1931:

Blanche Calloway becomes the first black woman bandleader to lead an all-male orchestra which she names “Blanche Calloway and Her Joy Boys”and later “Blanche Calloway and Her Orchestra”. They saw great success and performed extensively from 1931-1938.

The Pittsburgh Courier makes a survey of 38 outstanding Black Orchestras. Blanche's "Joy Boys" ranked 9th, only 5 points in back of Louis Armstrong, and well ahead of the bands of Jimmie Lunceford, Chick Webb, Bennie Moten and Claude Hopkins… all of whom went on to become a major part of Jazz History.
Mar 2: Blanche records multiple takes of three songs in Camden, New Jersey: “Casey Jones Blues”, “There’s Rhythm in the River”, and the Blanche classic, “I Need Lovin’”.
Mar 27: Blanche records multiple takes of four songs in Camden, New Jersey: “Just a Crazy Song”, “Sugar Blues”, “I’m Getting Myself Ready for You”, and “Loveless Love”.
May 8: Blanche records single takes of three songs: “Misery”, “It’s Right Here For You”, and “Make Me Know it” (unissued).
June 11: Blanche records single takes of four songs: “It Looks like Susie”, “Without that Gal”, “When I Can’t be with you” and “Make Me Know it”.
October 15: As part of a tour with four other dance orchestras called the “Battle of Music”, Blanche performs at Masonic Auditorium in Washington, DC.

Blanche Calloway, Benny Moten, Chick Webb, Zack Whyte and Johnson Happy Pals tour takes in Philadelphia, PA / Baltimore, MD / Richmond, VA / Washington, DC / Harrisburg and Pittsburgh, PA / Orange, NJ / Wheeling, WV / Cincinnati, OH.

Nov 18: Blanche records single takes of five songs: “I Got what it takes”, “Concentratin’ on You”, “Last Dollar”, “Blue Memories”, and Blanche’s theme song, “Growlin’ Dan”.

1932:

Sep 19: Blanche performs at Philadelphia’s Pearl Theater with the Palmer Brothers, Apus Brooks, and the 3 Brown Buddies.

1934:

Aug 27: Blanche records single takes of four songs in Chicago, Illinois: “Growlin’ Dan”, “Catch On”, “I Need Lovin’”, and “What’s a Poor Girl Gonna Do?”

1935:

Jan 31: Blanche records a single song in New York City, “Lookie, Rookie, Lookie, Here Comes Cookie” (unissued).
Nov 6: Blanche records four songs in New York City: “You Ain’t Livin’ Right”, “Louisiana Liza”, “I Gotta Swing (King Porter Stomp)”, and “Line-a-Jive”.

Blanche Calloway and her Orchestra : Richard Jones, Tommy Stevenson, Archie Johnson (tp) Eli Robinson, Vic Dickenson (tb) Joe Eldridge, Chauncey Haughton (as) Alvin Campbell, Prince Robinson (ts) Clyde Hart (p, arr) Earl Baker (g) Abbie Baker (b) Percy Johnson (d) Blanche Calloway (vcl).

1936:

Blanche and the wife of one of her orchestra members are arrested, jailed and fined $7.50 each for disorderly conduct in Yazoo City, Mississippi. A band member steals all the money and the band breaks up. Blanche is forced to sell her yellow Cadillac for cash to get out of the state.

1938:

1930s

1920s