"Kenn" Sisson & His Orchestra - "Ol''' Man River

Kenn Sis­son (1897 - 1947) was a pi­anist with the Ben Bernie Or­ches­tra in the early 1920s and also was a com­pos­er and mu­si­cal ar­ranger for the Bernie Or­ches­tra. He was the com­pos­er of "Bell Hop­pin' Blues" record­ed by Paul White­man Or­ches­tra (1926). Be­tween 1927 and 1928 he formed his own or­ches­tra, record­ing for Brunswick and Duo­phone record com­pa­nies often using vo­cal­ists Vaughn De Leath, Irv­ing Kauf­man and Franklyn Baur. He be­came mu­si­cal ar­ranger for the "Deep River" radio shows in the early 1930s. Although largely forgotten today, he recorded this very first version of this famous standard, even before the premiere of this musical it forms part of. Indeed, this unusually catchy rendition was waxed the same day - actually a few hours before - this unforgettable Kern musical was first seen on stage in 1927. The vocal is by the ubiquitous and versatile Irving Kaufman.