Oklahoma City Blue Devils

### Associated Acts

Count Basie Orchestra • The Ideal Jazz Orchestra • The Southern Serenaders • Art Bronson's Bostonians • Bennie Moten Orchestra • Bill King's Road Show • Buster Smith-Count Basie Band of Rhythm • Eli Rice's Cotton Pickers • Fletcher Henderson Orchestra • Moten Orchestra • Pete and His Little Peters • Twelve Clouds of Joy

### Former Names

Blue Devils Orchestra • Thirteen Original Blue Devils • Walter Page and His Blue Devils • Walter Page and His Original Blue Devils

## Members

### Past Members

* ? Coleman (Bandleader)
* Walter Sylvester Page (Bandleader, Double Bass, Baritone Saxophone, Bass Violin, Tuba)
* Bennie Moten (Bandleader, Piano)
* James Andrew Rushing (Vocals, Piano)
* Oran Charles Page (Vocals, Trumpet)
* Ernest Williams (Vocals)
* Reuben Lynch (Guitar)
* Eddie Durham (Guitar, Trombone)
* ? Benton (Banjo)
* Abe Bolar (Double Bass)
* William Basie (Piano, Organ)
* Charlie Washington (Piano)
* Turk Thomas (Piano)
* Claude Williams (Violin, Guitar)
* James Simpson (Trumpet)
* Jimmy LuGrand (Trumpet)
* Harry Youngblood (Trumpet)
* Leonard Chadwick (Trumpet)
* Dan Minor (Trombone)
* Druie Bess (Trombone)
* Emir Coleman (Trombone)
* Lester Young (Saxophone, Clarinet)
* Henry Smith (Saxophone)
* Reuben Roddy (Saxophone)
* Doc Ross (Saxophone)
* Buster Moten (Accordion)
* Ted Manning
* Theodore Ross
* Jo Jones (Drums, Percussion)
* Alvin Burroughs (Drums, Percussion)
* Ernie Williams (Drums, Vocals)
* Edward McNiel (Drums)
* Sammy Price
* Willie Lewis
* LeRoy V. White

**Oklahoma City Blue Devils** was a band formed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. They were the premier American Southwest territory jazz band in the 1920s.

There are conflicting reports as to the orchestra's formation. Some records place its origins from Billy King's Road Show, which disbanded in Oklahoma City in 1925 and state that, following its disbandment, Walter Page reformed the group and named it the Oklahoma City Blue Devils. While the Blue Devils were undoubtedly based out of Oklahoma City, records show their first public appearances were in Kansas City, as early as 1922.

The name Blue Devils came from the name of a gang of fence cutters operating during the early days of the American West.

Several prominent jazz musicians were members, including Lester Young, William "Count" Basie and Henry "Buster" Smith. After a patch of particularly bad luck in 1933 the "Blue Devils" found themselves stranded in Virginia, without any instruments or money, and had to hop a freight train back to St. Louis. Bennie Moten sized this opportunity to add fresh talent to his "Kansas City Orchestra" and hired the group's remaining members.

After Moten's death in 1935, Basie recruited most of the group's members to join his group, the Count Basie Orchestra. The Count Basie Orchestra continues performing today as a ghost band.

The 1979 film The Last of the Blue Devils documents a musical reunion with Basie, Big Joe Turner and other figures from the history of southwestern and Kansas City jazz.

## Members

Bandleaders
* ? Coleman — 1924
* Willie Lewis — 1925-?
* Walter Page — 1925-1930
* Bennie Moten — 1929-1929
* James Simpson — 1931-1933

Musicians
* Bennie Moten — 1929-1929 — Piano
* James Andrew Rushing — ?-1929 — Vocals, Piano
* Oran Charles Page — 1927-1931 — Vocals, Trumpet
* Ernest Williams — ?-? — Vocals
* Reuben Lynch — ?-? — Guitar
* Eddie Durham — ?-1929 — Guitar, Trombone
* ? Benton — ?-? — Banjo
* Walter Page — 1925-1931 — Double Bass, Saxophone, Bass Violin, Tuba
* Abe Bolar — 1932-1933 — Double Bass
* William Basie — 1928-1929 — Piano, Organ
* Charlie Washington — ?-? — Piano
* Turk Thomas — ?-? — Piano
* Claude Williams — ?-? — Violin, Guitar
* James Simpson — ?-? — Trumpet
* Jimmy LuGrand — ?-? — Trumpet
* Harry Youngblood — ?-? — Trumpet
* Leonard Chadwick — ?-? — Trumpet
* Dan Minor — ?-? — Trombone
* Druie Bess — ?-? — Trombone
* Emir Coleman — ?-? — Trombone
* Lester Young — 1932-1933 — Saxophone, Clarinet
* Henry Smith — 1925-? — Saxophone
* Reuben Roddy — ?-? — Saxophone
* Doc Ross — ?-? — Saxophone
* Ted Manning — ?-? — ?
* Theodore Ross — ?-? — ?
* Jo Jones — ?-? — Drums, Percussion
* Alvin Burroughs — ?-? — Drums, Percussion
* Ernie Williams — ?-? — Drums, Vocals
* Edward McNiel — ?-? — Drums
* Sammy Price — ?-? — ?
* Willie Lewis — ?-? — ?
* LeRoy V. White — ?-? — ?

## Oklahoma City Blue Devils

### 78s

1

78 Releases
* *Squabblin'/Blue Devil Blues* (1930) as Walter Page and His Original Blue Devils