Jesse Crawford - Falling In Love With You (1927)
Channel: C Porter
Date: 2021-02-04

Jesse Crawford, sometimes known as "Poet Of The Organ" was an popular American organist, composer, and pianist and from the early 1920s to the early 1960s. Playing in a variety of theaters including the Grauman's Theater, Paramount Theater, Spokane Gem, and several others of note for the musical backing on silent films for nearly two decades, had an extremely prolific recording career on both Wurlitzer and Hammond organs, having a career as a radio backing for both NBC and CBS as well. Jesse's name "Poet Of The Organ" wasn't one to take lightly either. It was commonly said that Jesse could do things on an organ that weren't thought to be possible. This sentiment would be echoed by the record reviewers in the 20s who were often blown away by what he could do. He sometimes recorded with the likes of Jean Goldkette, the Benson Orchestra, and others, but he also had his own orchestra too for a very short time. But most of his work was done Solo.

Jesse started recording in in 1924 for the earliest known Electrical recording label, Autograph in Chicago. At the same time, his records would be sometimes re-released onto Silvertone and Paramount too. Later in the year, he would end up attracting Victor to record him and the Wurlitzer Organ he played, leaving Autograph. Because of the massive and immovable nature of these organs, many times they would have to only record in the theaters and select buildings in Chicago and later New York as the years went by. As Victor started going electrical, his recording only became more prolific. At about 1927, his records started being re-released overseas on His Masters Voice. In 1932, he cut a few records on RCA's experimental "Program Transcription" 33rpm label, but like the experiment, it didn't last long. In 1934, he would leave Victor to record for Decca for a time. In 1935 and 1936 he wouldn't record at all because of work with NBC and the switch to playing Hammond Organs. In 1937 he'd return to Victor to pick up where he left off, recording for Victor and getting records released on Bluebird for a short time, before stopping later in the year. It wouldn't be until 1941 that he would record again, this time for Decca again, doing backing for vocalists, and mostly doing it on piano. Recording until the last days before the first Petrillo Ban started later in 1942. Only recording again in 1944 for V-Disc briefly, before returning to Decca in 1945. In the post war years, he would keep recording at various times throughout the years, also getting a few discs on Parade in the early to mid 50s, while still with Decca. By this time he was only recording albums under Decca up until his death in 1962.

Though he had several other notable records, he only had a couple hits. Those were Russian Lullaby in 1927, At Dawning in 1926, Rose Marie in 1925, and Valencia in 1926.

The A Side is called Blue Skies which you can listen to here:  https://youtu.be/bGH-67Wq5XE