Fess Williams and his Royal Flush Orchestra were a fixture of the New York jazz scene in the late 1920s, a Harlem-based ensemble whose exuberant, crowd-pleasing style made them a popular draw at the Savoy Ballroom and a reliable presence in the recording studios of the era. Williams himself was a clarinet player and showman whose extroverted stage presence was as much a part of the band’s appeal as the music itself.
The Royal Flush Orchestra recorded for the Brunswick and Victor labels during their active years, leaving behind a body of work that captures the joyful, dancing energy of the Harlem ballroom scene at its late 1920s peak.
The Fess Williams recordings featured on this channel are unpretentious, swinging documents of New York jazz at its most celebratory — music made first and foremost for dancers, delivered with enthusiasm and genuine jazz feeling.