1927 in music

Events

January 8 - Alban Berg's Lyric Suite is premièred in Vienna.

April 21 - Electric re-recording of George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue by Paul Whiteman's Orchestra directed by Nathaniel Shilkret, with Gershwin at the piano.

June - Hamilton Sisters and Fordyce, vocalists, record "My Heart Stood Still" (Rodgers and Hart) and "The Birth of the Blues".

July 1 - Béla Bartók's Piano Concerto No. 1 is premiered in Frankfurt, with the composer at the piano and Wilhelm Furtwängler conducting.

August 4 - Jimmie Rodgers records his first sides for Victor in Camden, New Jersey

December 5 - Leoš Janáček's Glagolitic Mass is premiered in Brno.

Publishers Chappell & Co withdraw their financial support for the Promenade Concerts, to be replaced by the BBC.

Benjamin Britten becomes a pupil of Frank Bridge.

Witold Lutosławski enters the Warsaw conservatory.

Blind Willie McTell's recording career begins.

The Soul Stirrers' recording career begins.

Big Bill Broonzy's recording career begins.

The Carter Family's recording career begins.

Louis Armstrong and His Hot Seven record.

Jim Jackson's recording career begins.

Hamilton Sisters and Fordyce, harmony trio, tour Variety Theater's with Savoy Havana Band, record with Orpheans, Bert Ambrose, and other's in England June–November. Visit Paris in December.

Published popular music

"Adios Muchachos" w. Cesar Felipe Vedani m. Julio Cesar Sanders (aka Lenny Sanders)

"Ain't She Sweet" w. Jack Yellen m. Milton Ager

"Among My Souvenirs" w. Edgar Leslie m. Horatio Nicholls

"Are You Lonesome Tonight?" w. Roy Turk m. Lou Handman

"At Sundown" w.m. Walter Donaldson

"The Babbitt And The Bromide" w. Ira Gershwin m. George Gershwin

"The Best Things In Life Are Free" w. B. G. De Sylva & Lew Brown m. Ray Henderson

"Black And Tan Fantasy" m. Duke Ellington

"Bless This House" w. Helen Taylor m. May Brahe

"Blue Skies" w.m. Irving Berlin

"Broken Hearted" w. B. G. De Sylva & Lew Brown m. Ray Henderson

"Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Jerome Kern. Introduced by Helen Morgan in the musical Show Boat

"Changes" w.m. Walter Donaldson

"Chlo-e (Song of the Swamp)" w. Gus Kahn m. Neil Moret

"Creole Love Call" w.m. Edward "Duke" Ellington

"Dew-Dew-Dewy Day" w.m. Al Sherman, Charles Tobias & Howard Johnson

"Diane" w.m. Ernie Rapee & Lew Pollack

"Did You Mean It?" w. Abe Lyman & Sid Silvers m. Phil Baker

"The Doll Dance" m. Nacio Herb Brown

"Everywhere You Go" w.m. Larry Shay, Joe Goodwin & Mark Fisher

"Fifty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong" w. Willie Raskin & Billy Rose m. Fred Fisher

"Four Or Five Times" w.m. Byron Gay

"Funny Face" w. Ira Gershwin m. George Gershwin

"Girl Of My Dreams" w.m. Sunny Clapp

"Good News" w. B. G. De Sylva & Lew Brown m. Ray Henderson

"Hallelujah!" w. Leo Robin & Clifford Grey m. Vincent Youmans

"He Loves and She Loves" w. Ira Gershwin m. George Gershwin. Introduced by Adele Astaire and Allen Kearns in the musical Funny Face. Performed in the 1957 film version by Fred Astaire.

"High Hat" w. Ira Gershwin m. George Gershwin

"Hoosier Sweetheart" w.m. Billy Baskette, Paul Ash & Joe Goodwin

"I Don't Know How" w. Lorenz Hart m. Richard Rodgers

"I Feel At Home With You" w. Lorenz Hart m. Richard Rodgers

"I Left My Sugar Standing In The Rain" w. Irving Kahal m. Sammy Fain

"(I Scream You Scream, We All Scream for) Ice Cream" w.m. Robert King, Howard Johnson & Billy Moll

"I Still Suits Me" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Jerome Kern

"I'll Take Care Of Your Cares" w. Mort Dixon m. James V. Monaco

"I'm Gonna Meet My Sweetie Now" w. Benny Davis m. Jesse Greer

"I'm Looking Over A Four Leaf Clover" w. Mort Dixon m. Harry Woods

"I'm Proud Of A Baby Like You" Schoenberg, Stevens, Helmick

"In A Mist" m. Bix Beiderbecke

"It All Belongs To Me" w.m. Irving Berlin

"Just Like A Butterfly" w. Mort Dixon m. Harry Woods

"Let A Smile Be Your Umbrella" w. Irving Kahal & Francis Wheeler m. Sammy Fain

"Let's Kiss And Make Up" w. Ira Gershwin m. George Gershwin. Introduced by Fred Astaire and Adele Astaire in the musical Funny Face

"Lindbergh (The Eagle of the U.S.A.)" w.m. Al Sherman & Howard Johnson

"The Lonesome Road" w. Gene Austin m. Nathaniel Shilkret

"Lucky Lindy" w. L. Wolfe Gilbert m. Abel Baer

"Mary, (What Are You Waiting For)" w.m. Walter Donaldson

"Maybe It's Me" w. Lorenz Hart m. Richard Rodgers

"Me And My Shadow" w.m. Dave Dreyer, Billy Rose & Al Jolson

"Miss Annabelle Lee" w.m. Lew Pollack, Sidney Clare & Harry Richman

"Mississippi Mud" w. James Cavanaugh m. Harry Barris

"My Blue Heaven" w. George A. Whiting m. Walter Donaldson

"My Heart Stood Still" w. Lorenz Hart m. Richard Rodgers

"My One And Only" w. Ira Gershwin m. George Gershwin

"Ol' Man River" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Jerome Kern

"Plenty Of Sunshine" w. B. G. De Sylva & Lew Brown m. Ray Henderson

"Preludes" by George Gershwin

"Rain" w.m. Eugene Ford, Carey Morgan & Arthur Swanstrom

"Ramona (Song)" w. L. Wolfe Gilbert m. Mabel Wayne

"The Rangers' Song" w. Joseph McCarthy m. Harry A. Tierney. Introduced in the musical Rio Rita by J. Harold Murray, Harry Ratcliffe, Donald Douglas and chorus. Performed in the 1929 film version by John Boles and chorus.

"A Room with a View" w.m. Noël Coward

"Rosy Cheeks" w.m. Seymour Simons & Richard A. Whiting

"Russian Lullaby" w.m. Irving Berlin

"'S Wonderful" w. Ira Gershwin m. George Gershwin

"Shaking The Blues Away" w.m. Irving Berlin

"Side By Side" w.m. Harry Woods

"Sometimes I'm Happy" w. Irving Caesar m. Vincent Youmans from the musical Hit the Deck

"The Song Is Ended" w.m. Irving Berlin

"Strike Up The Band" w. Ira Gershwin m. George Gershwin

"Struttin' With Some Barbecue" w.m. Louis Armstrong & Lillian Hardin Armstrong

"Thou Swell" w. Lorenz Hart m. Richard Rodgers. Introduced by William Gaxton and Constance Carpenter in the musical A Connecticut Yankee. Performed in the 1948 film Words and Music by June Allyson and the Blackburn Twins.

"The Varsity Drag" w. B. G. De Sylva & Lew Brown m. Ray Henderson

"Washboard Blues" m. Hoagy Carmichael & Irving Mills

"What Does It Matter?" w.m. Irving Berlin

"Where's That Rainbow?" Lorenz Hart m. Richard Rodgers

"Why Do I Love You?" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Jerome Kern

"You Remind Me Of A Naughty Springtime Cuckoo" w.m. Leslie Sarony

"Your Land And My Land" w. Dorothy Donnelly m. Sigmund Romberg

"You're Always In My Arms" w. Joseph McCarthy m. Harry Tierney

Popular music on record

"Ain't She Sweet" by Gene Austin, accompanied Nat Shilkret Orchestra

"All Alone Monday" by Nat Shilkret, vocal Johnny Marvin

"Baby's Blue" by Nat Shilkret (with Victor files showing "Leonard Joy assistant director"), vocal Johnny Marvin

"Back Water Blues" by Bessie Smith

"Black and Tan Fantasy" by Duke Ellington & His Orchestra

"Blue Skies/Falling In Love With You" by Jesse Crawford

"Broken Hearted" by Paul Whiteman

"Changes" by Paul Whiteman & His Orchestra

"Creole Love Call" by Edward "Duke" Ellington and his Orchestra and v. Adelaide Hall

"Dancing Tambourine" by Paul Whiteman

"The Desert Song" by Nat Shilkret, from the musical of the same name

"Diane (I'm in Heaven when I See You Smile)" by Nat Shilkret as the Troubadours, vocal Franklyn Baur, Lewis James and Elliot Shaw

"Diane (I'm in Heaven when I See You Smile)" by Franklyn Baur, accompanied Nat Shilkret Orchestra

"The Doll Dance" by Nat Shilkret

"Fifty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong" by Sophie Tucker with Miff Mole & His Little Molers

"Fifty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong" by Nat Shilkret, vocal Joe Sherman and Lewis James

"Flapperette" by Nat Shilkret

"Forgive Me" by Gene Austin, accompanied celeste Nat Shilkret and piano Jack Shilkret

"Hallelujah" by Nat Shilkret, vocal Franklyn Baur, from "Hit the Deck"

"Honky Tonk Train Blues" recorded Meade Lux Lewis (not released until 1930)

"I Know That You Know" by Nat Shilkret, vocal Franklyn Baur

"I'm Coming, Virginia" by Paul Whiteman, vocal The Rhythm Boys (Bing Crosby, Al Rinker and Harry Barris)

"I'm Coming, Virginia" by Bix Beiderbecke

"I'm Gonna Meet My Sweetie Now" by Jane Green, accompanied Nat Shilkret Orchestra

"In a Little Spanish Town" by Paul Whiteman, vocal Jack Fulton

"In A Little Spanish Town" by Carson Robison

"It All Belongs To Me" by Ruth Etting

"It All Depends on You" by Paul Whiteman

"It's a Million to One You're in Love" by Nat Shilkret, vocal Franklyn Baur

"I've Got the Girl" by Gene Austin, accompanied piano Abel Baer

"Jim Jackson's Kansas City Blues" - Jim Jackson

"Just a Memory" by Paul Whiteman

"Lucky Lindy" by Nat Shilkret Orchestra, directed Leonard Joy

"Mama 'T Ain't Long Fo' Day" - Blind Willie McTell

"Mary (What Are You Waiting For?)" by Paul Whiteman

"Match Box Blues" - Blind Lemon Jefferson

"Maybe" by organist Jessie Crawford, accompanied Nat Shilkret Orchestra, from "Oh, Kay!"

"Me and My Shadow" by Nat Shilkret, vocal Johnny Marvin

"Mine, All Mine" by the Coon-Sanders' Nighthawks

"My Blue Heaven" by Gene Austin, accompanied Nat Shilkret Orchestra

"My Blue Heaven" by Paul Whiteman, vocal Jack Fulton, Charles Gaylord, Austin Young, Bing Crosby and Al Rinker

"My Pretty Girl" by Jean Goldkette & His Orchestra

"One Alone" by Nat Shilkret, from "The Desert Song"

"One Sweet Letter from You" by Gene Austin, accompanied piano Abel Baer

"Paree" by Nat Shilkret as International Novelty Orchestra; American version of "Ca C'est Paris"

"Potato Head Blues" by Louis Armstrong

"The Riff Song" by Nat Shilkret, vocal the Revelers, from "The Desert Song"

"Roamin Rambler Blues" - Lonnie Johnson

"A Shady Tree" by Paul Whiteman, vocal Mildred Hunt

"Shaking The Blues Away" by Ruth Etting

"Side by Side" by Paul Whiteman, vocal Rhythm Boys (Bing Crosby, Al Rinker and Harry Barris)

"Singin' The Blues" by Frankie Trumbauer's Orch., with Bix & Lang

"So Blue" by Paul Whiteman

"Someday, Sweetheart" by Gene Austin, accompanied piano Abel Baer

"Sometimes I'm Happy" by Roger Wolfe Kahn

"Star Dust" by Hoagy Carmichael

"Sweetheart of Sigma Chi" by Ted Lewis & His Band

"Sweetheart of Sigma Chi" by Gene Austin, accompanied Nat Shilkret Orchestra

"The Blues I Love to Sing" by Duke Ellington and his Orchestra and v. Adelaide Hall

"The Calinda (Boo-Joom, Boo-Joom, Boo!)" by Paul Whiteman, vocal Jack Fulton, Charles Gaylord, Austin Young and Bing Crosby, from "A La Carte"

"Tonight You Belong to Me" by Gene Austin, accompanied Nat Shilkret Orchestra

"Varsity Drag" by Ruth Etting

"What Does It Matter Now?" by Nat Shilkret, vocal Elliot Shaw

"When Day Is Done" by Nat Shilkret, vocal Lewis James

"When Day Is Done" by Paul Whiteman, trumpet solo Henry Busse

"Wild Cat by Eddie Lang & Joe Venuti

"Who's That Knocking On My Door?" by Annette Hanshaw

"Your Land and My Land" by Paul Whiteman, vocal Charles Harrison, Lewis James, Elliot Shaw and Wilfred Glenn

Classical music

Béla Bartók - String Quartet No. 3

Havergal Brian - Symphony No. 1 Gothic

Frank Bridge - Rhapsody: Enter Spring

John Alden Carpenter - String Quartet

Pierre-Octave Ferroud - Sérénade pour orchestre

Gerald Finzi - Violin Concerto

André Fleury - Allegro symphonique

Reinhold Glière - The Red Poppy (ballet)

Karl Amadeus Hartmann - Two Sonatas for Unaccompanied Violin

Dmitri Kabalevsky - Piano Sonata No. 1

Albert Ketèlbey - By the Blue Hawaiian Waters

Zoltán Kodály - Suite from the opera Háry János

Józef Koffler - Musique. Quasi una sonata; 15 variations on a 12 tone series (15 variations d'après une suite de douze tons) (opp. 8 & 9)

Bohuslav Martinů - La Revue de Cuisine

Carl Nielsen - An Imaginary Trip to the Faroe Islands (orchestral)

Dane Rudhyar - Paeans

Henri Sauguet - La Chatte (ballet)

Arnold Schoenberg - String Quartet No. 3

Roger Sessions - Symphony No. 1

Dmitri Shostakovich - Symphony No. 2 in B major, Op. 14

Igor Stravinsky - Oedipus Rex

Karol Szymanowski - String Quartet No. 2

Edgard Varèse - Arcana (1925–27)

Anton Webern - String Trio, Op. 20

Opera

Erich Wolfgang Korngold - Das Wunder der Heliane

Ernst Krenek - Jonny spielt auf

Franz Lehár - Der Zarewitsch

Sergei Prokofiev - The Fiery Angel

Jaromír Weinberger - Švanda the Bagpiper

Musical theater

Burlesque Broadway production opened at the Plymouth Theatre on September 1 and ran for 372 performances

Clowns in Clover London revue opened at the Adelphi Theatre on December 1 and ran for 508 performances

The Desert Song (Sigmund Romberg) - London production opened at the Drury Lane Theatre on April 7 and ran for 432 performances

Enchanted Isle (Music, Lyrics and Book: Ida H. Chamberlain). Broadway production opened at the Lyric Theatre on September 19 and ran for 32 performances. Starring Marga Waldron and Greek Evans.

The Five O'Clock Girl opened at the 44th Street Theatre on October 10 and transferred to the Shubert Theatre on April 16, 1928, for a total run of 280 performances

Funny Face Broadway production opened at the Alvin Theatre on November 22 and ran for 250 performances

Golden Dawn Broadway operetta opened at the Hammerstein Theatre on November 30 and ran for 184 performances

Good News! Broadway production opened at the 46th Street Theatre on September 6 and ran for 557 performances

Hit The Deck (Vincent Youmans and Clifford Grey)

Broadway production opened at the Belasco Theatre on April 25 and ran for 532 performances

London production opened at the Hippodrome on November 3 and ran for 277 performances

Just Fancy Broadway production opened at the Casino Theatre on October 11 and ran for 79 performances. Starring Mrs Thomas Whiffen, Peggy O'Neill, Ivy Sawyer, Joseph Santley, Eric Blore and Raymond Hitchcock.

The Merry Malones Broadway production opened at the Erlanger's Theatre on September 26 and ran for 216 performances

My Maryland Broadway production opened at the Jolson Theatre on September 12 and ran for 312 performances

Oh, Kay! London production opened at His Majesty's Theatre on September 21 and ran for 214 performances

One Dam Thing After Another London production opened at the Pavilion Theatre on May 20

Peggy-Ann London production opened at Daly's Theatre on July 27 and ran for 130 performances

Polly of Hollywood Broadway production opened at George M. Cohan's Theatre on February 21 and ran for 24 performances. Starring Midge Miller.

Rio Rita Broadway production opened at the Ziegfeld Theatre on February 2 and ran for 494 performances

Show Boat (Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II) - Broadway production opened at the Ziegfeld Theatre on December 27 and ran for 572 performances

The Vagabond King London production opened at the Winter Garden Theatre on April 19 and ran for 480 performances

The White Eagle Broadway production opened at the Casino Theatre on December 26 and ran for 48 performances

Yes, Yes, Yvette Broadway production opened at the Sam H. Harris Theatre on October 3 and ran for 40 performances

Musical film

The Jazz Singer released October 6, starring Al Jolson

Births

January 10

Johnnie Ray, singer, pianist and songwriter (d. 1990)

Guillermo Rubalcaba, Cuban musician and bandleader (d. 2015)

January 17 - Eartha Kitt, singer (d. 2008)

January 26 - Ronnie Scott, jazz musician and club owner (d. 1996)

January 27 - Billy Barnes, American actor and composer (d. 2012)

February 2

Stan Getz, jazz musician (d. 1991)

Richard Maxfield, composer (d. 1969)

February 3 - Val Doonican, singer (d. 2015)

February 7 - Juliette Gréco, singer

February 9 - Joe Maneri, composer (d. 2009)

February 10 - Leontyne Price, opera singer

February 23 - Ivan Hrušovský, composer (d. 2001)

February 25 - Ralph Stanley, bluegrass banjo player and vocalist (d. 2016)

February 27 - Guy Mitchell, singer (d. 1999)

March 3 - Junior Parker, blues musician (d. 1971)

March 16 - Ruby Braff, jazz trumpeter (d. 2003)

March 18 - John Kander, composer of musicals

March 20 - John Joubert (composer), composer

March 27 - Mstislav Rostropovich, cellist (d. 2007)

April 6 - Gerry Mulligan, jazz saxophonist (d. 1996)

April 22 - Laurel Aitken, ska singer (d. 2005)

April 30 - Johnny Horton, country singer (d. 1960)

May 1 - Gary Bertini, conductor (d. 2005)

May 13 - Fred Hellerman, folk singer (d. 2016)

May 26 - Rafael Escalona, vallenato composer and performer (d. 2009)

June 3 - Boots Randolph, session musician (d. 2007)

June 23 - Bob Fosse, choreographer (d. 1987)

July 3 - Ken Russell, controversial director of composer biopics (d. 2011)

July 4 - Wilfred Josephs, composer (d. 1997)

July 6 - Alan Freeman, Australian-English radio DJ (d. 2006)

July 7

Charlie Louvin, country singer and songwriter (d. 2011)

Doc Severinsen, jazz trumpeter

July 9 - Ed Ames, American singer and actor (Ames Brothers)

July 16 - Mindy Carson, singer

July 18

Don Bagley, American bassist (d. 2012)

Kurt Masur, Silesian-born orchestral conductor (d. 2015)

July 27 - Guy Carawan, American folk musician and musicologist (d. 2015)

August 1 - Raymond Leppard, conductor

September 11 - Vernon Corea, radio DJ, "Golden Voice of Radio Ceylon" (d. 2002)

September 19 – Peter Van Wood, Dutch guitarist, singer, songwriter, actor and astrologer (d. 2010)

September 21 – Ward Swingle, American-born vocalist (d. 2015)

September 25 - Sir Colin Davis, orchestral conductor (d. 2013)

September 27 - Red Rodney, jazz trumpeter (d. 1994)

October 7 - Al Martino, singer (d. 2009)

October 25 - Barbara Cook, singer and actress

October 27 - Dominick Argento, composer

October 28 - Cleo Laine, singer

November 8 - Patti Page, singer (d. 2013)

November 10 - Sabah, singer (d. 2014)

November 11 - Mose Allison, jazz pianist

November 16 – Dolo Coker, American jazz pianist and composer (d. 1983)

November 18 – Hank Ballard, R&B singer (d. 2003)

November 21 - Charlie Palmieri, salsa musician (d. 1988)

November 22 - Jimmy Knepper, jazz trombonist (d. 2003)

December 25 - Ram Narayan, Indian sarangi player

December 26 - Denis Quilley, musical theatre actor (d. 2003)

Deaths

January 29 - Grace Van Studdiford, operatic singer (born 1873)

February 9 - James Warren York, businessman and musical instrument maker (b. 1839)

February 19 - Robert Fuchs, composer and teacher (b. 1847)

February 23 - Sveinbjörn Sveinbjörnsson, composer (b. 1847)

February 26 - Isabel Jay, singer and actress with the d'Oyly Carte Opera Company (b. 1879)

March 3 - Alberto Zelman, musician and conductor (b. 1874)

March 17 - James Scott Skinner, violinist (b. 1843)

March 31 - Edward Lloyd, concert and oratorio tenor (b. 1845)

April 16 - Rosa Sucher, Soprano opera singer (b. 1849)

May 3 - Ernest Ball, singer and songwriter (b. 1878)

May 4 - Jakob Aljaž, priest and composer (b. 1845)

May 16 - Sam Bernard, star of vaudeville and comic opera (b. 1863)

May 29 - Jesse Shepard, composer and pianist (b. 1848)

July 2 - Frank Curzon, theatre manager (b. 1869)

July 17 - Luise Adolpha Le Beau, composer (b. 1850)

August 13

Hermann Abert, music historian (b. 1871)

Árpád Doppler, composer (b. 1857)

August 20 - Fannie Bloomfield Zeisler, pianist (b. 1863)

September 4 - Isadora Duncan, dancer (b. 1877) (strangled in freak accident)

October 1 - Wilhelm Harteveld, composer (b. 1859)

October 21 - John Stillwell Stark, music publisher (b. 1841)

November 2 - Fred Billington, Baritone opera singer and actor with the d'Oyly Carte (b. 1854)

November 3 - George Dallas Sherman, bandleader (b. 1844)

November 9 - Ole Olsen, organist, composer and conductor (b. 1850)

November 18 - Emma Carus, contralto (b. 1879)

November 20 - Wilhelm Stenhammar, composer, pianist and conductor (b. 1871)

December 21 - Courtice Pounds, singer and actor with the d'Oyly Carte (b. 1862)

date unknown

Bulbuljan, Azerbaijani folk musician (b. 1841)

Haldane Burgess, writer and musician (b. 1862)

Pierre-Émile Engel, operatic tenor (b. 1847)

probable - Ragbaby Stevens, jazz musician (b. 1887)