The Sepia Tones

The Sepia Tones was a quartet based in Los Angeles with the distinction of being among the very first acts ever recorded by Art Rupe, and the very first act to appear on his Juke Box label, the forerunner of Specialty Records. Paul Howard played clarinet and tenor sax, Nina Russell played the organ, Mata Roy handled the piano, and George Vann was their drummer. They cut two tracks, "When He Comes Home to Me" and "Boogie #1," at an August 21, 1944, session for Rupe, of which the latter became the A-side of the single, which reportedly sold around 70,000 copies.