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'''Mel Stitzel''' (January 9, 1902 – December 31, 1952<ref>[http://nfo.net/usa/k1.html American Big Bands – Page 1 of the 'K' Bands<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>) was a [[Germany|German]]-born pianist best known for his work with the [[New Orleans Rhythm Kings]], a leading [[jazz]] band of the early 1920s. The leading members of the group including cornetist [[Paul Mares]], trombonist [[George Brunies]] and clarinet player [[Leon Roppolo]] were school friends from New Orleans who recruited others such as Stitzel and drummer [[Gene Krupa]] to join their band. Stitzel also played with [[The Bucktown Five]] in the early 1920s.

==Background==
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At first, the band was known as the Friar's Society Orchestra after forming to play a gig in Chicago at [[Friar's Inn]], but changed their name to the New Orleans Rhythm Kings after their lengthy residency ended. All of the members of the New Orleans Rhythm Kings at the time of their recording session of March 1923 – Mares, Roppolo, Brunies, Stitzel, and drummer Ben Pollack – are credited as co-writers of one of the band's best-known songs: "[[Tin Roof Blues]]," which was used as the basis for "Make Love to Me," a million-seller for [[Jo Stafford]] in 1954.<ref>"Jo Elizabeth Stafford". ''Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians'', Centennial Edition. Nicolas Slonimsky, Editor Emeritus. Schirmer, 2001. Reproduced in Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Thomson Gale. 2005.</ref> The band also recorded with pianist [[Jelly Roll Morton]] in one of the first multi-racial recordings in jazz.

Stitzel co-wrote "Doodle Doo Doo" with Art Kassel in 1924. He co-wrote "Bittersweet" with [[Ben Pollack]]. He also wrote the music for "The Chant" in 1926 after the Rhythm Kings broke up in 1925.

==References==
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==External links==
* [{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p181035|pure_url=yes}} Allmusic.com article on Mel Stitzel]
* [{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p11304|pure_url=yes}} Allmusic.com article on the New Orleans Rhythm Kings]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20150924111810/http://www.redhotjazz.com/nork.html New Orleans Rhythm Kings page on Red Hot Jazz]
* [http://home.nestor.minsk.by/jazz/dates/January.html Date of Birth] at Jazz News Jubilees

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[[Category:Dixieland pianists]]
[[Category:Jazz musicians from New Orleans]]
[[Category:German jazz pianists]]
[[Category:1902 births]]
[[Category:1952 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century German musicians]]
[[Category:20th-century American pianists]]
[[Category:New Orleans Rhythm Kings members]]
[[Category:The Bucktown Five members]]
[[Category:German emigrants to the United States]]
[[Category:American male jazz pianists]]
[[Category:20th-century American male pianists]]

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