The Missourians

Originally known as Wilson Robinson's Syncopators during the early 1920s, the ensemble later took shape as Andrew Preer's Cotton Club Orchestra from 1925 to 1927, serving as the resident band at the Cotton Club. This ten-piece outfit joined Ethel Waters on tour in 1927 and adopted the name the Missourians once it was no longer tied to the Cotton Club. Between 1928 and 1929 the group appeared often at the Savoy Ballroom under the leadership of altoist George Scott. Although it had already cut "I've Found a New Baby" in 1927 while still directed by Andrew Preer, with Sidney DeParis among its trumpeters, the band's chief legacy rests on the dozen hot recordings it made for RCA as the Missourians between 1929 and 1930. Financial strain nearly ended the enterprise until Cab Calloway, who had begun collaborating with the Missourians in 1929, absorbed every musician into the foundation of his own orchestra in 1930, restoring their popularity at the Cotton Club. This time, however, the players—now operating without the Missourians name—remained subordinate to their leader and forfeited any independent identity. One by one Calloway replaced them until the Missourians ceased to exist.