When did jazz quartets become common?

[medjuck]

A novel I read recently ("Rules of Civility") contains the following sentence:

"Anyone in love or money was around the corner at Cafe Society dancing to swing. In another 20 years all the world would be sitting in basement clubs like this one, listening to antisocial soloists explore their inner malaise; but on the last night of 1937, if you were watching a quartet it was because you couldn't afford to see the whole ensemble,or

because you had no good reason to ring in the new year."

When I first read this I thought it was wrong then I realized I couldn't think of any records I had of quartets except

the Benny Goodman Quartet from before 1938. What groups or records am I forgetting?

[Big Beat Steve]

Here's a starter:

Eddie Condon Quartet (Condon, Tesch, Sullivan, Krupa) (1928)

The Delta Four feat. Roy Eldridge (1935)

Clarence Wiliams "& his Orchestra" (Aug. 18, 1933)

[Chuck Nessa]

I was about to mention the Delta Four session with a disclaimer for some NOLA recordings.

[Ted O'Reilly]

I found it interesting (way back when) to learn that Fats Waller had to expand his quintet into a big band because the demand was for big bands, not small groups like his six-piece gang.

(BTW: When did the word "Combo" go out of fashion?)

Edited August 12, 2013 by Ted O'Reilly

[Chuck Nessa]

Maybe when McDonalds started using it.

[Neal Pomea]

That's about right, Chuck!

[alankin]

Maybe when McDonalds started using it.

I'll have a #2 combo, hold the bass solos.

[.:.impossible]

I'll take a #9, extra bass solos please.