Pandit, Korla
At The Pipe Organ
Rare & Collectible Vinyl Records

1960 Clear Red Vinyl Original In Laminated Jacket. Pandit Korla was an American musician who was born John Roland Redd in Missouri in 1901. He was a multi-instrumentalist who played the piano, organ, and steel guitar, among other instruments. In the 1930s, Korla became the first African-American to have his own television show, "Korla Pandit's Adventures in Music," which aired on Los Angeles station KTLA. He became known for his exotic persona, which included a turban and a fabricated backstory that he was the son of a French opera singer and an Indian Brahmin. "At The Pipe Organ" was one of several albums that Korla recorded during his career. The album features Korla playing the pipe organ, and includes popular songs such as "Autumn Leaves" and "Laura." The album was released by the Fantasy Records label. Korla continued to perform throughout his life, and was a fixture on the California music scene until his death in 1998. Despite his success, Korla's true identity was not widely known until after his death, when it was revealed that he was actually a mixed-race man from Missouri, and not of exotic heritage as he had claimed.