Isham Jones led one of the finest dance bands of the 1920s and wrote many hits, notably \"It Had To Be You,\" \"I'll See You In My Dreams,\" \"Swingin' Down the Lane,\" and \"The One I Love Belongs to Somebody Else.\"
He was born in Coalton, Ohio, but grew up in Saginaw, Michigan. The September 1923 issue of the sheet music publication Melody includes an article about his early years (the article itself is based on an interview Jones gave to the Boston Post). He had worked in coal mines leading blind mules. Jones's father, originally from Arkansas, played fiddle and was an important musical influence.
A Saginaw music publisher was first to print sheet music bearing the name Isham Jones, his earliest known published composition being \"Midsummer Evenings,\" from 1906. He would not enjoy success as a composer for another dozen years.
Isham, pronounced \"eye-sham,\" moved to Chicago in 1915 and continued composing, often working in the World War I period with lyricist Olaf (\"Ole\") Olsen, a member of Jones's early Chicago band (later, in 1926, Ole Olsen and His Orchestra recorded three titles for Pathé Actuelle).
One of their works from 1917 is among the first songs to refer to the new music called \"jass.\" Actually, the spelling used is even more unorthodox: the song is \"That's Jaz!\" Possibly the songwriters had not seen the word \"jazz\" (or \"jass\") in print when they wrote the song.
The first Isham Jones tune to be recorded was probably the comic \"Oh! Min!\" It is sung by Edward Meeker on Blue Amberol 3514, issued in August 1918. Another 1918 composition by Isham Jones is \"Indigo Blues,\" recorded by Ford Dabney's Band in early 1919 and issued on Aeolian-Vocalion 12097 in April, backed by the ODJB's \"Oriental Jazz.\"
After serving in the military in 1918, Jones returned to Chicago and joined a dance hall orchestra that would eventually take his name. He learned to play C melody saxophone at this time but switched to tenor saxophone by 1920. Eventually conducting pressures forced him to give up playing in the band itself though his band always featured a strong saxophone section.
According to the Melody profile, Jones and his musicians were given the option in the early 1920s of royalties or steady salaries. Jones himself opted for royalties and by September 1923 had received $800,000. If this account is accurate, it means that Jones was wealthy before penning his most successful compositions.
The Isham Jones Orchestra was a Chicago institution from 1920 to 1925.
Some early Jones discs were issued in Brunswick's prestige series, which began at 5000 (purple labels were used). A few Jones performances were issued in both the prestige series and the regular popular series. For example, \"Look For The Silver Lining\" was issued on Brunswick 5045 and 2224.
Jones used fewer instruments on Brunswick records than Paul Whiteman used on Victor discs of this period. According to the June-July 1924 issue of Jacobs' Orchestra Monthly, band members at that time were pianist Roy Bargy (he replaced Al Eldridge), trombonist Carroll Martin (he also served as arranger), second trombonist William McVey, violinist Leo Murphy, second violinist Arthur J. Vanasek, cornetist Louis Panico, saxophonist H. E. Maulding, banjoist Charles McNeill, tuba and Sousaphone player John Kuhn (formerly with Sousa's Band), and drummer Joe Frank.
He finally moved from Chicago to New York City. On March 1, 1925, Jones was given a testimonial dinner and reception at the Park Lane Hotel by music publishers. On March 6, Jones and his orchestra opened the Rue de la Paix, a nightclub possibly owned by Jones himself at 247 West 54th Street in Manhattan. Page 35 of the May 1925 issue of Talking Machine World reports that on April 25, 1925, the formal opening of the Brunswick Salon on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan was broadcast on station WJZ, adding, \"This was the first appearance of the Isham Jones aggregation before the [radio] microphone.\" He remained popular after Brunswick converted to its electrical \"Light-Ray\" recording system.
The band leader switched to Victor in 1932 (it was not a propitious time for a label change since all record companies were hit hard by the Depression at this time--his Victor records sold poorly), then to Decca in 1934, with clarinetist Woody Herman joining for Decca sessions. One of Jones's last bands to make 78 rpm records was called Isham Jones' Juniors on Decca. In 1936 it contained the basic personnel for the band led by Woody Herman.
Later Isham Jones (\"and his Famous Orchestra\") cut numbers for Coast Records, including \"I'll Never Have To Dream Again\" backed by \"The One I Love\" (8025), vocals by Curt Massey. With Marilyn Thorne as vocalist, the Isham Jones Orchestra also recorded for the obscure Bantam label. He died in Hollywood, California.
Isham Jones Orchestra \"Easy Melody\" (1924) song by Larry Conley & Gene Rodemich
