Black Swan Records
1921-1923
Black Swan Records was the largest of a small field of black-owned labels in the 1920s that tried to break the all-white dominance in the industry. That industry did record and promote a few black artists from the beginning, most notably George W. Johnson and Bert Williams and even a few artists of serious fare like Carroll Clark and The Fisk Jubilee Singers. However, Harry Pace of "Pace and Handy Publishing" wanted to promote much more of the latter to the general public so he left his firm over W.C.'s staunch objections to form the Pace Phonograph Corporation in March 1921. The label's name honored Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield, the most popular African-American concert singer of the 19th Century.

The label instantly received a lot of support from the community, counting W. E. B. Du Bois as an investor and Bert Williams as a pledged artist, who unfortunately died soon after before making good on it. Many up-and-coming black artists worked for the label, like Fletcher Henderson who was a house accompanist and became its recording director. Ethel Waters was discovered, signed and became the label's biggest seller. James P. Johnson, Alberta Hunter and Trixie Smith were also employed. Even Carroll Clark recorded for Black Swan after his Columbia contract expired. A wide range of music from Concert to Light Classical, Gospel, Popular, Jazz and Blues was issued but the total catalog contained just over 100 discs. They were recorded by Pace in an unknown New York studio and pressed by the New York Recording Laboratory in Wisconsin with the less-than-great quality typical of that plant. The early retail price for a disc was $1.

Despite all the support, financial problems were ever-present and Pace was quick to break his "all-black artists" pledge and leased Christmas Carol masters by white performers from Paramount before year's end and had many other white artists disguised in the catalog by 1922. Seeking a pressing plant not several states away like NYRL, Pace entered a partnership with John Fletcher of the recently-failed Olympic Records to reopen its plant. However, it came at the price of Fletcher butting into Black Swan's business and having even more white artists from old Olympic masters enter the catalog. Pace's star black performers were also then leaving for contracts with the major labels. Expenses from the The Black Swan Troubadours Tour in 1922, Ethel Waters's departure and Fletcher's continuing business blunders spelled the effective end by mid-1923. The label limped along with small re-issues of popular titles until bankruptcy in December 1923. Pace then sold its master to Paramount in March 1924.
Encoded Speed: 192 Kbps

Blind Man Blues	Sing 'Em For Momma, Play 'Em For Me
Katie Crippen with Henderson's Novelty Orchestra	Katie Crippen with Henderson's Novelty Orchestra
Black Swan 2003-A	Black Swan 2003-B
Matrix# P2003^2	Matrix# P2004^2
First known mention in "The Black Dispatch": May 6, 1921
New York, New York	New York, New York
Note: Fletcher Henderson's first release! Labels affixed backwards.

I Like You (Because You Have Such Loving Ways)	Why Did You Make A Plaything of Me
Eddie Gray with Henderson's Novelty Orchestra	Eddie Gray with Henderson's Novelty Orchestra
Black Swan 2011-A	Black Swan 2011-B
Matrix# P119^2	Matrix# P118^1
ca. April 1921	ca. April 1921
New York, New York	New York, New York
Note: Very worn, especially at start.	Note: Edge chip into the first nine playing grooves, so first few seconds omitted. Very worn.

Rise and Shine	Way Over Jordan
Harrod's Jubilee Singers	Harrod's Jubilee Singers
Black Swan 2046-A	Black Swan 2046-B
Matrix# ?	Matrix# ?
ca. February 1922	ca. February 1922
New York, New York	New York, New York

Honeymoon Blues	Cherry Blossoms
Laurel Dance Orchestra (pseudonym most likely for Mike LoScalzo, white)	Laurel Dance Orchestra (pseudonym most likely for Mike LoScalzo, white)
Black Swan 10071-A	Black Swan 10071-B
Matrix# ?	Matrix# ?
ca. June 1922	ca. June 1922
New York, New York	New York, New York

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