Charlie Irvis made a strong impression early on but faded away by the '30s. He started out as a youth playing in a local boy's band.
Irvis was with
Lucille Hegamin's Blue Flame Syncopators (1920-1921), gigged with
Willie "The Lion" Smith, and what was then the very early
Duke Ellington Orchestra (1924-1926). He preceded Tricky Sam Nanton and teamed up with trumpeter
Bubber Miley (a childhood friend) to begin the tradition of "jungle music" by inventing a lot of unusual tonal effects via mutes. By 1927 he had left
Ellington to play with
Charlie Johnson's Paradise Ten (1927-1928), he often toured with
Jelly Roll Morton (1929-1930), and appeared on recordings with
Clarence Williams (1923-1927). However, after playing with
Bubber Miley's short-lived band (1931) and with
Elmer Snowden,
Irvis largely faded away from the jazz scene.
Charlie Irvis (who never led his own record date) is on
Duke Ellington's earliest recordings and, in addition to the fine sessions with
Williams, he recorded with
Fats Waller (1927 and 1929). ~ Scott Yanow