Chappelle and Stinnette Records
Encyclopedia
Chappelle and Stinnette Records, sometimes known as C&S Records was a small independent United States
record label
founded in New York City around 1921.
According to the label, Chappelle and Stinnette Records were manufactured "by C.& S. Phonograph
Record Co.", which in turn was run by the husband and wife team of Thomas E. Chappelle and Juanita Stinnette Chappelle, noted African American
entertainers of the time. Chappelle and Stinnette is notable as the second record company to be owned and operated by African Americans, after Black Swan Records
. All but one of the 9 known C&S records feature one or both of the Chappelles singing. Clarence Williams also recorded one disc for the label.
The audio fidelity of C&S records is about average for the era. It is unknown whether C&S recorded their own sides or if they leased recording studio
use from some other company, probably in New York City
. The Chappelle and Stinnette disc records
are quite rare. All of the releases on this label were blues, and all were likely recorded in 1921 or early 1922.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
founded in New York City around 1921.
According to the label, Chappelle and Stinnette Records were manufactured "by C.& S. Phonograph
Phonograph
The phonograph record player, or gramophone is a device introduced in 1877 that has had continued common use for reproducing sound recordings, although when first developed, the phonograph was used to both record and reproduce sounds...
Record Co.", which in turn was run by the husband and wife team of Thomas E. Chappelle and Juanita Stinnette Chappelle, noted African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
entertainers of the time. Chappelle and Stinnette is notable as the second record company to be owned and operated by African Americans, after Black Swan Records
Black Swan Records
Black Swan Records was a United States record label founded in 1921 in Harlem, New York. It was the first widely distributed label to be owned and operated by, and marketed to, African Americans....
. All but one of the 9 known C&S records feature one or both of the Chappelles singing. Clarence Williams also recorded one disc for the label.
The audio fidelity of C&S records is about average for the era. It is unknown whether C&S recorded their own sides or if they leased recording studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
use from some other company, probably in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The Chappelle and Stinnette disc records
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
are quite rare. All of the releases on this label were blues, and all were likely recorded in 1921 or early 1922.