciotti, and Steve Hathaway at http://countrydiscoghraphy2.blogspot.com/2016/03/stu-davis.html).

Sonora closed out the month by bringing in its second R&B artist, veteran trumpeter Dud Bascomb. Sonora 103 and 105 presented what was really a Swing session—it included "That's My Home," a ballad associated with Louis Armstrong.

Sonora was now recording fewer albums, with longer delays till release. However, the company found time in October for an album of show tunes by the band of Murray Kellner, who had previously directed the band for the Mulcays' session. Kellner was already recording for Edison in the 1920s.

Although her sides appeared in the H 7000 series, Alice Cornett was not a Country performer. As H 7030 indicates, she sang hymns in an operatic contralto to foursquare accompaniment.

October 1946 was also proving a busy month, as The Moore Sisters cut enough sides at WOR for an album of their own (again, what came out of the session were four singles: H 7028, H 7031, H 7033, and H 7035). Louis Jordan's "Choo Choo Ch'Boogie" was now in their repertoire. The Moore Sisters, like the Carolina Playboys, never recorded for another company besides Sonora. We are indebted to Praguefrank and Dick Grant for their discography at http://countrydiscoghraphy2.blogspot.com/2015/06/moore-sisters.html.

Alfonso D'Artega was being groomed to replace the long-serving Bob Stanley. He recorded 8 sides of Classical excerpts, keyed to a film titled Carnegie Hall, in which such luminaries as Artur Rubinstein, Leopold Stokowski, and Harry James all did their turns—and D'Artega himself appeared as Peter Tchaikovsky. The album would be held till the movie came out (on February 28, 1947).

After a two-year hiatus, Sonora decided it needed more polkas, and brought back Bob Stanley in his Stanislaw Mroczek guise, this time with the 3000 series in mind. Four tunes were cut, and at least two were released (on Sonora 3030).

Another album of classical excerpts, likewise delayed till the Spring of 1947, was conducted by H. Leopold Spitalny.

Back in the 3000 series, Sonora recorded the debut session of Chicago-based big band leader Ray Anthony. Sonora 3034 and 3037, both featuring vocal renditions of standards, were released in November 1946.

The third R&B artist signed to the label was veteran clarinetist Eddie Barefield, who recorded in October at the helm of a quintet. A title like "Three Buckets-o-Jive" would seem to need a vocal, but it's really a high quality Swing instrumental. Barefield got plenty of solo space on an instrument not often featured in R&B.

Jesse Rogers was back in November, laying down four tunes with the Saddle Sweethearts and the Pecos Pioneers. They were released on Sonora H 7032 and 7036. Rogers had a long career after Sonora, making a single for Cowboy (a very small label out of Philadelphia) in 1948, then resuming his relationship with RCA Victor after an 11-year hiatus. Old habits died hard: RCA reverted to "Rodgers." His first session back with Victor produced a release in December 1948, but it could have been done quite a bit earlier, as his Sonora contract must have run out well before the company did. He cut two sides for Apollo in Dallas in 1949 (atypical, if they actually are his—they were religious and his first name was spelled "Jessie"). Then back to RCA Victor for two sessions in 1950. He recorded for MGM in 1952, 1954, and 1955. His last sides were made for a small Philadelphia label called Arcade, one single each in 1957, 1960, and 1961. Jesse Rogers died on December 12, 1973. (See the discography by Tony Russell et al. at http://countrydiscography.blogspot.com/2012/07/jesse-rogers.html).

Another Fred Kirby session produced 8 tracks and four singles (H 7023, H 7037, H 7040, and H 7043).

Sonora also brought the Carolina Playboys back on December 15, 1946, laying down enough tracks, and then some, to make the album that the group would never get from Sonora; in all there were 12 sides. We are told that the session was conducted in Charlotte, but considering the overlap in personnel with other groups Sonora was recording in New York, we're skeptical. There was an emphasis on recent hits, such as Merle Travis's "Divorce Me COD." The group got six singles out of the session (H 7026, H 7038, H 7039, H 7040, H 7042, and H 7044).

Uncle Don returned for a three-pocket album (MS 488) that celebrated a visit to the zoo.

And Saxie Dowell laid down another four sides, leading to releases on Sonora 3036 and 3039.

In November 1946, Sonora picked up a fourth R&B artist. Lawrence Leo "Snub" Mosley was a seasoned jazz musician when he signed with the label. Born in Little Rock, Arkansas on December 29, 1905, he played trombone in his high school band, then spent the years from 1926 to 1937 touring with the bands of Alphonse Trent, Jeter-Pillars, Claude Hopkins, Fats Waller, and Louis Armstrong. In 1937, he settled in New York City, where he led jump bands. As commemorated in his number "The Man with the Funny Little Horn," he invented the slide saxophone, which attached a mouthpiece from the latter to the slide apparatus of the trombone. He joined Sonora after three sessions for Decca (1940-1942).

Mosley's first four sides were held till February and March 1947, in order to launch a new, black-label 500 series. Judging from Sonora 500, Mosley, like Barefield, remained a Swing player at heart; far from the comic blues that the title might have led record buyers to expect, "Hinkty Man" is a mellow instrumental featuring jazz solos by different members of the band.

The Sonora 500s were meant to be a budget counterpart to the 100 red-label series. Mosley ended up getting them all to himself: Sonora 500 and 501. Mosley's first sides were cut a short while after Ray Anthony's first session (matrix numbers 1917 through 1920, which were dated November 1946 in Lord's Jazz Discography, but were actually from October; the Anthony sides were being advertised in Billboard in November).

The same thing would happen to the black-label Country series, the H6000s; it consisted entirely of two releases by an Jerry and Sky, the second to last Country act signed to the label. Jerry was Gerald Howorth, who played guitar, sang, and occasionally yodeled; Sky was Schuyler Snow, who played guitar and sang. On their first session for Sonora (which was the first they made under their own names), they were accompanied by Ralph Jones (probably) on mandolin and dobro guitar, and William "Bill" Carver on dobro, among others. After Sonora folded, both sides of Sonora H6000 were purchased by MGM in 1948, and reissued as MGM 10400. (Our thanks to Dick Grant, Walt Saunders, and Praguefrank for Jerry and Sky discography at http://countrydiscography.blogspot.com/2009/12/jerry-and-sky.html.)

The Gordon Trio (billed on the labels as "Music with Personality") combined organ, accordion, and guitar. Until someone puts together accordion, hurdy-gurdy, and tromba marina, this could, to my ears, be the worst sounding instrumental combination. True, the group was emulating a commercially successful ensemble called The Three Suns, then recording for RCA Victor. Couldn't the Suns could have kept their lane to themselves?

Joseph Maxler Trout, to use his full name, was born in Conneautville, a farming village in northwestern Pennsylvania, on May 24, 1915. He was the son of Joseph Leedy Trout and Charlotte Maxler Trout. There already being a Joseph in the family, he came to be known as Maxler. Conneautville had around 900 inhabitants when Maxler Trout was born; it has fewer today.

Maxler Trout was working as Max Gordon in Columbus, Ohio, in 1940. He participated in an audition for organists at the Cabana Lounge at the Broad-Lincoln Hotel. Placing first out of fifteen, he not only landed a solo gig at the hotel but was supposedly going to broadcast on network radio ("High Honors for Max Trout," Conneautville Courier, March 20, 1940, p. 1).

Trout started The Gordon Trio in 1945, when all three members were living near Pittsburgh. On November 23, 1945, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette carried a classified ad (p. 16) for the group at the Park Casino, in Monessen, Pennsylvania. A couple of weeks later, now billed as the "Max Gordon Trio" "from Pittsburgh," they were at the White House Inn near Uniontown (The Morning Herald, December 8, 1945, p. 9).

In February 1946, the trio had moved to Bill Green's in Pittsburgh, where it was the intermission act (Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph, February 15, 1946, p. 18). Bill Green's still featured dance bands, in this case Clyde McCoy's. A blurb on the same page ("McCoy to Open") is the earliest article we've found that names the other members of the trio: Frank Negleman, accordion, and Joe Salvino, electric guitar.

Frank Negleman Jr was born in Charleroi, Pennsylvania, on September 21, 1921. He was the son of Frank Negleman Sr. and Celline Gerein Negleman. He joined the trio after service in World War II.

The Hickory House gig is what brought the group to Sonora's attenion. Recording standards and novelty tunes in November 1946, the trio put out two singles, Sonora 3032 and 3035, in January 1947.

Next, Sonora picked up another experienced recording artist in Roy Smeck, a virtuoso of the Hawaiian steel guitar. Although Smeck's band went with sappy arrangements and a crooner named Bob Houston was too often featured, the leader's long solos on such numbers as "My Little Grass Shack" still dazzle. Smeck's sides were assigned to the black-label Sonora 2000 series, so they didn't begin appearing till Febtuary of the next year.

Since entering the singles market in November 1945, Sonoran strategy had relied heavily on competing on price. Sonora offered 10-inch 78s at 50 or 53 cents when most retailed for 79 cents. In February 1947, Sonora rolled out an even cheaper line, at 39 cents, with the same label design in gold but on a black background. These plans were met with incredulity from competitors. (The headline in Billboard read "Sonora Preems 39 c Label; Wax Trade Baffled; Tough Trick, Say Rivals," January 18, 1947, pp. 13, 32.) And Sonora had further expanded its production capacity in November 1946, when it bought the Reko-Plastik pressing plant, near its existing works in Meriden, Connecticut. (Despite the plant's name, it did not press even a children's record on plastic for Sonora, which stuck with shellac to the end.)

Sparing no expense to promote its new 39-cent line, Sonora went absolutely wild on a 11-page layout in Billboard's special issue for jukebox operators (February 1, 1947). It's a real trove for musical archeologists, but we wonder whether the company balance sheet spent a minute in the black afterward.

The main black-label series, in the 2000s, can't be distinguished from the 3000s on a content basis; some bands ended up with releases in both series. The main black-label series would end at 2027. A black-label Country and Western series, in the H6000s, stalled out after just two releases, both by the old-timey duet Jerry and Sky. (And, as we've noted, the black-label R&B series lasted no longer.)

All of Sonora's 1947 recording took place in the first half of the year. The same pace was maintained as in 1946, with around 160 masters recorded—except it was all over by end of May.

Sonora signed still another sweet band, led by one George Towne. Towne's boy and girl singers, Russell Drew and Mary Anne Wayne, were featured on pretty much everything he recorded. Towne's output was also reserved for the new black-label series; Sonora 2002 and 2004 were released in February 1947.

The company picked up Ted Straeter (1914-1963), a flashy pianist who led still another sweet band. He appeared strictly in the 2000 series, except for an album that the company, running out of money, would never release as such.

Sonora was sufficiently pleased with Clyde Bernhardt's sales to bring his combo back for a second session, on January 21, 1947 (this is one of two Sonora sessions for which we have the month and the day!). On Sonora 106 and 109, such titles as "My Little Dog Got Kittens" featured the leader's wry vocals.

The company welcomed 1947 in with a fifth R&B signing, of the Jim Jam Trio. Jimmy "Jim Jam" Smith (one of the many Jimmy Smiths not related to the jazz organist) had been the bassist and occasional vocalist in the trio led by pianist Loumell Morgan. Morgan (see Marv Golberg, "The Loumell Morgan Trio" at http://www.uncamarvy.com/LoumellMorganTrio/loumell.html) was the regular pianist in Slim Gaillard's group before the war, recording with Gaillard for Vocalion and OKeh between 1939 and 1941. In 1941, Slim Gaillard and Slam Stewart split for the West Coast while Morgan stayed East and started a trio. The Loumell Morgan Trio did four sides for V-Disc in 1943. In December 1943, Jim Jam Smith replaced Lynwood "Duke" Jones, who had been drafted. In September 1944, the trio did several AFRS Jubliee appearances, and in February 1945 it made more V-Discs. As the war was ending, the Loumell Morgan Trio cut four sides for Super Disc (releaed in September 1945). In June 1946, Duke Jones was back from the Army and Smith was out of the group.

Jim Jam Smith formed his own trio with Lanice "Lanny" Scott at the piano and Johnny Cousins on guitar.

While Smith was working with the Jim Jams, the Loumell Morgan Trio recorded four sides for Apollo in September 1946. Two singles were released, but Apollo announced in January 1947 that it was dropping the trio.

We previously entertained the possibility that the Jim Jams were recorded in Chicago, but the trio's only gigs that have turned up in newspapers were in Yonkers, New York and in Mount Lebanon, Pennsylvania (see http://www.uncamarvy.com/LoumellMorganTrio/loumell.html). New York City is the safe bet. The Jim Jam Trio enjoyed two solid releases on Sonora 107 and 108, but the label was going downhill and there would be no follow-up. Meanwhile the group wasn't pulling in that many bookings.

Morgan's current trio broke up in California in October or November 1947. He re-formed in New York with returning bassist Jim Jam Smith and returning guitarist Newell "Johnny" Johns. They backed a vocalist on the Sterling label (single released in December) and made some more AFRS Jubilee disks in the middle of 1948. In May 1949, the trio, augmented for the occasion by Buddy Tate on tenor sax and Herman Bradley on drums, cut four sides for the Manhattan label. Around February 1950, the trio made one single for Columbia. In November 1951, Loumell Morgan's group, temporarily expanded to a quintet, recorded four sides for Atlantic.

The Loumell Morgan Trio with Jim Jam and Johnny broke up for good in August or September 1952 (for all of this, and much more, see http://www.uncamarvy.com/LoumellMorganTrio/loumell.html). Jim Jam Smith and Johnny Johns joined Dutch jazz pianist Pia Beck and worked as a trio in Europe during 1953 and 1954. They cut several sides with Beck that were later released on Philips. On returning to New York, Jim Jam and Johnny started a group called the Dee-Jays, which recorded four items for the After Hours label. The last Jim Jam and Johnny recording was done for Dove in 1958, resulting in one single. For a full bio, there is more work to be done on Jim Jam Smith, a man with a name highly unsuited to newspaper research.

Finishing out 1946 was the third and last session by Saxie Dowell, whose sides would be held for a while for use in the new black-label 2000 series.

In Feburary 1947, Sonora brought Fred Kirby back to the studio for the fourth time, probably with an album in mind, though again none materialized. Again the basic personnel were as above, and the session took place at WOR. Four singles eventually came out of it, Sonora 3038, 3040, H 7045, and H 7046. The uncertainty as to series placement marked what was starting to be a difficult year.

Kirby's show on WBT lasted till 1950, and he kept recording for a while. In 1948-1949 he put out two singles on MGM, which were purchased from somewhere—but not, so far as we can determine, from Sonora. (In 1951, Gotham would put out two singles on him, with their Sonora matrix numbers still attached.) In 1950 and 1952, he recorded in Nashville for Columbia, with five singles ensuing. His last single was done sometime later in the decade, for a label in Charlotte called Dixie (http://countrydiscoghraphy2.blogspot.com/2014/12/fred-kirby.html. From the early 1960s to the early 1980s, Kirby was a featured entertainer at the Tweetsie Railroad in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. Fred Kirby died on April 22, 1996 (Encyclopedia of Country Music, 2nd edition, p. 268).

Next, D'Artega and his studio orchestra laid down an album of Latin numbers (MS-492). Apparently the Rhumba Ambassadors were no longer available.

D'Artega had also become the preferred accompanist for the label's pop singers. So he made four sides behind Roberta Lee (Sonora 2016 and 2017).

Roberta Lee was born in Dayton, Ohio, around 1922. She got her start as a band singer, for such leaders as Les Brown and Henry Busse. She sang with Busse on "I Don't Care Who Knows It," released on Cosmo 454 in July 1945. By 1947, when Sonora signed her, she was appearing in clubs as a solo act. Lee was a lot hipper than most of Sonora's featured females, as her repertoire makes clear: it included "My Man" and "Moanin' Low." Her bluesy rendition makes "You Didn't Learn That in School," a trivial tune making the rounds in the spring of 1947, still worth a listen. "My Man" (on Sonora 2017) was said to be selling well enough (Cash Box, June 16, 1947, p. 13) that its publisher, Leo Feist, was showing renewed interest in promoting the song. Unfortunately, by the time Roberta Lee's Sonoras were released, the label was running out of time.

By 1949, Roberta Lee was married to Wally Brady, a music publisher's representative, who got her a contract with Tempo (Cash Box, July 30, 1949, p. 12). The trade paper referred to "Roberta Lee (Mrs. Brady), whose Sonora records are collector items." She got four singles out of the deal. The first, a coupling of "The Man I Love" and "Bill Bailey," was released in December 1949 (Tempo 428, reviewed in Cash Box on December 24, 1949, p. 8). Tempo 430, "Singing the Blues" b/w "Back in Your Own Back Yard," was advertised in Cash Box on January 28, 1950 (p. 16). After two jazz singles, Roberta Lee put out a pop single on Tempo 462 ("Don't Bring Me Posies" b/w "Weary River," reviewed in Cash Box, June 10, 1950, p. 6). The fourth, Tempo 4726 ("With a No, No, No That Sounds like Yes" b/w "September in the Rain," was released at an unknown date. It appears her contract with Tempo was not renewed.

From mid-1951 through mid-1953, with her husband acting as her agent, Roberta Lee was under contract to Decca. The company entrusted her with a wide variety of material (everything from "Say It Isn't So" with the Gordon Jenkins Orchestra; to "The Little White Cloud That Cried"; to a country rendition of "Sixty Minute Man"—in a duet with Hardrock Gunter; to a Dixieland single with Lawson and Haggart's band). At least half of what she did for Decca was Country, including duets with Red Foley and Tennessee Ernie Ford. She next signed with RCA Victor's X subsidiary (Billboard, June 26, 1954, p. 17), getting three singles out of that deal (see the review of X 0166 in Cash Box, October 1, 1955, p. 8). Roberta Lee released one single on Columbia in 1957. We don't know of other Roberta Lee records until well into the 1960s. Because of her husband's Nashville connections, her later 45s were for such labels as Montclare (date uncertain, pairing "Big Mamou" with a Van Dyke Parks song) and Tower (a 1968 release).

In addition, D'Artega did at least two with Hal Horton (now moved from the H 7000 Country to the 2000 budget pop series), four with Dick Todd of the five-year contract, two with Tony Russo, and four with Bob Houston.

Snub Mosley also got a second session in early 1947. For years it was thought the entire thing had been left in the vault, though two sides showed up on a 1987 LP from Dan Kochakian's Whiskey Women and … label. It turns out, however, that Mosley, after the plug was pulled on the 500 series, got two further releases on red-label Sonora, 110 and 111. Sonora 110 was released in September 1947, when the company was in its death throes—but there is a copy in the collection of Tom Hustad. Sonora 111, probably also with a release date in September 1947 (couldn't get much later), has turned up on ebay. Neither deserves its rarity.

When Mosley's contract with Sonora expired, the company was on its way out. During the recording frenzy at the end of 1947, he cut for the Super Disc label, getting a release in May 1948 (Cash Box, May 8, 1948, p. 11). Mosley was subsequently with another small New York-based company called Penguin. One of his Penguin releases was reviewed in Billboard on July 9, 1949, p. 163; advertised in Cash Box on July 30, 1949, p. 17. Another Penguin single was released in December 1949 and got a boost from Broadway Bill Cook, a DJ at WAAT, Newark (Cash Box, January 7, 1950, p. 16). Later, Mosley recorded for British Columbia (1959), and his final sessions were done in England for Pizza Express (1978). After suffering a stroke in January 1981, Snub Mosley died at his home in Harlem on July 21, 1981.

Eddie Barefield cut a second session, producing two more releases on Sonora 112 and 114. These again were in a mellow Swing style.

Dolores Spriggs, stage name Baby Dee, was the singer for a combo led by pianist Bill Campbell. Campbell made two singles for DeLuxe in 1946 with his Harlem Eight: DeLuxe 1046 featured Thelma Cooper on both sides and 1043 featured Baby Dee. That same year, Baby Dee recorded for Mayo Williams' Harlem label; Harlem 1010 was credited to "Bill Campbell And His Harlem Band with Vocalizing Baby Dee." She next recorded with him for Apollo (in a session that took place in November 1946). Apparently it was Bill Campbell who was under contract to Apollo, because Baby Dee's "signing" was announced in January 1947, when a one-year contract for the bandleader would still have been in force. Her February 1947 session (with an uncredited band) apparently led to two releases—Billboard acknowledged receipt of both Sonora 113 and 115. Of course, it would be nice if someone could unearth a copy of 115. Bill Campbell, it turns out, was credited as the composer for both sides on Sonora 113, which sold some copies in Harlem (Cash Box, July 14, 1947, p. 13) before the curtain was rung down on the company.

In 1949 and 1950, Baby Dee made appearances in clubs in Detroit and New York City, often in the company of Bill Campbell.

After a few years away from the studio, Baby Dee cut for MGM in 1954, apparently without Bill Campbell. Her signing was mentioned in Billboard on July 13, 1954, p. 45; she was working the Cotton Club in Atlantic City through Labor Day, and was said to be booked in Las Vegas next. Meanwhile, Cash Box for July 13 declared (Rhythm n' Blues Ramblings, p. 19) that the "stormy looking gal" had recently finished 22 straight weeks at Club Savannah in New York. She was under the management of the marvelously named Stan Pat, then a DJ in Trento, New Jersey (later Pat would be a distributor and a record salesman in Chicago). A Baby Dee MGM was reviewed in Cash Box on August 7, 1954, p. 24. MGM 55002, her second and apparently final release for the label, was reviewed in Cash Box on February 19, 1955 (p. 26). Baby Dee next recorded for Amber in 1957, and for a company called Zebra in 1958 (she must have gotten back with Bill Campbell, because her Zebra single featured two compositions by him). Her known public appearances during the mid-1950s were in New York, New Jersey, and Rhode Island (the Las Vegas gig, if it came off as scheduled, was the one exception). We are indebted to Robert Javors for information about Sonora 113 and about the artist.

The Velvetones were back for a second session in February. Now they were reassigned to the main black-label series; their final four sides appeared on Sonora 2014 and 2015.

Possibly the most obscure artist to get a release on Sonora was one Fred Meadows, billed as "America's No. 1 Singing Waiter." He sang two sentimental numbers on Sonora 2018 and two more on Sonora 2020.

Bob Stanley came back once more, to make a session mixing standards and light classics. This appeared in an album, MS 495, but few copies could ever have circulated. Most customers encountered these sides when Varsity reissued some of them.

Ray Anthony returned at some point for another 4 sides, which became black-label offerings: Sonora 2019 and 2021 came out in May 1947. Anthony became a lot more famous a little while later, when he moved to Hollywood and began recording for Capitol.

There was still unfilled demand for polkas, so Sonora invited Bob Stanley's Polish edition,Stanislaw Mroczek, for a third outing to do such currently requested numbers as the "Beer Barrel Polka." This time, 8 sides were recorded and Sonora went through with its plans to release an album (MS 491), which is not especially abundant today.

And Roy Smeck returned to do four more tunes, which formed the valedictory black-label singles, Sonora 2026 and 2027.

This was promptly follwed by the second George Towne session (leading to a pair of releases on Sonora 2023 and 2025), and a second Ted Straeter session, which recorded enough for an album but led to three singles instead.

The H 7000 series kept on going. Most releases were by old reliables such as Fred Kirby and the Carolina Playboys. The last Country artist signed to the label was Art Dixon, while the final four releases (H 7049 through H 7052) were by Jerry and Sky.

Of Art Dixon we still know hardly a thing. He led a band called the Melody Mustangs that performed in such places as Hagerstown, Maryland, and Staten Island, New York. He cut a four-tune session that led to two singles, Sonora H 7047 and H 7048.

Sonora had given up on the H 6000s by now, and wasn't interested in trying to any more Country albums, even though Jerry and Sky must have thought they were making one. Their second session featured Gerald Howorth, Schuyler Snow, Ralph Jones, Bill Carver (all on the instruments aforelisted), Alan "Bud" Arthur (fiddle), Joseph "Joey" Paul (accordion), and others. MGM would later acquire at least the two sides of Sonora H 7050, reissuing them in 1949 on MGM 10347 (and again in 1952 on MGM K11356). Jerry and Sky signed with Decca in 1949, cutting four sides at Universal Recording in Chicago in August 1949. But they got just one single out of their efforts; a second Decca session, probably in 1950, produced several covers of Hank Williams tunes, which Decca decided to sit on after Williams' untimely death in 1953 (again, we are indebted to the discography at http://countrydiscography.blogspot.com/2009/12/jerry-and-sky.html).

The last of the 100-series artists was Milt Larkin. He played trumpet and valve trombone and sang blues. Larkin formed a Swing band in Houston, Texas, in 1936 which never recorded, despite at various times featuring Russell Jacquet, Illinois Jacquet, Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson, Arnett Cobb, and Tom Archia; in 1942-1943, a later edition of the Larkin band enjoyed a long residency at the Rhumboogie Café in Chicago. The big band broke up in the Fall of 1943 when most of the members, including the leader, were drafted. After returning to civilian life, Larkin led a rhythm and blues combo. Sonora 116 and 117 were recorded in the spring of 1947; their weakly promoted release terminated the 100 series. As soon as it became clear that Sonora had quit recording, Larkin moved over to the Sunrise label, which advertised two singles on him in September 1947 and definitely released one of them. Sunrise 2011 actually came out around the same time as his Sonoras, which were held for the company's final desperate push in the fall of the year. He subsequently fronted a successful combo called the X-Rays, which recorded for Regal among other labels.

Ginny Simms was Sonora's last catch. Originally one of Kay Kyser's girl singers, she had gotten a foothold in Hollywood and made records under her own name for Vocalion/OKeh, Columbia, and ARA. In 1947, she also had her own network radio show. Simms cost the company a bundle; Sonora guaranteed her $10,000 a year. Her extensive recording sessions produced two singles in the 3000s and an album of Cole Porter tunes (MS 496). The Cole Porter sides are still worth a listen, particularly the numbers on which D'Artega dispensed with the string section. She would be one of the last artists to go into the studio for Sonora.

The last new group to record for Sonora was a concert band led by Sousa disciple Edwin Franko Goldman, which ended the 1500 matrix series at 2122. His album of marches (MS 497) was the second last to be released.

The last group to make an album for release was the Gordon Trio with Frank Negleman and Joe Salvino, still billed as providing "Music with Personality." Their album (MS 498) was so rare that most record buyers had to think the sides were new when they were reissued on the Rondo label. We haven't posted a date for the sessions, but they were probably in May 1947. By the time the album was out, the Gordon Trio no longer existed; in Setember 1947, the group was playing a hotel in Peoria, Illinois, when an angry husband fired a shot at Max Gordon while they were performing. Frank Negleman promptly quit and took a day job with Caterpillar in Peoria; Joe Salvino returned to the Pittsburgh area. Max Gordon would assemble another trio, but by then Sonora was history.

Sonora was able to keep up the pace for all of three months after the controversial launch. The last display ad in Billboard promoting a slew of black-label releases ran on May 31. Meanwhile, the union workers at Reko-Plastik had been threatening to strike. To avert a work stoppage, the company offered them 20% raises, a move that required immediately boosting the retail prices on its black-label records to 50 cents and on its red-label product to 60 cents (Billboard, May 17, 1947, p. 19). No longer able to offer black-label 78s for 39 cents, Sonora promptly closed the two short series (the 500s and H 6000s) and moved the artists back to the corresponding red-label series. Soon enough it also closed the 2000 series.

This wasn't all. The company quit scheduling recording sessions, and sent so many of its workers on vacation that its pressing plants were idle for most of the summer. Rumors began to circulate: that Sonora was going back to albums only, and looking for a buyer for Reko-Plastik.

In June, Bob Houston signed with the recently launched MGM Records operation, which wanted more male vocalists. Cash Box ("MGM Pacts Bob Houston," June 30, 1947, p. 30) described his business arrangement with Sonora as a "one shot deal," although it obviously hadn't been: Houston had recorded with Roy Smeck and D'Artega. No matter; the exodus was under way.

On August 9, Joseph Gerl, the company's president, felt obliged to deny the stories. Gerl insisted that a new round of sessions would begin on September 1, 1947 (Billboard, August 16, 1947, p. 17). On August 16, the last ad mentioning a new Sonora appeared in the trade magazine; Shapiro-Bernstein Music listed Sonora 3044 by Ginny Simms as one of 8 new recordings of its song "An Apple Blossom Wedding." Sonora really was finished recording.

The second to last new Sonora release to be announced in Billboard was The Goldman Band's album MS 497, listed on October 11, 1947. The last to be reviewed was MS 496, Ginny Simms' collection of Cole Porter songs as featured in the movie Night and Day (October 18, 1947, p. 125).

On November 29, 1947, Billboard reported that Sonora was no longer recording or releasing any pop singles, Sonora 3045 by Ginny Simms having been the end of the line. (If it had really just been "over two months" since 3045 came out, the record's release had slipped substantially after the announcement in May.) Really the last Sonora pop was 3046, a reissue of two sides by the Mulcays; obviously the trades never heard of it. Billboard wasn't paying attention any more, but the last release in the H 7000 series—H 7052, according to our current information—probably came out around the same time as 3045. Company officials wouldn't respond to inquiries, while, ominously, "it was learned from artists under contract to Sonora that they were making no platters for the coming Petrillo work-stoppage period backlog as other firms are doing" (p. 20).

Griff Williams, in fact, told the magazine he had gotten Sonora to release him from his contract. (Williams kept a band going after Sonora folded; in May 1949 he would four sides in Chicago for Tower, Cash Box, May 21, 1949, p. 9). Saxie Dowell confirmed that after his Sonora contract ran out in September and wasn't renewed, he'd moved to another Chicago-based label, Vitacoustic.

It wasn't just the record company that was in trouble. In 1947, a year in which countless big bands shut down or shrank their personnel, most of the sweet-band leaders on Sonora's roster were in trouble. By the time he signed with Vitacoustic, Saxie Dowell had broken up his big band and downsized, first to a sextet, then to a quartet.

Meanwhile, a story in the same issue of Billboard (also p. 20) noted that Harry Fox, an agent for some big New York music publishers, was in Chicago to demand back royalties from several companies: Vogue, the Detroit-based maker of picture disks on vinyl, which was already out of business; Majestic, which was in financial trouble and on the skids with the Musicians Union in Los Angeles; and Sonora.

The last album dribbled out in December, when MS 498 by the now-defunct Gordon Trio, recorded at the company's second-last studio session 7 months earlier, was listed as a new release in Billboard. As previously noted, the 8 sides are often found as reissues on Rondo, rarely as Sonora originals.

In January 1948, the remnant record company, now cut loose from corporate HQ in Chicago, was listed in Billboard at 730 Fifth Avenue, New York 19, New York (Juke Box supplement, January 24, 1948, p. 9). Sonora let out a final gasp in February 1948. Word came of a limited release on "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World," recorded by Ted Straeter's orchestra at the company's very last session, some day in May 1947. A few pressings of the number, cut when Straeter was scheduled to make an album, had been sold in Philadelphia ("Sonora Shunts Special Wax to Single Siding," Billboard, February 14, 1948, p. 36). On February 28, 1948, a brief item in Billboard (p. 20) declared that Sonora might try releasing the recently test-marketed Straeter "on a new color label," retailing for 79 cents. The record duly materialized, on a purple label with silver print (album side numbers still forlornly included), but sales weren't there. In fact, some copies carried the gold on maroon labels that had been intended for use in the album. By May, Sonora Records was being referred to, simply, as defunct. Straeter's other six sides would never see release.

Vultures circled. Eli Oberstein, who had left RCA Victor to start his own Varsity operation, then moved on to Hit Records after Varsity and Royale folded, had returned to the major after the war. Now he was about to leave again and start a new company, initially called Wright Record Corporation. Sonora had gotten its start with material recorded for Musical Masterpieces and Oberstein's Royale label. Now Oberstein was returning the favor. First, he made a deal in May to secure the use of the Meriden pressing plants, renting them out to Victor. In a little while, he was their new owner and was using them to press his own records.

By July, Oberstein was up and running and ready to reissue Sonora material on a resurrected Varsity label ("Obie Kicks off Varsity 39 Cent Platters; Direct to Dealers," Billboard, July 3, 1948, pp. 3, 16). He also revived his Royale imprint. Where the 1939-1940 Varsity labels gave New York City as the company's location, the new labels put Meriden, Connecticut. Adding to the insult, Oberstein was intent on selling his Varsity singles for 39 cents—precisely the move that had precipitated Sonora's collapse.

Oberstein announced that his new Varsity singles would start coming out in September; he also declared that he had "purchased, for a backlog, some 250 standard material masters from Sonora. [...] Right now he is using some of them as promotional material to soften up the department store market" (p. 16). And so he was; according to the somewhat incredulous Billboard writer, Oberstein was moving 4-pocket Sonora albums (or Varsity rebrands of the same; some Varsity albums were identical to their Sonoran precursors, right down to the album numbers, except where "Varsity" replaced "Sonora" on the cover) for $1.98 each at Macy's. Of course, Sonora had recruited the artists, paid for the recording and mastering, and contracted for the cover art; Varsity's overhead was, ummm, lower. Meanwhile, Oberstein was in such terrible repute with the Musicians Union (among other things, for recording after the 1942 ban) that he did not make one new recording of his own in the United States after selling his Hit label.

In November 1948, Oberstein put out "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World" on Varsity 113, with another Sonoran hand-me-down, Robert Russell Bennett's orchestra playing "Speak Low," on the other side. The trade paper (Billboard, November 6, 1948, p. 36) described "Most Beautiful," less than truthfully, as "a number that sold big on Sonora."

Among the 78s in the new Varsity 100 series, at least 11 sides were of Sonoran origin. In the 500s, no fewer than 40 came from Sonora. (See http://www.78discography.com/VarsWri.htm for an informative, albeit incomplete, listing of these two series.) Nearly everything else on the new Varsity was scavenged from another medium-sized independent label, Majestic, which had absorbed Oberstein's old Hit label in early 1945 and was already on the skids when Sonora failed (Majestic went broke in February 1948). Or it came more or less directly from Oberstein's old United States operation. By the end of 1949, Eli Oberstein had reissued a bunch of Sonora 78 albums on Varsity. Wright would be replaced in late 1951 or early 1952 by the cheekily named Record Corporation of America, which would serve as Oberstein's corporate umbrella for the rest of his career. To judge from what is still showing up these days on Varsity and other labels in Oberstein's grasp and control, such as Royale's line of 10-inch LPs in the early 1950s, or the Allegro line of cheap LPs in the later 1950s, or even the 12-inch LPs on Pickwick, it was the Bob Stanley sets of waltzes that he most coveted. Other pickings of interest were Enric Madriguera's Latin album, Robert Russell Bennett's Broadway albums, Lani McIntire's Hawaiian albums, and Stanislaw Mroczek, er, Bob Stanley's collected polka output.

But Oberstein grabbed up a lot more, hooking Ben Yost's barbershop quartet numbers, Red River Dave and Jesse Rogers' cowboy songs, Kel Murray's chamber orchestra lullabyes, assorted sides by D'Artega, even Ed Durlacher's collection of square dances (Durlacher wasn't a household name; his group became the "Varsity String Band"). The Sonora Choristers were also included; Oberstein lumped them in with some other choirs as the "Varsity Choraleers." Oberstein was so cheap that, as soon as LPs starting pulling market share, he retreaded his Varsity albums into 10-inch Royale LPs—the same 8 tracks, with the same cover art that Sonora had commissioned from 1944 through 1947. A little later, he did some retreading on Varsity 10-inch LPs: the first 10 releases in the Varsity 6900 series were all of Sonora material.

Oberstein was not the only one out scavenging. He had encouraged Herman Lubinsky to enter the record business in 1942, selling a bunch of masters to Lubinsky's new Savoy operation in the process. In August 1948, Lubinsky, the proprietor of Savoy and recent acquirer of Regent, announced that he had bought 4000 masters from Sonora. The stories we have been able to find on the subject are confusing—as we know Lubinsky wanted them to be—but the most plausible interepretation is that he had mostly snapped up masters that Sonora had, in turn, bought from other sources in the early going. By our reckoning (see below) Sonora recorded 660 masters on its own account. Could the company have purchased another 3340? The Billboard item from August 7, 1948 (p. 15) declared that Savoy/Regent was now a "strong pop entrant," but none of the pop items that it identifies—the King Cole Trio, Phil Harris, Kay Thompson, and Dick Robertson—came from Sonora. "Race and hillbilly sides" are mentioned, too, but none of these are named. Here's what sounds sort of Sonoran: "Some 25 per cent of the Sonora sides, Lubinsky said, consist of 12-inch classical, semi, and standard numbers, including the only recorded version of the Verdi opera, Hernani, on a 10-side album." Sort of. We know of 12-inch Sonoras, from the company's earliest days, and a couple of early 10-inch albums with 5 pockets each—all derived from Musicraft Musical Masterpieces. Not, however, a 5-pocket 12-inch album of an opera, which in any event would have consisted of highlights; it wouldn't have contained much more than 50 minutes of music.

Intriguingly, the same article declared that Lubinsky had obtained (and already released) "the old Lang Thompson waxing of You Darlin', the sleeper recently revived via exhumation of the Ben Selvin record of the 1920's." Here the story gets really twisted. On July 31, Billboard had announced "Rondo and Regent to Serve "Darlin'" on Thompson Platter" (p. 19, story dated July 24). Thompson had led a sweet band from 1934 to 1947, using "You Darlin'" as his theme song, and was now working as a band booker in Chicago. He was puzzled to hear of the reissues, because he'd recorded the tune in 1940 for ... Varsity, which was then owned by ... Eli Oberstein. Herman Lubinsky wouldn't say where the side came from, but Rondo reported getting it from Sonora. And Milton Benjamin, who, along with his wife Marie Reubens, had taken control of what remained of Sonora's music operation, acknowledged recently selling 26 Lang Thompson masters. Apparently, then, Oberstein unloaded the masters to Sonora, which to our knowledge never released any of them; Sonora went under; then Benjamin sold all 26 to Lubinsky and one to Rondo. (One has to wonder whether Oberstein sold any masters to Sonora only to buy them back for less than Sonora had paid him.) On Regent, the coupling was another Lang Thompson side. On Rondo, it was the last instrumental by organist Ken Griffin that the company could release without getting into Union trouble during the 1948 recording ban, "Bumble Bee on a Bender."

After Oberstein and Lubinsky completed their swoops and side deals, thick slices of Sonora were still on the table. Rondo picked up another 80 items in October 1948. There's no way Herman Lubinsky would have spent money on Sonora's Coleman Hawkins sides, or its Dud Bascombs and Clyde Bernhardts, then never released them on one of his own labels. Rondo may not have gotten the Bascombs and the Bernhardts, but it did obtain sides by Coleman Hawkins, the Velvetones, and Snub Mosley for its 1550 R&B series, reissuing them in February 1949. It also got sides by the Gordon Trio, reissuing Sonora 3035 on Rondo 180 before 1948 was out, and resurrecting the Trio's album from dying days of Sonora on Rondo 193, 194, and 195 in 1949. Rondo then signed Max Gordon's new trio, for new recordings for in 1949 and 1950.

Although many Country items from Sonora were reportedly included in the October 1948 deal, so far we have found just two such releases on Rondo. Meanwhile Varsity was helping itself to the Jesse Rogers and Red River Dave sides. And it was Herman Lubinsky who would eventually make use of Jimmy and Mildred Mulcay, putting their Sonoran output on a 12-inch Regent LP. (In the 1950s, the Mulcays were making new recordings for Decca, Essex, and Cardinal, among other labels, and Lubinsky felt he could compete.)

Lubinsky also put out 12-inchers on Joe Biviano and some other Sonora artists. Granted, these LPs didn't appear till 1955 or 1956, so Lubinsky could have acquired the sides from Oberstein later on... even after Rondo, in its turn, was sold.

Some Bob Stanley sides were also said to have changed hands, but we haven't seen any of them on Rondo either.

On February 5, 1949, Billboard reported that Ginny Simms had filed suit against Sonora Radio and TV Corp. in Circuit Court. She claimed that her contract had guaranteed her $10,000 a year and Sonora still owed her $5,000. (It's most unlikely that she got any more money, but her Cole Porter sides hadn't gone away. They would be seeing further circulation on Eli Oberstein's Royale label, which didn't have to pay her a dime for the privilege.)

Without a briefing on how the radios and TV sets were selling, we can't be sure, but it's reasonable to suppose that the record division's losses were pulling the whole company down. In October 1949, the parent company filed for Chapter 11, reorganizing strictly as a maker of radio and TV sets ("Sonora Mending Financial Aches," Billboard, November 5, 1949, p. 15; money quote: "The company definitely will not produce records again, however.")

There were still pickings. In 1950, Lubinsky's Savoy label announced that its first batch of 45s would include some Sonora material, and Billboard ran a piece on a record emporium in Buffalo, New York, that was known for operating the biggest polka department in the known universe and for using brash marketing tactics. The store had bought up every Sonora album it could find within some radius of Buffalo (supposedly, 5,000 copies) and sold them all off in a giant half-price sale lasting a couple of days. Meanwhile, Sonora Radio and Television stumbled on. On January 1, 1957, the corporation filed for bankruptcy for the last time; on December 23, 1958 the State of Illinois ordered it dissolved (see Richard Arnold's capsule history of Sonora's radios at http://www.antiqueradio.com/Apr07_Arnold_Sonora.html).

Sonora was actually one of the larger post-World War II independents. While it was doing its own recording, between February 1944 and May 1947, Sonora was about as prolific as the New York-based outfits Hit/Majestic and Continental, which also failed to extend their runs past the end of the decade. (Majestic and Sonora, it may be worth noting, were divisions of radio and TV manufacturers.) Allowing for skipped master numbers and not counting alternates, there were 632 masters in Sonora's 1500 matrix series, and another 28 in its 500 series, totaling 660 newly recorded sides in a little over three years. But Sonora hasn't gotten nearly so much attention as Continental or Majestic in the years since it closed.

Partly this may be because it had no regional identity. The company's head offices were in Chicago, but Sonora didn't do its recording there. The soon-to-be-Hollywood band of Ray Anthony was in the city when Sonora signed him, and Saxie Dowell was affiliated with radio station WGN during his year with the company. But apart from some early entries in the H7000s that were cut at a radio station in Charlotte, North Carolina, every recording session that we can place for Sonora was in New York, right where it had launched its recording program at the WOR Studios in 1944. And the company's main master numbering series didn't differentiate by location. The pressing plant complex, with which Sonora would become ruinously preoccupied, was located in Connecticut.

Sonora's posthumous reputation hasn't been helped by its initial concentration on what would later be marketed as "beautiful music" or "easy listening." Bob Stanley/Stanislaw Mroczek sold plenty of records in the 1940s and was still generating revenue for Eli Oberstein and Herman Lubinsky in the 1950s. Who collects his sides today? Sonora recorded a wide variety of Mickey Mouse bands, did light classics, cut some show tunes, made a bunch of children's records, worked up a slew of Country offerings, and dabbled in other ethnic performances by polka, rhumba, Hawaiian, and Gypsy bands. Most of this material would also make money for Eli Oberstein or Herman Lubinsky for another decade; again, however, these are not the records today's collectors are after.

The Sonoras of greatest value to most of our readers—the jazz outings by Joe Biviano, Jerry Wald, Coleman Hawkins, Dud Bascomb, and Roberta Lee; the R&B by the Velvetones, Clyde Bernhardt, Eddie Barefield, the Jim Jam Trio, Milt Larkin, and Snub Mosley—form a small part of the company's output, but they shouldn't be overooked on that account. Sonoras were always well recorded by the standards of the era. Many were better pressed than other postwar indie offerings. The main limitation is that everything was pressed on shellac; the company went under before vinyl pressing was widely adopted. Although the shellac pressings were, as always, thick and brittle, the only faults we have noted are occasional pimply or bubbly surfaces. And, as we have noted, the wartime pressings, made while shellac was rationed, are inevitably tight and smooth, while the quality of those from the company's own plants, in 1946 and 1947, is noticeably more variable.

We have compiled a numerical listing of Sonora's 1500 series, which the company used for all of the new material that it recorded.

Matrix	Sonora #	Album #	Artist	Title	Recording Date	Release Date
1500-	1028 A	MS 457-1	Lani McIntire and his Aloha Islanders	Song of the Islands (Na Lei O Hawaii)	Feb-44	Mar-44
1501-	1029 A	MS 457-3	Lani McIntire and his Aloha Islanders	One, Two, Three, Four	Feb-44	Mar-44
1502-	1028 B	MS 457-2	Lani McIntire and his Aloha Islanders	You Are Like a Beautiful Flower (Makalapua)	Feb-44	Mar-44
1503-	1029 B	MS 457-4	Lani McIntire and his Aloha Islanders	Sweet Constancy (Ue Like Noa Like)	Feb-44	Mar-44
1504-	1030 A	MS 457-5	Lani McIntire and his Aloha Islanders	Farewell to Thee (Aloha Oe)	Feb-44	Mar-44
1505-	1030 B	MS 457-6	Lani McIntire and his Aloha Islanders	Beautiful Kahana	Feb-44	Mar-44
1506-	1031 A	MS 457-7	Lani McIntire and his Aloha Islanders	Isle of Golden Dreams	Feb-44	Mar-44
1507-	1031 B	MS 457-8	Lani McIntire and his Aloha Islanders	Maori Brown Eyes	Feb-44	Mar-44
1508-	1047 A	MS 271-1	Noy Gorodinsky and his Gypsy Ensemble	Shining Moon Medley (Swietit mieisiatz)	Feb-44	Mar-44
1509-	1047 B	MS 271-2	Noy Gorodinsky and his Gypsy Ensemble	Two Guitars (Dwie gitary)	Feb-44	Mar-44
1510-	1048 A	MS 271-3	Noy Gorodinsky and his Gypsy Ensemble	Dark Eyes (Otchi tchornie)	Feb-44	Mar-44
1511-	1049 A	MS 271-5	Noy Gorodinsky and his Gypsy Ensemble	The Only Girl (Chok Adge Kishlan)	Feb-44	Mar-44
1512-	1050-A	MS 271-7	Noy Gorodinsky and his Gypsy Ensemble	When I Stroll Down Acatia Lane (Akatsosh Ut Ha Royta Medgyek Vedgyk En)	Feb-44	Mar-44
1513-	1049 B	MS 271-6	Noy Gorodinsky and his Gypsy Ensemble	A Gypsy's Dream (Adge Tsigan Alma)	Feb-44	Mar-44
1514-	1048 B	MS 271-4	Noy Gorodinsky and his Gypsy Ensemble	When a Gypsy Makes His Violin Cry	Feb-44	Mar-44
1515-	1050 B	MS 271-8	Noy Gorodinsky and his Gypsy Ensemble	Waiting for You	Feb-44	Mar-44
1516-	1041 A	MS 460-3	Pauline Alpert \| Pianist	Where or When	Feb-44	Mar-44
1517-2	1040 A	MS 460-1	Pauline Alpert \| Pianist	Dream of a Doll	Feb-44	Mar-44
1518-1	1043 B	MS 460-8	Pauline Alpert \| Pianist	Parade of the Wooden Soldiers	Feb-44	Mar-44
1519-2	1042 A	MS 460-5	Pauline Alpert \| Pianist	Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 (Liszt)	Feb-44	Mar-44
1520-2	1043 A	MS 460-7	Pauline Alpert \| Pianist	Toy Trumpet	Feb-44	Mar-44
1521-2	1040 B	MS 460-2	Pauline Alpert \| Pianist	Chopsticks	Feb-44	Mar-44
1522-2	1041 B	MS 460-4	Pauline Alpert \| Pianist	Sweet Sue	Feb-44	Mar-44
1523-	1042 B	MS 460-6	Pauline Alpert \| Pianist	In a Country Garden	Feb-44	Mar-44








1532-	1046 A	MS 452-5	Uncle Don	"The Farmer in the Dell; Oats, Peas, Beans, and Barley Grow; London Bridge Is Falling Down"	Feb-44	Mar-44
1533-	1044 A	MS 452-1	Uncle Don	"Mary Had a Little Lamb; Little Bo Peep; Little Boy Blue; Baa Baa Black Sheep; Humpty Dumpty; Tom, Tom the Piper's Son; Jack and Jill"	Feb-44	Mar-44
1534-	1046 B	MS 452-6	Uncle Don	Here We Go round the Mulberry Bush; A Tisket A Tasket; Ring around the Roses; Pop Goes the Weasel	Feb-44	Mar-44
1535-	1044 B	MS 452-2	Uncle Don	"Cock a Doodle Doo; Lazy Mary; Hot Cross Buns; To Market, to Market; Pussy Cat, Where Have You Been; Hickory Dickory Dock; Little Jack Horner; Sing a Song of Sixpence"	Feb-44	Mar-44
1536-2	1045 A	MS 452-3	Uncle Don	Old King Cole; There Was a Little Woman; The Muffin Man; Bean Porridge; Alphabet Song; Three Blind Mice; Old Mother Hubbard	Feb-44	Mar-44
1537-1	1045 B	MS 452-4	Uncle Don	This Little Pig Went to Market; Pat a Cake; There Was a Little Girl; I Love Little Pussy; Goosey Goosey Gander; Ten Little Indians	Feb-44	Mar-44
1538-	1037 A	MS 459-3	Bob Stanley and his Orchestra	Two Hearts in Waltz Time	Feb-44	Mar-44
1539-	1038 A	MS 459-5	Bob Stanley and his Orchestra	Missouri Waltz	Feb-44	Mar-44
1540-2	1036 B	MS 459-2	Bob Stanley and his Orchestra	Let Me Call You Sweetheart	Feb-44	Mar-44
1541-2	1039 B	MS 459-8	Bob Stanley and his Orchestra	"Jeannine, I Dream of Lilac Time"	Feb-44	Mar-44
1542-	1039 A	MS 459-7	Bob Stanley and his Orchestra	Shadow Waltz	Feb-44	Mar-44
1543-2	1036 A	MS 459-1	Bob Stanley and his Orchestra	Song of Love	Feb-44	Mar-44
1544-	1038 B	MS 459-6	Bob Stanley and his Orchestra	Beautiful Ohio	Feb-44	Mar-44
1545-	1037 B	MS 459-4	Bob Stanley and his Orchestra	Alice Blue Gown	Feb-44	Mar-44
1546-3	1054-B	MS 461-8	Bob Stanley and Orchestra	Tales from the Vienna Woods	Feb-44	Jun-45
1547-2	1053-A	MS 461-5	Bob Stanley and Orchestra	Thousand and One Nights	Feb-44	Jun-45
1548-2	1053-B	MS 461-6	Bob Stanley and Orchestra	Blue Danube	Feb-44	Jun-45
1549-	1051-A	MS 461-1	Bob Stanley and Orchestra	Voices of Spring	Feb-44	Jun-45
1550-2	1051-B	MS 461-2	Bob Stanley and Orchestra	Southern Roses	Feb-44	Jun-45
1551-2	1052-B	MS 461-4	Bob Stanley and Orchestra	Emperor Waltz	Feb-44	Jun-45
1552-	1052-A	MS 461-3	Bob Stanley and Orchestra	You and You	Feb-44	Jun-45
1553-2	1054-A	MS 461-7	Bob Stanley and Orchestra	"Wine, Women and Song"	Feb-44	Jun-45
1554-	1055-A	MS 462-1	Eddy Brown and Ensemble	"Berceuse (From ""Jocelyn"")"		Dec-44
1555-	1055-B	MS 462-2	Eddy Brown and Ensemble \| Vocal by Crys Holland	Ma Curly-Headed Baby		Dec-44
1556-2	1056-B	MS 462-4	Eddy Brown and Ensemble \| Vocal by Crys Holland	Love's Old Sweet Song		Dec-44
1557-2	1057-B	MS 462-6	Eddy Brown and Ensemble \| Vocal by Jean Merrill	Sweet and Low		Dec-44
1558-1	1056-A	MS 462-3	Eddy Brown and Ensemble \| Vocal by Jean Merrill	Brahms' Lullaby		Dec-44
1559-	1057-A	MS 462-5	Eddy Brown and Ensemble \| Vocal by Jean Merrill	"Lullaby from ""Ermine"""		Dec-44
1560-	1058-A	MS 462-7	Eddy Brown and Ensemble \| Vocal by Jean Merrill	That's an Irish Lullaby		Dec-44
1561-1	1058-B	MS 462-8	Eddy Brown and Ensemble	Sleep Baby Sleep		Dec-44
1562-						Dec-44
1563-1	1059-A	MS 463-1	Enric Madriguera and Orchestra \| Vocal by Bob Lido	Besame Mucho-Bolero		Jun-44
1564-2	1060-A	MS 463-3	Enric Madriguera and Orchestra \| Vocal by Nita Rosa	Chiu Chiu-Rhumba		Jun-44
1565-2	1059-B	MS 463-2	Enric Madriguera and Orchestra \| Vocal by Nita Rosa	Como Tru-Cu-Tu-Rhumba		Jun-44
1566-2	1060-B	MS 463-4	Enric Madriguera and Orchestra \| Vocal by Nita Rosa and Bob Lido	I'm Living from Kiss to Kiss-Beguine		Jun-44
1567-	1062-A	MS 463-7	Enric Madriguera and Orchestra \| Vocal by Nita Rosa	Cae Cae-Samba		Jun-44
1568-	1062-B	MS 463-8	Enric Madriguera and Orchestra	Llumbele-Guarracha		Jun-44
1569-2	1061-A	MS 463-5	Enric Madriguera and Orchestra \| Vocal by Patricia Gilmore	Cansado (I'm So Tired)-Rhumba		Jun-44
1570-2	1061-B	MS 463-6	Enric Madriguera and Orchestra	Os Quindis de Yaya-Samba		Jun-44
1571-2	1067-B	MS 465-2	Frank Connors and Orchestra	I'll Take You Home Again Kathleen		Oct-44
1572-1	1070-B	MS 465-8	Frank Connors and Orchestra	Little Town in Ould County Down		Oct-44
1573-2	1068-A	MS 465-3	Frank Connors and Orchestra	You're Irish and You're Beautiful		Oct-44
1574-	1070-A	MS 465-7	Frank Connors and Orchestra	Rose of Tralee		Oct-44
1575-1	1067-A	MS 465-1	Frank Connors and Orchestra	My Wild Irish Rose		Oct-44
1576-2	1068-B	MS 465-4	Frank Connors and Orchestra	Mother Machree		Oct-44
1577-	1069-B	MS 465-6	Frank Connors and Orchestra	A Little Bit of Heaven		Oct-44
1578-3	1069-A	MS 465-5	Frank Connors and Orchestra	When Irish Eyes Are Smiling		Oct-44
1579-	1065-A	MS 464-5	"Red River Dave" and Orchestra	Ole Faithful		Aug-44
1580-	1064-B	MS 464-4	"Red River Dave" and Orchestra	Wagon Trail
1581-	1066-B	MS 464-8	"Red River Dave" and Orchestra	Red River Valley
1582-2	1064-A	MS 464-3	"Red River Dave" and Orchestra	The Last Round-Up
1583-	1065-B	MS 464-6	"Red River Dave" and Orchestra	Take Me Back to My Boots and Saddle
1584-	1066-A	MS 464-7	"Red River Dave" and Orchestra	Empty Saddles
1585-	1063-A	MS 464-1	"Red River Dave" and Orchestra	Is the Range Still the Same Back Home
1586-	1063-B	MS 464-2	"Red River Dave" and Orchestra	Home on the Range
1587-2	1035-A	MS 458-7	Stanislaw Mroczek and Orchestra	Pennsylvania Polka		Aug-44
1588-1	1034-B	MS 458-6	Stanislaw Mroczek and Orchestra	Mother Goose Polka
1589-1	1032-B	MS 458-2	Stanislaw Mroczek and Orchestra	Ruby Polka
1590-1	1034-A	MS 458-5	Stanislaw Mroczek and Orchestra	Helena Polka
1591-	1033-B	MS 458-4	Stanislaw Mroczek and Orchestra	Saturday Night Polka
1592-	1033-A	MS 458-3	Stanislaw Mroczek and Orchestra	Blackberry Polka
1593-	1035-B	MS 458-8	Stanislaw Mroczek and Orchestra	Clarinet Polka
1594-	1032-A	MS 458-1	Stanislaw Mroczek and Orchestra	Victory Polka
1595-1	1074-B	MS 466-8	Bob Stanley and his Orchestra	Sari Waltz
1596-2	1074-A	MS 466-7	Bob Stanley and his Orchestra	Estudiantina Waltz
1597-2	1071-A	MS 466-1	Bob Stanley and his Orchestra	Gold and Silver-Waltz
1598-	1072-A	MS 466-3	Bob Stanley and his Orchestra	Vienna Beauties-Waltz
1599-2	1073-A	MS 466-5	Bob Stanley and his Orchestra	Merry Widow-Waltz
1600-	1072-B	MS 466-4	Bob Stanley and his Orchestra	Count of Luxembourg Waltz
1601-	1071-B	MS 466-2	Bob Stanley and his Orchestra	Gypsy Love-Waltz
1602-	1073-B	MS 466-6	Bob Stanley and his Orchestra	Dolores-Waltz
1603-2	1108-B	MS 475-8	Russell Bennett and his Orchestra	Rose Marie - Overture
1604-	1106-A	MS 475-3	Russell Bennett and his Orchestra	Soft Lights and Sweet Music
1605-	1082-B	MS 468-8	Russell Bennett and his Orchestra	Thou Swell		Oct-44
1606-	1079-B	MS 468-2	Russell Bennett and his Orchestra	You Are Love		Oct-44
1607-3	1080-B	MS 468-4	Russell Bennett and his Orchestra	Summertime		Oct-44
1608-	1081-B	MS 468-6	Russell Bennett and his Orchestra	Why Do I Love You		Oct-44
1609-	1105-A	MS 475-1	Russell Bennett and his Orchestra	With a Song in My Heart
1610-2	1107-A	MS 475-5	Russell Bennett and his Orchestra	What Is This Thing Called Love
1611-	1079-A	MS 468-1	Russell Bennett and his Orchestra	I Love You		Oct-44
1612-2	1080-A	MS 468-3	Russell Bennett and his Orchestra	Oh What a Beautiful Morning		Oct-44
1613-	1081-A	MS 468-5	Russell Bennett and his Orchestra	Speak Low		Oct-44
1614-2	1105-B	MS 475-2	Russell Bennett and his Orchestra	Hoops
1615-2	1082-A	MS 468-7	Russell Bennett and his Orchestra	Surrey with the Fringe on Top		Oct-44
1616-1	1106-B	MS 475-4	Russell Bennett and his Orchestra	Of Thee I Sing - Overture
1617-1	1107-B	MS 475-6	Russell Bennett and his Orchestra	The Song Is You
1618x	1108-A	MS 475-7	Russell Bennett and his Orchestra	"Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise"
1619-1	1078-B	MS 467-8	Kel Murray and his Orchestra	Serenade (Rimpianto) (Toselli)		Jan-45
1620-	1076-B	MS 467-4	Kel Murray and his Orchestra	"Intermezzo from ""Cavalleria Rusticana"" (Mascagni)"
1621-1	1076-A	MS 467-3	Kel Murray and his Orchestra	Traumerei (Reverie) (Schumann)
1622-	1077-A	MS 467-5	Kel Murray and his Orchestra	To a Wild Rose (MacDowell)
1623-	1075-A	MS 467-1	Kel Murray and his Orchestra	Andante Cantabile (Tschaikowsky)
1624-	1078-A	MS 467-7	Kel Murray and his Orchestra	Minuet in G Major (Paderewski)
1625-	1075-B	MS 467-2	Kel Murray and his Orchestra	Souvenir (Drdla)
1626-2	1077-B	MS 467-6	Kel Murray and his Orchestra	None but the Lonely Heart (Tschaikowsky)
1627-	1085-A	MS 469-5	Ben Yost Singers	New York Songs		Dec-45
1628-2	1083-B	MS 469-2	Ben Yost Singers	Flower Song
1629-	1083-A	MS 469-1	Ben Yost Singers	Drink Songs
1630-1	1084-A	MS 469-3	Ben Yost Singers	Holiday Songs
1631-	1086-A	MS 469-7	Ben Yost Singers	Favorite Songs
1632-	1084-B	MS 469-4	Ben Yost Singers	Sweetheart Songs
1633-	1085-B	MS 469-6	Ben Yost Singers	Irish Songs
1634-	1086-B	MS 469-8	Ben Yost Singers	Drama Songs
1635-	1091-B	MS 471-2	Lani McIntire and his Aloha Islanders	Drowsy Waters (Wailana)
1636-1	1093-B	MS 471-6	Lani McIntire and his Aloha Islanders	Hilo March
1637-	1092-B	MS 471-4	Lani McIntire and his Aloha Islanders	Kilima Waltz
1638-	1091-A	MS 471-1	Lani McIntire and his Aloha Islanders \| Vocal by Lani McIntire	Moonlight in Hawaii
1639-1	1092-A	MS 471-3	Lani McIntire and his Aloha Islanders \| Vocal by Lani McIntire	Dreams of Old Hawaii
1640-
1641-	1094-A	MS 471-7	"Lani McIntire and his Aloha Islanders \| Lani McIntire, Leilani Iaea \| Samson Akaka"	Ma Poina Oe Ia'u (Forget Me Not)
1642-	1094-B	MS 471-8	Lani McIntire and his Aloha Islanders	Paradise Isle
1643-1	1093-A	MS 471-5	Lani McIntire and his Aloha Islanders \| Vocal by Lani McIntire	Hawaiian Sunset
1644-2	1089-B	MS 470-6	Mark Warnow and his Orchestra \| Vocal by Jerry Wayne	The Very Thought of You		Feb-45
1645-1	1088-A	MS 470-3	Mark Warnow and his Orchestra \| Vocal by Vera Barton	I'm Making Believe		Feb-45
1646-2	1087-A	MS 470-1	Jerry Wayne \| Mark Warnow and his Orchestra	Let's Take the Long Way Home		Feb-45
1647-2	1087-B	MS 470-2	Jerry Wayne \| Mark Warnow and his Orchestra	I Didn't Know about You		Feb-45
1648-1	1090-B	MS 470-8	Mark Warnow and his Orchestra \| Vocal by Vera Barton	Time Waits for No One		Feb-45
1649-2	1089-A	MS-470-5	Mark Warnow and his Orchestra \| Vocal by Jerry Wayne	Ac-Cent-Tchuate the Positive		Feb-45
1650-2	1088-B	MS 470-4	Mark Warnow and his Orchestra \| Vocal by Vera Barton	I'll Walk Alone		Feb-45
1651-1	1090-A	MS 470-7	Mark Warnow and his Orchestra \| Vocal by Vera Barton	Every Time We Say Goodbye		Feb-45
1652-2	1096-A	MS 472-3	Frank Connors and Orchestra	When I Grow Too Old to Dream		Oct-45
1653-2	1095-B	MS 472-2	Frank Connors and Orchestra	At Dawning		Oct-45
1654-2	1097-A	MS 472-5	Frank Connors and Orchestra	A Little Love A Little Kiss		Oct-45
1655-2	1095-A	MS 472-1	Frank Connors and Orchestra	Oh Promise Me		Oct-45
1656-1	1096-B	MS 472-4	Frank Connors and Orchestra	Love Here Is My Heart		Oct-45
1657-1	1097-B	MS 472-6	Frank Connors and Orchestra	Silver Threads among the Gold		Oct-45
1658-1	1098-B	MS 472-8	Frank Connors and Orchestra	Love's Old Sweet Song		Oct-45
1659-1X	1098-A	MS 472-7	Frank Connors and Orchestra	I Love You Truly		Oct-45
1660-2	1099-A	MS 473-1	Sonora Choristers (Under Direction Eugene Mott)	Adeste Fideles	Sep-45	Nov-45
1661-2	1100-A	MS 473-3	Sonora Choristers (Under Direction Eugene Mott)	Silent Night	Sep-45	Nov-45
1662-2	1101-A	MS 473-5	Sonora Choristers (Under Direction Eugene Mott)	The First Nowell; Away in the Manger	Sep-45	Nov-45
1663-2	1099-B	MS 473-2	Sonora Choristers (Under Direction Eugene Mott)	Good King Wenceslas; Tannenbaum; Deck the Hall	Sep-45	Nov-45
1664-2	1101-B	MS 473-6	Sonora Choristers (Under Direction Eugene Mott)	"O' Little Town of Bethlehem; God Rest You, Merry Gentlemen"	Sep-45	Nov-45
1665-2	1100-B	MS 473-4	Sonora Choristers (Under Direction Eugene Mott)	Joy to the World; It Came upon the Midnight Clear; Hark the Herald Angels Sing	Sep-45	Nov-45
1666-1	1102-A	MS 474-1	Uncle Don	"Jack Sprat; Taffy; One, Two, Buckle My Shoe; Diddle, Diddle, Dumpling; Thirty Days Has September; Nephew of Mine"

1668-1	1103-A	MS 474-3	Uncle Don	Little Tommy Tucker; Sneezing; Curly Locks; I Sell Sea Shells; I Saw a Ship A-Sailing; What Are Little Boys Made of; Wee Willie Winkie



1672-4	3000-A		Mark Warnow — Dick Todd \| Hit Parade Orch. and Chorus	All around the Xmas Tree	Sep-45	Nov-45
1673-2	3000-B		Mark Warnow — Dick Todd \| Hit Parade Orch. and Chorus	Happy Little Songs	Sep-45	Nov-45
1674-2	1112-A	MS 476-7	"Joe Biviano, his Accordion and Rhythm Sextette"	The Jazz Me Blues	Sep-45	Mar-46
1675-1	1110-B	MS 476-4	"Joe Biviano, his Accordion and Rhythm Sextette"	Swing Low Sweet Chariot	Sep-45
1676-2	1110-A	MS 476-3	"Joe Biviano, his Accordion and Rhythm Sextette"	Leone Jump	Sep-45
1677-1	1109-B	MS 476-2	"Joe Biviano, his Accordion and Rhythm Sextette"	Golden Wedding (La Cinquantaine)	Sep-45
1678-1	1109-A	MS 476-1	"Joe Biviano, his Accordion and Rhythm Sextette"	Little Brown Jug	Sep-45
1679-2	1112-B	MS 476-8	"Joe Biviano, his Accordion and Rhythm Sextette"	Nursery Rhymes	Sep-45
1680-2	1111-A	MS 476-5	"Joe Biviano, his Accordion and Rhythm Sextette"	That's a Plenty	Sep-45
1681-2	1111-B	MS 476-6	"Joe Biviano, his Accordion and Rhythm Sextette"	Scotch Medley	Sep-45
1682-2	1117-B	MS 478-2	Kenneth Spencer With Piano Accomp.	Hear De Lam's Acryin' \| Goin' to Ride up in De Chariot	Oct-45	May-46
1683-2	1119-A	MS 478-5	Kenneth Spencer With Piano Accomp.	City Called Heaven	Oct-45	May-46
1684-2	1117-A	MS 478-1	Kenneth Spencer With Piano Accomp.	Water Boy	Oct-45	May-46
1685-2	1118-B	MS 478-4	Kenneth Spencer With Piano Accomp.	Every Mail Day	Oct-45	May-46
1686-2	1119-B	MS 478-6	Kenneth Spencer With Piano Accomp.	There's a Man Goin' Roun' Takin' Names \| Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho	Oct-45	May-46
1687-2	1120-B	MS 478-8	Kenneth Spencer With Piano Accomp.	"Black Sheep, Where You Left You' Lamb \| Little David, Play on Yo Harp"	Oct-45	May-46
1688-2	1118-A	MS 478-3	Kenneth Spencer With Piano Accomp.	Deep River	Oct-45	May-46
1689-2	1120-A	MS 478-7	Kenneth Spencer With Piano Accomp.	Go Down Moses	Oct-45	May-46
1690-2	3002-A		Mark Warnow and his Orch. \| Presenting Vera Barton	Slowly
1691-3	3005-B		Mark Warnow and his Orchestra \| Presenting - Vera Barton	Starlit Reverie
1692-2	3002-B		Mark Warnow and his Orch. \| Presenting Vera Barton	Take All
1693-2	3005-A		Mark Warnow and his Orchestra \| Presenting - Vera Barton	I'll Be Yours (J'Attendrai)
1694-2	1123-A	MS 479-5	Ed Durlacher and The Top Hands	Red River Valley	Jan-46	May-46
1695-2	1122-B	MS 479-4	Ed Durlacher and The Top Hands	Sanita Hill	Jan-46	May-46
1696-1	1121-A	MS 479-1	Ed Durlacher and The Top Hands	Nellie Bly	Jan-46	May-46
1697-2	1123-B	MS 479-6	Ed Durlacher and The Top Hands	Loobie Lou \| Skip to My Lou	Jan-46	May-46
1698-2	1121-B	MS 479-2	Ed Durlacher and The Top Hands	Virginia Reel	Jan-46	May-46
1699-1	1122-A	MS 479-3	Ed Durlacher and The Top Hands	Uptown-Downtown	Jan-46	May-46
1700-2	1124-B	MS 479-8	Ed Durlacher and The Top Hands	Back to Back	Jan-46	May-46
1701-2	1124-A	MS 479-7	Ed Durlacher and The Top Hands	You Did It So Well - So Do it Again	Jan-46	May-46
1702-2	3006-B		Bob Chester and His Orchestra \| Vocal Larry Butler	It Couldn't Be True (Or Could it?)		May-46
1703-2	3004-A		Bob Chester and His Orchestra \| Vocal Lora Jamison	Azusa
1704-2	3006-A		Bob Chester and His Orchestra \| Vocal Larry Butler	You Haven't Changed At All		May-46
1705-2	3004-B		Bob Chester and His Orchestra \| Vocal Laura Butler	I Didn't Mean a Word I Said
1706-2	1127-A	MS 480-5	Bob Stanley and Orchestra	Pretty Little Poppy-Rhumba (Amapola)	Feb-46	Jul-46
1707-2	1125-A	MS 480-1	Bob Stanley and Orchestra	Orchids in the Moonlight - Tango	Feb-46	Jul-46
1708-1	1125-B	MS 480-2	Bob Stanley and Orchestra	In Apple Blossom Time - Waltz	Feb-46	Jul-46
1709-1	1128-A	MS 480-7	Bob Stanley and Orchestra	Won't Somebody Buy My Violets—Tango (La Violetera)	Feb-46	Jul-46
1710-2	1127-B	MS 480-6	Bob Stanley and Orchestra	When You Wore a Tulip - Fox Trot (And I Wore a Big Red Rose)	Feb-46	Jul-46
1711-2	1126-A	MS 480-3	Bob Stanley and Orchestra	Tangerine - Fox Trot	Feb-46	Jul-46
1712-2	1126-B	MS 480-4	Bob Stanley and Orchestra	Love Sends a Little Gift of Roses - Waltz	Feb-46	Jul-46
1713-1	1128-B	MS 480-8	Bob Stanley and Orchestra	Lilacs in the Rain - Fox Trot	Feb-46	Jul-46

1715-2	3007-B		Jerry Wald and His Orchestra \| Vocal - Anne Russell	They Say It's Wonderful	Feb-46	May-46

1717-2	3007-A		Jerry Wald and His Orchestra \| Vocal - Anne Russell	Laughing on the Outside (Crying on the Inside)	Feb-46	May-46
1718-2	H 7008-A		Fred Kirby of W B T's Briarhoppers With Orch. Accomp.	Atomic Power	Feb-46	May-46
1719-2	H 7009-A		Fred Kirby of W B T's Briarhoppers With Orch. Accomp.	My War-Torn Heart	Feb-46	Jul-46
1720-2	H 7008-B		Fred Kirby of W B T's Briarhoppers With Orch. Accomp.	Honey Be My Honey Bee (The Honey Bee Song)	Feb-46	May-46
1721-2	H 7009-B		Fred Kirby of W B T's Briarhoppers With Orch. Accomp.	I've Been a Fool Too Often and Too Long	Feb-46	Jul-46
1722-2	H 7010-A		The Moore Sisters With Orch. Accomp.	I Want to Be a Cowboy's Sweetheart	Feb-46	Apr-46
1723-2	H 7011-B		The Moore Sisters With Orch. Accomp.	Chime Bells	Feb-46	Apr-46
1724-2	H 7010-B		The Moore Sisters With Orch. Accomp.	Ridin' Down That Old Texas Trail	Feb-46	Apr-46
1725-2	H 7011-A		The Moore Sisters With Orch. Accomp.	Palace in Dallas	Feb-46	Apr-46
1726-2	3015-B		Bob Stanley and Orchestra	Carolina Moon	Mar-46	Jun-46
1727-2	3015-A		Bob Stanley and Orchestra	Meet Me Tonight in Dreamland	Mar-46	Jun-46
1728-2	3009-B		Bob Stanley and Orchestra	Girl of My Dreams	Mar-46
1729-2	3009-A		Bob Stanley and Orchestra	Till We Meet Again	Mar-46
1730-2	H 7012-B		Jesse Rogers With Orch. Accomp.	I Love the Name of Texas	Mar-46
1731-2	H 7012-A		Jesse Rogers With Orch. Accomp.	When the Sun Goes Down	Mar-46
1732-2	H 7013-B		Jesse Rogers With Orch. Accomp.	When It's Sundown in Old San Antonio	Mar-46	Jul-46
1733-2	H 7013-A		Jesse Rogers With Orch. Accomp.	He's Tall in the Saddle	Mar-46	Jul-46
1734-2	1131-A	MS 481-5	Jesse Rogers With Orch. Accomp.	The Cattle Call	Mar-46
1735-2	1130-A	MS 481-3	Jesse Rogers With Orch. Accomp.	The Yellow Rose of Texas	Mar-46
1736-1	1129-A	MS 481-1	Jesse Rogers With Orch. Accomp.	Ridin' down the Canyon	Mar-46
1737-1	1132-A	MS 481-7	Jesse Rogers With Orch. Accomp.	When the Bloom Is on the Sage	Mar-46
1738-2	H 7014-A		Jesse Rogers With Orch. Accomp.	Cowboy's Heaven	Mar-46
1739-2	1131-B	MS 481-6	Jesse Rogers With Orch. Accomp.	Back in the Saddle Again	Mar-46	Jul-46
1740-1	1132-B	MS 481-8	Jesse Rogers With Orch. Accomp.	Roll Along Prairie Moon	Mar-46
1741-2	1130-B	MS 481-4	Jesse Rogers With Orch. Accomp.	Patent Leather Boots	Mar-46
1742-2	1129 B	MS 481-2	Jesse Rogers With Orch. Accomp.	Old Conestoga Wagon	Mar-46
1743-2	H 7014-B		Jesse Rogers With Orch. Accomp.	My Lop-Eared Mule	Mar-46	Jul-46
1744-3	H 7016-A		The Carolina Playboys \| Vocal with Accomp.	I Can't Believe It's True	Apr-46	Jul-46
1745-3	H 7017-B		The Carolina Playboys \| Vocal with Accomp.	So Long to My Little Ole Homestead	Apr-46	Jul-46
1746-2	H 7015-B		The Carolina Playboys \| Vocal with Accomp.	Forget & Forgive	Apr-46	Jul-46
1747-2	H 7017-A		The Carolina Playboys \| Vocal with Accomp.	I'll Get You Back Somehow	Apr-46	Jul-46
1748-2	H 7015-A		The Carolina Playboys \| Vocal with Accomp.	Let's Be Sweethearts Again	Apr-46	Jul-46
1749-2	H 7018-A		The Carolina Playboys \| Vocal with Accomp.	Don't Cry over Me When I'm Gone	Apr-46	Jul-46
1750-1	H 7016-B		The Carolina Playboys \| Vocal with Accomp.	Baby You Gotta Quit That Noise	Apr-46	Jul-46
1751-2	H 7018-B		The Carolina Playboys \| Vocal with Accomp.	It Makes No Never Mind	Apr-46	Jul-46
1752-2	1139-A	MS 483-7	The Singing Sentinels	"Long, Long Ago \| Hoosen Johnny \| Skip to My Lou"	Apr-46	Jul-46
1753-3	1136-B	MS 483-2	The Singing Sentinels	Lonesome Road \| Colorado Trail	Apr-46	Jul-46
1754-2	1139-B	MS 483-8	The Singing Sentinels	Blue Tail Fly	Apr-46	Jul-46
1755-2	1138-A	MS 483-5	The Singing Sentinels	Brass Wagon \| Wait for the Wagon	Apr-46	Jul-46
1756-2	1137-A	MS 483-3	The Singing Sentinels	Down Moblie \| Way Down Yonder in the Cornfield	Apr-46	Jul-46
1757-2	1137-B	MS 483-4	The Singing Sentinels	Old Aunt Jemima \| Dinah's in the Kitchen \| I Told Her That I Loved Her in the Moonlight	Apr-46	Jul-46
1758-2	1138-B	MS 483-6	The Singing Sentinels	My Lord What a Mawnin' \| Golden Slippers	Apr-46	Jul-46
1759-2	1136-A	MS 483-1	The Singing Sentinels	Desert Blue & Silver	Apr-46	Jul-46
1760-1	H 7019-B		The Moore Sisters	The Cowpunchers' Waltz	May-46	Jul-46
1761-2	H 7019-A		The Moore Sisters	Boogie Woogie Cowboy	May-46	Jul-46
1762-2	H 7020-B		The Moore Sisters	Heart in the Heart of Texas	May-46	Jul-46
1763-2	H 7020-A		The Moore Sisters	Goin' Down to Santa Fe Town	May-46	Jul-46








1772-2	3012-A		The Velvetones	It Just Ain't Right	May-46	Jul-46
1773-2	3012-B		The Velvetones	Reverse the Charges	May-46	Jul-46
1774-2	3010-B		The Velvetones	It's Written All Over Your Face	May-46	Jul-46
1775-2	3010-A		The Velvetones	Pittsburgh Joe	May-46	Jul-46
1776-1	3017-A		Bob Chester and His Orchestra \| Vocal - Lou Gardner	"Linger in My Arms a Little Longer, Baby"	May-46	Aug-46
1777-1	3011-A		Bob Chester and his Orchestra \| Vocal - Lou Gardner	Surrender	May-46	Jul-46
1778-2	3017-B		Bob Chester and His Orchestra \| Vocal - Peter Dean	Short Talk	May-46	Aug-46
1779-1	3011-B		Bob Chester and his Orchestra \| Vocal - Lou Gardner	If You Were the Only Girl	May-46	Jul-46
1780-1	1133-B	MS 482-2	Uncle Don	Kilkenny Cats-For Want of a Nail-Solomon Grundy-A Week of Birthdays-The King of Cannibal Islands
1781-2	1133-A	MS 482-1	Uncle Don	Queen of Hearts-I Love Sixpence-The Vegetable Song
1782-1	1135-A	MS 482-5	Uncle Don	There Was a Man in Our Town-Punch and Judy-This Is the House that Jack Built
1783-1	1134-B	MS 482-4	Uncle Don	Sleeping-I Had a Little Pony-Little Fred-Dance to Your Daddy-The Clock-Fingernails
1784-2	1134-A	MS 482-3	Uncle Don	The Old Woman and the Peddler-Ding Dong Bell-Jenny Wren
1785-1	1135-B	MS 482-6	Uncle Don	Clever Hen-Come out to Play-Baby Doll-Boy and the Sparrow-One I Love-Ride Away
1786-1	1142-A	MS 484-5	Sonora Chapel Choir Under Direction of Eugene Mott	Lead Kindly Light \| Nearer My God to Thee		Jul-46
1787-1	1142-B	MS 484-6	Sonora Chapel Choir Under Direction of Eugene Mott	Rock of Ages \| A Mighty Fortress		Jul-46
1788-1	1141-A	MS 484-3	Sonora Chapel Choir Under Direction of Eugene Mott	Abide with Me \| Now the Day Is Over		Jul-46
1789-						Jul-46
1790-2	1143-A	MS 484-7	Sonora Chapel Choir Under Direction of Eugene Mott	"Holy, Holy, Holy \| Come Thou Almighty King"		Jul-46
1791-2	1141-B	MS 484-4	Sonora Chapel Choir Under Direction of Eugene Mott	Crown Him with Many Crowns \| Saviour Again to Thy Dear Name We Raise		Jul-46
1792-2	1140-A	MS 484-1	"Sonora Chapel Choir Under Direction of Eugene Mott (John Herrick, Solo)"	O Love That Will Not Let Me Go \| The Church's One Foundation		Jul-46
1793-1	1140-B	MS 484-2	Sonora Chapel Choir Under Direction of Eugene Mott	Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory \| Onward Christian Soldiers		Jul-46
1794-1	1143-B	MS 484-8	Sonora Chapel Choir Under Direction of Eugene Mott	O Beautiful for Spacious Skies \| Faith of Our Fathers		Jul-46
1795-2	1144-A	MS 485-1	Written and Directed by Jules Werner \| Music Composed and Directed By Paul Creston	Tick-Tock-Tale 1		Oct-46
1796-2	1145-A	MS 485-2	Written and Directed by Jules Werner \| Music Composed and Directed By Paul Creston	Tick-Tock-Tale 2		Oct-46
1797-1	1146-A	MS 485-3	Written and Directed by Jules Werner \| Music Composed and Directed By Paul Creston	Tick-Tock-Tale 3		Oct-46
1798-1	1146-B	MS 485-4	Written and Directed by Jules Werner \| Music Composed and Directed By Paul Creston	Tick-Tock-Tale 4		Oct-46
1799-1	1145-B	MS 485-5	Written and Directed by Jules Werner \| Music Composed and Directed By Paul Creston	Tick-Tock-Tale 5		Oct-46
1800-1	1144-B	MS 485-6	Written and Directed by Jules Werner \| Music Composed and Directed By Paul Creston	Tick-Tock-Tale 6		Oct-46
1801-2	1147-A	MS 486-1	Lyn Duddy Swing Choir Featuring Joan Lazer and Richard Leone \| Orchestra Directed by Archie Bleyer	Jack and the Beanstalk Part 1	Jul-46	Oct-46
1802-2	1148-A	MS 486-3	Lyn Duddy Swing Choir Featuring Joan Lazer and Richard Leone \| Orchestra Directed by Archie Bleyer	Jack and the Beanstalk Part 2	Jul-46	Oct-46
1803-2	1149-A	MS 486-5	Lyn Duddy Swing Choir Featuring Joan Lazer and Richard Leone \| Orchestra Directed by Archie Bleyer	Jack and the Beanstalk Part 3	Jul-46	Oct-46


1806-2	1150-B	MS 486-8	Lyn Duddy Swing Choir Featuring Joan Lazer \| Orchestra Directed by Archie Bleyer	Cinderella Part 2	Jul-46	Oct-46


1809-2	3014-A		Jerry Wald and His Orchestra \| Vocal - Mary Nash	Your Conscience Tells You	Jul-46	Sep-46
1810-2	3014-B		Jerry Wald and His Orchestra \| Vocal - Mary Nash	Lazy Lullaby	Jul-46	Sep-46
1811-1	3016-A		Jerry Wald Orchestra	Diga Diga Doo	Jul-46
1812-2	3016-B		Jerry Wald Orchestra	Rumba Fantasy	Jul-46
1813-2	H 7022-A		Hal Horton With Orch. Accomp.	Dreamy Rio Grande	Jul-46	Aug-46
1814-1	H 7022-B		Hal Horton With Orch. Accomp.	Rhythm in the Hills	Jul-46	Aug-46
1815-2	H 7025-B		Hal Horton With Orch. Accomp.	Gotta Get Together with My Gal	Jul-46	Aug-46
1816-1	H 7025-A		Hal Horton With Orch. Accomp.	Blue Texas Moonlight	Jul-46	Aug-46
1817-2	3013-A		Jerry Sellers With Orch. Under Direction of David Rhodes	Somewhere in the Night	Jul-46	Aug-46
1818-2	3013-B		Jerry Sellers With Orch. Under Direction of David Rhodes	This Is Always	Jul-46	Aug-46
1819-1	3019-B		Jerry Sellers With Orch. Under Direction of David Rhodes	Smart Little Fool	Jul-46	Sep-46
1820-1	3019-A		Jerry Sellers With Orch. Under Direction of David Rhodes	I Get the Blues When It Rains	Jul-46	Sep-46
1821-3	3021-B		Joe Biviano Quintette	Honeysuckle Rose	Jul-46	Sep-46
1822-1	3023-A		Joe Biviano Quintette	Bugle Call Rag	Jul-46	Aug-46
1823-3	3023-B		Joe Biviano Quintette	Stumbling	Jul-46	Aug-46
1824-2	3021-A		Joe Biviano Quintette	Copenhagen	Jul-46	Sep-46
1825-2	3029-B		Saxie Dowell and His Orchestra \| Vocal—Saxie Dowell	"She Told Him Emphatically ""No!"""	Jul-46	Aug-46
1826-2	3029-A		Saxie Dowell and His Orchestra \| Vocal—Saxie Dowell	Rugged but Right	Jul-46	Aug-46
1827-1	3026-A		Saxie Dowell and His Orchestra \| Vocal—Don Grady	The Old Lamp-Lighter	Jul-46	Aug-46

1829-1	1149-B	MS 486-6	Lyn Duddy Swing Choir Featuring Joan Lazer and Richard Leone \| Orchestra Directed by Archie Bleyer	Hansel and Gretel Part 1	Jul-46	Oct-46
1830-2	1148-B	MS 486-4	Lyn Duddy Swing Choir Featuring Joan Lazer and Richard Leone \| Orchestra Directed by Archie Bleyer	Hansel and Gretel Part 2	Jul-46	Oct-46
1831-3	1147-B	MS 486-2	Lyn Duddy Swing Choir Featuring Joan Lazer and Richard Leone \| Orchestra Directed by Archie Bleyer	Hansel and Gretel Part 3	Jul-46	Oct-46
1832-1	1150-A	MS 486-7	Lyn Duddy Swing Choir Featuring Joan Lazer \| Orchestra Directed by Archie Bleyer	Cinderella Part 1	Jul-46	Oct-46
1833-2	1154-B	MS 487-8	Jimmy and Mildred Mulcay \| Harmonica Virtuosi Accomp. by Murray Kellner and Orchestra	Mildred's Boogie	Aug-46	Oct-46
1834-1	1154-A	MS 487-7	Jimmy and Mildred Mulcay \| Harmonica Virtuosi Accomp. by Murray Kellner and Orchestra	Swanee River (Old Folks at Home)	Aug-46	Oct-46
1835-2	1151-A	MS 487-1	Jimmy and Mildred Mulcay \| Harmonica Virtuosi Accomp. by Murray Kellner and Orchestra	Blue Skies	Aug-46	Oct-46
1836-2	1151-B	MS 487-2	Jimmy and Mildred Mulcay \| Harmonica Virtuosi Accomp. by Murray Kellner and Orchestra	Tabú	Aug-46	Oct-46
1837-1	1153-B	MS 487-6	Jimmy and Mildred Mulcay \| Harmonica Virtuosi Accomp. by Murray Kellner and Orchestra	I Surrender, Dear	Aug-46	Oct-46
1838-2	1153-A	MS 487-5	Jimmy and Mildred Mulcay \| Harmonica Virtuosi Accomp. by Murray Kellner and Orchestra	St. Louis Blues	Aug-46	Oct-46
1839-2	1152-B	MS 487-4	Jimmy and Mildred Mulcay \| Harmonica Virtuosi Accomp. by Murray Kellner and Orchestra	Malagueña	Aug-46	Oct-46
1840-1	1152-A	MS 487-3	Jimmy and Mildred Mulcay \| Harmonica Virtuosi Accomp. by Murray Kellner and Orchestra	Tiger Rag	Aug-46	Oct-46
1841-2	1158-A	MS 489-1	Murray Kellner and Orchestra	Singin' in the Rain	Aug-46	Oct-46
1846-2	1158-B	MS 489-2	Murray Kellner and Orchestra	Let a Smile Be Your Umbrella (On a Rainy Day)	Aug-46	Oct-46
1842-1	1159-A	MS 489-3	Murray Kellner and Orchestra	Rain	Aug-46	Oct-46
1845-1	1159-B	MS 489-4	Murray Kellner and Orchestra	Autumn Showers	Aug-46	Oct-46
1842-2	1160-A	MS 489-5	Murray Kellner and Orchestra	April Showers	Aug-46	Oct-46
1847-2	1160-B	MS 489-6	Murray Kellner and Orchestra	Over the Rainbow	Aug-46	Oct-46
1844-1	1161-A	MS 489-7	Murray Kellner and Orchestra	Call Me on Some Rainy Afternoon	Aug-46	Oct-46
1848-2	1161-B	MS 489-8	Murray Kellner and Orchestra	Look for the Silver Lining	Aug-46	Oct-46
1849-2	100-B		Clyde Bernhardt and his Blue Blazers \| Vocal - Clyde Bernhardt	Sweet Jam Jam	Sep-46	Oct-46
1850-1	100-A		Clyde Bernhardt and his Blue Blazers \| Vocal - Clyde Bernhardt	Triflin' Woman Blues	Sep-46	Oct-46
1851-1	101-A		Clyde Bernhardt and his Blue Blazers \| Vocal - Clyde Bernhardt	Lay Your Habits Down	Sep-46	Oct-46
1852-2	101-B		Clyde Bernhardt and his Blue Blazers \| Vocal - Clyde Bernhardt	Would You Do Me a Favor	Sep-46	Oct-46
1853-2	3018-B		Bob Chester and His Orchestra \| Vocal - Lou Gardner	Someday (You'll Want Me to Want You)	Sep-46
1854-2	3018-A		Bob Chester and his Orchestra	The Octave Jump	Sep-46


1857-1	3027-B		Coieman Hawkins and Orch.	I Mean You	Sep-46	Oct-46
1858-2	3024-B		Coieman Hawkins and Orch.	Bean and the Boys	Sep-46	Nov-46
1859-1	3027-A		Coieman Hawkins and Orch.	You Go to My Head	Sep-46	Oct-46
1860-1	3024-A		Coieman Hawkins and Orch.	Cocktails for Two	Sep-46	Nov-46
1861-2	3028-A		Griff Williams and his Orchestra \| Vocal - Bob Kirk	There Is No Breeze (To Cool the Flame of Love)	Sep-46	Oct-46
1862-2	3028-B		Griff Williams and his Orchestra \| Vocal - Walter King	Do It Again	Sep-46	Oct-46
1863-2	3022-A		Griff Williams and his Orchestra \| Vocal - Bob Kirk	Bless You (For Being an Angel)	Sep-46	Oct-46
1864-2	3022-B		Griff Williams and his Orchestra \| Vocal - Bob Kirk	Among My Souvenirs	Sep-46	Oct-46
1865-1	H 7029-A		Stu Davis and the Northwesters	What a Fool I Was	Sep-46


1868-3	H 7029-B		Stu Davis and the Northwesters	Crossroads	Sep-46
1869-2	H 6000-B		Jerry & Sky and the Melody Men	Troubles in My Heart	Sep-46	Feb-47
1870-2	H 6001-B		Jerry & Sky and the Melody Men	Left by the Wayside	Sep-46	Mar-47
1871-1	H 6001-A		Jerry & Sky and the Melody Men	Am I Still P-A-R-T of Your H-E-A-R-T?	Sep-46	Mar-47
1872-1	H 6000-A		Jerry & Sky and the Melody Men	Sparkling Brown Eyes	Sep-46	Feb-47

1874-1	3025-B		Maya and his Rhumba Ambassadors \| Vocal - Hector Rivera	Por Causa de las Muieres [sic]	Sep-46	Jan-47

1876-1	3025-A		Maya and his Rhumba Ambassadors \| Vocal - Hector Rivera	"Cu-Tu-Gu-Ru (Jack, Jack, Jack!)"	Sep-46	Jan-47
1877-3	H 7027-B		Stu Davis and the Northwesters	"Darlin', Now I Know the Reason Why"	Sep-46
1878-2	H 7027-A		Stu Davis and the Northwesters	"Land, Sky and Water"	Sep-46
1879-2	H 7024-A		Stu Davis and the Northwesters	I Tipped My Hat and Slowly Rode Away	Sep-46	Nov-46
1880-2	H 7024-B		Stu Davis and the Northwesters	I Can Beat You Doin' (What You're Doin' to Me)	Sep-46	Nov-46
1881-2	103-A		Dud Bascomb and Orchestra \| Vocal - Merle Turner	Just One More Chance	Sep-46	Nov-46
1882-2	103-B		Dud Bascomb and Orchestra	"Not Bad, Bascomb"	Sep-46	Nov-46
1883-3	105-A		Dud Bascomb and Orchestra	That's My Home	Sep-46	Feb-47
1884-1	105-B		Dud Bascomb and Orchestra	Late Hour Rock	Sep-46	Feb-47
1885-2	H 7030-A		Alice Cornett with the Glory Road Travelers	The Old Rugged Cross	Oct-46

1887-1	H 7030-B		Alice Cornett with the Glory Road Travelers	Jesus Hold My Hand	Oct-46

1889-2	H 7028-B		The Moore Sisters with the Big Buckaroos	I Betcha My Heart I Love You	Oct-46	Nov-46
1890-2	H 7028-A		The Moore Sisters with the Big Buckaroos	Choo Choo Ch'Boogie	Oct-46	Nov-46
1891-2	H 7033-A		The Moore Sisters with the Big Buckaroos	Inflation	Oct-46	Jan-47
1892-1	H 7035-B		The Moore Sisters with the Big Buckaroos	Ida-Idaho	Oct-46	Feb-47
1893-2	H 7033-B		The Moore Sisters with the Big Buckaroos	Rose of the Alamo	Oct-46	Jan-47
1894-1	H 7031-A		The Moore Sisters with the Big Buckaroos	Missouri	Oct-46	Dec-46
1895-1	H 7031-B		The Moore Sisters with the Big Buckaroos	Blueberry Lane	Oct-46	Dec-46
1896-1	H 7035-A		The Moore Sisters with the Big Buckaroos	Met a Texas Gal (In Cal-i-for-ni-a)	Oct-46	Feb-47
1897-1	1166-B	MS 490-4	D'Artega and His Orchestra	Tschaikowsky's Fifth Sympony	Oct-46	May-47
1898-1	1166-A	MS 490-3	D'Artega and His Orchestra \| Vocal-Tony Russo \| Trombone-Will Bradley	Beware My Heart	Oct-46	May-47
1899-2	1165-A	MS 490-1	D'Artega and His Orchestra \| Piano-Milton Kaye	Tschaikowky's Piano Concerto	Oct-46	May-47
1900-2	1167-B	MS 490-6	D'Artega and His Orchestra \| Piano-Milton Kaye	Fire Dance	Oct-46	May-47
1901-1	3033-B		Stanislaw Mroczek and his Orchestra	Beggar's Polka	Oct-46
1902-1	3030-B		Stanislaw Mroczek and his Orchestra	Polka to the Left	Oct-46	Feb-47
1903-1	3033-A		Stanislaw Mroczek and his Orchestra	Accordion Polka	Oct-46
1904-1	3030-A		Stanislaw Mroczek and his Orchestra	Warsaw Polka	Oct-46	Feb-47
1905-1	1165-B	MS 490-2	D'Artega and His Orchestra \| Trombone-Will Bradley \| Trumpet-Charles Margulies	My Heart at Thy Sweet Voice	Oct-46	May-47
1906-1	1168-A	MS 490-7	D'Artega and His Orchestra	Brown Danube	Oct-46	May-47
1907-2	1168-B	MS 490-8	D'Artega and His Orchestra \| Vocal-Tony Russo	Night of Memories	Oct-46	May-47
1908-2	1167-A	MS 490-5	D'Artega and His Orchestra \| Violin-Jacques Margolies	Tschaikowsky's Violin Concerto	Oct-46	May-47
1909-	1172-A	MS 493-7	H. Leopold Spitalny and Orchestra	Pomp and Circumstance	Oct-46	Mar-47
1910-	1172-B	MS 493-8	H. Leopold Spitalny and Orchestra	Torna a Sorriento	Oct-46	Mar-47
1911-	1170-B	MS 493-4	H. Leopold Spitalny and Orchestra	Norwegian Dance #2	Oct-46	Mar-47
1912-1	1170-A	MS 493-3	H. Leopold Spitalny and Orchestra	Meadowlands	Oct-46	Mar-47
1913-1	1171-A	MS 493-5	H. Leopold Spitalny and Orchestra	Hora Staccato	Oct-46	Mar-47
1914-	1171-B	MS 493-6	H. Leopold Spitalny and Orchestra	Frere Jacques	Oct-46	Mar-47
1915-	1169-A	MS 493-1	H. Leopold Spitalny and Orchestra	Para Mia	Oct-46	Mar-47
1916-	1169-B	MS 493-2	H. Leopold Spitalny and Orchestra	Vienna City of My Dreams	Oct-46	Mar-47
1917-1	3034-A		Ray Anthony and his Orchestra \| Vocal - Billy Johnson	I'll Close My Eyes	Oct-46	Nov-46
1918-1	3034-B		Ray Anthony and his Orchestra \| Vocal by Ensemble	Margie	Oct-46	Nov-46
1919-1	3037-B		Ray Anthony and his Orchestra \| Vocal - Dee Keating	Please Be Kind	Oct-46	Nov-46
1920-1	3037-A		Ray Anthony and his Orchestra \| Vocal - Billy Johnson	Isn't This Better than Walkin' in the Rain	Oct-46	Nov-46
1921-2	102-B		Sonny Williams\|Eddie Barefield and His Quintette	What's Mine Is Mine	Oct-46
1922-1	102-A		Sonny Williams\|Eddie Barefield and His Quintette	That Ain't Right (To Boogie on Sunday)	Oct-46
1923-1	104-A		Eddie Barefield and his Quintette	After Hours	Oct-46
1924-2	104-B		Eddie Barefield and his Quintette	Three Buckets-o-Jive	Oct-46
1925-1	H 7036-A		Jesse Rogers—The Saddle Sweethearts Accomp. by the Pecos Pioneers	"Tomorrow, You'll Be Sorry That You Broke My Heart Today"	Nov-46

1927-1	H 7032-B		Jesse Rogers and the Pecos Pioneers	Days Are Long—Nights Are Lonely	Nov-46
1928-1	H 7036-B		Jesse Rogers—The Saddle Sweethearts Accomp. by the Pecos Pioneers	Mary from Maryland	Nov-46
1929-1	1155-A	MS 488-1	Uncle Don	Bus Trip to the the Zoo \| Visit with the Giraffe	Nov-46
1930-1	1155-B	MS 488-2	Uncle Don	The Ostrich	Nov-46
1931-1	1156-A	MS 488-3	Uncle Don	The Polar Bear \| The Kangaroo	Nov-46
1932-1	1156-B	MS 488-4	Uncle Don	The Lions \| The Monkeys	Nov-46
1933-1	1157-A	MS 488-5	Uncle Don	The Elephant \| The Camel	Nov-46
1934-1	1157-B	MS 488-6	Uncle Don	The Seals	Nov-46

1936-1	3036-A		Saxie Dowell and His Orch. \| Vocal - Suzanne Shepard Don Grady	It's Dreamtime	Nov-46	Jan-47
1937-2	3036-B		Saxie Dowell and His Orch. \| Vocal - Saxie Dowell	All I've Got Is Me	Nov-46	Jan-47

1939-1	H 7037-B		Fred Kirby of W B T's Briarhoppers and The Mountaineers	My Little Boy Blue	Dec-46	Apr-47


1942-1	H 7023-A		Fred Kirby of W B T's Briarhoppers and The Mountaineers	That's How Much I Love You	Dec-46
1943-1	H 7040-A		Fred Kirby of W B T's Briarhoppers and The Mountaineers	Two Double X	Dec-46
1944-1	H 7037-A		Fred Kirby of W B T's Briarhoppers and The Mountaineers	Boogie Woogie Farmer	Dec-46	Apr-47
1945-1	H 7040-B		Fred Kirby of W B T's Briarhoppers and The Mountaineers	Ages and Ages Ago	Dec-46
1946-1	H 7023-B		Fred Kirby of W B T's Briarhoppers and The Mountaineers	After All These Years	Dec-46
1947-1	H 7044-A		The Carolina Playboys \| Vocal with Accomp.	Nobody's Love Is like Mine	Dec-46	Apr-47
1948-1	H 7026-B		The Carolina Playboys \| Vocal with Accomp.	I Love You Mary Lou	Dec-46	Jan-47
1949-1	H 7042-A		The Carolina Playboys \| Vocal with Accomp.	I Traded My Soul for a Rose	Dec-46	Apr-47
1950-1	H 7038-B		The Carolina Playboys \| Vocal with Accomp.	You My Love Will Have to Pay	Dec-46	Mar-47
1951-1	H 7026-A		The Carolina Playboys \| Vocal with Accomp.	Divorce Me C. O. D.	Dec-46	Jan-47
1952-1	H 7039-B		The Carolina Playboys \| Vocal with Accomp.	I've Got a Feeling Somebody's Stealing My Darling	Dec-46	Jan-47
1953-1	H 7044-B		The Carolina Playboys \| Vocal with Accomp.	All I Have Is Love	Dec-46	Apr-47
1954-1	H 7042-B		The Carolina Playboys \| Vocal with Accomp.	Then You'll Be the One to Cry	Dec-46	Apr-47
1955-1	H 7038-A		The Carolina Playboys \| Vocal with Accomp.	I'd Trade All My Tomorrows	Dec-46	Mar-47
1956-1	H 7041-A		The Carolina Playboys \| Vocal with accomp.	Headin' Home	Dec-46	Apr-47
1957-1	H 7039-A		The Carolina Playboys \| Vocal with Accomp.	It Takes a Long Tall Brownskin Gal	Dec-46	Jan-47
1958-1	H 7041-B		The Carolina Playboys \| Vocal with accomp.	Is There Somebody Else?	Dec-46	Apr-47
1959-1	500-A		Snub Mosley and Orch. \| Vocal - Snub Mosley	You and the Devil	Dec-46	Feb-47
1960-1	501-B		Snub Mosley and Orch. \| Vocal by Ensemble	Snub's Boogie	Dec-46	Mar-47
1961-1	500-B		Snub Mosley and Orch.	Hinkty Man	Dec-46	Feb-47
1962-1	501-A		Snub Mosley and Orch. \| Vocal - Snub Mosley	Blues at High Noon	Dec-46	Mar-47
1963-2	3035-A		The Gordon Trio \| Music with Personality	Caravan	Dec-46	Jan-47
1964-1	3035-B		The Gordon Trio \| Music with Personality	Lullaby of the Leaves	Dec-46	Jan-47
1965-1	3032-B		The Gordon Trio \| Music with Personality	Jealous	Dec-46	Jan-47
1966-1	3032-A		The Gordon Trio \| Music with Personality	"Managua, Nicaragua"	Dec-46	Jan-47
1967-1	2001-B		Roy Smeck (Wizard of the Strings) and the Music Men	"My Little Grass Shack (In Kealakekua, Hawaii)"	Dec-46	Mar-47
1968-1	2000-B		Roy Smeck (Wizard of the Strings) and the Music Men	Steel Guitar Rag	Dec-46	Feb-47
1969-2	2000-A		Roy Smeck (Wizard of the Strings) and the Music Men \| Vocal - Bob Houston	Charmaine	Dec-46	Feb-47
1970-1	2001-A		Roy Smeck (Wizard of the Strings) and the Music Men \| Vocal by Bob Houston	The Anniversary Waltz	Dec-46	Mar-47

1972-1	3043-A		Bob Houston With Orch. Accomp.	How Are Things in Glocca Morra	Dec-46	Jan-47
1973-1	3043-B		Bob Houston With Orch. Accomp.	"Dream, Dream, Dream"	Dec-46	Jan-47
1974-1	3042-A		Bob Houston With Orch. Accomp.	The Man Who Paints the Rainbow in the Sky	Dec-46	Jan-47
1975-1	2002-A		George Towne and His Orch. (The Talk of the Town) \| Vocal - Mary Anne Wayne	You Can't See the Sun When You're Cryin'	Jan-47	Feb-47
1976-2	2002-B		George Towne and His Orch. (The Talk of the Town) \| Vocal - Mary Anne Wayne & Russell Drew	We Could Make Such Beautiful Music	Jan-47	Feb-47
1977-2	2004-B		George Towne and His Orch. (The Talk of the Town) \| Vocal - Russell Drew	Sonata	Jan-47	Feb-47
1978-1	2004-A		George Towne and His Orch. (The Talk of the Town) \| Vocal - Mary Anne Wayne & Russell Drew	Anniversary Song	Jan-47	Feb-47
1979-1	109-A		Clyde Bernhardt and his Blue Blazers \| Vocal - Clyde Bernhardt	Good Woman Blues	Jan-47	Mar-47
1980-1	106-B		Clyde Bernhardt and his Blue Blazers \| Vocal - Clyde Bernhardt	My Little Dog Got Kittens	Jan-47	Mar-47
1981-1	109-B		Clyde Bernhardt and his Blue Blazers \| Vocal - Clyde Bernhardt	If It's Any News to You	Jan-47	Mar-47
1982-1	106-A		Clyde Bernhardt and his Blue Blazers \| Vocal - Clyde Bernhardt	I'm Henpecked	Jan-47	Mar-47
1983-1	107-B		Jim Jam Trio	Jim Jam Boogie	Jan-47	Mar-47
1984-2	107-A		Jim Jam Trio	Riffin' Rufus	Jan-47	Mar-47
1985-	108-A		Jim Jam Trio	"I've Got Ya Covered, Mr. Buzzard"	Jan-47	Mar-47
1986-	108-B		Jim Jam Trio	Ev'ryday Blues	Jan-47	Mar-47





1992-1	2006-B		Bob Chester and his Orch. \| Vocal - Alan Foster	Roses in the Rain	Jan-47	Apr-47
1993-2	2006-A		Bob Chester and his Orch. \| Vocal - Alan Foster	Linda	Jan-47	Apr-47

1995-2	2007-A		Saxie Dowell and His Orch. \| Vocal - Don Grady	I Want to Thank Your Folks	Jan-47	Apr-47
1996-2	2009-A		Saxie Dowell and His Orch. \| Vocal - Don Grady	They Can't Convince Me	Jan-47	Apr-47
1997-1	2009-B		Saxie Dowell and His Orch. \| Vocal - Suzanne Shepard	I Can't Believe It Was All Make-Believe (Last Night)	Jan-47	Apr-47
1998-2	2007-B		Saxie Dowell and His Orch. \| Vocal - Saxie, Suzanne & Don	Sh-h, the Old Man's Sleepin'	Jan-47	Apr-47
1999-1	111-B		Snub Mosley and Orch. \| Vocal - Snub Mosley	You Went Too Far and Stayed Too Long	Jan-47	Sep-47
2000-1	111-A		Snub Mosley and Orch.	Social Drag	Jan-47	Sep-47
2001-1	110-B		Snub Mosley and Orch.	Herman's Boogie	Jan-47	Sep-47
2002-1	110-A		Snub Mosley and Orch.	Squash Head	Jan-47	Sep-47
2003-1	2010-A		Dick Todd with the Velvet-Tone Orch. Under the direction of D'Artega	If I Had My Life to Live Over	Jan-47	Apr-47
2004-1	2010-B		Dick Todd with the Velvet-Tone Orch. Under the direction of D'Artega	Ace in the Hole	Jan-47	Apr-47
2005-1	2011-A		Dick Todd with the Velvet-Tone Orch. Under the direction of D'Artega	The Egg and I	Jan-47	Apr-47
2006-2	2011-B		Dick Todd with the Velvet-Tone Orch. Under the direction of D'Artega	Oh! My Achin' Heart!	Jan-47	Apr-47
2007-	3038-A		Fred Kirby of W B T's Briarhoppers and The Mountaineers	The Wreck of the Old 97	Feb-47	Apr-47
2008-1	3040-A		Fred Kirby of W B T's Briarhoppers and The Mountaineers	Casey Jones (The Brave Engineer)	Feb-47	Jul-47
2009-1	3040-B		Fred Kirby of W B T's Briarhoppers and The Mountaineers	It's the Beginning of the End	Feb-47	Jul-47



2013-2	H 7045-B		Fred Kirby of W B T's Briarhoppers and The Mountaineers	The Chapel in the Hills	Feb-47	Sep-47

2015-1	1180-A	MS 492-7	D'Artega and Orch. \| Vocal-Jose y Socarras	Mama Inez	Feb-47	May-47
2016-1	1177-B	MS 492-2	D'Artega and Orch.	Tico Tico	Feb-47	May-47

2018-1	1179-A	MS 492-5	D'Artega and Orch. \| Vocal-Jose y Socarras	The Peanut Vendor	Feb-47	May-47
2019-1	1180-B	MS 492-8	D'Artega and Orch.	El Choclo	Feb-47	May-47
2020-	1178-A	MS 492-3	D'Artega and Orch.	A Media Luz	Feb-47	May-47
2021-1	1179-B	MS 492-6	D'Artega and Orch.	La Cumparsita	Feb-47	May-47
2022-	1177-A	MS 492-1	D'Artega and Orch. \| Vocal-Gloria Moreno	Green Eyes	Feb-47	May-47
2023-1	114-A		Eddie Barefield Quintette	Clara 'n Eddie	Feb-47	Sep-47
2024-1	112-A		Eddie Barefield Quintette	Clarinet Blues	Feb-47	Sep-47
2025-2	114-B		Eddie Barefield Quintette \| Vocal-Eddie Barefield	Right off the Ice	Feb-47	Sep-47
2026-1	112-B		Eddie Barefield Quintette	F' Taint One Thing It's Another	Feb-47	Sep-47
2027-2	2012-A		Hal Horton \| D'Artega Orch.	I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now	Feb-47	Apr-47
2028-2	2013-B		Hal Horton With Orchestra under direction of D'Artega	Pal in Palo Alto	Feb-47	Jul-47
2029-2	2013-A		Hal Horton With Orchestra under direction of D'Artega	All of Me	Feb-47	Jul-47
2030-1	2012-B		Hal Horton \| D'Artega Orch.	I Wish You the Best of Everything	Feb-47	Apr-47


2033-1	113-A		"""Baby Dee"" and Her Orchestra"	It Feels So Doggone Good	Feb-47	Jul-47
2034-1	113-B		"""Baby Dee"" and Her Orchestra"	Like He Never Loved Me Before	Feb-47	Jul-47
2035-1	2014-A		The Velvetones	Ask Anyone Who Knows	Feb-47	May-47
2036-1	2014-B		The Velvetones	"I Want Some Bread, I Said"	Feb-47	May-47
2037-1	2015-A		The Velvetones	Can You Look Me in the Eyes	Feb-47	Sep-47
2038-2	2015-B		The Velvetones	Don't Bring Me No News	Feb-47	Sep-47
2039-1	H 7047-B		Art Dixon and his Melody Mustangs	Don't Dog Me Around	Feb-47	Sep-47
2040-2	H 7047-A		Art Dixon and his Melody Mustangs	A Song That I Heard in Laredo	Feb-47	Sep-47


2043-1	2016-B		Roberta Lee With Orchestra under direction of D'Artega	Moanin' Low	Feb-47	May-47


2046-2	2016-A		Roberta Lee With Orchestra under direction of D'Artega	You Don't Learn That in School	Feb-47	May-47
2047-2	116-A		Milt Larkin and his Orch. \| Vocal - Milton Larkin	Bring the Money In	Feb-47	Sep-47


2050-1	116-B		Milt Larkin and his Orch. \| Vocal - Milton Larkin	Lovin' Woman Blues	Feb-47	Sep-47




2055-1	H 7051-B		Jerry & Sky	You Can't Go Wrong Doing Right	Feb-47	Oct-47
2056-	H 7049-B		Jerry & Sky	Goodbye My Lover Goodbye	Feb-47	Sep-47
2057-	H 7049-A		Jerry & Sky	No One Now	Feb-47	Sep-47
2058-1	H 7051-A		Jerry & Sky	Crying for You	Feb-47	Oct-47
2059-1	2018-A		Fred Meadows \| America's No. 1 Singing Waiter	When Your Old Wedding Ring Was New		Jun-47

2061-1	2018-B		Fred Meadows \| America's No. 1 Singing Waiter	When I Lost You		Jun-47

2063-	1182-A	MS 495-3	Bob Stanley and Orchestra \| Vocal-Joe Allen	Ramona		Jun-47
2064-	1183-A	MS 495-5	Bob Stanley and Orchestra	Wabash Moon		Jun-47
2065-	1181-A	MS 495-1	Bob Stanley and Orchestra	Three O'Clock in the Morning		Jun-47
2066-	1184-B	MS 495-8	Bob Stanley and Orchestra \| Vocal-Joe Allen	Wonderful One		Jun-47
2067-	1183-B	MS 495-6	Bob Stanley and Orchestra	The Waltz You Saved for Me		Jun-47
2068-	1182-B	MS 495-4	Bob Stanley and Orchestra \| Vocal-Joe Allen	Memory Lane		Jun-47
2069-	1184-A	MS 495-7	Bob Stanley and Orchestra \| Vocal-Joe Allen	My Moonlight Madonna		Jun-47
2070-	1181-B	MS 495-2	Bob Stanley and Orchestra \| Vocal-Joe Allen	Waiting		Jun-47
2071-1	1162 A	UD-1 1	Uncle Don	Birds and Bees
2072-1	1162 B	UD-1 1	Uncle Don	Circus Song


2075-2	2019-B		Ray Anthony and His Orchestra \| Vocal by Dee Keating and Billy Johnson	We Knew It All the Time		May-47
2076-1	2021-A		Ray Anthony	Meet Me at No Special Place		May-47
2077-1	2021-B		Ray Anthony	Would You Believe Me		May-47
2078-1	2019-A		Ray Anthony and His Orchestra \| Vocal by Dee Keating	That's My Desire		May-47
2079-1	1185-A	U D-2-1	Uncle Don	On the Farm: The Farmer Man Song \| My Dog Stubby
2080-1	1185-B	U D-2-1	Uncle Don	On the Farm: Lambs - Hen - Rooster - Turkey
2081-1	1186-A	U D-2-3	Uncle Don	On the Farm: Horse - Cat - Cow
2082-1	1186-B	U D-2-4	Uncle Don	On the Farm: Duckling - Frog - Pig
2083-1	1190-A	MS 491-8	Stanislaw Mroczek and Orchestra	Beer Barrel Polka (Roll Out the Barrel)
2084-1	1187-B	MS 491-2	Stanislaw Mroczek and Orchestra	Moonlight Polka
2085-1	1189-A	MS 491-5	Stanislaw Mroczek and Orchestra	Jolly Peter
2086-1	1188-B	MS 491-4	Stanislaw Mroczek and Orchestra	Polka Time
2087-1	1188-A	MS 491-3	Stanislaw Mroczek and Orchestra \| Vocal-Bob Douglas	Holka Polka
2088-1	1189-B	MS 491-6	Stanislaw Mroczek and Orchestra	Carousel Polka
2089-1	1187-A	MS 491-1	Stanislaw Mroczek and Orchestra	The Party Polka (Ev'rybody Laugh)
2090-1	1190-B	MS 491-7	Stanislaw Mroczek and Orchestra	Bell Polka

2092-1	2026-A		Roy Smeck (Wizard of the Strings) and the Music Men \| Vocal-Bob Houston	Sweet Leiliani		Jun-47
2093-	2027-		Roy Smeck (Wizard of the Strings) and the Music Men \| Vocal-Bob Houston	Mexicali Rose		Jul-47
2094-1	2026-B		Roy Smeck (Wizard of the Strings) and the Music Men \| Vocal-Bob Houston	The One Rose (That's Left in My Heart)		Jun-47


2097-1	2022-B		Ted Straeter & Orch. \| Vocal-Kitty Crawford	My Pretty Girl	Mar-47	Apr-47
2098-1	2022-A		Ted Straeter & Orch. \| Vocal-Ted Straeter & Ensemble	Mahzel (Means Good Luck)	Mar-47	Apr-47
2099-1	2025-B		George Towne and His Orch. (The Talk of the Town) \| Vocal-Mary Ann Wayne	I Want to Be Loved (But Only by You)	Mar-47	May-47

2101-1	2025-A		George Towne and His Orch. (The Talk of the Town) \| Vocal-Mary Ann Wayne	I Won't Be Home Anymore When You Call	Mar-47	May-47

2103-3	1193-B	MS 496-6	Ginny Simms and Orchestra	What Is This Thing Called Love	Mar-47	Oct-47
2104-2	3044-B		Ginny Simms and Orchestra	Wait'll I Get My Sunshine in the Moonlight	Mar-47	Jun-47
2105-2	1191-B	MS 496-2	Ginny Simms and Orchestra	You're the Top	Mar-47	Oct-47
2106-2	1194-B	MS 496-8	Ginny Simms and Orchestra	My Heart Belongs to Daddy	Mar-47	Oct-47
2107-3	1192-A	MS 496-3	Ginny Simms and Orchestra	Easy to Love	Mar-47	Oct-47
2108-2	3044-A		Ginny Simms and Orchestra	An Apple Blossom Wedding	Mar-47	Jun-47
2109-2	3045-B		Ginny Simms and Orchestra	On the Old Spanish Trail	Mar-47	Jun-47
2110-2	3045-A		Ginny Simms and Orchestra	(I've Been So Wrong for So Long—But) I'm So Right Tonight	Mar-47	Jun-47
2111-3	1191-A	MS 496-1	Ginny Simms and Orchestra	Night and Day	Mar-47	Oct-47
2112-2	1192-B	MS 496-4	Ginny Simms and Orchestra	Just One of Those Things	Mar-47	Oct-47
2113-4	1194-A	MS 496-7	Ginny Simms and Orchestra	I've Got You under My Skin	Mar-47	Oct-47
2114-3	1193-A	MS 496-5	Ginny Simms and Orchestra	I Get a Kick out of You	Mar-47	Oct-47
2115-3	1198-A	MS 497-7	The Goldman Band \| Edwin Franko Goldman Conductor	Anniversary March		Oct-47
2116-3	1197-B	MS 497-6	The Goldman Band \| Edwin Franko Goldman Conductor	Hail Brooklyn—March		Oct-47
2117-1	1196-A	MS 497-3	The Goldman Band \| Edwin Franko Goldman Conductor	Victory Day—March		Oct-47
2118-1	1198-B	MS 497-8	The Goldman Band \| Edwin Franko Goldman Conductor	Birthday March		Oct-47
2119-1	1197-A	MS 497-5	The Goldman Band \| Edwin Franko Goldman Conductor	O'er Land and Sea—March		Oct-47
2120-1	1196-B	MS 497-4	The Goldman Band \| Edwin Franko Goldman Conductor	World Peace—March		Oct-47
2121-1	1195-B	MS 497-2	The Goldman Band \| Edwin Franko Goldman Conductor	Kindergarten March		Oct-47
2122-1	1195-A	MS 497-1	The Goldman Band \| Edwin Franko Goldman Conductor	Bugles and Drums—March		Oct-47
2123-1	1199-A	UD3	An Airplane Trip with Uncle Don	To the Airport-Start of the Airplane Trip
2124-1	1199-B	UD3	An Airplane Trip with Uncle Don	New York City-New Jersey-Pennsylvania The Stewardess
2125-1	1200-A	UD3	An Airplane Trip with Uncle Don	Detroit-Chicago-The Plains-Rocky Mountains-Idaho-Hollywood, Calif.
2126-1	1200-B	UD3	An Airplane Trip with Uncle Don	Grand Canyon-Arizona-Texas-Mississippi-Florida-Virginia-Washington, D. C.
2127-3	1203-A	MS 498-5	The Gordon Trio \| Music with Personality	Whispering		Dec-47
2128-2	1204-A	MS 498-7	The Gordon Trio \| Music with Personality	My Little Girl		Dec-47
2129-2	1201-A	MS 498-1	The Gordon Trio \| Music with Personality	Memories		Dec-47
2130-1	1201-B	MS 498-2	The Gordon Trio \| Music with Personality	Carolina in the Morning		Dec-47
2131-3	1202-B	MS 498-4	The Gordon Trio \| Music with Personality	Valencia		Dec-47
2132-1	1202-A	MS 498-3	The Gordon Trio \| Music with Personality	Marie		Dec-47
2133-3	1204-B	MS 498-8	The Gordon Trio \| Music with Personality	You're the Cream in My Coffee		Dec-47
2134-3	1203-B	MS 498-6	The Gordon Trio \| Music with Personality	Button up Your Overcoat		Dec-47
2135-1	1207-B	"MS 499-6"	Ted Straeter \| his Piano and Orch.	You Do Something to Me		Feb-48






2142-2	1207-A	"MS 499-5"	Ted Straeter \| his Piano and The Straeter Singers \| vocal—Ted Straeter	The Most Beautiful Girl in the World		Feb-48

The 500 series was for material purchased after the Fall of 1945, from radio stations or radio networks.

Acknowledgments: Tyrone Settlemier's 78 rpm discography (see http://www.78discography.com/Sonora.htm) has been a helpful source for Sonoras we would otherwise have missed, in nearly every series but especially in the H 7000s. Our thanks to David Diehl for his help with the 4000 and 19000 series and G. P. Gennaro for his help with the 19000s. Settlemier's discographies for Masterpiece (http://www.78discography.com/Masterpiece.htm) and Royale (http://www.78discography.com/Royale1700.htm) have also helped us get our bearings. We are further indebted to Praguefrank and his circle of Country music specialists for information on most of the H 7000 artists and their releases.

Matrix	Sonora #	Album	Artist	Title	Recording Date	Release Date
121072	19001-A [Masterpiece 12001]	DA 251-1	Symphony Orchestra	Schubert \| Unfinished Symphony \| 1st Mvt: Allegro Moderato
121077	19001-B [Masterpiece 12001]	DA 251-6	Symphony Orchestra	Schubert \| Unfinished Symphony \| 2nd Mvt: Andante con moto concluded
121073	19002-A [Masterpiece 12002]	DA 251-2	Symphony Orchestra	Schubert \| Unfinished Symphony \| 1st Mvt: Allegro Moderato continued
121076	19002-B [Masterpiece 12002]	DA 251-5	Symphony Orchestra	Schubert \| Unfinished Symphony \| 2nd Mvt: Andante con moto continued
121074	19003-A [Masterpiece 12003]	DA 251-3	Symphony Orchestra	Schubert \| Unfinished Symphony \| 1st Mvt: Allegro Moderato concluded
121075	19003-B [Masterpiece 12003]	DA 251-4	Symphony Orchestra	Schubert \| Unfinished Symphony \| 2nd Mvt: Andante con moto
MM 867 A	19004-A [Masterpiece 12008]	DA 252-1	Havana Philharmonic Orchestra \| Massimo Freccia, Conductor	Nutcracker Suite (Tschaikowsky): Miniature Overture
MM 868 B	19005-A [Masterpiece 12009]	DA 252-2	Havana Philharmonic Orchestra \| Massimo Freccia, Conductor	Nutcracker Suite (Tschaikowsky): March Dance of the Fairy Dragee
MM 869 A	19006-A [Masterpiece 12010]	DA 252-3	"Havana Philharmonic Orchestra \| Massimo Freccia, Conductor"	Nutcracker Suite (Tschaikowsky): Russian Dance Arabian Dance
MM 870 A	19006-B [Masterpiece 12010]	DA 252-4	"Havana Philharmonic Orchestra \| Massimo Freccia, Conductor"	Nutcracker Suite (Tschaikowsky): Chinese Dance Dance of the Mirlitons
MM 871 B-2	19005-B [Masterpiece 12009]	DA 252-5	"Havana Philharmonic Orchestra \| Massimo Freccia, Conductor"	Nutcracker Suite (Tschaikowsky): Waltz of the Flowers (Part 1)
MM 872 A	19004-B [Masterpiece 12008]	DA 252-6	"Havana Philharmonic Orchestra \| Massimo Freccia, Conductor"	Nutcracker Suite (Tschaikowsky): Waltz of the Flowers (Part 2)
MM 1020 B	19007-A	DA 253-1	Symphony Orchestra	Concerto for Violin and Orchestra \| Mendelssohn \| 1st Mvt: Allegro molto appassionato
MM 1021 A	19008-A	DA 253-2	"Havana Philharmonic Orchestra \| Massimo Freccia, Conductor"	Concerto for Violin and Orchestra \| Mendelssohn \| 1st Mvt: Allegro molto appassionato continued
MM 1022 A	19009-A	DA 253-3	Symphony Orchestra	Concerto for Violin and Orchestra \| Mendelssohn \| 1st Mvt: Allegro molto appassionato concluded
MM 1023 A	19010-A	DA 253-4	Symphony Orchestra	Concerto for Violin and Orchestra \| Mendelssohn \| 2nd Mvt: Andante
MM 1024 A	19010-B	DA 253-5	Symphony Orchestra	Concerto for Violin and Orchestra \| Mendelssohn \| 2nd Mvt: Andante concluded
MM 1025 A	19009-B	DA 253-6	Symphony Orchestra	Concerto for Violin and Orchestra \| Mendelssohn \| 3rd Mvt: Allegro
MM 1026 A	19008-B	DA 253-7	"Havana Philharmonic Orchestra \| Massimo Freccia, Conductor"	Concerto for Violin and Orchestra \| Mendelssohn \| 3rd Mvt: Allegro concluded
MM 1061 A	19007-B	DA 253	Symphony Orchestra	Overture to the Marriage of Figaro \| Mozart
	19011-A [Masterpiece 12015]	DA 264		Rosamunde Overture \| Schubert
	19011-B [Masterpiece 12015]			Rosamunde Overture \| Schubert
	19012-A [Masterpiece 12017]			Poet and Peasant Overture \| Suppé
	19012-B [Masterpiece 12017]			Poet and Peasant Overture \| Suppé
	19013-A [Masterpiece 12016]			Merry Wives of Windsor Overture \| Nicolai
	19013-B [Masterpiece 12016]			Merry Wives of Windsor Overture \| Nicolai
	19014-A [Masterpiece 12019]	DA 265	Havana Philharmonic Orchestra \| Carlo Duchesna, Conductor	Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 (Liszt)
	19014-B [Masterpiece 12019]			Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 (Liszt)
	19015-A [Masterpiece 12018]			Dance of the Hours (Ponchielli)
	19015-B [Masterpiece 12018]			Dance of the Hours (Ponchielli)
	19016-A		Havana Philharmonic Orchestra \| Massimo Freccia, Conductor	Selections from Scheherezade (Rimsky-Korsakov)
	19016-B			Selections from Scheherezade (Rimsky-Korsakov)

Matrix	Sonora #	Album #	Artist	Title	Recording Date	Release Date
[prob. 1585-1]	S-1000 A [prob. Masterpiece 8505A]	M-355-1	American Concert Orchestra	The Blue Danube
[prob. 1586-1]	S-1000 B [prob. Masterpiece 8522A]	M-355-2	American Concert Orchestra	"Wine, Woman [sic] & Song \| Sweetheart Waltz"
[prob. 1594-1]	S-1001 A [prob. Masterpiece 8505B]	M-355-3	American Concert Orchestra	Tales from the Vienna Woods
[prob. 1592-1]	S-1001 B [prob. Masterpiece 8531B]	M-355-4	American Concert Orchestra	Southern Roses
[prob. 1591-1]	S-1002 A [prob. Masterpiece 8530B]	M-355-5	American Concert Orchestra	Artists' Life
[prob. 1594-1]	S-1002 B [prob. Masterpiece 8531A]	M-355-6	American Concert Orchestra	Voices of Spring
	S-1003 A [prob. Masterpiece 8529A]	M-355-7	American Concert Orchestra	Emperor Waltz
[prob. 1587-1]	S-1003 B [prob. Masterpiece 8530A]	M-355-8	American Concert Orchestra	Vienna Blood
		M-269	United Concert Ensemble	String Ensemble



	S-1006 A	M-269-5	United Concert Ensemble	Melody in F
	S-1006 B	M-269-6	United Concert Ensemble	Narcissus








		DA 266	Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra	Brahms





	S-1014	DA 267	Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra	Symphony No. 5 in E Minor (From the New World") \| Dvorak \| 1st Movement
	S-1014	DA 267	Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra	Humoresque \| Dvorak
	S-1015-A	DA 267	Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra	"Symphony No. 5 in E Minor (""From the New World"") \| Dvorak \| 2nd Movement Largo (excerpt)"
	S-1015-B	DA 267	Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra	Slavonic Dance No. 8 in G Minor \| Dvorak
	S-1016-A	DA 267	Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra	"Symphony No. 5 in E Minor (""From the New World"") \| Dvorak \| 3rd Scherzo Molto vivace (excerpt)"
	S-1016-B	DA 267	Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra	"Symphony No. 5 in E Minor (""From the New World"") \| Dvorak \| 4th Movement Allegro con fuoco (excerpt)"








	S-1021 A	DA 268-1	Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra	Symphony No. 8 in B Minor \| Schubert \| excerpt
	S-1021 B	DA 268-6	Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra	Ave Maria \| Schubert
	S-1022 A	DA 268-2	Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra	Symphony No. 8 in B Minor \| Schubert \| excerpt
	S-1022 B	DA 268-5	Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra	Symphony No. 5 in B Flat Major \| Schubert \| excerpt
	S-1023 A	DA 268-3	Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra	Serenade \| Schubert
	S-1023-B	DA 268-4	Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra	Symphony No. 5 in B Flat Major \| Schubert \| excerpt
	S-1024-A	DA 270	Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra	Symphony No. 5 in E Minor \| Tschaikowsky \| 2nd Movement - excerpt
	S-1024-B	DA 270	Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra	The Nutcracker Suite (Dance of the Flutes) \| Tschaikowsky
	S-1025-A	DA 270	Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra	Symphony No. 5 in E Minor \| Tschaikowsky \| 2nd Movement - excerpt
	S-1025-B	DA 270	Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra	The Nutcracker Suite (Waltz of the Flowers) \| Tschaikowsky
	S-1026-A	DA 270	Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra	Symphony No. 6 in B Minor (Pathªtique) \| Tschaikowsky \| 2nd Movement - excerpt
	S-1026-B	DA 270	Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra	The Nutcracker Suite (March) \| Tschaikowsky
	S-1027-A	DA 270	Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra	Sleeping Beauty Waltz \| Tschaikowsky
	S-1027-B	DA 270	Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra	The Nutcracker Suite (Overture) \| Tschaikowsky

Matrix	Release	Artist	Title	Recording Date	Release Date
1672-4	3000-A		Mark Warnow — Dick Todd \| Hit Parade Orch. and Chorus	All around the Xmas Tree	Sep-45	Nov-45
1673-2	3000-B		Mark Warnow — Dick Todd \| Hit Parade Orch. and Chorus	Happy Little Songs	Sep-45	Nov-45
1678-1	3001-A		Joe Biviano	Little Brown Jug	Sep-45	Dec-45
1676-2	3001-B		Joe Biviano	Leone Jump	Sep-45	Dec-45
1690-2	3002-A		Mark Warnow and his Orch. \| Presenting Vera Barton	Slowly		Feb-46
1692-2	3002-B		Mark Warnow and his Orch. \| Presenting Vera Barton	Take All		Feb-46
525-A	3003-A		Raymond Scott and His Orchestra	Enchanted Forest
P 34049	3003-B		Raymond Scott and His Orchestra	Toonerville Trolley
1703-2	3004-A		Bob Chester and His Orchestra \| Vocal Lora Jamison	Azusa
1705-2	3004-B		Bob Chester and His Orchestra \| Vocal Laura Butler	I Didn't Mean a Word I Said
1693-2	3005-A		Mark Warnow and his Orchestra \| Presenting - Vera Barton	I'll Be Yours (J'Attendrai)
1691-3	3005-B		Mark Warnow and his Orchestra \| Presenting - Vera Barton	Starlit Reverie
1704-2	3006-A		Bob Chester and His Orchestra \| Vocal Larry Butler	You Haven't Changed At All		May-46
1702-2	3006-B		Bob Chester and His Orchestra \| Vocal Larry Butler	It Couldn't Be True (Or Could it?)		May-46
1717-2	3007-A		Jerry Wald and His Orchestra \| Vocal - Anne Russell	Laughing on the Outside (Crying on the Inside)	Feb-46	May-46
1715-2	3007-B		Jerry Wald and His Orchestra \| Vocal - Anne Russell	They Say It's Wonderful	Feb-46	May-46
526-	3008-A		Raymond Scott and His Orchestra	Magic Garden		Jul-46
527-	3008-B		Raymond Scott and His Orchestra	Mr. Basie Goes to Washington		Jul-46
1729-2	3009-A		Bob Stanley and Orchestra	Till We Meet Again	Mar-46	Jun-46
1728-2	3009-B		Bob Stanley and Orchestra	Girl of My Dreams	Mar-46	Jun-46
1775-2	3010-A		The Velvetones	Pittsburgh Joe	May-46	Jul-46
1774-2	3010-B		The Velvetones	It's Written All Over Your Face	May-46	Jul-46
1777-1	3011-A		Bob Chester and his Orchestra \| Vocal - Lou Gardner	Surrender	May-46	Jul-46
1779-1	3011-B		Bob Chester and his Orchestra \| Vocal - Lou Gardner	If You Were the Only Girl	May-46	Jul-46
1772-2	3012-A		The Velvetones	It Just Ain't Right	May-46	Jul-46
1773-2	3012-B		The Velvetones	Reverse the Charges	May-46	Jul-46
1817-2	3013-A		Jerry Sellers With Orch. Under Direction of David Rhodes	Somewhere in the Night		Aug-46
1818-2	3013-B		Jerry Sellers With Orch. Under Direction of David Rhodes	This Is Always		Aug-46
1809-2	3014-A		Jerry Wald and His Orchestra \| Vocal - Mary Nash	Your Conscience Tells You	Jun-46	Sep-46
1810-2	3014-B		Jerry Wald and His Orchestra \| Vocal - Mary Nash	Lazy Lullaby	Jun-46	Sep-46
1727-2	3015-A		Bob Stanley and Orchestra	Meet Me Tonight in Dreamland	Mar-46	Jun-46
1726-2	3015-B		Bob Stanley and Orchestra	Carolina Moon	Mar-46	Jun-46
1811-1	3016-A		Jerry Wald Orchestra	Diga Diga Doo	Jun-46	Jul-46
1812-2	3016-B		Jerry Wald Orchestra	Rumba Fantasy	Jun-46	Jul-46
1776-1	3017-A		Bob Chester and His Orchestra \| Vocal - Lou Gardner	"Linger in My Arms a Little Longer, Baby"	May-46	Aug-46
1778-2	3017-B		Bob Chester and His Orchestra \| Vocal - Peter Dean	Short Talk	May-46	Aug-46
1854-2	3018-A		Bob Chester and his Orchestra	The Octave Jump	Sep-46
1853-2	3018-B		Bob Chester and His Orchestra \| Vocal - Lou Gardner	Someday (You'll Want Me to Want You)	Sep-46
1820-1	3019-A		Jerry Sellers With Orch. Under Direction of David Rhodes	I Get the Blues When It Rains		Sep-46
1819-1	3019-B		Jerry Sellers With Orch. Under Direction of David Rhodes	Smart Little Fool		Sep-46
	3020-A		Bob Chester and His Orchestra \| Vocal by Lou Gardner	Years and Years Ago		Oct-46
	3020-B		Bob Chester and His Orchestra \| Vocal by Lou Gardner	When You Make Love to Me		Oct-46
1824-2	3021-A		Joe Biviano Quintette	Copenhagen	Jul-46	Sep-46
1821-3	3021-B		Joe Biviano Quintette	Honeysuckle Rose	Jul-46	Sep-46
1863-2	3022-A		Griff Williams and his Orchestra \| Vocal - Bob Kirk	Bless You (For Being an Angel)	Sep-46	Oct-46
1864-2	3022-B		Griff Williams and his Orchestra \| Vocal - Bob Kirk	Among My Souvenirs	Sep-46	Oct-46
1822-1	3023-A		Joe Biviano Quintette	Bugle Call Rag	Jul-46	Aug-46
1823-3	3023-B		Joe Biviano Quintette	Stumbling	Jul-46	Aug-46
1860-1	3024-A		Coleman Hawkins and Orch.	Cocktails for Two	Sep-46	Nov-46
1858-2	3024-B		Coieman Hawkins and Orch.	Bean and the Boys	Sep-46	Nov-46
1876-1	3025-A		Maya and his Rhumba Ambassadors \| Vocal - Hector Rivera	"Cu-Tu-Gu-Ru (Jack, Jack, Jack!)"	Sep-46	Jan-47
1874-1	3025-B		Maya and his Rhumba Ambassadors \| Vocal - Hector Rivera	Por Causa de las Muieres [sic]	Sep-46	Jan-47
1827-1	3026-A		Saxie Dowell and His Orchestra \| Vocal—Don Grady	The Old Lamp-Lighter	Jul-46	Aug-46
	3026-B		Saxie Dowell and His Orchestra \| Vocal—Don Grady	Rumors Are Flying		Aug-46
1859-1	3027-A		Coieman Hawkins and Orch.	You Go to My Head	Sep-46	Oct-46
1857-1	3027-B		Coieman Hawkins and Orch.	I Mean You	Sep-46	Oct-46
1861-2	3028-A		Griff Williams and his Orchestra \| Vocal - Bob Kirk	There Is No Breeze (To Cool the Flame of Love)	Sep-46	Oct-46
1862-2	3028-B		Griff Williams and his Orchestra \| Vocal - Walter King	Do It Again	Sep-46	Oct-46
1826-2	3029-A		Saxie Dowell and His Orchestra \| Vocal—Saxie Dowell	Rugged but Right	Jul-46	Aug-46
1825-2	3029-B		Saxie Dowell and His Orchestra \| Vocal—Saxie Dowell	"She Told Him Emphatically ""No!"""	Jul-46	Aug-46
1904-1	3030-A		Stanislaw Mroczek and his Orchestra	Warsaw Polka	Oct-46	Feb-47
1902-1	3030-B		Stanislaw Mroczek and his Orchestra	Polka to the Left	Oct-46	Feb-47
	3031-A		Maya and his Rhumba Ambassadors \| Vocal Hector Rivera	Mi Bumba Ne		Nov-46
	3031-B		Maya and his Rhumba Ambassadors \| Vocal Hector Rivera	Rumbomba		Nov-46
1966-1	3032-A		The Gordon Trio \| Music with Personality	"Managua, Nicaragua"	Nov-46	Jan-47
1965-1	3032-B		The Gordon Trio \| Music with Personality	Jealous	Nov-46	Jan-47
1903-1	3033-A		Stanislaw Mroczek and his Orchestra	Accordion Polka	Oct-46
1901-1	3033-B		Stanislaw Mroczek and his Orchestra	Beggar's Polka	Oct-46
1917-1	3034-A		Ray Anthony and his Orchestra \| Vocal - Billy Johnson	I'll Close My Eyes	Oct-46	Nov-46
1918-1	3034-B		Ray Anthony and his Orchestra \| Vocal by Ensemble	Margie	Oct-46	Nov-46
1963-2	3035-A		The Gordon Trio \| Music with Personality	Caravan	Nov-46	Jan-47
1964-1	3035-B		The Gordon Trio \| Music with Personality	Lullaby of the Leaves	Nov-46	Jan-47
1936-1	3036-A		Saxie Dowell and His Orch. \| Vocal - Suzanne Shepard Don Grady	It's Dreamtime	Oct-46	Jan-47
1937-2	3036-B		Saxie Dowell and His Orch. \| Vocal - Saxie Dowell	All I've Got Is Me	Oct-46	Jan-47
1920-1	3037-A		Ray Anthony and his Orchestra \| Vocal - Billy Johnson	Isn't This Better than Walkin' in the Rain	Oct-46	Nov-46
1919-1	3037-B		Ray Anthony and his Orchestra \| Vocal - Dee Keating	Please Be Kind	Oct-46	Nov-46

Matrix #	Sonora #	Album #	Artist	Title	Recording Date	Release Date
500-3	H 7001-A	MS 477-6	Fred Kirby of the W B T's Briarhoppers	When It's Reveille Time in Heaven		Dec-45
501-3	1116-B	MS 477-8	Fred Kirby of W B T's Briarhoppers	Out of My Mind		May-46
502-2	1113-B	MS 477-2	Fred Kirby of W B T's Briarhoppers	Hang Your Head in Shame		May-46
503-2	1114-B	MS 477-4	Fred Kirby of W B T's Briarhoppers	Hello My Baby		May-46
504-1	1116-A	MS 477-7	Fred Kirby of W B T's Briarhoppers	Our Hearts Beat Together		May-46
505-2	1115-A	MS 477-5	Fred Kirby of W B T's Briarhoppers	Bury My Heart Beneath the Roses		May-46
506-1	1113-A	MS 477-1	Fred Kirby of W B T's Briarhoppers	Please Don't Take My Baby		May-46
507-2	H 7001-B	MS 477-3	Fred Kirby of the W B T's Briarhoppers	Somewhere a Heart Is Breaking		Dec-45
508-2	H 7002-A		The Carolina Playboys	Gold on the Rainbow	Fall 1945	Dec-45
509-3	H 7005-B		The Carolina Playboys	There's a New Moon over My Shoulder	Fall 1945	Apr-46
510-2	H 7006-A		The Carolina Playboys	Fort Worth Jail	Fall 1945	Apr-46
511-2	H 7002-B		The Carolina Playboys	Be My Darlin'	Fall 1945	Dec-45
512-2	H 7007-B		The Carolina Playboys	I Want to Live and Love	Fall 1945	Apr-46
513-3	H 7006-B		The Carolina Playboys	Each Minute Seems a Million Years	Fall 1945	Apr-46
514-2	H 7007-A		The Carolina Playboys	Plant Some Flowers on My Grave	Fall 1945	Apr-46
515-2	H 7005-A		The Carolina Playboys	The Precious Jewel	Fall 1945	Apr-46
516-1	H 7003-B		Whitey & Hogan	Talking to Mother
517-1	H 7004-A		Whitey & Hogan of W B T's Briarhoppers	Have I Told You Lately That I Love You
518-1	H 7004-B		Whitey & Hogan of W B T's Briarhoppers	Mama I'm Sick
519-2	H 7003-A		Whitey & Hogan	I'm Longing for My Sweetheart





525-A	3003-A		Raymond Scott and His Orchestra	Enchanted Forest
526-	3008-A		Raymond Scott and His Orchestra	Magic Garden		Jul-46
527-	3008-B		Raymond Scott and His Orchestra	Mr. Basie Goes to Washington		Jul-46

The Sonora Label

© Robert L. Campbell

Revised: June 7, 2024

Sonora's Rhythm and Blues line lasted from September 1946 to May 1947. From the collection of Robert L. Campbell.

Clocks, Phonographs, Radios: 1900-1942

From the collection of Harry Sicherman

Putting Purchased Masters in Albums: 1942-1943

From the collection of Harry Sicherman

The Sonora 4000 Series (10 inch 78s): Purchased Masters, Released 1942-1944

The Sonora 19000 series (12 inch 78s): "Purchased masters," released 1942-1944

Interregnum: 1943-1944

Recording Its Own Albums: 1944-1945

A 1944 release, from the collection of Robert L. Campbell

From the collection of Robert L. Campbell

The Sonora 1000 Series (with 1500 series matrix numbers): Albums from 1944

The Sonora 1000 Series: Albums from 1945

Yenning the Pops: 1945-1946

An old Sonora label on one side. From the collection of Steve G.

And a new label on the other. From the collection of Steve G.

From the collection of Robert L. Campbell

From the collection of Robert L. Campbell

The Sonora 3000 Pop Series: 1945-1946

The Sonora H 7000 Country and Western Series: 1945-1946

From the collection of Robert L. Campbell

From the collection of Robert L. Campbell

From the collection of Robert L. Campbell

From the collection of Robert L. Campbell

The Sonora 1000 Series: Albums from 1946

The Sonora 100 Rhythm & Blues Series: 1946-1947

Sonora plugs Coleman Hawkins' two releases. Billboard, February 1, 1947, p. 176.

From the collection of Robert L. Campbell

From the collection of Robert L. Campbell

From the collection of Robert L. Campbell

From the collection of Robert L. Campbell

From the collection of Robert L. Campbell

From the collection of Robert L. Campbell

The Sonora 500 R&B Series: 1946-1947

The Sonora H 6000 Country Series: 1946-1947

Billboard, February 1, 1947, p. 175.

From the collection of Robert L. Campbell

From the collection of Robert L. Campbell

Black-Label Overreach: 1947

The Sonora 2000 Series: Released 1947

From the collection of Robert L. Campbell

From the collection of Robert L. Campbell

Note the composer credit. From the collection of Robert L. Campbell.

From the collection of Robert L. Campbell

From the collection of Robert L. Campbell

From the collection of Robert L. Campbell

From the collection of Robert L. Campbell

From the collection of Robert L. Campbell

From the collection of Robert L. Campbell

From the collection of Robert L. Campbell

The Sonora H 7000 Country series: 1947

The Sonora 3000 Pop Series: 1947

The last in Sonora's pop series, from the collection of Robert L. Campbell

The Sonora 1000 Series: Albums from 1947

Scavenger Hunt: 1948

The last Sonora. Courtesy of Dave Diehl.

Courtesy of Dave Diehl

"The Company Definitely Will Not Produce Records Again": 1949-1957

An Unfocused Legacy

Appendix A. The Sonora 1500 Matrix Series

Appendix B. The Sonora 500 Matrix Series