 His first job in entertainment was dancing in the Whitman Sisters Show in 1926.He worked in various vaudeville productions for the next several years, and in 1934 he appeared in the show "Chocolate Revue" with Bessie Smith.In 1934, he put together his first big band, which at times included Teddy Wilson, Cozy Cole, Johnny Russell, Benny Carter, Ben Webster, Eddie Durham, Ram Ramirez, and Taft Jordan.