Hobart Dotson Discography

Compiled by Michael Fitzgerald
First published May 1993

Comments, additions, corrections via email to

Hobart Dotson was born January 13, 1922 and died January 1, 1971 in Brooklyn, NY.

While this is the most comprehensive and accurate discography on Hobart Dotson ever produced, there still may be omissions and errors. Please help if you can.

Thanks to contributors:

Armin Büttner, Buddy Butler, Robert Campbell, Duane and Diantha Dotson, William B. Fielder, Andrew Hill, Terence Martin, Chuck Nessa, Bill Russo, Alan Saul, Nik Subotic, Bob Sunenblick, Chris Trent, Dennis Whitling, Ben Young & WKCR-FM

Red Saunders Research Foundation

Special thanks to all the staff at the Rutgers Institute of Jazz Studies where I had access to virtually every issue listed in the discography as well as the various relevant published sources.

Sources:

General discographies: All-Music Guide, Bruyninckx, Jepsen, Lord, Raben
Rainer E. Lotz & Ulrich Neuert: AFRS Jubilee Discography
Brian Priestley: Mingus
Michel Ruppli: The Atlantic Label
Michel Ruppli & Ed Novitsky: The MGM Labels
ASCAP, BMI, GEMA

A few items are as yet not included in the new version of the discography:

Charles Mingus And His 22 Piece Bebop Band (Stan Kenton's side men)

Rex Hollywood 28002, 28014, reissued on Uptown UPCD 27.48 (Charles 'Baron' Mingus: West Coast, 1945-49)

Spring 1949, Hollywood, CA

Eric Dolphy (as, f, cl), Art Pepper (as, cl) Herb Caro (ts, cl), prob. William Green (ts, cl, f), Jewel Grant (as, cl), Gene Porter (bar, cl), Buddy Childers, John Anderson, Hobart Dotson, Eddie Preston, [possibly plus one or two unknown] (t), Britt Woodman, Jimmy Knepper, Marty Smith (tb), unknown (g) Russ Freeman (p), Charles Mingus (b, con), Red Callender (b), Roy Porter (d), possibly Johnny Berger (per)

  1. 28002-A The Story of Love [2:40]
  2. 28014-A, 28014-B Inspiration, Parts I & II [Charles Mingus] [4:02]

[28002-B was "Don't Blame Me" by Roy Porter]

["Inspiration" is the same composition as "God's Portrait" aka "Portrait"]

Danny Belloc:

April 5, 1951, Chicago, IL

Danny Belloc (as, ts), Don Carone (as), Dan Handy, Maurie Lauwers (ts), Larry Molinelli (bar), Hobart Dotson, Al Forucci, Phil Korman (t), Bill Brown, Ralph Maltzen, Bill Russo (tb), Frank Telluso (p), Charlie Mason (b) Mickey Simonetta (d)

  1. Harlem Nocturne [Earle Hagen]
  2. C.I. Boogie
  3. Danny Boy [trad.]
  4. Heart of My Heart

1,2: issued on Oriole 115 [78]; 3,4: issued on Oriole 116 [78]

Danny Belloc:

1952, Chicago, IL

Danny Belloc (as, ts), Don Carone (as), Dan Handy, Maurie Lauwers (ts), Larry Molinelli (bar), Hobart Dotson, Al Forucci, Phil Korman (t), Bill Brown, Ralph Maltzen, Bill Russo (tb), Frank Telluso (p), Charlie Mason (b), Mickey Simonetta (d), Bea Gardy (v 3), Bill Scott (v 4), Dottie Dillard (v 8)

  1. Pretend
  2. You Are Ecstasy
  3. I Was a Fool
  4. Ding Dong Ding
  5. Shortnin' Bread
  6. I'll Dream Tonight
  7. M8111 It's Anybody's Heart
  8. M1862 I've Got a Right to Cry

1,2: issued on Dot 15048 [78]; 3,4: issued on Dot 15052 [78]; 5,6: issued on Dot 15097 [78]; 7-8: issued on Dot 15115 [78]

The Flamingos

Chance 1162 (2, 4); bootleg Chance 1131 (3, 5), Constellation CS-3 (2-4), Vee-Jay CD 706 (2-4), Uggh CD 510 (2-4), other issues

December 24, 1953, Universal Recording, Chicago, IL

The Flamingos: Sollie McElroy, Zeke Carey, Jake Carey, Johnny Carter, Paul Wilson (v), Al Smith (ldr), Hobart Dotson (t), Red Holloway (ts), McKinley Easton (bar), Horace Palm (p; cel on 3), Quinn Wilson (b), Vernel Fournier (d)

  1. C-5084 {Listen to My Plea}
  2. C-5085 Blues in a Letter
  3. C-5086 September Song
  4. C-5087 Jump Children
  5. C-5087 [alt.] Vooit Vooit [Jump Children]

See Al Smith information at the Red Saunders Research Foundation for more details on this session.