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Milt Herth Trio

Trio led by [a=Milt Herth] (Hammond organ), usually accompanied by a pianist and a drummer, sometimes supplemented by a guitar. From late 1937 to the end of 1938, the piano part was played by [a=Willie "The Lion" Smith]. Other pianists playing with Milt Herth were [a=Frank Froeba] (late 1938-1939), [a=Billy Kyle] (Oct. 1939), [a=Lionel Rand] (1940), and [a=Morty Jacobs] (1940 and 1946) The trio's drummers varied as well. Between late 1937 and 1939, it was [a=O'Neil Spencer], who also contributed many vocals. Once, he was replaced by [a=Terry Shand] (March 1, 1939). After Spencer, drummers changed frequently, including [a=Jack Conner] (April 15, 1940), [a= Roger Halliver] (April 19, 1940), and others. In 1938, the trio was sometimes supplemented by [a=Teddy Bunn] on guitar, but then it usually appears on labels as the [a=Milt Herth Quartet]. Between 1937 and 1948, the Milt Herth Trio recorded dozens of jazz and pop standards exclusively for [l=Decca]. In 1949, it issued 4 records with Decca-subsidiary [l=Coral]. In addition, the Herth group released two albums with [l=Capitol Records], in 1947 and 1953. It also performed in several films, for example the mid-1939 Vitaphone short "Swing Styles" (with all-white personnel, [a=Frank Froeba] on piano and [a=Dick Ridgely] on drums), the 1941 Gloria Jean short "Jingle Belles," and the 1942 film "Juke-Box Jenny."