Jesse Stone and His Blues Serenaders
Jesse Stone
Thamon Hayes band in front of band stand at Fairyland Park 1932. Left to right: Ed Lewis, Sam “Baby” Lovett, Jesse Stone, Richard Smith, Herman Walder, Vic Dickenson, Woody Walder, Harlan Leonard, Booker Washington and Vernon Page.
Jesse Stone and His Blues Serenaders, one of the leading territorial bands, played in and around Kansas City in 1926-1927. Originally from Atchison, Kansas, Stone moved to Kansas City as a child to live with his grandmother and attend grade school. A gifted composer and arranger, Stone formed the nucleus of the Blues Serenaders in Kansas City before heading out into the territories. Returning to Kansas City in the spring of 1926, Stone battled the Moten and Lee bands at Paseo Hall. In April, 1927, the Blues Serenaders recorded four selections for the Okeh label. The two tracks issued, “Starvation Blues” and “Boot To Boot,” reveal Stone’s skill as an arranger and the band’s deep feeling for the blues. More successful as a composer and arranger, Stone disbanded the Blues Serenaders in 1929 and joined the George E. Lee band as music director.
