"Easy on the Eyes" played by "The Missouri Jazz Band"

Easy On The Eyes (Hoffman)
played by
The “Missouri Jazz Band”
Banner 6258-B
(78 rpm record)

Another mystery. It is not listed under Rust nor Johnson & Shirley. Rust says 6258 is Billy James, but then it’s not there under Billy James. J&S don’t mention it at all. I found the flipside under Lou Gold in J&S. So who knows? The label says the singer is “Jerry White,” but that may be a pseudonym. All I know for sure is that “Missouri Jazz Band” is a pseudonym. If anyone has any ideas, please let me know in the comments. I think it’s a great arrangement and performance nonetheless!

Based on label number, my guess is that it was recorded late 1927 or early 1928.

I still have this one somewhere. Image form archive.org. Noise reduced by using Vinyl Studio software.

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Here is an update from 2024-08-03: Martin (below in the comments section) brilliantly pointed out that this is actually "Billy James and his Orchestra," and that it IS in fact on page 855 of Rust's dance band discography. My guess as to the recording date was in the ballpark, but no cigar - New York, December 27, 1928. Rust states that all the instrumentalists are unknown, but that the singer is Arthur Fields.

Johnson & Shirley (American Dance Bands on Record and Film 1915 - 1942) are less certain about the singer. They say: "...Jerry White ( ? Frank Munn) (? As WILLIAM STANLEY)." They do concur with Martin (below) by stating that the band is probably an ARC-Plaza Studio Band and the musicians may or may not have included the following: Red Nichols (cornet); Earl Oliver, Bob Effros, Tommy Gott, Mike Mosiello (trumpet); Tommy Dorsey, Miff Mole, Tommy Dowd (trombone); Jimmy Dorsey, Tony Parenti (clarinet, alto sax); Andy Sannella (clarinet, alto sax, string guitar); Joe Dubin (clarinet, tenor sax); Russ Carlson (piano); Harry Reser (banjo); Dick Cherwin, Joe Tarto (string bass, brass bass); Joe Green (drums, xylophone).

Thanks again to Martin for figuring this one out!