Lena Wilson

After touring the vaudeville circuit for four years, Lena Wilson began documenting in 1922. For another 2 yrs and in 1930, Wilson documented with famous brands Perry Bradford’s Jazz Phools, Conaway’s Rag Pickers, Johnny Dunn’s Jazz Hounds, Fletcher Henderson’s Orchestra, as well as the Nubian Five. She also documented as a single musician with Lena Wilson’s Jazz Hounds, which highlighted trumpet participant Gus Aiken, Garvin Bushell on clarinet, Natural herb Fleming on trombone, and John Mitchell on banjo, along with piano players Porter Grainger and Cliff Jackson. She also performed with her sibling Danny Wilson, who wedded blues vocalist Edith Wilson, as well as the work became a trio. Lena Wilson also became a mainstay in New York’s dark theater scene from the 1920s, showing up in lots of musical revues. Wilson wedded violinist Shrimp Jones and continuing to execute in New York’s night clubs until the middle-’30s. She passed away in 1939.