Harry Reser is felt by many to be the greatest banjo player in recorded history. Born in Piqua, Ohio in 1896 , picked up the guitar at the age of five, and soon was playing violin, cello, piano, marimba, trumpet and saxophone. By the age of sixteen, banjo became his main instrument, having been inspired by Fred Van Eps and Vess Ossman. In 1921 he moved to New York and became a much sought after sideman. Over the years, he would collaberate with Ben Selvin, Sam Lanin, Bennie Kreuger and once played trumpet with Paul Whiteman. His own band recorded under a plethora of pseudonyms on a flock of different record labels. His best known names were the Clicqout Club Eskimos and Harry Reser's Syncopaters. Kitten on the Keys (included on this disc) was one of his first records. He continued recording solos and backed up many singers of the day. In 1925, he became the director and frontman for the Clicquot Club Eskimos radio show. The weekly half-hour broadcast on NBC, was sponsored by Clicquot Club Ginger Ale, brought Reser fame and was on the air until 1935. Reser continued to be active in music for the rest of his life, touring, leading television studio orchestras, playing in Broadway orchestras, recording and writing several popular banjo, guitar and ukulele instruction books. He died of a heart attack in 1965 while tuning up for a performance on the Broadway stage of "Fiddler On The Roof".
KITTEN ON THE KEYS APX 4533 06/14/22 ZEZ CONFREY
DON'T SAY GOODBYE PHIL OHMAN-HARRY RESER FRANK CRUMIT COL A3785 12/09/22 80729 FRIEDLAND
I GAVE YOU UP JUST BEFORE YOU THREW ME DOWN PHIL OHMAN-HARRY RESER FRANK CRUMIT COL A3785 12/09/22 80730 KALMAR-RUBY
OH SISTER,AIN'T THAT HOT DIXIE DAISIES CAM 418 09/07/23 631 DONALDSON-WHITE
MAMA GOES WHERE PAPA GOES DIXIE DAISIES CAM 418 09/07/23 653 YELLEN-AGER
YEARNING COL 319-D 02/20/25 140382 DAVIS-BURKE
WHEN YOU DO WHAT YOU DO COL 319-D 02/20/25 140383 JOHNSON-PARISH
WHO TAKES CARE OF THE CARETAKERS DAUGHTER? HAPPINESS BOYS BR 2888 03/20/25 ENDOR
IF YOU KNEW SUZIE HAPPINESS BOYS BR 2888 03/20/25 DE SYLVA-MEYER
CRAVING COL 393-D 05/18/25 140612 BERNIE-CHARIE-CASEY
FLAPPER WIFE COL 393-D 05/25/25 140622 RUPP-BURTON
UKULELE LADY COL 413-D 06/01/25 140738 WHITING-KAHN
ON A NIGHT LIKE THIS COL 413-D 06/01/25 140739 CAESAR-CONRAD
UKULELE LADY HARRY RESER-BANJO SOLO COL 409-D 06/20/25 140704 WHITING-KAHN
HEEBE JEEBIES COL 409-D 06/20/25 140705 RESER
I MISS MY SWISS ARTHUR HALL ED 51587 07/07/25 10489 GILBERT-BAER
JUST A LITTLE DRINK BUD KENNEDY ED 51587 07/07/25 10490 GAY
I CARE FOR HER ARTHUR FIELDS HAR 51-H 10/16/25 141127 STEPT-COOPER
FOND OF YOU COL 510-D 10/22/25 141175 GENSLER-DE SYLVA
IT MUST BE LOVE COL 510-D 10/22/25 141176 ARCHER-THOMPSON
NYLA HAR 99-H 01/18/26 141511 DE WITT
SOMEBODY'S LONELY COL 637-D 04/20/26 141983 DAVIS-GOLD
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