Jesse Stone and his Blue Serenaders were active from about 1920 to 1928 in Kansas City and the Southwest. Jesse Stone was an American rhythm and blues musician and songwriter whose influence spanned a wide range of genres. He also used the pseudonyms Charles Calhoun and Chuck Calhoun. By 1926 he had formed a group, the Blue Serenaders. For the next few years he worked as a pianist and arranger in Kansas City, recording with Julia Lee among others, and in the 30s organised a larger orchestra. Ellington got Stone's orchestra booked at the Cotton Club in 1936, and Ellington put Stone up free of charge in his apartment for four months. Over the next years Stone worked as a bandleader at the Apollo Theatre, and more widely in Harlem as a songwriter and arranger, with Chick Webb's band, Jimmie Lunceford and many others. He made some recordings under his own name in the 30s and 40s. In 1941, Stone became musical director for the all-female band, the International Sweethearts of Rhythm. He left after two years. Stone's early writings show a deep blues influence. An early success was "Idaho", recorded by several artists, with the Benny Goodman version peaking at # 4 in 1942. The recording by Guy Lombardo sold three million copies. Jimmy Dorsey recorded his composition "Sorghum Switch", later retitled "Cole Slaw" by Louis Jordan. Stone also recorded novelty blues records, and wrote the standard "Smack Dab in the Middle". In 1945, with his friend Herb Abramson, he joined National Records, and two years later the pair joined the staff at Atlantic Records. At the time, Stone was the only black person on the Atlantic payroll. Stone worked for Atlantic as a producer, songwriter, and arranger. During a trip to the South in 1949 with Ahmet Ertegün and Herb Abramson, Stone discovered that Atlantic's records were not selling in the southern states because they lacked a certain danceable quality. In 1953 he wrote Ray Charles' hit "Losing Hand" and also wrote "Money Honey", which became the first hit record for The Drifters. The following year, he arranged "Sh-Boom" by The Chords. On Ertegün's advice, Stone used the pseudonym of Charles E. Calhoun, a name appropriated from an unknowing local builder, on his BMI tunes to avoid conflict with his membership of ASCAP. His best-known compositions as Calhoun were "Shake, Rattle and Roll" and "Rock Around The Clock". As a bandleader, Stone recorded several singles in the late 40s and mid 50s, either under his own name or as "Chuck", "Charles" or "Charlie" Calhoun. n 1960, he served as arranger and orchestra director for a session for LaVern Baker which produced four songs including the hit "Bumble Bee". In 1961, after a brief and temporary retirement, Stone was recruited to run Randy Records in Chicago. However, he left after a few years, moving first to New York and then Florida. Stone was honored by the Rhythm and Blues Foundation in 1992 with a Pioneer Award. This brilliant record was made in 1927.
