THE MASON DIXON ORCHESTRA

Biography

The Mason-Dixon Orchestra was a pseudonymous recording ensemble that operated during the jazz era of the late 1920s. On May 15, 1929, a contingent of the Paul Whiteman Orchestra recorded two sides for Columbia Records under this assumed name: "What A Day" and "Alabammy Snow." The pseudonym was likely employed as an inside joke, connected to the catalogue number assigned to the recording. This ensemble represents a footnote in jazz history, capturing a moment when established orchestras would record under alternate identities, a practice not uncommon during the early recording industry.

Fun Facts

• The Mason-Dixon Orchestra name was used as an 'in-joke' by the Paul Whiteman Orchestra, with the pseudonym likely connected to the record's catalogue number.
• The ensemble recorded only two known sides before the pseudonym disappeared from recording history.
• The recordings were made during the height of the jazz age, just months before the stock market crash of October 1929 that would reshape the music industry.

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Paul Whiteman - The Mason-Dixon Orchestra was composed of musicians from Whiteman's ensemble (Paul Whiteman Orchestra recordings) [1929]

Key Collaborators

• Paul Whiteman Orchestra members - The recording featured select musicians from Whiteman's orchestra ("What A Day" and "Alabammy Snow" (May 15, 1929)) [1929]

External Links

• Spotify