Harry Franklin Reser, also known as Harry Reser, born on January 17, 1896, in Piqua, Ohio, was an American banjo player and bandleader who began his musical career at a young age. By 1920, he had moved to New York City, playing with bands led by Ben Selvin and Benny Krueger. In 1922, Reser formed the Okeh Syncopators and recorded his first pieces, including "Crazy Jo" and "Kitten on the Keys". He gained fame directing NBC's Clicquot Club Eskimo Orchestra from 1925 to 1935. During this period, he led other bands under pseudonyms, notably "Harry Reser and His Six Jumping Jacks". In 1934, his orchestra recorded "Santa Claus is Coming to Town". Reser continued leading TV studio orchestras until his death on September 27, 1965. He was posthumously inducted into the National Four-String Banjo Hall of Fame in 1999.
