Calvin Boze

By Marv Goldberg

© 2025 by Marv Goldberg

Calvin Boze was a singer and trumpeter, who had a lot of recordings over a relatively short career. Many accounts compared him to Louis Jordan, and that's very evident in a lot of his songs.

[For a welcome change, there was never a sports figure with the same name. In fact, other than his father and his son, there only seems to have been a single other "Calvin Boze" in the country, a resident of Indiana.]

Calvin Benjamin Boze, the youngest child of Calvin Clayton Boze and Sarah Taylor, was born on October 15, 1916 in Saron, Texas, near Groveton (both that date and location are on his birth certificate). Older siblings were James, Minnie, and Uriel.

In the 1920 census (on a farm in Trinity County, Texas), C.B. Boze was living, with his mother and siblings, in brother James' household.There's a problem with Calvin's age. He's enumerated as being 3 years and 10 months, which would make him born around February 1916 (the 1920 census was taken as of January 1).

I can't find the family at all in the 1930 census.

Boze attended Phyllis Wheatly High School in Houston, Texas. During his years at Wheatly, Calvin was in the orchestra and band with Illinois and Russell Jacquet, Arnett Cobb, and George Haynes. There he learned an eclectic repertoire of music from classical to Jazz and Duke Ellington compositions. He was taught by Percy McDavid, one the great band teachers of the era, who became a mentor and life-long friend of the family. Calvin graduated high school with high honors.

He attended college at Prairie View Agricultural And Mechanical College (Prairie View, Texas; near Houston) [as had Viviane Greene - who'd graduated in August 1937]. While there he was a member of the Prairie View Collegians, an all-male jazz band with Illinois Jacquet, Russell Jacquet, Charles Brown and Arnett Cobb. Boze completed his education at Prairie View and earned a degree in Music Education in 1939.

In the 1940 census, he was living with his uncle, Allen Griggs, in Pelly (Harris County, Texas; about 25 miles from Houston) and was a school teacher. Strangely, though, he said he was 31, therefore born in 1908 or 1909 (since there was an 'X' next to his name, he answered the questions himself).

But, when he filled out his WW2 registration, it was back to October 15, 1916. He said he was a school teacher in Pelly, in the Goose Creek Independent School District. After that teaching position, Calvin was employed as a music teacher and the band director at Jack Yates High School in Houston, Texas.

On June 19, 1943, in Houston, Calvin Benjamin Boze married Winifred Hayes, who was born in Louisiana. They were married for 27 years, until his death and are buried next to each other at the Los Angeles National Cemetery. They enjoyed a successful marriage, and had four children: Calvin, Jr, Gayle, Sandra, and Gary.

On September 10, 1943, Calvin was drafted into the US Army and was stationed in Greensboro, North Carolina. While in the army Calvin served in the segregated Negro Army Band. He'd be discharged on March 12, 1946.

This is the sort of gibberish I have to put up with. The Pittsburgh Courier of August 25, 1945 said: "Calvin Boze, inducted band director at Yates, is looking Houston way very shortly." He had been the band director at Jack Yates High School and "inducted" meant he was in the Army, but the meaning escapes me.

Later in 1945, in Los Angeles, Calvin made his first recordings, as a trumpet player (not a vocalist) with Russell Jacquet's orchestra. Released on Globe around October 1945, the tunes were: "Penny's Worth Of Boogie" and "Look What You've Done To Me". Russell, also a trumpet player, was the older brother of saxophonist Illinois Jacquet, although they pronounced their names differently: Russell was "jacket" and Illinois was "jackette". The Jacquets, also from Houston, were Calvin's neighbors.

Soon after, on November 2, 1945, he had his own session for G&G Records in Los Angeles, as vocalist with alto saxist Marvin Johnson And His Orchestra (which made appearances as the Blue Rhythm Boys). Nothing ever said if Calvin was a member of that group; Johnson's trumpeter was Herschel Coleman. The two songs recorded were "Safronia B" and "Just A Dream". However, the guy who typed up the labels for G&G records must have had a bit too much to drink at lunch that day. When the record was released (in May 1946), the title had become "Saffronia Bee" and Calvin had become "Boaz". [Another song recorded at that session was "Jumpy Rhythm Jive". One source has Calvin doing the vocal, but the label doesn't have his name, just "vocal ensemble". The fourth song, "Mercy Mercy", has a vocal, but it's by guitarist Joe Lewis.]

Note that both those sessions took place while Calvin was still in the Army. In 1946, he and Winifred were living in Los Angeles and were registered to vote there.

Calvin isn't heard from again until another piece of gibberish appeared in the February 12, 1949 Pittsburgh Courier:

Being out of circulation from Negro clubs caused Calvin Boze and his band to play a "cold turkey" at the Eldorado in Houston last week.

At least we know he now has a band. However, no member would ever be named, nor would the band ever have a name, nor, as far as I know, would they ever be on any of his recording sessions.

Lillian Cumber's column in the July 30 Los Angeles Tribune had this:

Visitor to the city is Calvin Boze, Houston trumpet-player, here at the expense of Aladdin Record co. to wax several sides, among which are "Waiting And Drinking", "Satisfied", "If You Ever Had The Blues". I think this young Texan has great possibilities.

And she was right; in a couple of weeks he'd begin a three-year association with Aladdin Records.

His first session, on August 15, 1949, yielded these four songs: "Satisfied", "If You Ever Had The Blues", "Waiting And Drinking", and "Working With My Baby". Interestingly, his final session also took place on August 15, this time in 1952. Note that, on all his Aladdin sessions, Maxwell Davis would play tenor saxophone (and all would take place in Los Angeles).

In October 1949, "Satisfied" and "Working With My Baby" were issued on Score, an Aladdin subsidiary. Credit went to "Calvin Boze And His All Stars", as it would on all Aladdin releases but one.

The Los Angeles Tribune of December 10, 1949 said:

Score label introduces Calvin Boze and his All-Stars for the first time on wax with "Satisfied", coupled with "Working With My Baby". Watch this guy, he may unseat the great Louis Jordan.

On January 13, 1950, Calvin had another Aladdin session, at which he recorded "Angel City Blues" (the nickname for Los Angeles), "Safronia B" (a re-make of his G&G recording; it's the version you're familiar with), "Baby, You're Tops With Me", and "Choo Choo's Bringing My Baby Home".

In February 1950, Aladdin released the other two songs from his first session: "Waiting And Drinking" and "If You Ever Had The Blues", this time, on the parent label. They were reviewed in the March 11 Billboard:

Waiting And Drinking (83): Seems this cat gets juiced while waiting for his chick. A fine jump blues, engagingly shouted and backed crisply and swingingly by combo.

If You Ever Had The Blues (72): Slow blues is warbled and orked well, but doesn't register like flip.

When this failed to take off, Aladdin released "Safronia B", backed with "Angel City Blues" in April. This would become Calvin's only national hit, reaching #9 on Billboard's "Most Played Juke Box Rhythm & Blues Records" chart on June 10. In spite of this, it wasn't reviewed in any trade publication. [Note that most of the lyrics to the song were "borrowed" by the Bayou Boys (Lloyd 'Fatman' Smith and Eddie Jefferson) in their 1952 Checker recording, "Dinah".]

I can't find Calvin and Winifred in the 1950 census.

On April 9, 1950, Calvin was part of a show sponsored by The Los Angeles Sentinel. Held at South Park, others in the cast included Betty Hall Jones, the Treniers, the Ebonaires, Buddy Banks, Sammy Franklin, Teddy Rudolph & His Bits O' Rhythm, Duke Henderson, the Eddie Williams Trio, Joe Lutcher, Scatman Crothers, Kitty White, the Sepianaires, Paula Watson, Pee Wee Barnum (as H.B. Barnum was then billed), and DJs Hunter Hancock, Gene Norman, and Bill Sampson.

On May 12, 1950, Calvin and his band opened at the Oasis (Los Angeles), along with the Ravens and April Stevens (who was noted for her risqué songs).


Several newspapers (for example, the May 27, 1950 Chicago Defender) printed a montage of photos. Two had Calvin with Aladdin's Leo Mesner and Universal Attraction's Ben Bart. Others show him, with his trumpet, in the Aladdin studio.

He was still at the Oasis in early June, when the featured artist was Dinah Washington.

This was in the June 17, Pittsburgh Courier:

Recalling that, had it not been for the opportunity she received to travel with the Lionel Hampton orchestra, she might have remained unknown, Dinah Washington announced this week that she has agreed to extend a helping hand to young Calvin Boze [who was eight years older than she], clever newcomer in the entertainment field. Boze is sharing the bill with Miss Washington for her two-week stand at the Oasis Club here.

Miss Washington rates Boze as "one of the most dynamic and versatile personalities" she has met. Following the local engagement, she will team with him on a series of one-nighters on the way back to the Eastern seaboard.

The Los Angeles Tribune of June 24 saw it differently:

Dinah moves Tuesday to San Francisco and Longbar's club for two weeks, then does a series of one-night stands in Oakland and vicinity, and she may play the Orpheum here before starting back east in July. There is some talk that she'll take the orchestra of Calvin Boze along with her, not as accompaniment, however. She's doing alright in that department with the three-piece combination which formerly belonged to her 'ex', Teddy Stewart, which contrives some excellent accompaniment behind her, especially the pianist, Adriano Acey. Boze is all right, but he's entirely too primitive gut-bucket for a sophisticated singer like Washington.

Talk about damning with faint praise.

For a while, papers printed itineraries for big acts. This was the two-week one for Dinah and Calvin at the beginning of their tour:

July 1-11 - San Francisco - Longbar's
July 13 - San Francisco
July 14 - Los Angeles - Avodon Ballroom
July 15 - Oakland
July 16 - San Diego
July 17 - Tucson

All those appearances did very well, according to the press.

Calvin returned to Los Angeles in time for a July 24, 1950 Aladdin session, at which he waxed: "I've Got News For You", "Lizzie Lou, parts 1 and 2", "Stinkin' From Drinkin'", and "Look Out For Tomorrow Today" (a real Louis Jordan sound). Presumably only he went back to L.A., leaving his band where it was, since he always seemed to be backed up by studio musicians.

Then it was back on the road, where he and Dinah appeared at the Handy Theater in Memphis on July 28-30. On August 1, it was the City Auditorium in Atlanta. August 16 found them at the Trianon Ballroom in Oklahoma City. The August 12 Oklahoma City Black Dispatch had a little blurb about "Diana Washington" and Calvin. [You sometimes get the feeling they aren't trying very hard, don't you?]

The only thing we ever find out about Calvin's [unnamed] combo was this, in the August 19 Washington Afro-American:

Calvin Boze's new seven-man aggregation is set for a week's engagement at the Earle Theater [Philadelphia], beginning August 25. [At least we know how many were in the band at that point.]

Headlining the pack will be Dinah Washington; the Ravens; Arnett Cobb's band; Foxx and White, comedians [Redd Foxx and Slappy White]; Harold King, roller skater; plus Eddie (Mr. Cleanhead) Vinson. [However, the Earle ad didn't have Calvin's name.]

Boze, currently on a string of one-nighters, will also play the Howard, in Washington, for a week beginning Sept. 1, and the Apollo, in Harlem, week beginning Sept.21.

When he appeared at the Howard and the Apollo, it was with the Ravens, but not Dinah. Here's what Apollo Theater owner Frank Schiffman had to say about Calvin, after paying him $600 for the week (plus $108 for rehearsal):

New to the Apollo. Boze sings and plays trumpet. Poor leader. Act fairly entertaining. No drawing power, unknown to our audience.

The September 9, 1950 Cash Box reviewed "Lizzie Lou" (parts 1 & 2), which Aladdin had released in late August:

Pair of sides which music ops [juke box owners] can use to good advantage in their boxes are these by the Calvin Boze All Stars. Wax isn't the sort that will stop traffic, but it should, nevertheless, make a decent filler item. Part I is the one we like best, and seems more suited for the juke box trade.

By October 30, when he played a Halloween dance at Minneapolis' Labor Temple, he was back with Dinah Washington. The next night, they were at Dreamland, in Omaha.

In November, Aladdin issued "Stinkin' From Drinkin'", coupled with "Look Out For Tomorrow Today". When you get really famous, newspapers write about you all the time. For example, the November 1 Meridian, Mississippi Echo had this:

Calvin Doze has been a musical prodigy since he first began taking lessons at the age of nine. His sensational tune, "Safronia B", has been among the best selling records - listed among the first 10 by BILLBOARD - in the U.S. Doze arranged the music for his college orchestra when he attended Prairie View College in Houston, Texas.

Imagine if he'd had a difficult name to spell!

By November 4, he and Dinah Washington, appeared at the Club Riviera in St. Louis. November 8-9 found them at the Roosevelt Theater in Pittsburgh. On November 14, they were at the Bijou in Nashville; the next night it was the Lyric Theater in Lexington, Kentucky. They were still together when they played Memorial Hall (Lima, Ohio) on December 30 and the Armory in Akron, Ohio on New Year's Eve. As far as I can tell, this was the last appearance Calvin ever made outside Los Angeles.

1951 began with another Aladdin session, on January 15: "Beale Street On A Saturday Night", "Slippin' And Slidin'", and "I Can't Stop Crying".

In February, Aladdin issued "Beale Street On A Saturday Night" (misspelled as "Beal" on the label), backed with "Choo Choo's Bringing My Baby Home", from a year-old session (this one added a comma after the first "Choo", for no reason). On "Beale" there's another voice interacting with his, but not identified. (I suppose it could be Scatman Crothers, who was one of the song's writers.)

They were reviewed in the February 24 editions of both Billboard and Cash Box:

Beale Street On A Saturday Night (BB; 85): Colorful novelty in the groove of "Saturday Night Fish Fry" gets a sparkling talk-sing job a la Louis Jordan. Good material, good performance.

Choo Choo's Bringing My Baby Home (BB; 75): Boze chants a smooth rocking up blues to a moving shuffle boogie. A nice swinging, if unspectacular side.

Cash Box: [Happily, they avoided the misspelling of "Beale" by reviewing the side as "Basin Street On A Saturday Night". Do they even listen to the songs?] A talky vocal by Calvin Boze and his all stars makes for a good upper half. Telling his story with a lot of bounce, Calvin gets a fine assist from the boys in the band. The lower end is a strong choo choo item with a good instrumental and a matching vocal. Two right sides for ops.

[Was it good or bad that he was so much like Louis Jordan? I suppose it depends on your perspective. At that time, Jordan was still a powerhouse performer. Why settle for an imitation, when the real one was still around? However, I don't know how audiences at that time felt. From my point of view, decades down the line, Jordan was fantastic and I have no problem listening to someone who emulates him well.]

When that one failed to take off, Aladdin issued "Slippin' And Slidin'", backed with "Baby, You're Tops With Me", a Louis Jordan sound, in April. It received Cash Box's "Award O' The Week" in their April 28 edition. Billboard reviewed it on May 5:

Baby, You're Tops With Me (73): Shuffle boogie novelty drives, with Boze doing a Louis Jordan on the lyrics, of which he sings a couple of choruses.

Slippin' And Slidin' (84): Boze projects an engaging set of novelty lyrics infectiously, while combo puts down a swingy, medium shuffle. Could click.

Nothing more until August 1951, when Aladdin released "I've Got News For You", coupled with "I Can't Stop Crying". They were reviewed in the September 15 Cash Box:

The first half ["News"] is a fast moving jump item that has shown itself a solid contender. Calvin Boze belts this tune across with a driving vocal that insures lots of play. Flip is a fair blues number that is aided greatly by a fine musical backing and interlude. We give our nod to the top lid.

Another Aladdin recording session, this time on October 23, 1951: "I'm Gonna Steam Off The Stamp", "My Friend Told Me", "Fish-Tail" (about a fish-tail Cadillac), "Hey Lawdy, Miss Claudie", "Shoot De Pistol", and "Good Time Sue" (whose lyrics named two women you might have heard of: Safronia and Lizzie).

Aladdin issued "Fish-Tail" and "I'm Gonna Steam Off The Stamp" in November. They were reviewed in the December 1 Cash Box:

A likely [sic; probably meant "lively"] jump tune is run through by Calvin Boze on the upper deck. With a good backing to match his vocal, Calvin makes this a strong item. The second level is a slow driving number that the boys also handle beautifully. Ops can't go wrong on either end.

By November 24, Calvin was the first act to open at the new Club Alabam Cocktail Lounge, in L.A. Other acts would come and go (like T-Bone Walker, Jimmy Witherspoon, Mabel Scott, Lowell Fulson, and Dinah Washington), but Calvin remained, being advertised until February 21, 1952. On February 25, his band played for a March Of Dimes Dance at the El Sombrero.

Also in February 1952, Aladdin released "Hey Lawdy, Miss Claudie" (nothing to do with the Lloyd Price song), backed with "My Friend Told Me". They were reviewed in the March 22 Cash Box:

A cute jump tune is bounced thru expressively by Calvin Boze and his All Stars. Warm, comic lyrics are given a forceful send-off by Boze as the group backs him solidly to bring home a zestful deck. Flip is a similar tune, with lyrics on the light side, and Calvin Boze and his boys turn in a strong number for the boxes. Ops ought to take a peek at both sides.

On April 23, 1952 Calvin recorded "Keep Your Nose Out Of My Business", "Having A Time", "Shamrock" (a song about a new dance), and "That Other Woman".

Aladdin issued "Keep Your Nose Out Of My Business" (another real Louis Jordan sound), coupled with the older "Good Time Sue", in May. They were reviewed in the June 14 Cash Box:

Keep Your Nose Out Of My Business (C+): Calvin Boze and his all stars come up with a moderate beat bounce with cute lyrics. Chorus chanting and strong orking back the singer.

Good Time Sue (B): Flip is a live[ly] jump tune that Boze and his group go all out on. The orking is hot in the breaks.

Calvin's last Aladdin session was held on August 15, 1952; the two titles were "Looped" and "Blow, Man, Blow". They were released in September, with the credit going to "Calvin Boze With Maxwell Davis And His Orchestra". "Looped" was a cover of the Melvin Smith tune, which also inspired covers by Tommy Ridgley and Wally Mercer. They were reviewed in the September 6 Cash Box and the September 13 Billboard:

Looped (CB; B): A cute rhythmic rocker is fetchingly sung by Calvin Boze. The Boze treatment of the contagious lyrics and the solid support supplied by Maxwell Davis and his ork make this a likely platter.

Blow, Man, Blow (CB; C+): The lower lid is a moderate beat that the singer and musical group wax in top-notch style.

Blow, Man, Blow (BB; 82): Side shapes [up] as a likely effort, what with the fine chant-job Boze awards the lyrics and the driving backing by the Maxwell Davis ork. This one can happen.

Looped (BB; 79): Here's another one that could take off. Novelty ditty about a guy who's had more than one too many is done to a turn by the chanter. A strong entry.

November 1952 saw the release of "Having A Time", backed with "Shamrock". They were reviewed in the December 6 issues of both Billboard and Cash Box:

Shamrock (BB; 77): There's no reference to things Irish here; it's the title's second syllable that's of moment. Jump opus, however, moves well thruout and has a novelty slant that sparks interest.

Having A Time (BB; 76): A house party that provides fun for all is the subject of this effort by Boze. He sings it with obvious and infectious pleasure. Another good side.

Having A Time (CB; B): Calvin Boze chants the humorous story of getting tight. Orking has the joint jumping

Shamrock (CB; B): A similar tempo piece. Boze sings lyrics describing the dance "shamrock" potently. Ork works over a driving arrangement. With a standout bit of trumpeting.

There was an ad for a March 26, 1953 "Gala Pre-Easter Frolic" at the El Sombrero Ballroom (Los Angeles). It starred Charles Brown "and his famous SMARTIES!" It goes on to name Joe Adams, M.C., with Irvin [sic; should be Irving] Ashby, Rudy "Sneakin' Around" Render, Calvin Boze, and Ruby Peters.

On April 3, Calvin, along with the Robins and Effie Smith, opened at Billy Berg's 5-4 Ballroom.

In May 1953, Aladdin got ready to release "That Other Woman", coupled with "Shoot De Pistol", assigning it #3181. However, it seems like it was never actually issued.

Nothing more until the July 29, 1954 California Eagle had this:

Calvin Boze - noted musician, is flat on his back out at the Wadsworth Veterans hospital, making it his fifth trip this year.

Calvin had some major medical issues. According to his daughter, Gayle, he had a rare type of ulcer, which surgery made worse.

He was at the Hollywood Starlight Room, on December 23, 1955 for a dance put on by the Pacific Town Club. He was named as one of the "Celebrities of stage, screen, and television [who] were introduced by L.B. Thompson, master of ceremonies."

The last time he was mentioned as a performer was in the October 9, 1958 California Eagle, which talked about an October 12 "Playtime At Monte Carlo Carnival" being put on, at the Riverside Rancho, by the Premier Businessmen's Club. It said "... Fred Thompson and Calvin Boze will be swinging from the stand with all the fervor of the Basie band."

Leaving the entertainment world behind, Calvin had subsequent careers as a social worker and a teacher at George Washington Carver Elementary School in Los Angeles.

Calvin Benjamin Boze passed away, in Los Angeles, on June 18, 1970; he was only 53. As is too often the case, there was no obituary.

I really like Calvin Boze's music. I'm sorry there wasn't a lot more of it.


Special thanks to Calvin's daughter, Gayle Knowles



GLOBE (Russell Jacquet & Orchestra; Boze is a trumpeter)
105 Penny's Worth Of Boogie / Look What You've Done To Me - 10/45

G&G (Calvin Boaz [sic] with Marvin Johnson [alto sax] & His Ork)
1029 Just A Dream / Saffronia Bee - ca. 5/46
            Note incorrect spelling of "Boze" and "Safronia".
1031 Jumpy Rhythm Jive / [Mercy Mercy - vocal by Joe Lewis] - 5/46
            Calvin's probably part of the "vocal ensemble" on "Jumpy"

SCORE (Calvin Boze And His All Stars; Aladdin subsidiary)
4008 Satisfied / Working With My Baby - 10/49 rec 8/15/49

ALADDIN (Calvin Boze And His All Stars)
3045 Waiting And Drinking / If You Ever Had The Blues - 2/50
3055 Safronia B / Angel City Blues - 4/50
3065 Lizzie Lou, part 1 / part 2 - 8/50
3072 Stinkin' From Drinkin' / Look Out For Tomorrow Today - 11/50
3079 Beal Street On A Saturday Night / Choo, Choo's Bringing My Baby Home - 2/51
            Note incorrect spelling of "Beale" and the useless comma in "Choo Choo".
3086 Slippin' And Slidin' / Baby, You're Tops With Me - 4/51
3100 I Can't Stop Crying / I've Got News For You - 8/51
3110 Fish-Tail / I'm Gonna Steam Off The Stamp - 11/51
3122 Hey Lawdy, Miss Claudie / My Friend Told Me - 2/52
3132 Keep Your Nose Out Of My Business / Good Time Sue - 5/52
3147 Looped / Blow, Man, Blow - 9/52
            The above record is credited to Calvin Boze with Maxwell Davis And His Ork
3160 Having A Time / Shamrock - 11/52
3181 That Other Woman / Shoot De Pistol - 5/53
            These were readied for release, but apparently it never happened.