Lee Morse

From Wikipedia

Lee Morse
Lee Morse, circa 1930
Background information
Birth name	Lena Corinne Taylor
Born	November 30, 1897
Origin	Portland, Oregon
Died	December 16, 1954 (aged 57)
Genres	Jazz, Blues
Occupations	Singer, Actress
Instruments	vocals, guitar
Years active	1923–1953
Labels	Pathé, Perfect, Columbia
Website	LeeMorse.com

Lee Morse (November 30, 1897 — December 16, 1954) was an US jazz and blues singer and songwriter whose greatest popularity was in the 1920s and early 1930s, although her career began around 1917 and continued until her death in 1954. Morse was known for her strong, deep singing voice and vocal range, which often belied the fact that she was merely five feet tall and weighed less than 100 pounds. Among her best known trademarks was her yodeling. Morse was also moderately successful as an actress on the Broadwaystage. Her life and career, however, were marred by alcoholism.

Birth and family background

Morse was born Lena Corinne Taylor in Portland, Oregon, the ninth of twelve children (and the third daughter) born to Pleasant John Taylor, a local pastor, and his wife, the former Olive Higgins Fleming.  The Taylor family was a musical one and, prior to Lena’s birth, had toured around Idaho by covered wagon under the name of the Taylor Family Concert Company.  Young Lena spent her early years in the small town of Kooskia, Idaho. She reputedly learned to sing around the time she was three years old by impersonating her brothers’ voices, which may account for her later ability to master deeper registers in her vocal range.

The Taylor family moved in 1908 to Clearwater Valley, a town three miles east of Kooskia, Idaho. During this time, Lena Taylor would often be heard singing on her way to and from school.

First marriage and early career

On May 2, 1915, Lena married Elmer Morse, a local woodworker.  She gave birth to a son, Jack, the following year. Lena, however, had a desire for a career as a singer and separated from Morse in 1920. Her first professional notice came around 1918, when she performed under the name “Mrs. Elmer Morse” at a local silent movie house.  During the next few years she played largely in small Pacific Northwestern towns such as Spokane and Chewelah.

Vaudeville

Lee Morse’s family was involved in politics as well as music. In 1920 her father was elected as a delegate to the Democratic Convention. Morse accompanied her father to San Francisco and, while there, performed in a convention at the Hotel St. Francis. As a result, she was noticed by Will King, a famous vaudeville producer of the day, who subsequently signed her to a contract.

Morse seized the opportunity for a career in the vaudeville of the West Coast, she left Kooskia—and her husband Elmer—behind for good. Her brother Glen later observed, “she left home when we were barefoot and had the best suite in a Portland hotel when I saw her again.”

In 1921, Morse began working in musical revues under Kolb and Dill. In 1922, she joined the Pantages circuit with a 15-minute act titled Do You Remember One Small Girl a Whole Quartet. One reviewer observed “she sings a baritone ‘Silver Moon,’ then swings into a bass with ‘Asleep in the Deep’ and finishes in a soprano with ‘Just a Song of Twilight.'” In November 1922 the reviewer for Variety noted “She gives the impression of a male impersonator, yodels rather sweetly, sings the ‘blues’ number better than the majority.” 

Hitchy Koo and Artists and Models

In 1923, Morse won a role in the touring version of the revue Hitchy Koo. The cast included star Raymond Hitchcock, as well as Marion Green, Irene Delroy, Al Sexton, Busby Berkeley, and Ruth Urban.

She next performed in the Shubert revue Artists and Models, which opened on Broadway on August 20, 1923.

First recordings

In 1924, Morse began her recording career with a contract with the Pathé label. During this era of acoustic recording, the power of her voice was essential to the success of her recordings. Also during this time, she was given the opportunity to record many of her own compositions. Among her notable recordings from this period are “Telling Eyes,” “Those Daisy Days,” “An Old-Fashioned Romance” ( which she re-recorded for Columbia in 1927), “Blue Waltz”, “The Shadows on the Wall,” “Deep Wide Ocean Blues,” “A Little Love,” and “Daddy’s Girl.”

Pathé gave Morse the opportunity to indulge in a level of experimentation, not only by recording her own songs, but also through the opportunity to explore the limits of her vocal abilities. Prevalent on these early recordings are her characteristic whoops and yodels. Although dismissed by some as a gimmick, these techniques added a personality to her voice and enabled her to fully demonstrate her multi-octave range.

Divorce

Lee Morse with her son Jack, c.1924. Morse retained custody of Jack after her divorce. The photo belies the general belief that Morse’s relationship with her son was often a strained one. 

Lee Morse’s success as an entertainer took its toll on her personal life. Her husband, Elmer Morse, had created a home for her complete with furnishings he’d built himself. On February 18, 1925 he filed for divorce on the grounds of desertion and abandonment. Although she had deserted her husband and child five years earlier, Morse was able to keep custody of their son Jack.  In October 1926, Elmer Morse died of scarlet fever in Spokane at the young age of 35.

Columbia and Simple Simon

In 1927, along with other prominent artists of her era, Morse moved to the Columbia label. From 1927 to 1932, she was one of the label’s most popular female performers, second only to Ruth Etting. Morse continued to do vaudeville and other stage work during this time, landing a role inZiegfeld‘s Simple Simon that may have made her an even bigger star. Sadly, her alcoholism left her ill and unable to perform a mere 24 hours before the show’s Broadway debut on February 18, 1930. Minus their star, the producers asked Ruth Etting to step up in the eleventh hour to fill Morse’s shoes. As a result, the show’s memorable “Ten Cents a Dance” became Etting’s signature while Morse’s once promising Broadway career abruptly ended.

Second marriage

In the mid-1920s, Morse met pianist Bob Downey.  He became her accompanist on stage and companion in life. They subsequently lived together as a couple, although whether or not they were ever actually married remains questionable. She and Downey eventually opened a small club in Texas, which they operated until it burned down in 1939. Later they resettled in Rochester, New York. Downey eventually left Morse for a striptease dancer. This end to their relationship left Morse devastated and ever more dependent upon alcohol, which by the 1930s had become a constant companion.

Three short films

Lee Morse in A Million Me’s, the first of three one-reel films she made in 1930.

Although Morse’s Broadway prospects had dimmed by the 1930s, she could still be seen in a number of musical film shorts, including A Million Me’s(Paramount, April 25, 1930), The Music Racket (Vitaphone, June 30, 1930), and Song Service (Paramount, October 24, 1930).

Lee had always preferred stage audiences to small clubs, once commenting “I get nervous! I can’t stand it! I want to scream!” However, as the business changed in the 1930s, she found herself taking club dates when stage gigs grew scarce. In fact, in the mid-1930s, she and then-partner Downey opened a small club in Texas. After the 1939 fire, they resettled in Rochester, New York, an area that had been kind to her over the years.

Third marriage and final years

After her relationship with Bob Downey ended in the late 1930s, Morse weathered a rocky period that left those closest to her worried for her health. Life improved when she met Ray Farese, whom she married in 1946. Farese helped her revitalize her career by getting her a Rochester-based radio show and securing local club dates. She attempted a comeback with the song “Don’t Even Change a Picture on the Wall,” written in the 1940s for the World War II soldiers and finally recorded in 1951. Although the song enjoyed local success, it failed to launch her to the heights she had once enjoyed.

Death and aftermath

Lee Morse died suddenly on December 16, 1954 while visiting a neighbor. She was only 57 years old.

After her death, her husband, Ray Farese, turned her photos and scrapbook over to Rochester-based journalist Howard Hosmer, who apparently produced a Morse career retrospective for a local station. Farese died before Hosmer could return Lee’s mementos. Hosmer himself died in 1986.

References

Mamie Smith

From Wikipedia

Mamie Smith
Background information
Birth name	Mamie Robinson
Born	May 26, 1883 Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
Died	September 16, 1946 (aged 63) New York, New York, United States
Genres	Blues
Occupations	Actress, dancer, singer
Instruments	Vocals

Mamie Smith (née Robinson) (May 26, 1883 – September 16, 1946) was an American vaudeville singer, dancer, pianist and actress, who appeared in several films late in her career. As a vaudeville singer she performed a number of styles including jazz and blues. She entered blues history by being the first African American artist to make vocal blues recordings in 1920. Willie “The Lion” Smith (not her husband) explained the background to that recording in his (ghosted) autobiography, Music on My Mind.

Early life

Mamie Robinson was born probably in Cincinnati, Ohio, although no records of her birth exist.  When she was ten years old, she found work touring with a white act called the Four Dancing Mitchells.  As a teenager, she danced in Salem Tutt Whitney‘s Smart Set.  In 1913, she left the Tutt Brothers to sing in clubs in Harlem and married a waiter named William “Smitty” Smith. 

Musical career

On August 10, 1920, in New York City, Smith recorded a set of songs all written by the African American songwriter, Perry Bradford, including “Crazy Blues” and “It’s Right Here For You (If You Don’t Get It, ‘Tain’t No Fault of Mine)”, on Okeh Records.  It was the first recording of vocal blues by an African American artist,  and the record became a best seller, selling a million copies in less than a year.  To the surprise of record companies, large numbers of the record were purchased by African Americans, and there was a sharp increase in the popularity of race records.  Because of the historical significance of “Crazy Blues”, it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1994,  and, in 2005, was selected for permanent preservation in the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress.

Although other African Americans had been recorded earlier, such as George W. Johnson in the 1890s, they were African American artists performing music which had a substantial following with European-American audiences. The success of Smith’s record prompted record companies to seek to record other female blues singers and started the era of what is now known as classic female blues.  It also opened up the music industry to recordings by, and for, African Americans in other genres.

Smith continued to make a series of popular recordings for Okeh throughout the 1920s. In 1924 she made three releases for Ajax Records which, while heavily promoted, did not sell well.  She also made some records for Victor. She toured the United States and Europe with her band “Mamie Smith & Her Jazz Hounds” as part of “Mamie Smith’s Struttin’ Along Review”.  She was billed as “The Queen of the Blues”. This billing of Mamie Smith was soon one-upped by Bessie Smith, who called herself “The Empress of the Blues.”

Film career and later years

Mamie Smith appeared in an early sound film, Jailhouse Blues, in 1929. She retired from recording and performing in 1931. She returned to performing in 1939 to appear in the motion picture Paradise in Harlem produced by her husband Jack Goldberg. She appeared in further films, including Mystery in Swing, Sunday Sinners (1940), Stolen Paradise(1941), Murder on Lenox Avenue (1941), and Because I Love You (1943). She died in 1946, in New York.

Coleman Hawkins

From Wikipedia

Coleman Hawkins
Coleman Hawkins, circa September 1946. Photo: William P. Gottlieb.
Background information
Birth name	Coleman Randolph Hawkins
Born	November 21, 1904
Origin	Saint Joseph, Missouri, United States
Died	May 19, 1969 (aged 64) New York, New York, United States
Genres	Swing music, bebop
Instruments	Tenor saxophone, bass saxophone, clarinet
Years active	1921–1969[1]
Associated acts	Ben Webster, Max Roach

Coleman Randolph Hawkins, nicknamed Hawk and sometimes “Bean” (November 21, 1904 – May 19, 1969), was an American jazz  Matenor saxophonist.  He was one of the first prominent jazz musicians on his instrument. As Joachim E. Berendt explained, “there were some tenor players before him, but the instrument was not an acknowledged jazz horn”. While Hawkins is most strongly associated with the swing music and big band era, he had a role in the development of bebop in the 1940s.

Fellow saxophonist Lester Young, who was called “Pres”, in a 1959 interview with The Jazz Review, said: “As far as I’m concerned, I think Coleman Hawkins was the President first, right? As far as myself, I think I’m the second one.”  Miles Davis once said: “When I heard Hawk, I learned to play ballads.”

Biography

Coleman Hawkins (incorrectly spelled “Haskins” in the caption) pictured in the Topeka High School orchestra, from the 1921 yearbook.

Early life and the swing era

Hawkins was born in Saint Joseph, Missouri, in 1904. Some out-of-date sources say 1901, but there is no evidence to prove an earlier date; instead, there is record of Hawkins’s parents’ first female child being born on March 8, 1901 and dying in 1903 at the age of two, possibly basis for the mistaken belief.  He was named Coleman after his mother Cordelia’s maiden name.

He attended high school in Chicago, then in Topeka, Kansas at Topeka High School. He later stated that he studied harmony and composition for two years at Washburn College in Topeka while still attending THS. In his youth he played piano and cello, and started playing saxophone at the age of nine; by the age of fourteen he was playing around eastern Kansas.

Hawkins’s first major gig was with Mamie Smith‘s Jazz Hounds in 1921, whom he joined permanently in April 1922 and toured with through 1923, when he settled in New York City. Hawkins joined Fletcher Henderson‘s Orchestra, where he remained until 1934, sometimes doubling on clarinet and bass saxophone. Hawkins’s playing changed significantly during Louis Armstrong‘s tenure with the Henderson Orchestra during 1924–25. In the late 20’s, Hawkins also participated in some of the earliest interracial recording sessions with the Mound City Blue Blowers. During the time with Henderson, he became a star soloist with an increasing amount of star solos on record. While with the band, he and Henry “Red” Allen recorded a series of small group sides for ARC (on their Perfect, Melotone, Romeo, and Oriole labels). Hawkins also recorded a number of solo recordings, with either piano or with a pick-up band of Henderson’s musicians in 1933–34, just prior to his European trip. He was also featured on a landmark Benny Goodman February 2, 1934 session for Columbia, which also featured Mildred Bailey as guest vocalist.

In late 1934, Hawkins accepted an invitation to play with Jack Hylton‘s band in London, and toured Europe as a soloist until 1939, memorably working with Django Reinhardt and Benny Carter in Paris in 1937.  Having returned to the United States, on October 11, 1939, he recorded a two-chorus performance of the pop standard “Body and Soul“, which he had been performing at Kelly’s Stables. A landmark recording of the swing era, recorded as an afterthought at the session, it is notable in that Hawkins ignores almost all of the melody, only the first four bars are stated in a recognizable fashion. In its exploration of harmonic structure  it is considered by many to be the next evolutionary step in jazz recording from where Louis Armstrong’s “West End Blues” in 1928 left off.

The bebop era

Hawkins with Miles Davis at Three Deuces on 52nd Street in NYC, ca. July 1947. Photo: William P. Gottlieb.

After an unsuccessful attempt to establish a big band, he led a combo at Kelly’s Stables onManhattan‘s 52nd Street with Thelonious Monk, Oscar Pettiford, Miles Davis, and Max Roach as sidemen. Hawkins always had a keen ear for new talent and styles, and he was leader on what is generally considered the first ever bebop recording session with Dizzy Gillespie and Max Roach in 1944.  Later he toured with Howard McGhee and recorded with J. J. Johnson and Fats Navarro. He also toured with Jazz at the Philharmonic.

In 1948 Hawkins recorded Picasso, an early piece for unaccompanied saxophone.

After 1948 Hawkins divided his time between New York and Europe, making numerous freelance recordings. In the 1960s, he appeared regularly at the Village Vanguard in Manhattan.

Hawkins directly influenced many bebop performers, and later in his career, recorded or performed with such adventurous musicians asSonny Rollins, who considered him as his main influence, and John Coltrane. He appears on the Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane(Riverside) record. In 1960 he recorded on Max Roach’s We Insist! suite.

Later life

The grave of Coleman Hawkins

In the 1950s, Hawkins performed with more traditional musicians such as Henry “Red” Allenand Roy Eldridge with whom he appeared at the 1957 Newport Jazz Festival and recordedColeman Hawkins Encounters Ben Webster with fellow tenor saxophonist Ben Webster along with Oscar Peterson (piano), Herb Ellis(guitar), Ray Brown (bass), and Alvin Stoller (drums).

In the 1960s, Hawkins began to drink heavily and his recording output began to wane. However, he did manage to record some notable albums with musicians such as Duke Ellington, among others. His last recording was in 1967.

With failing health, Hawkins succumbed to pneumonia in 1969 and is interred in the Yew Plot at the Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx.

The Song of the Hawk, a 1990 biography written by British jazz historian John Chilton, chronicles Hawkins’s career as one of the influential jazz performers of the 20th century.

Bubber Miley

James “Bubber” Miley

From Wikipedia

James “Bubber” Miley
Birth name	James Wesley “Bubber” Miley
Born	April 3, 1903
Origin	Aiken, South Carolina, United States
Died	May 20, 1932 (aged 29) Welfare Island, New York, United States
Genres	Jazz, Dixieland
Instruments	Trumpet, cornet
Associated acts	Duke Ellington

James Wesley “Bubber” Miley (April 3, 1903 – May 20, 1932) was an American early jazz trumpet and cornet player, specializing in the use of the plunger mute.

Early life (1903–1923)

Miley was born in Aiken, South Carolina, United States, into a musical family. At the age of six, he and his family moved to New York City where, as a child, he occasionally sang for money on the streets, and later, at the age of fourteen, studied to play the trombone and cornet.

In 1920, after having served in the Navy for eighteen months, he joined a jazz formation named the Carolina Five, and remained a member for the next three years, playing small clubs and boat rides all around New York City. After leaving the band at the age of nineteen, Miley briefly toured the Southern States with a show titled The Sunny South, and then joined Mamie Smith‘s Jazz Hounds, replacing trumpeter Johnny Dunn. They regularly performed in famous clubs around New York City and Chicago. While touring in Chicago, he heard King Oliver‘s Creole Jazz Band playing and was captivated by Oliver’s use of mutes. Soon Miley found his own voice by combining the straight and plunger mute with agrowling sound.

The Duke Ellington years (1923–1929)

Miley’s talent and unique style were soon noticed in New York’s jazz scene – among others by Duke Ellington who wanted him to jump in for trumpeter Arthur Whetsol. According to saxophonist Otto Hardwick, Ellington’s band members had to shanghai Miley into joining them for his first performance, at the Hollywood on Broadway in 1923, At the time, Ellington’s Washingtonians were formally led by Elmer Snowden, but Ellington, who factually had already been running the formation, also took over its official leadership a few months later.

Miley’s collaboration with Ellington in what later became The Duke Ellington Orchestra has secured his place in jazz history. Early Ellington hits, such as Black and Tan Fantasy,Doin’ the Voom Voom, East Saint Louis Toodle-oo (Also redone by Steely Dan in 1974 on their album Pretzel Logic) and Creole Love Call prominently feature Miley’s solo work and were thematically inspired by his melodic ideas, which he, in turn, often borrowed from Baptist hymns sung in his church, such as Stephen Adams’ Holy City. He and fellow band member, trombonist Joe “Tricky Sam” Nanton, created the “Wah-wah” sound that characterized Ellington’s early Jungle Music style. Many jazz critics consider Miley’s musical contributions to be integral to Ellington’s early success during the time they performed in the Kentucky Club and Cotton Club.

In 1924, while working with Ellington, Miley also recorded Down In The Mouth Blues and Lenox Avenue Shuffle as a duo named The Texas Blue Destroyers, with Alvin Ray on reed organ. They managed to trick three different record companies into recording the same two songs, both composed by Ray.

In interviews, former co-musicians such as Ellington, Nanton, Hardwick, and Harry Carney spoke fondly of Bubber Miley’s carefree character and joie de vivre, exemplified in numerous anecdotes. On the other hand, they also mention his notorious unreliability, and problems with alcohol abuse. Miley’s lifestyle eventually led to his breaking up with Ellington’s band in 1929, but his influence on the Duke Ellington Orchestra lasted far longer. His legacy lived on in trumpeters such as Cootie Williams and later Ray Nance, who both were able to adopt Miley’s style in their own way when needed.

Final years (1929–1932)

After leaving Ellington’s orchestra in 1929, Miley joined Noble Sissle‘s Orchestra for a one-month tour to Paris. After returning to New York, he recorded with a wide variety of recording groups led by King Oliver, Jelly Roll Morton, Hoagy Carmichael, Zutty Singleton and with Leo Reisman‘s society dance band. Miley also performed live with Reisman, albeit being the only African American in Reisman’s all-white formation, either dressed in an usher’s uniform and off the bandstand, or hidden from view by a screen. In 1930, he recorded six songs for Victor Records under the name Bubber Miley and his Mileage Makers, a formation of thirteen musicians including clarinetist Buster Bailey.

Miley’s health suffered from his problems with alcoholism. On May 20, 1932, at the age of 29, he died of tuberculosis on Welfare Island, now Roosevelt Island, in New York City. Miley lived just a little longer than his contemporary and fellow jazz trumpeter Bix Beiderbecke, whose life was also cut short due to alcohol abuse.

Jabbo Smith

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jabbo Smith, born as Cladys Smith (December 24, 1908 – January 16, 1991) was a United States jazz musician, known for his hot virtuoso playing on the trumpet.^[1]

Smith was born in Pembroke, Georgia. At the age of 6 he went into the Jenkins Orphanage in Charleston, South Carolina where he learned trumpet and trombone, and by age 10 was touring with the Jenkins Band. At age 16 he left the Orphanage to become a professional musician, at first playing in bands in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Atlantic City, New Jersey before making his base in Manhattan, New York City from about 1925 through 1928, where he made the first of his well regarded recordings.

In 1928 he toured with James P. Johnson‘s Orchestra when their show broke up in Chicago, Illinois, where Smith stayed for a few years. His series of 20 recordings for Brunswick Records in 1929 are his most famous (19 were issued), and Smith was billed as a rival to Louis Armstrong. Unfortunately, most of these records didn’t sell well enough for Brunswick to extend his contract.

In March 1935 in Chicago, Smith was featured in a recording session produced by Helen Oakley under the name of Charles LaVere & His Chicagoans, which included a vocal by both Smith and LaVere on LaVere’s composition and arrangement of “Boogaboo Blues”. It is an early example of inter-racial blues recordings, although far from the first as such had been made at least since c. 1921.

In the 1930s, Smith moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin which would be his main base for many years, alternating with returns to New York. In Milwaukee he collaborated with saxophonist Bill Johnson. Subsequently, Smith dropped out of the public eye, playing music part time in Milwaukee with a regular job at an automobile hire company.

Jabbo Smith made a comeback starting in the late 1960s. Many young musicians, fans, and record collectors were surprised to learn that the star of those great 1920s recordings was still alive. Smith successfully played with bands and shows in New York, New Orleans, Louisiana, London, and France through the 1970s and into the 1980s.

Concerts in France, Italy, Switzerland and Netherlands with the HOT ANTIC JAZZ BAND. Recorded live: Jabbo Smith, European Concerts w. the Hot Antic Jazz Band (MECD 004)

Original Indiana Five “Clarinet Marmalade” 1929

This clip has been taken from a 1929 Vitaphone short, featuring Grace Johnson.

Walter Page

From Wikipedia

Walter Page
Ray Bauduc (drums), Billie Holiday (singing), Claude Hopkins (piano), and Walter Page (double-bass)
Background information
Birth name	Walter Sylvester Page
Born	February 9, 1900
Origin	Gallatin, Missouri, USA
Died	December 20, 1957
Genres	Jazz, Swing
Occupations	Musician, Bandleader
Instruments	Double bass, Tuba, Baritone Saxophone
Associated acts	Bennie Moten, Count Basie, Oran ‘Hot Lips’ Page

Walter Sylvester “Big ‘Un” Page (February 9, 1900 – December 20, 1957) was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist and bandleader, best known for his groundbreaking work as a double-bass player with Walter Page’s Blue Devils and the Count Basie Orchestra.

Contents

Early Life

Walter Sylvester Page was born in Gallatin, Missouri on February 9th, 1900 to parents Edward and Blanche Page. Page showed a love for music even as a child, perhaps due in part to the influence of his aunt Lillie, a music teacher. Page’s mother, with whom he moved to Kansas City in 1910, exposed young Walter to folksongs and spirituals, a critical foundation for developing his love of music. He gained his first musical experience as a bass drum and bass horn player in the brass bands of his neighborhood. Under the direction of Major N. Clark Smith, a retired military bandleader who provided Page his first formal training in music, Page took up the string bass in his time at Lincoln High School. In an interview in The Jazz Review, Page remembers Major Smith:

“Major N. Clark Smith was my teacher in high school. He taught almost everybody in Kansas City. He was a chubby little cat, bald, one of the old military men. He wore glasses on his nose and came from Cuba around 1912 or 1914. He knew all the instruments and couldn’t play anything himself, but he could teach. …[O]ne day he was looking for a bass player and no one was around, so he looked at me, and said, “Pagey, get the bass.” I said, “But,” and he repeated, “Get the bass.” That’s when I got started.”

In addition to the influence of Smith, Page also drew inspiration from bassist Wellman Braud, who Page had the opportunity to see when he came to town with a band under the direction of John Wycliffe. “I was sitting right in the front row of the high school auditorium,” recalled Page, “and all I could hear was the oomp, oomp, oomp of that bass, and I said, that’s for me.” What attracted Page to Braud was Braud’s intensity. “When Braud got ahold of that bass, he hit those tones like hammers and made them jump right out of the box.”

Career

After Page had completed high school, he would then go on to study to become a music teacher at the University of Kansas at Lawrence. At college, Page completed a three year course in music in one year, in addition to taking a three-year course on gas engines. Between the years 1918 and 1923, he moonlighted as a tuba, bass saxophone, and string bass player with the Bennie Moten Orchestra.

“Fridays and Sundays I played with Bennie Moten and Saturdays with Dave Lewis who was paying me $7.00 a night. Bennie was paying for my food and transportation, so when I’d be finished a weekend [sic] I’d made me $20.00 and had a ball.”

In 1923, Page left the Moten band and began an engagement with Billy King’s Road Show, touring the Theater Owners’ Booking Association (TOBA) circuit across the United States. Notably, the band included Page’s future Basie band mates Jimmy Rushing and Basie himself. The band soon fell apart, however, which led to the formation of Walter Page and the Blue Devils in 1925. The Blue Devils were a territory band based out of the Oklahoma City-Wichita, Kansas area. Throughout various times its six year lifespan (1925-1931) the band featured such noteworthy figures as Count Basie, Jimmy Rushing, Buster Smith, Lester Young, and Hot Lips Page. In his autobiography, Count Basie recalls the first time he ever saw the Blue Devils Play:

“The leader was the heavyset, pleasant-looking fellow playing the bass and doubling on the baritone. His name was Walter Page, and at that time the band was known as Walter Page and his Blue Devils. But you could also hear the musicians addressing him by his nickname, which was Big ‘Un. You could also tell right away that they didn’t just respect him because he was the boss; they really liked him and felt close to him because he was also one of them.”

Page wanted badly to have his band square off against Benny Moten’s band, which he states in an interview never happened. Gunther Schuller gives a different account though, writing that “…an encounter finally did take place in 1928, and on that occasion Page is reputed to have ‘wiped out’ the Moten band.” What is indisputable, however, is that Moten did seem to shy away from competition with the Blue Devils, opting to buy off individual members with higher salaries and absorb them into his own group rather than do battle directly. Count Basie and Eddie Durham defected in 1929, followed shortly after by Jimmy Rushing and Hot Lips Page. Despite this seemingly underhanded tactic, Page still felt that “[Moten] had one of the biggest hearts I knew of.” Page attempted to keep his Blue Devils intact, but after the departure of such key members of his band, the difficulties mounted. Unable to find suitable replacements, facing booking problems, and dealing with a musicians’ union conflict, Page eventually ceded control of the band to James Simpson. He then proceeded to join Moten’s band himself in 1931, staying on until 1934. Count Basie describes the immediate effect Walter Page had upon joining the Moten Band:

“Big ‘Un in there on bass made things a lot different in the rhythm section, and naturally that changed the whole band and made it even more like the Blue Devils.”

In an interview published shortly before his death, Page recalls an encounter with Duke Ellington in 1934:

“I remember Duke coming through on his way West that year. They were playing the Main Street Theatre and some of the boys in Duke’s band wanted to go hear Basie. [Wellman] Braud was in the band and he acted biggety, didn’t want to go, said, ‘What’s he got?’ We were playing at the Sunset Club and finally Duke and the rest crept around the scrim and started sitting in. I was playing right on top of Duke and he told Basie he was going to steal me out of the band. Basie told him I owed him $300.00 and that’s how I didn’t get to join Duke during all those good years he had. It was the smartest move Basie ever made…”

After his second stint with the Moten band, Page moved to St. Louis to play with the Jeter-Pillars band. Following the death of Bennie Moten in 1935, however, Count Basie took over the former Moten Band, which Page rejoined. Page stayed with the Count Basie Orchestra from 1935 to 1942, an integral part of what came to be called the “All-American Rhythm Section. Together with drummer Jo Jones, guitarist Freddie Green, and pianist Count Basie, the rhythm section pioneered the “Basie Sound”, a style in which Page, as bass player, clearly established the beat, allowing his band mates to compliment more freely. Until this point, the rhythm of a jazz band was traditionally felt in the pianist’s left hand and the kick of the bass drum on all four beats. In a sense, the classic Basie rhythm section were liberators. After his first departure from the Count Basie Orchestra, Page worked with various small groups around Kansas City. He returned to the Basie Band in 1946 for three more years. “Big ‘Un just decided that he was ready to come back,” recalled Count Basie. After his second stint with Basie, Page would work primarily as a freelancer until his life was cut short in 1957. The artists he worked with in the later portion of his career included former band mate and trumpeter Hot Lips Page, Jimmy McPartland, Eddie Condon, Ruby Braff, Roy Eldridge, Vic Dickenson, Buck Clayton, Jimmy Rushing, and others, including many Basie alumni.

Death

The death of Walter Page on December 20th, 1957 was very much a surprise, as the bassist had been playing gigs around New York City right up until his passing. It is reported that Page contracted pneumonia on his way to a recording session in the midst of a snowstorm. An obituary in Jet Magazine from January 9, 1958 under the “Died” column, reads:

“Walter Page, 57, one of the greatest jazz bass players, who helped Count Basie lead an invasion of Kansas City jazz to New York in 1935; of kidney ailment and pneumonia; at Bellevue Hospital in New York.”

It is speculated that Walter Page’s early death may be a factor contributing to his relative obscurity in the history of jazz, despite his major influence and stylistic contributions. In an interview published only a month before his death in The Jazz Review, Walter Page expressed how he never sought praise and that he just wanted to know that he was appreciated for his influence on music.

Style and Influence

More than any other jazz bass player in history, Page is credited with developing and popularizing the “walking bass” style of playing on all four beats, a transition from the older, two-beat style. “He started that ‘strolling’ or walking’ bass,” recalls Harry “Sweets” Edison, “going way up and then coming right on down. He did it on four strings, but other bass players couldn’t get that high so they started making a five-string bass.” Page himself acknowledges the influence of Wellman Braud, who may have been the first bassist to actually record the “walking bass” technique on Washington Wobble. While it remains unclear who, exactly, was the true “originator” of the walking bass style, Page is nonetheless accepted as one of, if not the primary, proponent of the style.

Page is seen as the “logical extension of [bassist] Pops Foster,” a influential bassist known for his dependable timekeeping. Page is also recognized as “one of the first bassists to play four beats to the bar,” in contrast to the two-beat style of New Orleans jazz. Band mate Eddie Durham recalls how Page helped make the double bass a viable alternative to bass horns, such as the tuba: “Without amplification, a lot of guys weren’t strong enough on bass fiddle. But Walter Page you could hear!” Page’s imposing stature led Durham to state that “he was like a house with a note.” Jazz critic Gunther Schuller notes describes some of Page’s other stylistic contributions: “For the bass functions simultaneously on several levels: as a rhythm instrument; as a pitch instrument delineating the harmonic progression; and, since the days of Walter Page, as a melodic or contrapuntal instrument.” Page was also famous for his restraint, a lesson fellow bassist Gene Ramey recounts:

“There’s a whole lot [you] could do here… but what you must do is play a straight line, because that man out there’s waiting for food from you. You could run chord changes on every chord that’s going on. You’ve got time to do it. But if you do, you’re interfering with that guy [the soloist]. So run a straight line.”

Although he was not well-known as a soloist, Walter Page recorded one of the earliest jazz solos on the double bass on “Pagin’ the Devil” with the Kansas City Six. He did, however contribute to the legitimacy of the double bass as a melodic instrument, “…open[ing] the door for virtuosos like [Duke Ellington Orchestra bassist] Jimmy Blanton to garner more respect for the instrument,” through improvisation. “Without Page setting the table,” writes DiCaire, “the exploits of Blanton would never have happened.” “I’m not just a bass player,” Walter Page once said, “I’m a musician with a foundation.”   Walter Page had a complex understanding of the roles of all the instruments in his bands, due in no small part to the fact that he was a multi-instrumentalist himself. In fact, on Blue Devil Blues, one of only two recordings of Walter Page’s Blue Devils, Page begins on tuba before switching to string bass and finally baritone saxophone, playing all three “astoundingly well.” Drummer Jo Jones recalled an instance when “somebody was fooling around [in the band], Mr. Walter Page left his bass, went down quiet as a cat, got the baritone, played the sax parts, and went back to his place.”

Walter Page is perhaps best known for his work with the Count Basie Orchestra from 1935-1942. Page, drummer Jo Jones, guitarist Freddie Green, and pianist Count Basie became known as the “All-American Rhythm Section” and set the standard for jazz rhythm sections that is still emulated and considered the gold-standard today. Together, the four musicians “…created the bedrock for the band to pile on a superstructure of exciting riffs…” writes Shipton. Page’s playing was a great influence on Jo Jones, who “says that it was Page who really taught him to play in Kansas City: ‘An even 4/4’.” Indeed, Berliner notes that “During the swing period, Walter Page’s largely stepwise walking bass accompaniment in Count Basie’s band epitomized the changing emphasis on the four-beat approach to meter described by Foster.” “As part of the pianist’s outstanding rhythm section,” says Richard Cook, “Page’s rock-solid time and unflustered swing was a key part of the four-way conversation.” Jo Jones describes the dynamic of the rhythm section as a process and a group endeavor: “We worked at it, to build a rhythm section, every day, every night. We worked alone, not with the band all the time. I didn’t care what happened—one of us would be up to par. If three were down, one would carry the three. Never four were out.” ^] “At its best, the Basie rhythm section was nothing less than a Cadillac with the force of a Mack truck. They more or less gave you a push, or a ride, and they played no favorites, whether you were an E-flat or B-flat soloist.”^]

Willard Robison

From Wikipedia

Willard Robison (September 18, 1894 – June 24, 1968) was an American vocalist, pianist, and composer of popular song, born in Shelbina, Missouri. His songs reflect a rural, melancholy theme steeped in Americana and their warm style has drawn comparison to Hoagy Carmichael. Many of his compositions, notably “A Cottage for Sale“, “Round My Old Deserted Farm”, “Don’t Smoke in Bed”, and “Old Folks”, have become standards and have been recorded countless times by jazz and pop artists including Peggy Lee, Nina Simone, Nat King Cole, Billy Eckstine, and Mildred Bailey. “A Cottage for Sale” alone has been recorded over 100 times.

In the early 1920s, Robison led and toured with several territory bands in the Southwest. He met Jack Teagarden in this period, whom he befriended. In the late 1920s, Robison organized the Deep River Orchestra, later hosting a radio show entitled The Deep River Hour in the early 1930s.

During the 1920s, Robison recorded extensively for Perfect Records, with scores of vocal recordings accompanying himself on piano (displaying his rather eccentric stride piano style), as well as “Deep River Orchestra” recordings using standard stock arrangements (including many popular and obscure songs, as well as his fox trot arrangement of George Gershwin’s Rhapsody In Blue on both sides of Perfect 14825 and Pathe 36644.

In 1926-1927, Robison recorded an interesting series of 8 moody foxtrots with the umbrella name of American Suite:

• After Hours (American Suite No. 1) (Perfect 14728/Pathe 36547) 10/1/26
• Piano Tuner’s Dream (American Suite No. 2) (Perfect 14743/Pathe 36562) 10/22/26
• Darby Hicks (American Suite No. 3) (Perfect 14744/Pathe 36563) 10/22/26
• The Music Of A Mountain Stream (American Suite No. 4) (Perfect 14755/Pathe 36574) 11/22/26
• Tampico (American Suite No. 5) (Perfect 14755/Pathe 36574) 11/22/26
• Mobile Mud (American Suite No. 6) (Perfect 14756/Pathe 36575) 10/22/26
• Deep River (American Suite No. 7) (Perfect 14774/Pathe 36593) 11/22/26
• Harlem Blues (American Suite No. 8) (Perfect 14821/Pathe 36640) 4/20/27

He recorded for Perfect & Pathe from 1926 to 1928. Between 1928 and 1930, he recorded for Columbia, Harmony and Victor. He also recorded a session in 1937 for Master Records.

Jack Teagarden recorded a critically praised album of Robison’s songs in 1962 entitled Think Well of Me. Robison died in Peekskill, New York in 1968, aged 73.

List of notable compositions

• “‘Round My Old Deserted Farm”
• “‘Tain’t So, Honey, ‘Tain’t So”
• “A Cottage for Sale“
• “Don’t Smoke in Bed”
• “Down to Steamboat, Tennessee”
• “Guess I’ll Go Back Home (This Summer)”
• “Harlem Lullaby”
• “I’m a Fool About My Mama”
• “In A Little Waterfront Cafe”
• “It’s Never Too Late to Pray”
• “Old Folks”
• “The Devil is Afraid of Music”
• “Deep Elm (You Tell ‘Em I’m Blue)”
• “Peaceful Valley”

Hoagy Carmichael

From Wikipedia

Hoagy Carmichael
Hoagy Carmichael
Background information
Birth name	Howard Hoagland Carmichael
Born	November 22, 1899 Bloomington, Indiana
Died	December 27, 1981 (aged 82) Rancho Mirage, California
Genres	Musical films, Popular songs
Occupations	attorney, songwriter, singer,actor
Instruments	piano, vocals
Years active	1918-1981
Associated acts	Sidney Arodin, Louis Armstrong,Fred Astaire, Bix Biederbecke,Ray Charles, Bing Crosby,Jimmy Dorsey, Tommy Dorsey,Duke Ellington, Helen Forrest,Harry James, Spike Jones, Frank Loesser, Johnny Mercer, Glenn Miller, Dinah Shore, Paul Whiteman
Website	Hoagy Carmichael

“Hoagy” Carmichael (born Howard Hoagland Carmichael; November 22, 1899 – December 27, 1981) was an American composer,pianist, singer, actor, and bandleader. He is best known for composing the music for “Stardust“, “Georgia on My Mind“, “The Nearness of You“, and “Heart and Soul“, four of the most-recorded American songs of all time.

American composer and author Alec Wilder wrote of Carmichael in American Popular Song: The Great Innovators, 1900–1950 that he was the “most talented, inventive, sophisticated and jazz-oriented” of the hundreds of writers composing pop songs in the first half of the 20th century.

Biography

Early life

Carmichael’s house in Bloomington

Born in Bloomington, Indiana, Carmichael was the only son of Howard Clyde Carmichael, of Scottish ancestry,^{[citation needed]} and Lida Mary (Robison). He was named Hoagland after a circus troupe “The Hoaglands” who stayed at the Carmichael house during his mother’s pregnancy.  Howard was a horse-drawn taxi driver and electrician, and Lida a versatile pianist who played accompaniment at silent movies and for parties. The family moved frequently, as Howard sought better employment for his growing family. At six, Carmichael started to sing and play the piano, absorbing easily his mother’s keyboard skills. By high school, the piano was the focus of his after-school life, and for inspiration he would listen to ragtime pianists Hank Wells and Hube Hanna. At eighteen, the small, wiry, pale Carmichael was living in Indianapolis, trying to help his family’s income working in manual jobs in construction, a bicycle chain factory, and a slaughterhouse. The bleak time was partly spelled by four-handed piano duets with his mother and by his strong friendship with Reg DuValle, black bandleader and pianist known as “the elder statesman of Indiana jazz” and “the Rhythm King”, who taught him piano jazz improvisation.  The death of his three-year-old sister in 1918 affected him deeply, and he wrote “My sister Joanne—the victim of poverty. We couldn’t afford a good doctor or good attention, and that’s when I vowed I would never be broke again in my lifetime.” She may have died from influenza, which had swept the world that year.  Carmichael earned his first money ($5.00) as a musician playing at a fraternity dance that year and began his musical career.

Carmichael attended Indiana University and the Indiana University School of Law, where he received his Bachelor’s degree in 1925 and a law degree in 1926. He was a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity and played the piano all around the state with his “Collegians” to support his studies. He met, befriended, and played with Bix Beiderbecke, the cornetist, sometime pianist and fellow Mid-westerner. Under Beiderbecke’s spell, Carmichael started to play the cornet as well, but found that he didn’t have the lips for it, and only played it for a short while. He was also influenced by Beiderbecke’s impressionistic and classical musical ideas. On a visit to Chicago, Carmichael was introduced by Beiderbecke to Louis Armstrong, who was then playing with King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band, and with whom he would collaborate later.

He began to compose songs, “Washboard Blues” and “Boneyard Shuffle” for Curtis Hitch, and also “Riverboat Shuffle“, recorded by Beiderbecke, which became a staple of jazz and Carmichael’s first recorded song. After graduating in 1926, he moved to Miami to join a local law firm but, failing the bar exam, returned to Indiana in 1927. He joined an Indiana law firm and passed the state bar, but devoted most of his energies to music, arranging band dates, and “writing tunes”. He had discovered his method of songwriting, which he described later: “You don’t write melodies, you find them…If you find the beginning of a good song, and if your fingers do not stray, the melody should come out of hiding in a short time.”

Early career

“Stardust” recalled in the trailer forTo Have and Have Not

Later in 1927, Carmichael’s career started off well. He finished and recorded one of his most famous songs, “Star Dust” (later renamed “Stardust”, with Mitchell Parish‘s lyrics added in 1929), at the Gennett Records studio in Richmond, Indiana, with Carmichael doing the piano solo. The song, an idiosyncratic melody in medium tempo – actually a song about a song – later became an American standard, recorded by hundreds of artists. Shortly thereafter, Carmichael got more recognition when Paul Whitemanrecorded “Washboard Blues“, with Carmichael playing and singing, and the Dorsey brothers and Bix Beiderbecke in the orchestra. Despite his growing prominence, at this stage Carmichael was still held back by his inability to sight-read and notate music properly, although he was innovative for the time. With coaching, he became more proficient at arranging his own music.

His first major song with his own lyrics was “Rockin’ Chair“, recorded by Armstrong and Mildred Bailey, and eventually with his own hand-picked studio band (featuring Bix, Bubber Miley, Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Bud Freeman, Eddie Lang, Joe Venuti, and Gene Krupa) on May 15, 1930. In the future, however, most of Carmichael’s successful songs would have lyrics provided by collaborators. After realizing that he missed making music and was not cut out to be a lawyer, Carmichael left his law practice for ever and started working with musicals in Hollywood. He stayed with Paul Whiteman’s orchestra for a while but no work came of it and he moved to New York City in the summer of 1929.

1930s

In New York, Carmichael met Duke Ellington‘s agent and publisher Irving Mills and hired him to set up recording dates. In October 1929 the stock market crashed and Carmichael’s hard-earned savings declined substantially. Fortunately, Louis Armstrong then recorded “Rockin’ Chair” at Okeh studios, giving Carmichael a badly needed boost. He had begun to work at an investment house and was considering a switch in career when he composed “Georgia on My Mind” (lyrics by Stuart Gorrell), perhaps most famous in the Ray Charlesrendition recorded many years later.

Carmichael composed and recorded “Up a Lazy River” in 1930 (lyrics by Sidney Arodin) and the first recorded version of “Stardust” with lyrics (by Mitchell Parish) was recorded byBing Crosby in 1931. He joined ASCAP in 1931 and began working for Ralph Peer’s Southern Music Company in 1932 as a songwriter, the first music firm to occupy the new Brill Building, famous as a New York songwriting mecca. It was a low-paying but steady job at a time when the Depression was having a harsh effect on live jazz performance and many musicians were out of work. Bix Beiderbecke’s early death also darkened Carmichael’s mood. Of that time, he wrote later: “I was tiring of jazz and I could see that other musicians were tiring as well. The boys were losing their enthusiasm for the hot stuff…No more hot licks, no more thrills.”

The elegy for hot jazz was premature, but Swing was just around the corner and jazz would soon turn in another direction, with new bandleaders such as the Dorseys and Benny Goodman, and new singers such as Frank Sinatra leading the way. Carmichael’s output soon would be heading in that direction. In 1933 he began his collaboration with newly arrived lyricist Johnny Mercer on “Thanksgiving”, “Moon Country”, and “Lazybones“, which was a smash hit, selling over 350,000 copies in three months.  Carmichael’s financial condition improved dramatically as royalties started to pour in, affording him a comfortable apartment and dapper clothes. So did his social life, finding him hobnobbing with George Gershwin, Fred Astaire, Duke Ellington, and other music giants in the New York scene.

Carmichael started to emerge as a solo singer-performer, first at parties, then professionally. He described his unique, laconic voice as being “the way a shaggy dog looks.… I have Wabash fog and sycamore twigs in my throat.”  Some fans were dismayed as he steadily veered away from hot jazz, but recordings by Louis Armstrong continued to “jazz up” Carmichael’s popular songs. In 1935 he left Ralph Peer’s Southern Music Company and started composing songs for a division of Warner Brothers, establishing his connection with Hollywood. His song “Moonburn”, his first movie song, appeared in the film version of Anything Goes.

In 1935 Carmichael married preacher’s daughter Ruth Menardi. He moved to California and accepted a contract with Paramount for $1,000 a week, joining other songwriters working for the Hollywood studios, including Harry Warren (Warners), E. Y. Harburg (MGM), Ralph Rainger and Leo Robin at Paramount.  Soon, the Carmichaels were accepted members of the affluent Hollywood community. In 1937 Carmichael appeared in the movie Topper, serenading Cary Grant and Constance Bennett with his song “Old Man Moon”.

In 1937 he wrote the song “Chimes of Indiana”, which was presented to Indiana University as a gift by the class of 1935. It was made the school’s official co-alma mater in 1978.

With Paramount lyricist Frank Loesser, Carmichael wrote “Two Sleepy People” in 1938. Around the same time he composed “Heart and Soul“, “Small Fry“, and “I Get Along Without You Very Well (Except Sometimes)” (premiered by Dick Powell in a radio broadcast). However, countering these successes, Carmichael’s and Mercer’s Broadway score for Walk With Music was unsuccessful. In 1939, Hoagy Bix, the Carmichaels’ first child, was born.

1940s

Hoagy Carmichael at piano, withLauren Bacall in To Have and Have Not

The growing Carmichael family was thriving in Los Angeles in the former mansion of chewing-gum heir William P. Wrigley, Jr., when America entered World War II after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Hoagy Carmichael maintained a strong personal and professional relationship with Johnny Mercer. That continuing collaboration led to “Skylark” in 1942, recorded almost immediately by Glenn Miller, Dinah Shore, and Helen Forrest (with Harry James). In 1943, Carmichael returned to the movies and played “Cricket” in the screen adaptation of Ernest Hemingway‘sTo Have and Have Not, opposite Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, where he sang “Hong Kong Blues” and “The Rhumba Jumps”, and played piano as Bacall sang “How Little We Know”.  He also contributed to the 1941 Max Fleischer animated film, Mister Bug Goes to Town (later reissued as Hoppity Goes To Town).

Carmichael and Harold Russell play a duet inThe Best Years of Our Lives as Fredric Marchwatches

Carmichael appeared as an actor in a total of 14 motion pictures, always performing at least one of his songs, including Young Man with a Horn (based on friend Bix Beiderbecke‘s life) with Bacall and Kirk Douglas, and multi-Academy Award winner The Best Years of Our Lives with Myrna Loy and Fredric March), in which he teaches a disabled veteran with metal prostheses to play “Chop Sticks”. He described his screen persona as the “hound-dog-faced old musical philosopher noodling on the honky-tonk piano, saying to a tart with a heart of gold: “He’ll be back, honey. He’s all man”.”

When composing, Carmichael was incessant. According to his son Randy, he worked over a song for days or even weeks until it was perfect. His perfectionism extended to his clothes, grooming, and eating as well. Once the work was done, however, Carmichael would cut loose—relax, play golf, drink, and indulge in the Hollywood high life.

Carmichael was a Republican supporter and anti-FDR, voting for Wendell Wilkie for president in 1940, and was often aghast at the left-leaning political views of his friends in Hollywood. His contribution to the war effort was similar to other patriotic efforts by Irving Berlin (“This Is the Army, Mr. Jones”), Johnny Mercer (“G.I. Jive“), and Frank Loesser (“Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition“). Carmichael’s war time songs (most with lyrics by Paul Francis Webster) included “My Christmas Song for You”, “Don’t Forget to Say ‘No’ Baby”, “Billy-a-Dick”, “The Army of Hippocrates”, “Cranky Old Yank”, “Eager Beaver”, “No More Toujours l’Amour”, “Morning Glory”, and the never completed “Hitler Blues”.^[18] He regularly performed on USO shows.

Carmichael’s 1943 song “I’m a Cranky Old Yank in a Clanky Old Tank on the Streets of Yokohama with my Honolulu Mama Doin’ Those Beat-o, Beat-o Flat-On-My-Seat-o, Hirohito Blues” is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the song with the longest title.  However Carmichael admitted it was a joke; the title was intended to end with the word ‘Yank’.

Between 1944 and 1948, Carmichael was the host of three musical variety radio programs. In 1944–45, the 30-minute Tonight at Hoagy’s aired on Mutual Sunday nights at 8:30 pm (Pacific time), sponsored by Safeway supermarkets. Produced by Walter Snow, the show featured Carmichael as host and vocalist. The musicians included Pee Wee Hunt and Joe Venuti. Fans were rather blunt about his singing, with comments like “you can’t sing for sour owl” and “your singing is so delightfully awful that it is really funny”.  NBC carried the 30-minute Something New at 6 pm (Pacific time) on Mondays in 1945–46. All of the musicians in this show’s band, called the “Teenagers”, were between the ages of 16 and 19. Carol Stewart and Gale Robbins were the vocalists and comedy was supplied by Pinky Lee and the team of Bob Sweeney and Hal March, later of quiz show fame. The Hoagy Carmichael Show was broadcast by CBS from October 26, 1946 until June 26, 1948. Luden’s Cough Drops sponsored the 15-minute program until June 1947.

In 1948 Carmichael composed a piece called Brown County in Autumn, a nine-minute tone poem which was not well received by critics.

1950s

“In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening“, with lyrics by Johnny Mercer, featured in 1951’s Here Comes the Groom, won Carmichael his first Academy Award for Best Original Song, and Mercer his second of four. In 1952, he played his composition My Resistance Is Low in the movie The Las Vegas Story. The lyrics were written by Harold Adamson for this Howard Hughes film. The song did not catch fire in the U.S. but was a hit in Britain.

Carmichael sharing the Saturday Night Revue duties with George Gobel

In the early 1950s, variety shows were particularly popular on television. Carmichael hosted Saturday Night Review in June 1953, a summer replacement series for Your Show of Shows,  but found the pressure too intense and did not return the following summer. About 1955, Carmichael reprised the Dooley Wilson role in a short-lived television adaptation of Casablanca on Warner Brothers Presents, playing Sam the piano player.

Among his numerous television roles, Carmichael guest starred with Keenan Wynn, Anthony George, and Olive Carey in the 1956 episode “Death in the Snow” of the NBC anthology series, The Joseph Cotten Show. He was thereafter a regular on NBC’s Laramie western series (1959–1963) with John Smith and Robert Fuller, co-starred in The Helen Morgan Story on CBS‘s Playhouse 90 (1957) and provided the voice for a stone-age parody of himself, “Stoney Carmichael”, in an episode of ABC‘s The Flintstones, which aired in September 1961. On June 15, 1961, he appeared in one of the final episodes of NBC’s The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford.

Carmichael composed seven songs for Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1954) but only two made the final cut: “Ain’t There Anyone Here for Love” and “When Love Goes Wrong (Nothing Goes Right)”, with Jane Russell singing the former. Both songs’ lyrics were written by Harold Campbell Adamson.

As rock and roll emerged in the mid-1950s, the music industry found less commercial appeal in his new songs. As his song writing career started to ebb, Carmichael’s marriage dissolved. Secure with royalties from his past hits he wrote some songs for children.

Later years

In 1960, Ray Charles‘ version of “Georgia on My Mind” was a major hit, receiving Grammys both for Best Male Vocal and Best Popular Single. Carmichael’s rediscovery, however, did little for such new output as “The Ballad of Sam Older”, “A Perfect Paris Night”, “Behold, How Beautiful”, “Bamboo Curtains”, and “Close Beside You”, which were all but ignored by the recording industry. For his September 15, 1961, animated guest appearance in “The Hit Songwriters” episode of The Flintstones, Hoagy wrote and performed a song created especially for the show, “Yabba-Dabba-Dabba-Dabba-Doo”. Jerry Lee Lewis recorded “Hong Kong Blues” during his final Sun sessions in 1963, but it was never released.  In 1964, while The Beatles were exploding on the scene, Carmichael lamented, “I’ll betcha I have twenty-five songs lying in my trunk” and no one was calling to say “have you got a real good song for such-and such an artist”.  Still, royalties on his standards were earning Carmichael over $300,000 a year.  Former-Beatle George Harrison recorded two of Carmichael’s songs (“Baltimore Oriole” and “Hong Kong Blues”) for his 1981 LP Somewhere in England.

His attempt to compose movie scores failed when his score for Hatari! was replaced by that of Henry Mancini, although his song “Just for Tonight” (a re-working of “A Perfect Paris Night”) is used in the film. With the Johnny Appleseed Suite, Carmichael once again tried his hand at a longer musical composition, but the episodic treatment lacked the compositional unity and momentum of works such as George Gershwin‘s Rhapsody in Blue. By 1967, Carmichael was spending time back in New York but was still unsuccessful with his new songs.

Carmichael was inducted into the USA’s Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1971 along with Duke Ellington.  The 1970s went by with little musical success and fewer people recognizing him in public. With the help and encouragement of his son Hoagy Bix, Carmichael participated in the PBS television show Hoagy Carmichael’s Music Shop, which featured jazz-rock versions of his hits. He appeared on Fred Rogers PBS show Old Friends, New Friends. With time on his hands, he resumed painting.

In 1972 Indiana University awarded Carmichael an honorary doctorate in music.

In 1977 he married Dorothy Wanda McKay. On his 80th birthday two years later Carmichael was reflective, observing, “I’m a bit disappointed in myself. I know I could have accomplished a hell of a lot more… I could write anything any time I wanted to. But I let other things get in the way… I’ve been floating around in the breeze.”^[28] Shortly before his death, Carmichael appeared on a UK-recorded tribute album, In Hoagland (1981), together with Annie Ross and Georgie Fame.

Carmichael died of heart failure in Rancho Mirage, California, on December 27, 1981. He is buried in Rose Hill Cemetery in Bloomington.

Benny Carter

From Wikipedia

Benny Carter
Benny Carter
Background information
Birth name	Bennett Lester Carter
Also known as	King
Born	August 8, 1907 Harlem, New York, United States
Died	July 12, 2003 (aged 95) Los Angeles, California, United States
Genres	Swing, big band, jazz
Occupations	Musician, bandleader,composer, musical arranger
Instruments	Saxophone, trumpet, clarinet
Years active	1920s–1997
Labels	Columbia, OKeh, Crown, Decca,Vocalion, Brunswick,Bluebird,Music Masters, Verve,United Artist, Norgran, Swingville, Clef
Associated acts	Billie Holiday, Fats Waller, Ray Charles, Dizzy Gillespie, Oscar Peterson, Phil Woods, Marian McPartland
Website	www.BennyCarter.com

Bennett Lester Carter (August 8, 1907 – July 12, 2003) was an American jazz alto saxophonist, clarinetist, trumpeter, composer,arranger, and bandleader. He was a major figure in jazz from the 1930s to the 1990s, and was recognized as such by other jazz musicians who called him King. In 1958, he performed with Billie Holiday at the legendary Monterey Jazz Festival.

The National Endowment for the Arts honored Benny Carter with its highest honor in jazz, the NEA Jazz Masters Award for 1986.  He was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1987, winner of the Grammy Award in 1994 for his solo “Prelude to a Kiss”, and also the same year, received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2000 awarded the National Endowment for the Arts,National Medal of Arts, presented by President Bill Clinton.

Biography

Born in New York in 1907, the youngest of three children and the only boy, received his first music lessons on piano from his mother. Largely self-taught, by age fifteen, Carter was already sitting in at Harlem night spots. From 1924 to 1928, Carter gained valuable professional experience as a sideman in some of New York‘s top bands. As a youth, Carter lived in Harlem around the corner fromBubber Miley who was Duke Ellington‘s star trumpeter, Carter was inspired by Miley and bought a trumpet, but when he found he couldn’t play like Miley he traded the trumpet in for a saxophone. For the next two years he played with such jazz greats as cornetistRex Stewart, clarinetist-soprano saxophonist Sidney Bechet, pianists Earl Hines, Willie “The Lion” Smith, pianist Fats Waller, pianistJames P. Johnson, pianist Duke Ellington and their various groups.

First recordings

English: Portrait of Benny Carter, Apollo Theatre, New York, N.Y., ca. Oct. 1946 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Portrait of Benny Carter, Apollo Theatre, New York, N.Y., ca. Oct. 1946

He first recorded in 1928 with Charlie Johnson’s Orchestra, also arranging the titles recorded, and formed his first big band the following year. He played with Fletcher Henderson in 1930 and 1931, becoming his chief arranger in this time, then briefly led the Detroit-basedMcKinney’s Cotton Pickers  before returning to New York in 1932 to lead his own band, which included such swing stars as Leon “Chu” Berry (tenor saxophone), Teddy Wilson (piano), Sid Catlett (drums), and Dicky Wells (trombone). Carter’s arrangements were sophisticated and very complex, and a number of them became swing standards which were performed by other bands (“Blue Lou” is a great example of this). He also arranged for Duke Ellington during these years. Carter was most noted for his superb arrangements. Among the most significant are “Keep a Song in Your Soul”, written for Fletcher Henderson in 1930, and “Lonesome Nights” and “Symphony in Riffs” from 1933, both of which show Carter’s fluid writing for saxophones.^] By the early 1930s he and Johnny Hodges were considered the leading alto players of the day. Carter also quickly became a leading trumpet soloist, having rediscovered the instrument. He recorded extensively on trumpet in the 1930s. Carter’s name first appeared on records with a 1932 Crown label release of “Tell All Your Day Dreams to Me” credited to Bennie Carter and his Harlemites. Carter’s short-lived Orchestra played the Harlem Club in New York but only recorded a handful of brilliant records for Columbia, OKeh and Vocalion. The OKeh sides were issued under the name Chocolate Dandies.

In 1933 Carter took part in an amazing series of sessions that featured the British band leader Spike Hughes, who came to New Yorkspecifically to organize a series of recordings featuring the best Black musicians available. These 14 sides plus four by Carter’s big band were only issued in England at the time, originally titled Spike Hughes and His Negro Orchestra. The musicians were mainly made up from members of Carter’s band. The bands (14-15 pieces) include such major players as Henry “Red” Allen (trumpet), Dicky Wells (trombone), Wayman Carver (flute), Coleman Hawkins (saxophone), J.C. Higginbotham (trombone), and Leon “Chu” Berry(saxophone),  tracks include: “Nocturne,” “Someone Stole Gabriel’s Horn,” “Pastorale,” “Bugle Call Rag“, “Arabesque,” “Fanfare,” “Sweet Sorrow Blues,” “Music at Midnight,” “Sweet Sue Just You,” “Air in D Flat,” “Donegal Cradle Song,” “Firebird,” “Music at Sunrise,” and “How Come You Do Me Like You Do“.

Europe

Carter moved to Europe in 1935 to play trumpet with Willie Lewis’s orchestra, and also became staff arranger for the British Broadcasting Corporation dance orchestra and made several records. Over the next three years, he traveled throughoutEurope, playing and recording with the top British, French, and Scandinavian jazzmen, as well as with visiting American stars such as his friend Coleman Hawkins. Two recordings that showcase his sound most famously are 1937’s “Honeysuckle Rose,” recorded with Django Reinhardt and Coleman Hawkins in Europe, and the same tune reprised on his 1961 album Further Definitions, an album considered a masterpiece and one of jazz’s most influential recordings.

Return to Harlem and a move to Los Angeles

Returning home in 1938, he quickly formed another superb orchestra, which spent much of 1939 and 1940 at Harlem’s famed Savoy Ballroom. His arrangements were much in demand and were featured on recordings by Benny Goodman,Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Lena Horne, Glenn Miller, Gene Krupa, and Tommy Dorsey. Though he only had one major hit in the big band era (a novelty song called “Cow-Cow Boogie,” sung by Ella Mae Morse), during the 1930s Carter composed and/or arranged many of the pieces that became swing era classics, such as “When Lights Are Low,” “Blues in My Heart,” and “Lonesome Nights.”

Robert Goffin, Benny Carter, Louis Armstrong, and Leonard Feather in 1942.

He relocated to Los Angeles in 1943, moved increasingly into studio work. Beginning with “Stormy Weather” in 1943, he arranged for dozens of feature films and television productions.  In Hollywood, he wrote arrangements for such artists asBillie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Billy Eckstine, Pearl Bailey, Ray Charles, Peggy Lee, Lou Rawls, Louis Armstrong, Freddie Slack and Mel Torme. In 1945, trumpeter Miles Davis made his first recordings with Carter as sideman on albumBenny Carter and His Orchestra,  and considered him a close friend and mentor. Carter was one of the first black men to compose music for films. He was an inspiration and a mentor for Quincy Jones when Jones began writing for television and films in the 1960s. Carter’s successful legal battles in order to obtain housing in then-exclusive neighborhoods in the Los Angeles area made him a pioneer in an entirely different area.

Benny Carter visited Australia in 1960 with his own quartet, performed at the 1968 Newport Jazz Festival withDizzy Gillespie, and recorded with a Scandinavian band in Switzerland the same year. His studio work in the 1960s included arranging and sometimes performing on Peggy Lee’s Mink Jazz, (1962) and on the single “I’m A Woman” in the same year.

Academia

In 1969, Carter was persuaded by Morroe Berger, a sociology professor at Princeton University who had done his master’s thesis on jazz, to spend a weekend at the college as part of some classes, seminars, and a concert. This led to a new outlet for Carter’s talent: teaching. For the next nine years he visited Princeton five times, most of them brief stays except for one in 1973 when he spent a semester there as a visiting professor. In 1974 Princeton awarded him an honorary master of humanities degree. He conducted workshops and seminars at several other universities and was a visiting lecturer at Harvard for a week in 1987. Morroe Berger also wrote the book “Benny Carter – A Life in American Music,” (1982) a two-volume work, covers Carter’s career in depth, an essential work of jazz scholarship.

In the late summer of 1989 the Classical Jazz series of concerts at New York‘s Lincoln Center celebrated Carter’s 82nd birthday with a set of his songs, sung by Ernestine Anderson and Sylvia Syms. In the same week, at the Chicago Jazz Festival, he presented a recreation of his Further Definitions album, using some of the original musicians. In February 1990, Carter led an all-star big band at the Lincoln Center in a concert tribute to Ella Fitzgerald. Carter was a member of the music advisory panel of the National Endowment for the Arts. In 1990, Carter was named “Jazz Artist of the Year” in both the Down Beat  and Jazz Times International Critics’ polls. In 1978, he was inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame  and in 1980 received the Golden Score award of the American Society of Music Arrangers. Carter was also a Kennedy Center Honoree in 1996, and received honorary doctorates from Princeton (1974),  Rutgers (1991), Harvard (1994), and the New England Conservatory (1998).

One of the most remarkable things about Benny Carter’s career was its length. It has been said that he is the only musician to have recorded in eight different decades. Having started a career in music before music was even recorded electrically, Carter remained a masterful musician, arranger and composer until he retired from performing in 1997. In 1998, Benny Carter was honored at Third Annual Awards Gala and Concert at Lincoln Center. He received the Jazz at Lincoln Center Award for Artistic Excellence and his music was performed by the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, Diana Krall and Bobby Short. Wynton accepted on Benny’s behalf. (Back trouble prevented Benny from attending).

Carter died in Los Angeles, California at Cedars-Sinai Hospital July 12, 2003 from complications of bronchitis at the age of 95. In 1979, he married Hilma Ollila Arons, who survives him, along with a daughter, a granddaughter and a grandson.

Songs composed by Carter

• “Blues In My Heart” (1931) with Irving Mills
• “When Lights Are Low” (1936) with Spencer Williams
• “Cow-Cow Boogie (Cuma-Ti-Yi-Yi-Ay)” (1942) with Don Raye and Gene De Paul
• “Key Largo” (1948) with Karl Suesdorf, Leah Worth
• “Rock Me To Sleep” (1950) with Paul Vandervoort II
• “A Kiss From You” (1964) with Johnny Mercer
• “Only Trust Your Heart” (1964) with Sammy Cahn

Other songs by Carter include “A Walkin’ Thing”, “My Kind Of Trouble Is You”, “Easy Money”, “Blue Star”, “I Still Love Him So”, “Green Wine” and “Malibu”.

Paul Whiteman

From Wikipedia

Paul Whiteman
Paul Whiteman and his orchestra in 1921. Photo from the sheet music issue of the band’s early hit recording Wang Wang Blues
Background information
Birth name	Paul Samuel Whiteman
Born	March 28, 1890
Origin	Denver, Colorado, U.S.
Died	December 29, 1967(aged 77)
Genres	Jazz
Occupations	Bandleader Composer
Instruments	Violin
Associated acts	Bix Beiderbecke Frankie Trumbauer Joe Venuti Eddie Lang

Paul Samuel Whiteman (March 28, 1890 – December 29, 1967) was an American bandleader and orchestral director.Leader of one of the most popular dance bands in the United States during the 1920s, Whiteman produced recordings that were immensely successful, and press notices often referred to him as the “King of Jazz”. (When the term was more loosely defined: referring to practically any popular music with African-American attributes or influences.) Using a large ensemble and exploring many styles of music, Whiteman is perhaps best known for his blending of symphonic music and jazz, as typified by his 1924 commissioning and debut of George Gershwin‘s jazz-influenced “Rhapsody In Blue“. Later, Whiteman’s work on Symphonic Jazz influenced many jazz musicians either way – directly or indirectly – as diverse as Miles Davis, Gil Evans, the Modern Jazz Quartet, Winton Marsalis and other modern artists.  Whiteman recorded many jazz and pop standards during his career, including “Wang Wang Blues“, “Mississippi Mud“, “Rhapsody in Blue“, “Wonderful One“, “Hot Lips (He’s Got Hot Lips When He Plays Jazz)“, “Mississippi Suite“, and “Grand Canyon Suite“. His popularity faded in the swing music era of the 1930s, and by the 1940s Whiteman was semi-retired from music.

Whiteman’s place in the history of early jazz is somewhat controversial.  Detractors suggest that Whiteman’s ornately-orchestrated music was jazz in name only (lacking the genre’s improvisational and emotional depth), and co-opted the innovations of black musicians.  Defenders note that Whiteman’s fondness for jazz was genuine (he worked with black musicians as much as was feasible during an era of racial segregation),  that his bands included many of the era’s most esteemed white jazz musicians, and argue that Whiteman’s groups handled jazz admirably as part of a larger repertoire. In his autobiography, Duke Ellington  declared, “Paul Whiteman was known as the King of Jazz, and no one as yet has come near carrying that title with more certainty and dignity.”

Early life and career

Biography

Whiteman was born in Denver, Colorado. He began his career by playing the viola in the Denver Symphony Orchestra from 1907 and in the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra from 1914. From 1917 to 1918, Whiteman conducted a 40-piece U.S. Navy band. After the war, he formed the Paul Whiteman Orchestra.  Moreover, with his classical violinist and violiststart, he led a jazz-influenced dance band, which became popular locally in San Francisco, California in 1918. In 1920 he moved with his band to New York City where they started recording for the Victor Talking Machine Company which made the Paul Whiteman Orchestra famous nationally. (In his first five recordings sessions for Victor, Aug 9-Oct 28, 1920, Whiteman used the name “Paul Whiteman and His Ambassador Orchestra,” presumably because he had been playing at the Ambassador Hotel in Atlantic City; from Nov. 3, 1920, he started using “Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra.

Whiteman became the most popular band director of that decade. In a time when most dance bands consisted of six to 10 men, Whiteman directed a much larger and more imposing group of up to 35 musicians. By 1922, Whiteman already controlled some 28 ensembles on the east coast and was earning over a $1,000,000 a year.

He recorded Hoagy Carmichael singing and playing “Washboard Blues” to the accompaniment of his orchestra in 1927.

In May 1928 Whiteman signed with Columbia Records, and recorded for the label until September 1931, when he returned to RCA Victor. He would remain with Victor until March 1937.

In the early sixties, Whiteman played in Las Vegas before retiring.

“The King of Jazz”

Paul Whiteman in Scheveningen (1926)

In the 1920s the media referred to Whiteman as “The King of Jazz”.  Whiteman emphasized the way he had approached the already well-established style of music, while also organizing its composition and style in his own fashion. While mostjazz musicians and fans consider improvisation to be essential to the musical style, Whiteman thought the genre could be improved by orchestrating the best of it, with formal written arrangements. There were musicians, such as Eddie Condon, who criticized Whiteman for being a bad influence on the music due to his attempts to “make a lady” out of jazz. However, Whiteman’s recordings were still popular critically and successful commercially, and his style of jazz was often the first jazz of any form that many Americans heard during the era. In all, the “King of Jazz” wrote more than 3000 arrangements.

For more than 30 years Whiteman, referred to as “Pops”, sought and encouraged musicians, vocalists, composers, arrangers, and entertainers who looked promising. In 1924 Whiteman commissioned George Gershwin‘s Rhapsody in Blue, which was premiered by Whiteman’s orchestra with George Gershwin at the piano. Another familiar piece in Whiteman’s repertoire was Grand Canyon Suite, by Ferde Grofé.

Whiteman hired many of the best jazz musicians for his band, including Bix Beiderbecke, Frankie Trumbauer, Joe Venuti,Eddie Lang, Steve Brown, Mike Pingitore, Gussie Mueller, Wilbur Hall (billed by Whiteman as “Willie Hall”), Jack Teagarden, and Bunny Berigan. He also encouraged upcoming African American musical talents, and initially planned on hiring black musicians, but Whiteman’s management eventually persuaded him that doing so would be career suicide due to racial tension and America’s segregation of that time However, Whiteman crossed racial lines behind-the-scenes, hiring black arrangers like Fletcher Henderson and engaging in mutually-beneficial efforts with recording sessions and scheduling of tours.

In late 1926 Whiteman signed three candidates for his orchestra: Bing Crosby, Al Rinker, and Harry Barris. Whiteman billed the singing trio as The Rhythm Boys. Crosby’s prominence in the Rhythm Boys helped launch his career as one of the most successful singers of the 20th century. Paul Robeson (1928) and Billie Holiday (1942) also recorded with the Paul Whiteman Orchestra.

Whiteman had 28 number one records during the 1920s and 32 during his career. At the height of his popularity, eight out of the top ten sheet music sales slots were by the Paul Whiteman Orchestra.

He provided music for six Broadway shows and produced more than 600 phonograph recordings.

His recording of José Padilla’s Valencia topped the charts for 11 weeks, beginning 30 March 1926, becoming the #1 record of 1926.

Whiteman signed singer Mildred Bailey in 1929 to appear on his radio program. She first recorded with the Whiteman Orchestra in 1931.

Jazz musician and leader of the Mound City Blue Blowers Red McKenzie and cabaret singer Ramona Davies (billed as “Ramona and her Grand Piano”) joined the Whiteman group in 1932. The King’s Jesters were also with Paul Whiteman in 1931.

from the trailer for the film Rhapsody in Blue(1945)

In 1933 Whiteman had a #2 hit on the Billboard charts with the song, “Willow Weep for Me“.

In 1934 Paul Whiteman had his last two #1 hits, “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes“, with vocals by Bob Lawrence, which was #1 for six weeks, and “Wagon Wheels”, which was #1 for one week, his final hit recording. From 1920 to 1934 Whiteman had 32 #1 recordings, charting 28 of them by 1929. By contrast, during the same period, the 1920s Jazz Age, Louis Armstrong had none.

In 1942 Whiteman began recording for Capitol Records, cofounded by songwriters Buddy DeSylva and Johnny Mercer and music store owner Glenn Wallichs. Whiteman and His Orchestra’s recordings of “I Found a New Baby” and “The General Jumped At Dawn” was the label’s first single release.  (Another notable Capitol record he made is the 1942 “Trav’lin Light” featuring Billie Holiday(billed as “Lady Day”, due to her being under contract with another label).

Personal life

Whiteman was married four times; to Nellie Stack in 1908; to Miss Jimmy Smith; to Mildred Vanderhoff in 1922. In 1931 Whiteman married motion picture actress Margaret Livingston following his divorce from Vanderhoff that same year. The marriage to Livingston lasted until his death.

Whiteman resided at Walking Horse Farm near the village of Rosemont in Delaware Township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey from 1938 to 1959. After selling the farm to agriculturalist Lloyd Wescott, Whiteman moved to New Hope, Pennsylvania for his remaining years.

Movie appearances

In 1930 “Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra” starred in the first feature-length movie musical filmed entirely in Technicolor, King of Jazz. The film was technically ahead of its time, with many dazzling camera effects complementing the Whiteman music. Whiteman appeared as himself, and good-naturedly kidded his weight and his dancing skills. A highlight was a concert rendition of Rhapsody in Blue. Unfortunately, by the time King of Jazz was released to theaters, audiences had seen too many “all-singing, all-dancing” musicals, and much of the moviegoing public stayed away. (It also didn’t help that the film was shot as a revue with no story and not particularly imaginative camerawork.) The expensive film didn’t show a profit until 1933, when it was successfully reissued to cash in on the popularity of 42nd Street and its elaborate production numbers.

Whiteman also appeared as himself in the 1945 movie Rhapsody in Blue on the life and career of George Gershwin and also appeared in The Fabulous Dorseys in 1947, a bio-pic starring Jimmy Dorsey and Tommy Dorsey. Whiteman also appeared as the baby in Nertz (1929), the bandleader in Thanks a Million (1935), as himself in Strike Up the Band(1940), and in the Paramount Pictures short The Lambertville Story (1949).

Radio and TV

During the 1930s Whiteman had several radio shows, including Kraft Music Hall and Paul Whiteman’s Musical Varieties, which featured the talents of Bing Crosby, Mildred Bailey,Jack Teagarden, Johnny Mercer, Ramona, Durelle Alexander and others.

In the 1940s and 1950s, after he had disbanded his orchestra, Whiteman worked as a music director for the ABC Radio Network. He also hosted Paul Whiteman’s TV Teen Club from Philadelphia on ABC-TV from 1949–1954. The show was seen for an hour the first two years, then as a half hour segment on Saturday evenings. In 1952 a young Dick Clark read the commercials for sponsor Tootsie Roll.  He also continued to appear as guest conductor for many concerts. His manner on stage was disarming; he signed off each program with something casual like, “Well, that just about slaps the cap on the old milk bottle for tonight.”

Legacy

The Paul Whiteman Orchestra introduced many jazz standards in the 1920s, including “Hot Lips”, which was in the Steven Spielberg movie The Color Purple (1985), “Mississippi Mud”, “From Monday On”, co-written and sung by Bing Crosby with Bix Beiderbecke on cornet, “Nuthin’ But”, “Grand Canyon Suite” and “Mississippi Suite” composed by Ferde Grofe, “Rhapsody in Blue”, composed by George Gershwin who played piano on the Paul Whiteman recording in 1924, “Wonderful One” (1923), and “Wang Wang Blues” (1920), covered by Glenn Miller, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, and Joe “King” Oliver‘s Dixie Syncopators in 1926 and many of the Big Bands. “Hot Lips” was recorded by Ted Lewisand His Jazz Band, Horace Heidt and His Brigadiers Orchestra (1937), Specht’s Jazz Outfit, the Cotton Pickers (1922), and Django Reinhardt Et Le Quintette Du Hot Club De France.

Herb Alpert and Al Hirt were influenced by the Paul Whiteman Orchestra, particularly the solo work of trumpeter Henry Busse, especially his solo on “Rhapsody in Blue”.

Compositions

Whiteman composed the standard “Wonderful One” in 1922 with Ferde Grofé and Dorothy Terris (also known as Theodora Morse), based on a theme by film director Marshall Neilan. The songwriting credit is assigned as music composed by Paul Whiteman, Ferde Grofe, and Marshall Neilan, with lyrics by Dorothy Terriss. The single reached #3 on Billboard in May 1923, staying on the charts for 5 weeks. “(My) Wonderful One” was recorded by Gertrude Moody, Edward Miller, Martha Pryor, Mel Torme, Doris Day, Woody Herman, Helen Moretti, John McCormack; it was released as Victor 961. Jan Garber and His Orchestra, and Ira Sullivan with Tony Castellano also recorded the song. Henry Burrrecorded it in 1924 and Glenn Miller and his Orchestra in 1940. On the sheet music published in 1922 by Leo Feist it is described as a “Waltz Song” and “Paul Whiteman’s Sensational Waltz Hit” and is dedicated “To Julie”. “Wonderful One” appeared in the following movies: The Chump Champ (1950), Little ‘Tinker (1948), Red Hot Riding Hood (1943),Sufferin’ Cats (1943), Design for Scandal (1941), Strike Up the Band (1940), and Westward Passage (1932).

In 1924 Whiteman composed “When the One You Love Loves You” with Abel Baer and lyricist Cliff Friend. Whiteman recorded the song on 24 December 1924 in New York with Franklyn Baur on vocals and released it as Victor 19553-B backed with “I’ll See You in My Dreams”. The single reached #7 on the Billboard national pop singles charts in April 1925, staying on the charts for 3 weeks. The song is described as “A Sentimental Waltz Ballad” on the 1925 sheet music. Singer and composer Morton Downey, Sr., the father of the talk show host, recorded the song in 1925 and released it as Brunswick 2887. Eva Shirley sang the song in Ed Wynn‘s Grab Bag, a Broadway musical which opened in 1924 at the Globe. Leo Feist published the sheet music for the Shirley version in 1924 featuring Eva Shirley on the cover.

Paul Whiteman composed “Flamin’ Mamie” in 1925 with Fred Rose, one of the top hits of 1925, which was recorded by the Harry Reser Band, Merritt Brunies and the Friars Inn Orchestra, Billy Jones and Ernest Hare, the Six Black Diamonds in 1926 on Banner, the Toll House Jazz Band, Aileen Stanley in 1925 with Billy “Uke” Carpenter on the ukulele,Hank Penny in 1938, Turk Murphy, the Frisco Syncopators, the Firehouse Five Plus Two, Bob Schulz and His Frisco Jazz Band, and the Coon-Sanders Nighthawk Orchestra led by Carleton Coon and Joe Sanders with Joe Sanders on vocals. The lyrics describe Mamie as a Roaring Twenties vamp: “Flamin’ Mamie, a sure-fire vamp/When it comes to lovin’/She’s a human oven/Come on you futuristic papas/She’s the hottest thing he’s seen since the Chicago fire.”

Paul Whiteman also composed “Charlestonette” in 1925 with Fred Rose which was published by Leo Feist. The song was released as Victor 19785 backed with “Ida-I Do” in 1925. Ben Selvin’s Dance Orchestra and Bennie Krueger and His Orchestra also recorded the song in 1925.

Paul Whiteman composed the piano work “Dreaming The Waltz Away” with Fred Rose in 1926.  Organist Jesse Crawford recorded the song on October 4–5, 1926 in Chicago, Illinois and released it as a 78 on Victor Records, 20363 . Crawford played the instrumental on a Wurlitzer organ.

In Louis Armstrong & Paul Whiteman: Two Kings of Jazz (2004), Joshua Berrett wrote that “Whiteman Stomp” was credited to Fats Waller, Alphonso Trent, and Paul Whiteman. Lyricist Jo Trent is the co-author. The Fletcher Henderson Orchestra first recorded “Whiteman Stomp” on 11 May 1927 and released it as Columbia 1059-D. The Fletcher Henderson recording lists the songwriters as “Fats Waller/Jo Trent/Paul Whiteman”. Paul Whiteman recorded the song on 11 August 1927 and released it as Victor 21119.

“Then and Now”, recorded on December 7, 1954 and released in 1955 on Coral, was composed by Paul Whiteman with Dick Jacobs and Bob Merrill. The song was released as a 45 inch single in 1955 as Coral 61336 backed with “Mississippi Mud” by Paul Whiteman and His New Ambassador Orchestra with the New Rhythm Boys.

Whiteman also co-wrote the popular song “My Fantasy” with Leo Edwards and Jack Meskill, which is a musical adaptation of the Polovtsian Dances theme from the opera Prince Igor by Alexander Borodin. The Paul Whiteman Orchestra recorded “My Fantasy” in 1939.

Honors

In 2006 the Paul Whiteman Orchestra’s 1928 recording of Ol’ Man River with Paul Robeson on vocals was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. The song was recorded on 1 March 1928 in New York and released as Victor 35912-A.

In 1998, the 1920 Paul Whiteman recording of “Whispering” was inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Paul Whiteman’s 1927 recording of “Rhapsody in Blue”, the “electrical” version, was inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1974.

He was inducted in the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame in 1993.

He was awarded two Stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 6157 Hollywood Boulevard and for Radio at 1601 Vine Street in Hollywood, California.

In 2003, the 1924 Paul Whiteman recording of “Rhapsody in Blue” was placed on the U.S. Library of Congress National Recording Registry, a list of sound recordings that “are culturally, historically, or aesthetically important, and/or inform or reflect life in the United States.”

Major recordings

1920 release of “Whispering” by Paul Whiteman and His Ambassador Orchestra, Victor 18690A. 1998 Grammy Hall of Fame inductee.

Original 1924 “acoustical” release of “Rhapsody in Blue” by Paul Whiteman and His Concert Orchestra with George Gershwin on piano, Victor 55225A. 2003National Recording Registry selection.

• Whispering (song), 1920, #1 for 11 weeks, the no.2 hit of 1920, 1998 Grammy Hall of Fame inductee
• The Japanese Sandman, 1920, #1 for 2 weeks
• Wang Wang Blues, 1921, #1 for 6 weeks, on the soundtrack to the 1996 Academy Award–winning movie The English Patient
• My Mammy, 1921, #1 for 5 weeks
• Cherie, 1921, #1 for 6 weeks
• Say It With Music, 1921, #1 for 5 weeks
• Grieving For You-Feather Your Nest, #26 hit of 1921
• Play that “Song of India” Again, 1921, #1 for 5 weeks, music adapted by Paul Whiteman from the Chanson Indoue theme by Nikolai Rimski-Korsakov from the opera Sadko (1898) with lyrics by Leo Wood and Irving Bibo
• Bright Eyes, the #13 hit of 1921
• Hot Lips (He’s Got Hot Lips When He Plays Jazz), 1922, #1 for 6 weeks, featured in the Oprah Winfrey movie The Color Purple(1985), directed by Steven Spielberg
• Do It Again, 1922, #1 for 2 weeks
• Three O’Clock in the Morning, 1922, #1 for 8 weeks
• Stumbling, 1922, #1 for 6 weeks
• Wonderful One, 1922, music composed by Paul Whiteman and Ferde Grofe, with lyrics by Theodora Morse, #3 on Billboard charts in 1923
• I’ll Build a Stairway to Paradise, 1923, #1 for 1 week
• Parade of the Wooden Soldiers, 1923, #1 for 7 weeks
• Bambalina, 1923, #1 for 1 week
• Nuthin’ But, 1923, co-written by Ferde Grofe and Henry Busse
• Linger Awhile, 1924, #1 for 4 weeks
• What’ll I Do, 1924, #1 for 5 weeks
• Somebody Loves Me, 1924, #1 for 5 weeks
• Rhapsody in Blue, 1924, “acoustical” version, arranged by Ferde Grofe, with George Gershwin on piano
• When the One You Love Loves You, 1924, composed by Paul Whiteman
• All Alone, 1925, #1 for 3 weeks

1927 “electrical” release of “Rhapsody in Blue” as Victor 35822A by Paul Whiteman and His Concert Orchestra with George Gershwin on piano. 1974 Grammy Hall of Fame inductee.

• Charlestonette, 1925, composed by Paul Whiteman with Fred Rose
• Birth of the Blues, 1926, #1 for 4 weeks
• Valencia, no.1 for 11 weeks in 1926, the #1 record of 1926
• My Blue Heaven, 1927, #1 for 1 week
• Three Shades of Blue: Indigo/Alice Blue/Heliotrope, 1927, composed and arranged by Ferde Grofe
• In a Little Spanish Town, 1927, #1 for 8 weeks
• I’m Coming, Virginia
• Whiteman Stomp, 1927
• Washboard Blues, 1927, with Hoagy Carmichael on vocals and piano
• Rhapsody in Blue, 1927, “electrical” version, Grammy Hall of Fame inductee
• Chiquita, #36 hit of 1928
• From Monday On, 1928, with Bing Crosby, the Rhythm Boys, and Jack Fulton on vocals and Bix Beiderbecke on cornet, #14 on Billboard
• Mississippi Mud, 1928, with Bing Crosby and Bix Beiderbecke, #6 on Billboard
• Metropolis: A Blue Fantasy, 1928, composed by Ferde Grofe, with Bix Beiderbecke on cornet
• Ol’ Man River, 1928, first, fast version, with Bing Crosby on vocals, #1 for 1 week. This recording was Bing Crosby’s first #1 record as a vocalist. Crosby would have 41 such hits during his career.

“Ol’ Man River” by Paul Whiteman with Paul Robeson, Victor 35912A, 1928. 2006 Grammy Hall of Fame inductee.

• Ol’ Man River, 1928, second, slow version, with Paul Robeson on vocals, Grammy Hall of Fame inductee
• Concerto in F
• Among My Souvenirs, 1928, #1 for 4 weeks
• Ramona, 1928, with Bix Beiderbecke, #1 for 3 weeks
• Together, 1928, with Jack Fulton on vocals, #1 for 2 weeks. Dinah Shore recorded this song in 1944, which became a hit. Connie Francis recorded the song in 1961; it reached #1 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. The song was also recorded by Cliff “Ukelele Ike” Edwards (1928), Dick Haymes and Helen Forrest (1944), and Tony Pasror and His Orchestra on a V-Disc.
• My Angel, 1928, with Bix Beiderbecke, #1 for 6 weeks
• Great Day, 1929, #1 for 2 weeks
• Body and Soul, 1930, #1 for 6 weeks
• New Tiger Rag, 1930, #10 on Billboard
• When It’s Sleepy Time Down South, 1931, vocal by Mildred Bailey and the King’s Jesters
• Grand Canyon Suite, 1932
• Mississippi Suite
• Rise ‘N’ Shine, 1932, featuring Ramona Davies and her Grand Piano
• All of Me, 1932, #1 for 3 weeks
• Willow Weep for Me, 1933, #2 chart hit
• It’s Only a Paper Moon, 1933, with Peggy Healy on vocals. The Whiteman recording, Victor 24400, was used in the 1973 moviePaper Moon
• San
• Sun Spots, 1934, with Frankie Trumbauer
• You’re the Top, #21 hit of 1934
• Fare-Thee-Well to Harlem, 1934, with vocals by Johnny Mercer and Jack Teagarden
• Wagon Wheels, 1934
• My Fantasy, 1939, Paul Whiteman co-wrote the song “My Fantasy”, an adaptation by Paul Whiteman of the Polovtsian Dances theme from the opera Prince Igor by Alexander Borodin, credited to “Paul Whiteman/Leo Edwards/Jack Meskill”. Artie Shaw recorded “My Fantasy” in 1940.
• Trav’lin’ Light, 1942, with Billie Holiday on vocals
• Then and Now, 1955
• The Night is Young (And You’re So Beautiful), 1956, with Tommy Dorsey
• It’s The Dreamer In Me, 1956, with Jimmy Dorsey

Grammy Hall of Fame

Paul Whiteman was posthumously inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, which is a special Grammy award established in 1973 to honor recordings that are at least 25 years old and that have “qualitative or historical significance.”

Paul Whiteman: Grammy Hall of Fame Awards
Year Recorded	Title	Genre	Label	Year Inducted	Notes
1920	“Whispering“	Jazz (single)	Victor	1998
1927	“Rhapsody in Blue“	Jazz (single)	Victor	1974
1928	“Ol’ Man River“	Jazz (single)	Victor	2006

Chauncey Morehouse

From Wikipedia

English: Chauncey Morehouse (1902-1980), American jazz drummer. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Chauncey Morehouse(1902-1980) as a member ofPaul Specht‘s orchestra.

Chauncey Morehouse (March 11, 1902 – October 31, 1980) was an American jazz drummer.

Biography

Chauncey Morehouse was born in Niagara Falls, New York in 1902 and was raised in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, where he played drums from a very early age. He also played piano and banjo too. As a high schooler, he led a group called the Versatile Five. He landed a job with Paul Specht‘s orchestra from 1922-24 (including a tour of Europe in 1923). He also played a sized-down version of Paul Specht‘s band, named The Georgians. He played withJean Goldkette from 1924-27, Adrian Rollini in 1927, and Don Voorhees in 1928-29. He also recorded with Frankie Trumbauer, Bix Beiderbecke, Red Nichols, The Dorsey Brothers, Joe Venuti and many others.^{[citation needed]}

From 1929 Morehouse was active chiefly as a studio musician, working in radio and television in and around New York City. In 1938, he put together his own percussion ensemble which played percussion, designed by Morehouse and Stan King, that was tuned chromatically.

Morehouse invented a set of drums called the N’Goma drums, which were made by the Leedy Drum company, which Morehouse was endorsed by during his career. His career in the studios continued into the 1970s; in that decade Morehouse retired from studio work and began playing jazz again, mostly at festivals. He was seen at Carnegie Hall for the Tribute to Bix concert for the Newport Jazz Festival, and also at one of the early Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Jazz Festivals in Davenport, Iowa.

Chauncey Morehouse died in 1980 in Medford, New Jersey, aged 78.

Marion Harris

From Wikipedia

Marion Harris
Marion Harris in 1924
Background information
Birth name	Mary Ellen Harrison
Born	April 4, 1896 Indiana, United States
Died	April 23, 1944 (aged 48) New York City
Genres	Jazz, blues, pop
Occupations	Singer
Years active	1914—1930s
Labels	Victor, Columbia, Brunswick

Marion Harris (April 4, 1896 — April 23, 1944)  was an American popular singer, most successful in the 1920s. She was the first widely known white singer to sing jazz and blues songs.

Early life

Mary Ellen Harrison, probably in Indiana, she first played vaudeville and movie theaters in Chicago around 1914. Dancer Vernon Castle introduced her to the theater community in New York where she debuted in a 1915 Irving Berlin revue, Stop! Look! Listen!

Recordings

In 1916, she began recording for Victor Records, singing a variety of songs, such as “Everybody’s Crazy ’bout the Doggone Blues, But I’m Happy”, “After You’ve Gone“, “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” (later recorded by Bessie Smith), “When I Hear that Jazz Band Play” and her biggest success, “I Ain’t Got Nobody“.

In 1920, after the Victor label would not allow her to record W.C. Handy‘s “St. Louis Blues“, she joined Columbia Records where she recorded the song successfully. Sometimes billed as “The Queen of the Blues,”  she tended to record blues- or jazz-flavored tunes throughout her career. Handy wrote of Harris that “she sang blues so well that people hearing her records sometimes thought that the singer was colored.”  Harris commented, “You usually do best what comes naturally, so I just naturally started singing Southern dialect songs and the modern blues songs.”

In 1922 she moved to the Brunswick label. She continued to appear in Broadway theatres throughout the 1920s. She regularly played the Palace Theatre, appeared in Florenz Ziegfeld‘s Midnight Frolic and toured the country with vaudeville shows.  After a marriage which produced two children, and her subsequent divorce, she returned in 1927 to New York theater, made more recordings with Victor and appeared in an eight-minute promotional film, Marion Harris, Songbird of Jazz. After a Hollywood movie, the early musical Devil-May-Care (1929) with Ramón Novarro, she temporarily withdrew from performing because of an undisclosed illness.

Radio

Between 1931 and 1933, when she performed on such NBC radio shows as The Ipana Troubadors and Rudy Vallee‘s The Fleischmann’s Yeast Hour, she was billed by NBC as “The Little Girl with the Big Voice.”

In early 1931 she performed in London, returning for long engagements at the Café de Paris. In London she appeared in the musical Ever Green and broadcast on BBC radio. She also recorded in England in the early 1930s but retired soon afterwards and married an English theatrical agent. Their house was destroyed in a German rocket attack in 1941, and in 1944 she travelled to New York to seek treatment for a neurological disorder. Although she was discharged two months later, she died soon afterwards in a hotel fire that started when she fell asleep while smoking in bed.

The Rhythm Boys (From “The King Of Jazz”) 1930

Bing Crosby, Al Rinker, Harry Barris singing in  this clip from Paul Whiteman’s 1930 film, “The King Of Jazz.”

The Rhythm Boys

From Wikipedia

The Rhythm Boys were a male singing trio consisting of Bing Crosby, Harry Barris and Al Rinker. Crosby and Rinker began performing together in 1925 and were recruited by Paul Whiteman in late 1926. Pianist/singer/songwriter Barris joined the team in 1927. They made a number of recordings with the Whiteman Orchestra and released singles in their own right with Barris on piano. They appeared with the Whiteman orchestra in the film King of Jazz (Universal Pictures, 1930), in which they sang Mississippi Mud, So the Bluebirds and the Blackbirds Got Together, I’m a Fisherman, Bench in the Park, and Happy Feet.

In May 1930, after three and a half years with Paul Whiteman, The Rhythm Boys left and took up residency at the Ambassador Hotel’s Cocoanut Grove night club performing there with Gus Arnheim‘s Orchestra. Many of these nightly performances were broadcast live from the club along the Pacific coast. They recorded one song, Them There Eyes, with Arnheim’s Orchestra for RCA Victor in November 1930.

They appeared in the 1931 film Confessions of a Co-Ed where they sang Ya Got Love and Crosby sang Out of Nowhere.

The group disbanded when in mid-May 1931 they walked out on their contract with the Cocoanut Grove and were subsequently banned by the American Federation Of Musicians. Crosby, who had previously made some short films for Mack Sennett and a few solo records while still with the group, effectively launched his phenomenal solo career in 1931. They reunited briefly to appear on the Paul Whiteman Presents radio show broadcast on July 4, 1943.

Harry Reser

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Harry Reser (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Harry F. Reser (January 17, 1896 – September 27, 1965) was an American banjo player and bandleader. Born in Piqua, Ohio, Reser was best known as the leader of The Clicquot Club Eskimos. He was regarded by some as the best banjoist of the 1920s.

Early Life

Harrison Franklin Reser was born in Piqua, Ohio on Friday, January 17th 1896 to William Scott Reser and Alberta Wright. The couple had another child, Ruth. Reser was a first cousin to Orville & Wilbur Wright, the Wright brothers, inventors of the aeroplane. When he was 2 years of age, his father moved the family to Dayton, Ohio. It was here that his musical talents fast became apparent, and it was also here that it was discovered that the young Reser possessed something called “perfect pitch”. His parents realized they had a child prodigy. A special guitar was made for him suited to his extremely small size, and this was his first instrument.

By the age of 8 he was entertaining. Years later he recalled “Of course, being a kid, and playing for various minor concerts and recitals naturally gave me somewhat of a hero feeling, but I was never able to get the attitude of a great many people whom I often heard talking prodigies, juvenile wonders and any number of other equally mysterious things in connection with my playing. It never seemed in the least remarkable or extraordinary that I played at the age of eight.”

About this time he began learning piano and also started a systematic study of music which was to form the basis for his natural genius and extensive knowledge of music theory. At the age of nine his parents, now fully realizing his potential and the benefits to be gained, sent him to Luis Hein and Albert Fischer of Dayton, where he continued study of the piano in addition to the violin and cello. He remained with the two until the age of fourteen. Reser attended Steele High School in Dayton, and it was during these years that he decided what his vocation would be. On April 8th, 1916 when he was just over twenty, he married Grace Tharp of Dayton in Newport, Ky.

Career

It was during this time that he was seeing the banjo make its presence felt more strongly with dance bands and therefore felt he should learn how to play it as quickly as possible. He practiced diligently until he was able to play the instrument to a high enough standard to supplement his piano playing with it, there by increasing his chances of earning a reasonable living. In the summer of 1920 he played in a Dayton dance band under the leadership of Paul Goss. By this time he was playing the banjo more regularly. He soon relocated to Buffalo, New York to appear at the Hippodrome, playing primarily violin, though continuing to work on his banjo technique as well.

Just after Christmas of 1920 he relocated again, this time to New York City. He sought out engagements and soon found himself in demand. Some of the early bands he was involved with included those of Ben Selvin, Bennie Krueger, Sam Lanin, Nathan Glantz, Mike Markel (for whom he played Saxophone) and many others. Though there is no supporting evidence, Reser’s first broadcast is said to have been from the Statue of Liberty, Bedloe’s Island, on a US Army transmitter in 1921. By 1922, he had recorded a half dozen pieces, including Crazy Jo’ (January) and Zez Confrey‘s Kitten On the Keys (April). In early autumn of the same year, he considered starting his own band to record under. Soon a contract was drawn up with Okeh and his first band came into being during September/October of 1922, the Okeh Syncopators. Shortly after the start of this new endeavor he was approached by Paul Whiteman to sit in for Whiteman’s regular banjoist, Mike Pingitore, during a UK tour of the Paul Whiteman Orchestra.

Reser had three original compositions written for tenor banjo; The Cat and the Dog, Cracker Jack, and Lolly Pops.

In 1925, he found fame as the director for NBC‘s Clicquot Club Eskimo Orchestra, continuing with that weekly half-hour until 1935. At the same time, he also led other bands using pseudonyms. “Harry Reser and His Six Jumping Jacks,” with vocals by Tom Stacks, were the zany forerunners to comedy bands like Spike Jones and His City Slickers.

Reser and his band introduced on record, the standard “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” in 1934.

Throughout his career he was an endorsed artist, playing instruments from several well known makers. During the 20s he mainly played a variety of William L. Lange’s Paramount tenor and plectrum banjos, and ultimately Lange presented him with a Super Paramount Artists Supreme, as he did Michael Pingitore, another Paramount artist. Later Reser would also play Gibson and Vega Vox banjos.

Harry Reser played “Tiger Rag” and “You Hit the Spot” in the Vitaphone musical short Harry Reser and His Eskimos (1936).

Reser remained active in music for the rest of his life, leading TV studio orchestras and playing with Broadway theatre orchestras. In 1960 he appeared with Bing Crosby, Peggy Lee and Buster Keaton in “A 70th Birthday Salute to Paul Whiteman” on TV’s The Revlon Revue. He wrote several instructional books for the banjo, guitar, and ukulele.

In 1965 Reser died of a heart attack in the orchestra pit of Manhattan’s Imperial Theatre, warming up for a Broadway stage version of Fiddler on the Roof. He was inducted into the National Four-String Banjo Hall of Fame, a museum in Oklahoma, in 1999.

Zez Confrey

From Wikipedia

The sheet music for “Dizzy Fingers” by Zez Confrey, one of the most popular of the novelty piano composers. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The sheet music for “Dizzy Fingers”.

Edward Elzear “Zez” Confrey (April 3, 1895 – November 22, 1971)  was an American composer and performer of piano music. His most noted works were “Kitten on the Keys,” and “Dizzy Fingers.”

Life and career

Confrey was born in Peru, Illinois, United States, the youngest child of Thomas and Margaret Confrey. After World War I he became a pianist and arranger for the QRS piano roll company.  He also recorded for the AMPICO Company, which made piano rolls for their reproducing player piano mechanisms, which were installed in pianos such as the Mason&Hamlin, and Chickering to name a few. His novelty piano composition “Kitten on the Keys,” released in 1921, became a hit, and he went on to compose many other pieces in the same genre.  This piece was inspired by a cat at his grandmother’s house that he discovered prancing up and down the piano keyboard. “Dizzy Fingers” (1923) was Confrey’s other ragtime biggest seller.

After the 1920s he turned more and more toward composing for jazz bands. He retired after World War II but continued to compose occasionally until 1959. He died in Lakewood, New Jersey after suffering for many years from Parkinson’s disease.  He left behind more than a hundred piano works, miniature operas, and songs, plus numerous piano rolls, music publications, and recordings.

Frank Westphal

Frank Westphal and his Rainbo Orchestra 1922

Frank Westphal (* ca 1890 , † about 1945 ) was a German-born American pianist and band leader .

Life

He lived and worked in Chicago, first as a vaudeville pianist. In 1911 he became acquainted with the 6 years older singer and entertainerSophie Tucker know who hired him as a pianist for their shows. The couple married in 1917, after only 2 years the marriage was divorced.

At the beginning of the twenties was Westphal pianist and conductor of the Rainbo Orchestra . Opened in 1921 , Rainbo Gardens onChicago’s North Clark Street, corner of Lawrence Avenue were among the largest and most famous venues in the United States with a revolving stage, about 2000 seats and a dance floor for an additional 1,500 people. The performances of the bands were for promotional purposes by the radio station WQJ transferred. In Rainbo Orchestra ‘s event included Charles Burns (trumpet), Herb Winfield (trombone,Bill and Jack Richards (saxophone), John Jensen (tuba) and Earl Roberts (banjo). It was therefore one of the first jazz orchestras with several saxophones.

1922-1924 played Frank Westphal and his Rainbo Orchestra- at Columbia Records numerous titles and also helped in the development and dissemination of the Chicago jazz at.

Westphal was also active as a composer and wrote, among other things, with Gus Kahn the later by Perry Como became known title “When You Come to the End of the Day”.

Recordings

• All Wrong , Chicago 1923 (Columbia 17-D)
• Bugle Call Rag , 1923 Chicago 1923 (Columbia A3872)
• Carry Me Back To My Carolina Home , Chicago 1922 (Columbia A3755)
• Choo Choo Blues Chicago , 1922 (Columbia A3743)
• Do not Bring Me Posies Chicago 1922 (Columbia A3693)
• Forgetful Blues , Chicago 1923 (Columbia 32-D)
• Greenwich Witch , Chicago 1922 (Columbia A3786)
• Home In Pasadena , Chicago 1922 (Columbia 108-D)
• I’ve Got A Song For Sale Chicago 1923 (Columbia 17-D)
• Liza , Chicago 1923 (Columbia A 3814)
• Never Again , Chicago 1924, Columbia (2-D)
• Nobody’s Sweetheart , Chicago 1924 (Columbia 112-D)
• Off Again, On Again Blues , Chicago 1923 (Columbia A3929)
• Oh! Sister, Is not That Hot! , Chicago 1923 (Columbia 22-D)
• Railroad Man Chicago, 1923, (Columbia A3872)
• Stack O’Lee Blues , Chicago 1923 (Columbia 32-D)
• Stop Your Kidding , Chicago 1922 (Columbia A3786)
• That Barkin ‘Dog , Chicago 1922 (Columbia A3743)
• That Lullaby Strain , Chicago 1924 (Columbia 108-D)
• The Duck’s Quack , Chicago 1923, (Columbia A3944)
• Those longing for you blues Regal 9301
• Those Star Spangled Nights In Dixieland , Chicago 1922 (Columbia A3755)
• Two Time Dan , Chicago 1923 (Columbia A3929)
• Wolverine Blues , Chicago 1923 (Columbia A3911)

Don Bestor by Ruth Ann Montgomery

Maple Hill Stories
Researched and written by Ruth Ann Montgomery

The remains of famous musician and orchestra leader Don Hubbard Bestor lie in Maple Hill Cemetery.  In life
he was a talented pianist, song writer, and orchestra leader.   His final address is the Mitchell addition, Block
4, Lot 62.

It’s the dash that tells the story, according to a popular poem, the dash that is printed in an obituary or
carved between the dates on a tombstone.    On either side of the dash for Donald Hubbard Bestor are the
dates 1889 and 1970 and quite a dash it was.

Donald Hubbard Bestor was born in South Dakota.  His family moved to Mazomanie, Wisconsin in 1896.  His
father, Robert Griffen Bestor, was a traveling salesman for a piano company.  His mother, Carrie Elizabeth
Hubbard Bestor was the daughter of Alva Beach Hubbard and Clara Force Hubbard.

Donald’s brother, Vernon Bestor, was a popular orchestra leader, piano player, arranger and composer and
gave Don his start in the orchestra at Madison’s Majestic Theater.  Both Bestor brothers made big names for
themselves in the music business.   Another brother Alva Leroy Bestor, was an orchestra leader in
Madison.

Young Don became interested in playing piano and writing music in his teens.   At the age of 16, Donald was
composing music.  Vaudeville, orchestras and the early years of radio were venues for the talents of
young  Bestor.

On September 12, 1908, Donald Hubbard Bestor married Harriet Agatha Cyrier, a vocalist, both were in their
late teens.  When the 1910 census was taken, Hattie (age 20) and Donald were living in a boarding house
on East 55th Street in Chicago.  Donald listed his occupation as arranger and musician.

Seven years later, he was receiving rave revues from a Madison newspaper: “Irving Berlin had better watch
out; he is likely to get keen competition from Don Bestor, Madison boy, who ‘has made good’.  Bestor, who
got his start in music in the orchestra at the Majestic in 1917 has composed some song hits, such as
‘Dimples and Dollars’, ‘Won’t You Try to Love me’ and ‘The Katzenjammer kids’.”

The songs were composed for a musical “Maid To Order”  at Madison’s Orpheum Theater.   It was described
in the Wisconsin State Journal advertisement as “The Merry Musical Comedy Tabloid in 3 scenes, new
songs, new music, new dances.  Special Scenery and Electrical Effects.”   The musical was booked for four
nights in Madison, then scheduled to go on a vaudeville tour.

The Evansville Review announced that Donald’s mother, Carrie Bestor and sister, Helen, Evansville
residents, were planning to attend one of the Madison performances of the show.   Carrie and Helen lived
with Carrie’s elderly parents, Alva & Clara Hubbard at 114 South Third Street.  Helen worked in the
Evansville telephone office and also played piano for silent movies at the Magee Theater.

Three years later, according to the 1920 federal census, Donald and his wife were living in Kankakee,
Illinois.  He listed his occupation as theater proprietor.    However, he had larger ambitions and within a few
years became a national figure in the music industry.

Bestor formed his own dance band, then had an opportunity to lead one of Chicago’s best known
orchestras.  Bestor took over conducting the Benson Orchestra.  This well known group played in Chicago
at the Marigold Gardens.  It was a popular hangout for Chicago gangsters.

The new communication device, the radio extended Bestor’s music to audiences well beyond the walls of
theaters and hotel ballrooms.  In addition to his radio work, Don made recordings under the Victor label in
the early 1920s.

Music was his first love and in September 1920 he made his first recording with the Benson Orchestra at the
Victor studio in Camden, New Jersey.   A few months later, in April 1921, the orchestra again recorded at the
Victor studio.

By 1922, Donald Bestor had left the Benson Orchestra and was conducting his own orchestra.    Bestor’s
orchestra was playing at a hotel near one of the early radio stations, KDKA in Pittsburg.  The station decided
to try a remote broadcast from the hotel and strung a wire from the hotel to the radio station.  Bestor would
later boast that he had one of the longest records in radio broadcasting.

Bestor’s personal life was not so successful and in 1923, he was divorced from Hattie.  She remained in
Kankakee with their son Bartley and remarried.   By 1925, Don Bestor was married to dancer, Frankie
Klosse.

His composing was having some success.  In 1925, he collaborated with Roger Lewis and Walter Donovan
to write “Down By The Vinegar Works”.  It was sung by Johnny Marvin, “The Ukulele Ace”.

Radio and Victor records raised Bestor’s musical career to new heights in popularity.  When the Bestor
orchestra appeared at the Orpheum Theater in Madison, with the Orpheum Circuit Vaudeville, in January
1928, he was billed as the “internationally famous Don Bestor and his Victor recording orchestra, a talented
aggregation of syncopating harmonists. ”

Several articles about Bestor appeared in the Capital Times and Wisconsin State Journal in January 1928.
The January 8, 1928 Capital Times said:  “Bestor has led his orchestra through a career that embraces
many of the great theaters, cabarets, ballrooms and amusement palaces in the country.  The Bestor
orchestra has played at Young’s Million dollar Pier at Atlantic city, the Drake Hotel, Marigold Gardens, and
Terrace Garden, Chicago.”

Fans of the radio show also increased Bestor’s popularity.    A Pittsburg newspaper ran a contest to
determine the most popular entertainers on the KDKA radio station in Pittsburg in 1930. Bestor was first with
the Pittsburg fans.

Many Evansville fans stayed up until 11 p.m. on a Thursday evening in February 1930 to hear the music of
Bestor’s Orchestra, broadcast from the William Penn Hotel in Pittsburg.   The Review noted that Bestor was
“a former Evansville resident and nationally known orchestra leader.  Besides recording for the Victor
Phonograph Company, Mr. Bestor and his orchestra have played permanent engagements at Dallas, Texas;
St. Louis and Kansas City, Chicago and Pittsburg. ”

It was the era of ballroom dancing and there was plenty of work for the big bands and orchestras in hotels
and dance pavilions throughout the country.  In September 1930, Bestor’s 11-piece orchestra was playing a
two week engagement in Milwaukee at the Hotel Schroeder.  The orchestra was also scheduled to broadcast
over the Milwaukee Journal radio station, WTMJ.

In the early 1930s, Bestor and his orchestra were featured on the Jack Benny Radio Show.  Bestor had met
Jack Benny when they were both touring with the Orpheum Vaudeville Circuit in the late 1920s.
The show was broadcast at 7 p.m. on the NBC station in New York and could be heard at 6 p.m. in
Evansville.  The show also featured Mary Livingston and announcer Don Wilson.

Carrie Bestor and many of her Evansville neighbors turned on the radio every Sunday evening to hear the
Jack Benny Show.   Benny’s famous introduction for the orchestra was “Play, Don, Play.”
It was during his time with Jack Benny that Bestor wrote one of his most popular jingles.  One of the
sponsors of the show was Jello and Bestor wrote the famous J-E-L-L-O song.

In the 1930s, Bestor recorded under the Brunswick label.  Under this label, Bestor wrote and recorded,
“Singing A Song”, “Teach Me to Smile” and “I’m Not Forgetting.”  Some of Bestor’s best known recordings of
songs written by other artists from the 1930s were “Shuffle Off To Buffalo” and “Forty-Second Street.”

After he was released from the Benny show, Don continued to tour with his orchestra.   The Bestor orchestra
also played background music for movies including  “Animal Crackers In My Soup” with Shirley Temple in
“Curly Top” in 1935 and “Let’s Sing Again” in 1936.

As Bestor seemed to be at the top of his career, his ex-wife Hattie once again appeared.  In November 1937,
Hattie had Donald Bestor arrested in Joliet, Illinois for unpaid child support for their 16-year-old son,
Bartley.   He spent  two days in a Kankakee jail before giving a $3,000 paid-up life insurance policy to Hattie,
to compensate for his lack of support.

A newspaper photographer took a photo of Hattie sitting beside a photograph of her son, and reading a
book.    The Associated Press wire photo appeared in newspapers throughout the United States with the
headline “Divorced Wife Jails Don Bestor.“

Bestor had also gotten into trouble with the union  in New York, and could not play in the city for two years.
In September 1937, he was allowed to return to the city and played for two weeks at the French Casino, a
famous night spot with a restaurant and theater.

Bestor continued his career as an orchestra leader until 1943.  For a short time he served as Musical
Director at a New York radio station, WHN.

His personal life continued to be bumpy.   His second marriage to Frankie Klossen ended in divorce in 1944
and he married his third wife, Beulah Pinbell, in 1945 and they separated in 1958.  He had children by each
wife, including his sons, Bartley and Donald H. Bestor, a talented pianist;  and daughters, Mary Ann and
Robyn.

Donald Hubbard Bestor died at the age of 80 in Metamora, Illinois.  He was living near his sister, Helen.  His
funeral was held at the Mason Funeral Home in Metamora and he was brought back to Evansville for burial
in Maple Hill Cemetery.  He was buried beside his mother, Carrie Hubbard Bestor and his grandparents, Alva
B. and Clara A. Hubbard, who were, no doubt, his greatest fans.

Bestor’s obituary listed him as a one time resident of Evansville, “whose career as a dance orchestra leader
reached a peak in the 1930s when he was music conductor for comedian Jack Benny’s radio network
shop.”

Nathaniel Shilkret

From Wikipedia

Nathaniel Shilkret
Nat Shilkret circa 1920s
Background information
Birth name	Naftule Schüldkraut
Also known as	Nat Shilkret
Born	December 25, 1889
Origin	New York City, U.S.
Died	February 18, 1982 (aged 92) Franklin Square, NY, U.S.
Occupations	Composer, musician, conductor,A&R
Instruments	Clarinet, piano

Nathaniel Shilkret (December 25, 1889 – February 18, 1982) was an American composer, conductor, clarinetist, pianist, business executive, and music director born in New York City, New York to an Austrian immigrant family.^[1][2]

Early career

Shilkret was born to a musical family. His father played almost every instrument, and made certain that Nat and his three brothers were all accomplished musicians at an early age. Older brother Lew Shilkret was a fine pianist, but also worked in the insurance industry. Younger brother Jack Shilkret had a career that paralleled Nathaniel’s career: he played clarinet and piano, recorded extensively, and conducted and played piano on the radio and in motion pictures. The youngest brother Harry Shilkret was a medical doctor, who worked his way through school playing trumpet, and continued to play trumpet frequently in Nathaniel’s orchestras, particularly for radio broadcasts, long after he was a practicing allergist. Nathaniel Shilkret’s brother-in-law, Nathaniel Finston, was violinist in many organizations in his youth and was musical director for Paramount and later for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, at one time being Nathaniel Shilkret’s boss.

Shilkret was a child prodigy, touring the country with the New York Boys’ Orchestra from the ages of seven to thirteen as their clarinet soloist. From his late teens to mid-twenties he was a clarinetist in the best New York music organizations, including the New York Philharmonic Society (under Vassily Safanov and Gustav Mahler), the New York Symphony Orchestra, the Metropolitan Opera House Orchestra, the Russian Symphony Orchestra, Victor Herbert‘s Orchestra, Arnold Volpe‘s Orchestra, Sousa‘s Grand Concert Band,Arthur Pryor‘s Band, and Edwin Franko Goldman‘s Band. He was also a rehearsal pianist for Walter Damrosch, playing for stars that included dancer Isadora Duncan.

He joined the Foreign Department of the Victor Talking Machine Company (later RCA Victor) around 1915, and soon was made manager of the department.

In 1926 he became “director of light music” for Victor. He made thousands of recordings, possibly more than anyone in recording history. His son Arthur estimated the sales of these records was of the order of 50 million copies. He was the conductor of choice for many of Victor’s innovative recordings. He conducted Victor’s first record made by the electrical process, the first commercial Victor Long Playing record (in 1931) and was the first conductor to successfully dub an electrically recorded orchestra background over the recordings of Enrico Caruso, Victor’s star artist, who died in 1921, before electrical recording was developed. The premiere recording ofGeorge Gershwin‘s symphonic poem An American in Paris, in 1929, was one of five conducted by Shilkret that eventually earnedGrammy Awards. His last Victor session was on December 21, 1932, although he is credited with a later Victor session on July 9, 1940.

“The Victor Salon Orchestra” (house band for Victor Talking Machine Company records) posed by a microphone in what appears to be a recording or radio studio. Leader Nathaniel Shilkret is seated at center holding a baton. For identification of further musicians, see the discussion page. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Shilkret (center holding baton) with the Victor Salon Orchestra, c. 1925

Radio and the recording studio

He was also one of radio’s earliest stars, estimating that he made over 3000 broadcasts between 1925 and 1941, including being the conductor for The Eveready Hour, regarded as the first major commercial broadcast and the first major variety show. His sponsors included Camel, Carnation, Chesterfield, Esso (now ExxonMobil), Eveready, General Electric, General Motors, Hires Root Beer, Knickerbocker, Lysol, Maxwell House, Mobil Oil (now ExxonMobil), Palmolive, RCA Victor,Salada tea and Smith Brothers’ Cough Drops.

Between his conducting for records and for radio, virtually every musical star of the day performed under the baton of Nathaniel Shilkret. His orchestra members included Jimmy Dorsey, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, Lionel Hampton,Glenn Miller, Artie Shaw, Mike Mosiello and Del Staigers. George Gershwin, Jascha Heifetz, Mischa Elman and Andrés Segovia all played under his direction. Opera stars Rose Bampton, Lucrezia Bori, Feodor Chaliapin, Jon Crain, Richard Crooks, Miguel Fleta, Emilio de Gogorza, Amelita Galli-Curci, Mary Garden, Beniamino Gigli, Helen Jepson, Maria Jeritza,Giovanni Martinelli, Nino Martini, John McCormack, James Melton, Grace Moore, Jan Peerce, Lily Pons, Rosa Ponselle,Elisabeth Rethberg, Gladys Rice, Tito Schipa, Gladys Swarthout, John Charles Thomas, and Lawrence Tibbett were all conducted by Nathaniel Shilkret. The lists of popular singers and foreign artists that played under his direction are just as impressive.

Compositions

African Serenade, a 1930 issue of a Nat Shilkret composition recorded by his own band.

He composed and arranged thousands of pieces. His best-known popular composition was The Lonesome Road, first sung by co-writerGene Austin and later by Jules Bledsoe (dubbing Stepin Fetchit) in the final scene of the 1929 part-talkie film version of “Show Boat”, and recorded by more than two hundred artists, including Louis Armstrong, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Paul Robeson. He composed the theme song Lady Divine for the Academy Award winning film The Divine Lady in 1929. He also composed the theme song Some Sweet Day for the film Children of the Ritz in the same year. His composition Jeannine, I Dream of Lilac Time sold almost two million copies of sheet music and was also recorded by over a hundred top artists, including Louis Armstrong, Skitch Henderson, Guy Lombardo, The London Philharmonic Orchestra, John McCormack, Mitch Miller, Hugo Montenegro, The Platters, and Lawrence Welk. His compositionConcerto for Trombone was premiered in 1945 by Tommy Dorsey, playing with the New York Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Leopold Stokowski. The piece was unavailable to the public from the mid-1950s until Scottish trombonist Bryan Free rescued it from anonymity in the beginning of this century. It was re-premiered at Carnegie Hall by the New York Pops, under the direction of Skitch Henderson, with Jim Pugh as soloist. Since its revival, the Concerto for Trombone has been performed about sixty times (with more performances scheduled) in the United States, Canada and several European countries.

Later career

Shilkret moved to Los Angeles in 1935 and there contributed music scores and musical direction for a string of Hollywood films for RKO(as musical director from 1935—1937), Walter Lantz Productions (one of the studio’s musical directors during 1937) and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (as a musical director from 1942—1946). His films included Mary of Scotland (1936), Swing Time (1936), The Plough and the Stars, and Shall We Dance? (1937) and several films of Laurel and Hardy. He also received an Oscar nomination for his work scoring the film version of Maxwell Anderson‘s stage drama Winterset (1936).

In 1939, he conducted a group of soloists (including tenor Jan Peerce) and the Victor Symphony Orchestra for RCA Victor’s multi-disc tribute to Victor Herbert, which were recorded following a special NBC radio broadcast, and he recorded a number of other albums in 1939 and 1940. Due to a serious abdominal operation for cancer removal, he did not conduct for most of 1941.

He worked at RKO-Pathe, making short films from 1946 through the mid-1950s. He was the pit orchestra conductor for the Broadway show Paris ’90 in 1952. He lived in his son’s home in Franklin Square, NY, from the mid-1950s until his death in 1982.

Sam Lanin

From Wikipedia

Label of a Sam Lanin recording onBanner Records.

Samuel Charles Lanin (September 4, 1891 – May 5, 1977) was an American jazz bandleader.

Lanin’s brothers, Howard and Lester, were also bandleaders, and all of them had sustained, successful careers in music. Lanin was one of ten children born to Russian Jewish immigrants who emigrated to Philadelphia in the decade of the 1900s. Sam played clarinet and violin while young, and in 1912 he was offered a spot playing in Victor Herbert‘s orchestra, where he played through World War I. After the war he moved to New York City and began playing at the Roseland Ballroom in late 1918. There he established the Roseland Orchestra; this ensemble recorded for the Columbia Gramophone Company in the early 1920s.

Recordings

Sam recorded with a plethora of ensemble arrangements, under names such as Lanin’s Jazz Band, Lanin’s Arcadians, Lanin’s Famous Players, Lanin’s Southern Serenaders, Lanin’s Red Heads, Sam Lanin’s Dance Ensemble, and Lanin’s Arkansaw Travelers. He did not always give himself top billing in his ensemble’s names, and was a session leader for an enormous number of sweet jazz recording sessions of the 1920s. Among the ensembles he directed were Ladd’s Black Aces, The Broadway Bell-Hops, The Westerners, The Pillsbury Orchestra and Bailey’s Lucky Seven. He had a rotating cast of noted musicians playing with him, including regular appearances from Phil Napoleon, Miff Mole, Jules Levy Jr. and Red Nichols, as well as Jimmy Dorsey, Tommy Dorsey, Manny Klein, Jimmy McPartland, Bix Beiderbecke, Eddie Lang, Bunny Berigan, Nick Lucas and Frankie Trumbauer.

Radio

Lanin did little actual playing on these records; his main contributions were clean, well-orchestrated arrangements and session directions. In addition to his recordings, he also played regularly on radio after 1923, and the Roseland Orchestra played on New York radio weekly every Monday from 1923 to 1925. He entered into a sponsorship with Bristol-Myers for their toothpaste, Ipana; as a result, his ensemble was renamed The Ipana Troubadors. In 1928 and 1929, Lanin recorded with Bing Crosby.

The 1929 stock market crash hit Sam Lanin hard, unlike his brother Lester; in 1931, he lost his contract with Bristol-Meyers, his radio show and the name Ipana Troubadors. By the middle of the 1930s, Sam was spending much of his time cutting transcription discs. While his fame had waned, he was still well off from the money he saved in the 1920s and retired from the music business by the end of the 1930s. He was essentially forgotten at the same time Lester went on to stardom. He died in 1977.

Brunswick Record Advertisement, 1925

From The Newmarket Era, September 25th, 1925

The Wolverines

From Wikipedia

1924 Gennett 78, 5454-A, “Riverboat Shuffle”, by The Wolverine Orchestra featuring Bix Beiderbecke.

The Wolverines
Origin	Hamilton, Ohio
Genres	Jazz
Years active	1923–1931

The Wolverines (also Wolverine Orchestra, Wolverines Orchestra, The Original Wolverines) were an American jazz band. They were one of the most successful territory bands of the American Midwest in the 1920s.

The Wolverine Orchestra first played at the Stockton Club, a nightclub south of Hamilton, Ohio, in September 1923. Many of its players were transplanted Chicago musicians, and it was led by pianist Dudley Mecum. Cornetist Bix Beiderbecke joined the group toward the end of the year after the lead cornetist quit. Mecum named the group based on the fact that they so often performed the Jelly Roll Mortontune “Wolverine Blues”. However, he quit at the end of 1923, and was replaced by Dick Voynow, from St. Louis.

History

When the Stockton Club closed after a New Year’s Eve brawl, the group moved to Cincinnati to play at Doyle’s Dance Studio. They did a three-month stay there and became one of the city’s most popular attractions, and on February 18, 1924, they recorded for the first time at Gennett Records. These were the first recordings Beiderbecke ever played on. Hoagy Carmichael was in the Gennett studio when the Wolverines recorded his tune “Free Wheeling” on May 6, 1924. It was Bix’s idea to rename it “Riverboat Shuffle“. The recording was released as a Gennett 78, 5454-A.

As a live act, they were so popular that the owner of Doyle’s locked their instruments in his club to keep them from skipping town, but the group eventually sneaked out in order to take a job in Bloomington, Indiana. However, when they reached Bloomington, they found their gig had been cancelled. Instead, Bernie Cummins began booking gigs for them at colleges in Ohio and Indiana; they became a popular attraction at Indiana University, and recorded again in May and June 1924. Vic Berton replaced Vic Moore on drums just before their June recording date. However, Berton’s tenure did not last long, and Moore returned to the band before the end of the year.

In September 1924 they booked dates at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City, and recorded for Gennett again in New York in September and October. After finding out that the Roseland engagement was to be cancelled in November, Beiderbecke left the group to play with Jean Goldkette. Jimmy McPartland eventually replaced him, and they recorded yet again for Gennett in December before taking off for a gig in Palm Beach, Florida.

After 1925 the group’s history is less well documented, since the intense interest in the group centers mainly on Beiderbecke’s tenure. Voynow sold the rights to the name “Wolverine Orchestra” to a promoter named Husk O’Hare, who began booking several different ensembles under that name through the end of the decade. One of the bands remained popular in the Midwest and played for radio station WLW, though they only recorded once for Vocalion in 1928.

O’Hare’s Wolverines disbanded in 1931, and Al Gande, the original group’s trombonist, began touring as the New Wolverine Orchestra in 1936. He remained at the helm of this ensemble until his death in a car crash in 1946. Since then many jazz revival groups have performed under the name “Wolverines”.

Members

The Wolverine Orchestra. Bix Beiderbecke is fifth from the left.

• Dudley Mecum – piano
• Dick Voynow – piano
• Jimmy Hartwell – clarinet
• Turk Savage – clarinet
• Rosy McHargue – clarinet
• Bix Beiderbecke – cornet
• Jimmy McPartland – trumpet
• Min Leibrook – tuba
• Bob Gillette – banjo
• Al Gande – trombone
• George Johnson – tenor saxophone
• Vic Moore – drums
• Vic Berton – drums

Major Recordings

• “Fidgety Feet”/”Jazz Me Blues,” recorded on February 18, 1924, in Richmond, Indiana, and released as Gennett 5408
• “Oh Baby”/”Copenhagen,” recorded on May 6, 1924, and released as Gennett 5453 and Claxtonola 40336
• “Riverboat Shuffle“/”Susie,” recorded on May 6, 1924, and released as Gennett 5454
• “I Need Some Pettin'”/”Royal Garden Blues”, recorded on June 20, 1924 in Richmond, Indiana and released as Gennett 20062
• “Tiger Rag“, recorded on June 20, 1924 in Richmond, Indiana, unissued test pressing. It was released in 1936 by English Brunswick as 02205-B and as Hot Record Society 24
• “Sensation”/”Lazy Daddy,” recorded on September 16, 1924 and released as Gennett 5542
• “Tia Juana”/”Big Boy”, recorded on October 7, 1924 in New York and released as Gennett 5565.

Miff Mole

Mole, Miff (Irving Milfred)

Miff Mole was one of the first to bring the tailgate style of Kid Ory and other New Orleans trombonists to his hometown of New York, and he made some of the first jazz recordings. In doing so, he added his own, more soloistic approach to the instrument, which was characterized by wide leaps in pitch and clear, rhythmic articulation. This virtuosity prompted Tommy Dorsey to call him “the Babe Ruth of the trombone.”

 

As a member of The Original Memphis Five, Mole played on some of the first jazz recordings, and went on to record with some of the other top musicians of early hot jazz, including cornetist Bix Beiderbecke,saxophonist Frank Trumbauer and Jimmy Dorsey. His legacy as a trombonist stretches beyond jazz, as he performed under Arturo Toscanini with the NBC Radio Orchestra and was a successful teacher.

Born on March 11, 1898, in Roosevelt, New York, Mole began his musical studies on the violin at age 11. His father, also a violinist, augmented Mole’s training by having him sit in with his own dance band. Two years later, Mole purchased a used alto horn, which he learned to play in addition to the violin. After seeing a trombone playing in a local parade, he decided to teach himself yet another instrument at age 14. Already self-taught on the piano, he learned the trombone slide positions by playing pitches on the keyboard and finding them on the slide. During high school, he devoted himself entirely to his trombone study under the tutelage of classical trombonist Prof. Charles Randall in New York.

While classically trained, Mole found himself in the midst of New York’s burgeoning hot jazz scene when, at age sixteen, he got a job with a small band at the College Arms in Brooklyn. That was when the sounds of early jazz began to find their way into Mole’s ears, starting with the music of Hank O’Hara.

 

Mole began to study the first jazz records and became one of the early masters of the new trombone style. His proficiency led him to land the trombone chair with the Original Memphis Five. The group began performing at the Harvard Inn on Coney Island, at the time run by gangster Al Capone. The group then embarked on a nationwide tour which included performances in Los Angeles, where Mole remained when the rest of the ensemble returned to New York.

Mole returned to New York in 1919 to play a five-month engagement at the Roseland Theater with the Sam Lanin Orchestra, and continued working with them until 1924. He also recorded with other groups during this time, including again with the Original Memphis Five in 1922.

 

He left Lanin to play with Ray Miller in Atlantic City along with saxophonist Frank Trumbauer. Mole shaped the role of the trombone in these ensembles as a combination of tailgate-style counterpoint and occasional melody, perhaps informed by his early training as a violinist. While playing with Miller, Trumbauer and Mole first heard cornetist Bix Beiderbecke, and the three came to be close friends.

Mole also became friends with another groundbreaking cornetist and trumpeter, Red Nichols. The two began co-leading their own recording sessions in 1925 under a number of group names including Hottentot, the Red Heads, Arkansas Travelers, Red and Miff’s Stompers, the Five Pennies and Miff’s Molers. Other important collaborators on these records included Jimmy Dorsey, Eddie Lang, Adrian Rollini and Joe Venuti.

 

“Buddy’s Habits,” recorded with the Five Pennies in 1926, is one example of this ensemble’s work. Mole was often featured as a soloist with this group, a role that was unusual for trombonists at the time. Two sides that feature Mole’s solo work include “Delerium,” recorded with Red and Miff’s Stompers in 1927, and “Riverboat Shuffle,” recorded the same year with the Five Pennies.

Mole’s early innovations on the trombone are especially apparent in the Five Pennies’ recording of “The Original Dixieland One-Step,” starting with the first solo break. In the version popularized by the Original Dixieland Jazz Band and widely copied, the trombone break features a long, brassy glissando. Mole, however, plays a fast, pointillistic figure that more closely resembles clarinet phrasing than the traditional trombone passage. Throughout the rest of the song, however, he blends into the mix in a more “tailgate” style but with a clear, articulate sound and good control across a wide range of pitches, particulalry in the lower register.

Mole also recorded regularly with Bix Beiderbecke in the late 1920s, and can be heard on Beiderbecke’s famous recording of “Singin’ the Blues.” No stranger to Beiderbecke’s heavy drinking and partying, Mole, along with Beiderbecke and Jimmy Dorsey, once missed a recording session after a long bender, and the musicians performed what Mole later described as their best set together on top of a double-decker bus leaving the studio.

In 1929, Mole was offered a chair in the NBC orchestra and played with them throughout most of the 1930s. He also led his own group, Miff’s Molers, until 1930, and did other occasional studio work. In 1934, he played the famous trombone solo from Ravel’s Bolero, beating out a number of outside classical soloists who auditioned for the part. Mole briefly played second trombone in the group under Arturo Toscanini, but left in 1938 to join Paul Whiteman.

 

Ironically, it was his desire to play more jazz that led him to join Whiteman’s group, the same reason he cited when leaving two years later. While with Whiteman, Mole played briefly alongside fellow jazz trombone pioneer Jack Teagarden. Teagarden left the group at the end of 1938, two weeks after Mole’s arrival, but enough time for the two to record together in Whiteman’s December 1938 Carnegie Hall Concert, billed as “An Experiment In Modern Music” and featuring the work of a number of budding composers including Duke Ellington. “Blue Belles of Harlem” was Ellington’s contribution to the concert.

Mole left Whiteman in 1940 to refine his own trombone skills and to open a teaching studio in New York, where he fostered over 50 young trombonists, including Eddie Bert. Mole left teaching in 1942 to join the Benny Goodman band, but decided to leave to form a small Dixieland ensemble a year later. He continued to play with small groups in both New York and Chicago for the rest of the 1940s, working with Muggsy Spanier, Dave Tough, Bobby Hackett, Eddie Condon, Pee Wee Russell and many others. Although he was thoroughly in the Dixieland-revival camp and derided as one of the “moldy figs” by some of his peers in the bebop community, Mole maintained a healthy respect for bop. He even appeared with his friend and fellow trombonist Jack Teagarden at Dizzy Gillespie’s debut at the Blue Note, praising the performance in a 1948Down Beat interview.

Mole began to develop serious health issues in 1945 that limited his ability to perform regularly, starting with hip surgery in 1945 that produced numerous complications. His last gig came with Pee Wee Russell in 1960, a year before his death on April 29, 1961 in New York City. He had been scheduled to play at the 1961 Newport Jazz Festival, only to arrive and find out that riots at the festival that year had caused his performance to be cancelled.

 

Miff’s friends in the jazz world, led by fellow trombonist Charlie Galbraith, had planned a “Miff Mole Day” in New York to celebrate the trombonist’s career on June 21, 1961, but Mole did not survive to see it. Proceeds from the concert went to help his widow and family pay off the debts that he had incurred from his lengthy medical treatments. After his death, even his prized trombone had been seized by the Welfare Committee of New York, from whom he had been drawing support in his later years.

Despite the tragedy of his late life, Mole left a legacy as one of the first models of the jazz trombone style. Many of the music’s subsequent trombone virtuosi learned how to play by transcribing his solos with theOriginal Memphis Five and the Five Pennies. This enduring influence led one of his earliest admirers, Tommy Dorsey, to aptly describe him as “the trombone player’s trombone player.”

Joseph Samuels

From Wikipedia

English: Joseph Samuels (possibly died around 1953), US musician, bandleader and recording artist. Svenska: Joseph Samuels (troligen död omkring 1953), amerikansk musiker, orkesterledare och skivartist. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Joseph Samuels as pictured in the May 1919 edition of The Tatler.

Joseph Samuels (possibly died in July 1953; see below) was an American musician and bandleader, who is today virtually only known through his recordings.

The mysterious Joseph Samuels

Practically nothing seems to be known about Joseph Samuels as a person, and the dates of his birth and death have long remained unknown tojazz historians. However, recent information in the “Bixography Discussion group” suggests that Samuels might have died in July 1953.^[1] An article published in May 1919 indicates he was born in Tennessee, studied under Campanari at the College of Music of Cincinnati, and was concert master for Henry W. Savage.^[2] His name indicates that he, as well as many other musicians of the New York scene at the time, may have been of Jewish origin. He was mainly a reed player (playing clarinet, alto saxophone, and bass saxophone), but also played violin and made records as a soloist on the latter instrument accompanied by pianist Frank Banta.

Recording career

1921 Grey Gull record label of a recording by “Joseph Samuels Music Masters”.

What is known beyond doubts about Samuels is that he was an extremely prolific musician during the years 1919 to 1925, at least on records. In his work The American Dance Band Discography 1917-1942 noted discographer Brian Rust devotes 19 pages to the nearly 400 recordings made by Samuels and his dance orchestra.

Samuels’ recording debut seems to have been with Pathé in January 1919. After this he went on to record for several other companies, beginning with Emerson, Grey Gull, and Arto in 1920, continuing with Edison in 1921 and with Gennett, Federal, and Banner in 1922.

From 1923 onwards, the last of these labels – as well as associated labels such as Regal, Oriole and Domino – became the dominating recipient of Samuels’ services. As usually on these low-budget labels, the recordings were issued under an array of bewildering pseudonyms such as “Majestic Dance Orchestra”, “Hollywood Dance Orchestra” and “Missouri Jazz Band”.

Apart from these hundreds of peppy dance music recordings, Samuels also lead smaller recording groups playing in a more outright jazzideom. Most of these latter sides were made under the names of Synco Jazz Band (49 recordings during 1919-1922, mainly for Pathé but also for Columbia and Grey Gull), Joseph Samuels’ Jazz Band (40 recordings during 1920-23, mainly for Okeh but also forParamount) and Tampa Blue Jazz Band (31 recordings for Okeh during 1921-1923). To these might be added some further seven sides waxed for Columbia in 1924 as Columbia Novelty Orchestra. The earliest of these small band recordings were very much in the style of the Original Dixieland Jazz Band, but over time got a sound and style of their own. The band’s recording for Okeh of The Fives in March 1923 is considered the first orchestral recording of boogie-woogie.

In particular, for Okeh, these small jazz-oriented Samuels groups also accompanied several black singers, male as well as female ones including names such as Lucille Hegamin, Mamie Smith and Clarence Williams. These accompainments are among the earliest examples of racially mixed jazz recordings in the United States.

Fellow musicians

For his dance band as well as his jazz group recordings, Samuels seems to have relied mainly on the same nucleus of fellow musicians, many of them nearly as little known as their leader.

On trumpet Samuels generally had Jules Levy Jr.. He was the son of a British-born cornet virtuoso of the same name (1838–1903). Like his father, Levy Jr. also performed and recorded as a soloist in concert and military style. He is reported to later have led a band of his own in Hollywood. When a second trumpet appears in Samuel’s recordings it is generally Hymie Farberman.

On trombone was Ephraim Hannaford, who had earlier been a member of the religious community called “House of David” and had worked in the various well-known musical aggregations within that group.

On piano Samuels had Larry Briers, of whom extremely little is known. He is however credited as co-composer on at least one of the tunes recorded by Samuels and also published other songs both during and after the recording career of the Samuels bands ended. His best known work is probably Brother Low Down, written with singer Al Bernardand recorded by Bert Williams among others.

At least Levy, Farberman and Hannaford also took part in recordings with other well-known bandleaders of the 1920s such as Sam Lanin, Ben Selvin, Arthur Lange, Harry Reser andFred Rich. Samuels himself on the other hand seems to have recorded for no other leader than himself.

Andy Sannella

From Wikipedia

Andy Sannella in the mid-1930s.

Anthony G. “Andy” Sannella (March 11, 1900 – December 10, 1962) was an American musician and bandleader.

Sannella, who was born in Indiana, was a multiinstrumentalist; according to jazz historian John Chilton he played violin, piano, organ,clarinet, alto saxophone, guitar (preferably steel guitar), banjo and vibraphone. Occasionally he also appeared as a singer.

Early career with Ray Miller and other bandleaders

Sannella began his musical studies on guitar and violin at the age of ten. After serving in the US Navy during World War I, Sannella spent the years 1920-1922 in Panama City working on violin and alto saxophone with various orchestras. He then settled in New York Citywhere he played with the bands of Dan Gregory, Mike Markel and – not least – Ray Miller. With the latter orchestra Sannella seems to have made his first recordings during the years 1923-1925. On these recordings (which also feature jazz notables such as Frank Trumbauer and Miff Mole) Sannella is mainly featured on clarinet and alto saxophone, but is also heard soloing on bass clarinet on I Can’t Get The One I Want (Brunswick 2643).

As a studio musician

The label of an issue of Sannella’s composition Needin’ You on the Van Dyke label.

From the late 1920s onwards Sannella seems to have focused more and more on working as a studio musician rather than appearing with regular working bands. He was very much in demand and was hired by many conductors leading “house bands” for various record companies, including Nat Shilkret and Leonard Joy (both Victor Records), Ben Selvin (Columbia Records), Adrian Schubert (Banner Records and associated labels) and Bert Hirsch (Hit of the Week Records). Sannella also appears on several recordings directed bySam Lanin, but it is not clear whether he also appeared with this orchestra on stage. In addition to working with larger orchestras Sannella also appeared with many smaller studio groups accompanying popular singers of the time such as Art Gillham, Cliff Edwards,Frank Crumit, Seger Ellis and Johnny Marvin.

In many of the orchestras listed above Sannella was working with the same basic core of fellow musicians, among these not least trumpet player Mike Mosiello, from whom Sannella seems to have been virtually inseparable during these years, and of whom he still spoke very highly in an interview shortly before his death. Amongst many other things Mosiello and Sannella (together with accordionistCharles Magnante) formed the nucleus of the prolific house band of the Grey Gull Company of Boston during the years 1926-1930. In addition to performing the popular tunes of the day Mosiello and Sannella were allowed to wax several instrumental numbers of their own, often appearing as B-sides on the company’s “pop” records. On these records Sannella is mainly featured playing alto saxophone, clarinet and steel guitar, often switching between all these instruments during the same number and thus giving them a very special noticeable sound. Songs credited to Sannella himself issued by Grey Gull include Needin’ You and Sleeping Birds.

Recordings in his own name

Hit of the Week record by Sannella’sorchestra.

The Grey Gull records were almost always issued anonymously or under pseudonym. However, for other labels Sannella was allowed to record with bands under his own name (ranging from trios to full dance orchestras) given proper credit. Labels for which Sannella recorded under his own name included Harmony, Columbia, Okeh, Victor and Hit of the Week. For Brunswick Sannella also recorded as a steel guitar soloist, his coupling of Sliding On The Frets and Blues Of The Guitar from 1929 (Brunswick 4484) becoming a minor hit and being issued in Europe as well (Slidin’ On The Frets has also been reissued on CD).

Apparently these recordings made Sannella’s name familiar enough to make The Selmer Company, a well known manufacturer of musical instruments, use Sannella’s picture in their advertising. Sannella composed Valse Selmer to promote the company’s saxophones.

Later career: radio, theatre and television work

Beginning with 1932 Sannella’s appearances on records became increasingly rarer. Instead he was heard frequently on radio where, among other things, he directed the orchestra on a NBC show sponsored by Whitman’s. From the late 1940s he also appeared regularly on TV shows for CBS. By this date Sannella was mainly performing as a pianist and organ player. He also directed a couple of shows onBroadway.

Now and then Sannella also returned to the recording studios well into the 1950s. Among his last records is an LP called The Girl Friends (Everest SDBR-1005, issued in 1958) where he plays standards and jazz numbers that have titles consisting of girls’ names.

Andy Sannella died of a seizure on a street in New York.

Wingy Manone

From Wikipedia

Wingy Manone in William P. Gottlieb‘s office, New York, N.Y., between 1946 and 1948

Wingy Manone (February 13, 1900 – July 9, 1982) was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, singer, and bandleader. His major recordings included “Tar Paper Stomp”, “Nickel in the Slot”, “Downright Disgusted Blues”, “There’ll Come a Time (Wait and See)”, and “Tailgate Ramble”.

Biography

Manone (pronounced “ma-KNOWN”) was born Joseph Matthews Mannone in New Orleans, Louisiana. He lost an arm in a streetcaraccident, which resulted in his nickname of “Wingy”. He used a prosthesis, so naturally and unnoticeably that his disability was not apparent to the public.

After playing trumpet and cornet professionally with various bands in his home town, he began to travel across America in the 1920s, working in Chicago, New York City, Texas, Mobile, Alabama, California, St. Louis, Missouri and other locations; he continued to travel widely throughout the United States and Canada for decades.

Wingy Manone’s style was similar to that of fellow New Orleans trumpeter Louis Prima: hot jazz with trumpet leads, punctuated by good-natured spoken patter in a pleasantly gravelly voice. Manone was an esteemed musician who was frequently recruited for recording sessions. He played on some early Benny Goodman records, for example, and fronted various pickup groups under pseudonyms like “The Cellar Boys” and “Barbecue Joe and His Hot Dogs.” His hit records included “Tar Paper Stomp” (an original riff composition of 1929, later used as the basis for Glenn Miller‘s “In the Mood“), and a hot 1934 version of a sweet ballad of the time “The Isle of Capri“, which was said to have annoyed the songwriters despite the royalties it earned them.

Manone’s group, like other bands, often recorded alternate versions of songs during the same sessions; Manone’s vocals would be used for the American, Canadian, and British releases, and strictly instrumental versions would be intended for the international, non-English-speaking markets. Thus there is more than one version of many Wingy Manone hits. Among his better records are “There’ll Come a Time (Wait and See)” (1934, also known as “San Antonio Stomp”), “Send Me” (1936), and the novelty hit “The Broken Record” (1936). He and his band did regular recording and radio work through the 1930s, and appeared with Bing Crosby in the movie Rhythm on the River in 1940.

In 1943 he recorded several tunes as “Wingy Manone and His Cats”; that same year he performed in Soundies movie musicals. One of his Soundies reprised his recent hit “Rhythm on the River.”

Wingy Manone’s autobiography, Trumpet on the Wing, was published in 1948.

From the 1950s he was based mostly in California and Las Vegas, Nevada, although he also toured through the United States, Canada, and parts of Europe to appear at jazz festivals. In 1957, he attempted to break into the teenage rock-and-roll market with his version of Party Doll, the Buddy Knox hit. His version on Decca 30211 made No. 56 onBillboard‘s Pop chart and it received a UK release on Brunswick 05655.

Wingy Manone’s compositions include “There’ll Come a Time (Wait and See)” with Miff Mole (1928), “Tar Paper Stomp” (1930), “Tailgate Ramble” with Johnny Mercer, “Stop the War (The Cats Are Killin’ Themselves)” (1941), “Trying to Stop My Crying”, “Downright Disgusted Blues” with Bud Freeman, “Swing Out” with Ben Pollack, “Send Me”, “Nickel in the Slot” with Irving Mills, “Jumpy Nerves,” “Mannone Blues,” “Easy Like,” “Strange Blues”, “Swingin’ at the Hickory House,” “No Calling Card,” “Where’s the Waiter?,” “Walkin’ the Streets (Till My Baby Comes Home),” and “Fare Thee Well (Annabelle)”. In 2008, “There’ll Come a Time (Wait and See)” was used in the soundtrack to the Academy Award-nominated movie The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

Manone is survived by his son Joseph Matthew Manone II and grandson Jimmy Manone, who are both musicians, as well as grandsons Joseph Matthew Manone III and Jon Scott (Manone) Harris.

Kid Ory

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kid Ory
Birth name	Edouard Ory
Also known as	Edward Ory
Born	December 25, 1886 La Place, Louisiana, United States
Died	January 23, 1973 (aged 86) Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
Genres	jazz traditional creole
Occupations	bandleader, composer, promoter
Instruments	trombone and multi-instrumentalist, vocal
Years active	1910-1971
Labels	Columbia, Okeh, Exner, Crescent, Good Time Jazz, Verve
Associated acts	Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton, King Oliver, Ma Rainy, Benny Goodman, Charles Mingus

Edward “Kid” Ory (December 25, 1886 – January 23, 1973) was a jazz trombonist and bandleader. He was born in Woodland Plantation near La Place, Louisiana.

Ory started playing music with home-made instruments in his childhood, and by his teens was leading a well-regarded band in Southeast Louisiana. He kept La Place, Louisiana, as his base of operations due to family obligations until his twenty-first birthday, when he moved his band to New Orleans, Louisiana. He was one of the most influential trombonists of early jazz.

Biography

Ory was a banjo player during his youth and it is said that his ability to play the banjo helped him develop “tailgate,” a particular style of playing the trombone. In “tailgate” style the trombone plays a rhythmic line underneath the trumpets and cornets.

House on Jackson Avenue, New Orleans, was Ory’s residence in the 1910s

The house on Jackson Avenue in the picture to the right is where Buddy Bolden discovered Ory, playing his first New trombone, instead of the old civil war trombone. Unfortunately his sister said he was too young to play with Bolden.

He had one of the best-known bands in New Orleans in the 1910s, hiring many of the great jazz musicians of the city, including, cornetists Joe “King” Oliver, Mutt Carey, and Louis Armstrong; and clarinetists Johnny Dodds and Jimmie Noone.

In 1919 he moved to Los Angeles  one of a number of New Orleans musicians to do so near that time—and he recorded there in 1921 with a band that included Mutt Carey, clarinetist and pianist Dink Johnson, and string bassist Ed Garland. Garland and Carey were longtime associates who would still be playing with Ory during his 1940s comeback. While in Los Angeles Ory and his band recorded two songs, “Ory’s Creole Trombone” and “Society Blues.” They were the first jazz recordings made on the west coast by an African-American jazz band from New Orleans. His band recorded with the recording company Nordskog and Ory paid them for the pressings and then sold them under his own label of “Kid Ory’s Sunshine Orchestra” at a store in Los Angeles called Spikes Brothers Music Store. In 1925, Ory moved to Chicago, where he was very active, working and recording with Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton,Joe “King” Oliver, Johnny Dodds, Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey, and many others. He mentored Benny Goodman, and later Charles Mingus.

During the Great Depression Ory retired from music and would not play again until 1943. From 1944 to about 1961 he led one of the top New Orleans style bands of the period. In addition to Mutt Carey and Ed Garland, trumpeters Alvin Alcorn and Teddy Buckner; clarinetists Darnell Howard, Jimmie Noone, Albert Nicholas, Barney Bigard, and George Probert; pianists Buster Wilson, Cedric Haywood, and Don Ewell; and drummer Minor Hall were among his sidemen during this period. All but Probert, Buckner, and Ewell were originally from New Orleans.

The Ory band was an important force in reviving interest in New Orleans jazz, making popular 1941-1942 radio broadcasts—among them a number of slots on the Orson Welles Almanac broadcast and a jazz history series sponsored by Standard Oil—as well as by making recordings. During the late 1940s and early 1950s, Ory and his group appeared at the Beverly Cavern in Los Angeles.

Ory retired from music in 1966 and spent his last years in

Roger Wolfe Kahn

From Wikipedia

1927 Time cover featuring Kahn

Roger Wolfe Kahn, Hannah Williams andOtto Hermann Kahn 1931 in front of Hotel Adlon in Berlin

Roger Wolfe Kahn (October 19, 1907 – July 12, 1962) was an American jazz and popular musician, composer, and bandleader (“Roger Wolfe Kahn and His Orchestra”).

Life and career

Roger Wolff Kahn (Wolff was his middle name’s original spelling) was born in Morristown, New Jersey into a wealthy German Jewish banking family. His parents were Adelaide “Addie” (Wolff) and Otto Hermann Kahn, a famous banker and patron of the arts. His maternal grandfather was banker Abraham Wolff. Otto and Roger Kahn were the first father and son to appear separately on the cover of Timemagazine: Otto in November 1925 and Roger in September 1927, aged 19.

Kahn is said to have learned to play 18 musical instruments before starting to lead his own orchestra in 1923, aged only 16. In 1925, Kahn appeared in a short film made in Lee De Forest‘s Phonofilm sound-on-film process. Kahn hired famous jazz musicians of the day to play in his band, especially during recording sessions, for example Joe Venuti, Eddie Lang, Artie Shaw, Jack Teagarden, Red Nichols, and Gene Krupa.

Recordings were made for:

• Victor 1925-1929,
• Brunswick 1929-1930,
• Columbia in 1932.

Kahn always had fun leading and conducting his orchestra. Reportedly, when the band was playing especially well he used to throw himself onto the floor and wave his legs in the air. However, in the mid-1930s, he lost interest in his orchestra and disbanded it. Instead, he preoccupied himself with aviation and eventually, in 1941, became a test pilot for the Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation, a well-known aircraft manufacturer.

In 1931, Kahn made headlines on the New York society pages when he married musical comedy actress Hannah Williams January 16, 1931. The wedding was at Oheka Castle, his family’s estate on Long Island, and was kept secret from the public for two weeks, until theBroadway show Williams was appearing in, Sweet and Low, had had its final performances. The couple made headlines again when they divorced two years later and when, after only a few weeks, Williams married boxing champion Jack Dempsey. Two days after the divorce, on April 7, 1933, Roger Wolfe Kahn married Edith May Nelson, a Maine politician’s daughter. That marriage lasted until Kahn’s death of aheart attack in New York City on July 12, 1962. By his second wife, he had two children, Peter W. Kahn and Virginia Kahn.

Kahn’s popular titles include:

• “Hot Hot Hottentot”
• “One Night In The Jungle”
• “Anything You Say”
• “Crazy Rhythm” (later used in Woody Allen‘s 1994 film, Bullets Over Broadway)
• “Imagination”
• “She’s a Great Great Girl” (the closing theme song of WAMU‘s Hot Jazz Saturday Night hosted by Rob Bamberger)

Kahn’s work on Broadway includes:

• Here’s Howe (1928) – musical – co-composer
• Americana (1928) – revue – composer

The Gennett Recordings by ‘Ladd’s Black Aces’

 

Recordings by ‘Ladd’s Black Aces’

Here is a discography of 46 phonograph recordings by “Ladd’s Black Aces” :

Aggravatin’ Papa – GENNETT (1920 – 1930) – 5023A – 1922-12-12; Composer: Turk – Robinson; matrix: G08153=A; ~3 min

All Wrong – GENNETT (1920 – 1930) – 5272B – 1923-10-03; Composer: Martin – Kahn – Jones; matrix: G08543;~3 min

Any Way The Wind Blows – GENNETT (1920 – 1930) – 5521 – 1924-08-07; matrix: G09019; ~3 min

Bad News Blues – GENNETT (1920 – 1930) – 5187A – 1923-06-22; Composer: Akst – Davis; matrix: G08415; ~3 min

Beale Street Mama – GENNETT (1920 – 1930) – 5075 – 1923-03-02; matrix: G08255; ~3 min

Black Eyed Blues – GENNETT (1920 – 1930) – 4869A – 1922-04-14; Composer: Jaxore;kendall; matrix: G07851;~3 min

Broken Hearted Blues – GENNETT (1920 – 1930) – 5187B – 1923-06-22; Composer: Ringle – Flickmann; matrix: G08416; ~3 min

Brother Low Down – GENNETT (1920 – 1930) – 4806 – 1922-03-01; Composer: Bernard;briers; matrix: G07685=C; ~3 min

Cho – King – SUPERIOR (1920s, by Gennett) – 2771 – 1931-08-01; Composer: Sonny Clay; matrix: G18183; ~3 min

Great White Way Blues – GENNETT (1920 – 1930) – 5018 – 1922-12-08; matrix: G08145; ~3 min

Gypsy Blues – GENNETT (1920 – 1930) – 4794 – 1921-10-01; Composer: Sissle;blake; matrix: G07666; ~3 min

Hopeless Blues – GENNETT (1920 – 1930) – 4886 – 1922-05-25; matrix: G07882=A; ~3 min

I Ain’t Never Had Nobody Crazy Over Me – GENNETT (1920 – 1930) – 5164B – 1923-05-19; Composer:Durante – Stein – Roth; matrix: G08376B; ~3 min

I Got It You’ll Get It – GENNETT (1920 – 1930) – 4809B – 1921-11-01; Composer: Lew Pollack – Brown; matrix: G07696; ~3 min

I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate – GENNETT (1920 – 1930) – 4938 – 1922-08-21; Composer: Piron;matrix: G08006; ~3 min

I’m Just Too Mean To Cry – GENNETT (1920 – 1930) – 4794 – 1921-10-01; Composer: Squires; matrix: G07667;~3 min

I’ve Got A Song For Sale – GENNETT (1920 – 1930) – 5272A – 1923-10-03; Composer: Nelson; matrix: G08544;~3 min

Lonesome Lovesick Blues ( Got No Daddy Blues ) – GENNETT (1920 – 1930) – 4806 – 1922-03-01; matrix: G07686; ~3 min

Lonesome Mama Blues – GENNETT (1920 – 1930) – 4886 – 1922-05-25; matrix: G07883=A; ~3 min

Long Lost Mama – GENNETT (1920 – 1930) – 5150 – 1923-04-25; matrix: G08353; ~3 min

Lots Of Mama – GENNETT (1920 – 1930) – 5366 – 1924-01-29; matrix: G08728; ~3 min

Louisville Lou – GENNETT (1920 – 1930) – 5127 – 1923-04-09; matrix: G08325=B; ~3 min

Morning Won’t You Ever Come? – GENNETT (1920 – 1930) – 5521 – 1924-08-07; matrix: G09020; ~3 min

Muscle Shoal Blues – GENNETT (1920 – 1930) – 4869B – 1922-04-14; Composer: Thomas; matrix: G07852=A;~3 min

My Honey’s Loving Arms – GENNETT (1920 – 1930) – 4856A – 1922-03-19; Composer: Meyer;ruby; matrix: G07810=B; ~3 min

Nine O’clock Sal – GENNETT (1920 – 1930) – 5366 – 1924-01-29; matrix: G08729; ~3 min

Nobody’s Sweetheart Now – GENNETT (1920 – 1930) – 5422 – 1924-03-19; matrix: G08801=A; control: 8801=A;~3 min

Papa Blues – GENNETT (1920 – 1930) – 5127 – 1923-04-09; matrix: G08324; ~3 min

Railroad Man – GENNETT (1920 – 1930) – 5018 – 1922-12-08; matrix: G08146=A; ~3 min

River , Stay ‘way From My Door – SUPERIOR (1920s, by Gennett) – 2748 – 1931-08-01; Composer: Dixon – Woods; matrix: G18185; ~3 min

Running Wild – GENNETT (1920 – 1930) – 5035 – 1923-01-16; matrix: G08173=A; ~3 min

Satanic Blues – GENNETT (1920 – 1930) – 4856B – 1922-03-19; Composer: Shields;christian; matrix: G07811=B;~3 min

Shake It And Break It – GENNETT (1920 – 1930) – 4762 – 1921-09-01; Composer: Chiha;clark; matrix: G07578;~3 min

Sittin’ On The Inside , Lookin’ At The Outside ( Waitin’ For The Evening Mail ) – GENNETT (1920 – 1930) – 5164A – 1923-05-19; Composer: Baskette; matrix: G08377; ~3 min

St Louis Blues – SUPERIOR (1920s, by Gennett) – 2771 – 1931-08-01; Composer: W. C. Handy; matrix: G18182;~3 min

Stop Your Kidding – GENNETT (1920 – 1930) – 4995 – 1922-11-06; matrix: G08092=B; ~3 min

Sugar Blues – GENNETT (1920 – 1930) – 5075 – 1923-03-02; matrix: G08256; ~3 min

Sweet Loving Mama – GENNETT (1920 – 1930) – 5023B – 1922-12-12; Composer: Wagner – Lockhard; matrix: G08154; ~3 min

Tain’t Nobody’s Biz’ness – GENNETT (1920 – 1930) – 5142 – 1923-04-17; matrix: G08337; ~3 min

Two Time Dan – GENNETT (1920 – 1930) – 5150 – 1923-04-25; matrix: G08354; ~3 min

Unfortunate Blues – GENNETT (1920 – 1930) – 5422 – 1924-03-19; matrix: G08802=A; control: 8802=A; ~3 min

Virginia Blues – GENNETT (1920 – 1930) – 4843 – 1922-02-25; Composer: Meinken; matrix: G07782=A; ~3 min

When It’s Sleepy Time Down South – SUPERIOR (1920s, by Gennett) – 2748 – 1931-08-01; Composer: Reno;matrix: G18184; ~3 min

Yankee Doodle Blues – GENNETT (1920 – 1930) – 4995 – 1922-11-06; matrix: G08091=A; ~3 min

You Can Have Him I Don’t Want Him – GENNETT (1920 – 1930) – 4938 – 1922-08-21; Composer:Tracey;dougherty; matrix: G08005; ~3 min

You’ve Got To See Mama Every Night – GENNETT (1920 – 1930) – 5035 – 1923-01-16; matrix: G08172; ~3 min

Note: There may be other spellings of the artist’s name, and you may find other recordings by “Ladd’s Black Aces” listed under other musical groupings.

See also Ladds Black Ac and Ladd’s Black Aces W Mandy Lee.

This is information from THE ONLINE DISCOGRAPHICAL PROJECT, the mashup is by JGReidy at Honkingduck

Ted Weems

From Wikipedia

Ted Weems
Ted Weems publicity photo
Background information
Birth name	Wilfred Theodore Wemyes
Also known as	Ted Weems
Born	September 26, 1901 Pitcairn, Pennsylvania
Origin	Philadelphia
Died	May 6, 1963 (aged 61) Tulsa, Oklahoma
Genres	Jazz, big band
Occupations	Bandleader
Instruments	violin, trombone
Years active	1923–1953
Labels	Victor Records, Bluebird Records, Mercury Records
Associated acts	Perry Como, Elmo Tanner, Red Ingle, Marilyn Maxwell, Joe Haymes

Wilfred Theodore (Ted) Weems (originally Wemyes) (26 September 1901 – 6 May 1963) was an American bandleader and musician. Weems’ work in music was recognized with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Born in Pitcairn, Pennsylvania, Weems learned to play the violin and trombone. Young Ted’s start in music came when he entered a contest, hoping to win a pony. He won a violin instead and his parents arranged for music lessons.  He was a graduate of Lincoln School in Pittsburgh. While still in school at Lincoln, Weems organized a band there, initially providing some instruments himself. His teacher offered young Ted and his band a penny each if they would play when the alarm sounded for fire drills. Weems kept the monies of the band and in turn charged each band member a penny for membership. He used the money to purchase better instruments than those the band started out with. When the family moved to Philadelphia, young Weems entered West Philadelphia High School. He joined the school’s band and became its director.

Biography

He attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he and his brother Art organized a small dance band that became the “All American Band”. The brothers sought the most talented college musicians for the group. The All American Band soon started receiving offers to perform in well-known hotels throughout the United States. Weems, who had originally intended to become a civil engineer, found himself being attracted to a musical career. His band had a contract to play four weeks at a Philadelphia restaurant; the owner was able to keep Weems and his band there for four months by making Ted a partner in his business.  They were one of the bands that played at the inaugural ball of President Warren Harding.  Going professional in 1923, Weems toured for the MCA Corporation, recording for Victor Records.  “Somebody Stole My Gal” became the band’s first #1 hit in early 1924.

Weems was a Victor band from 1923 through 1933,  although the final 3 sessions were released on Victor’s newly created Bluebirdlabel. He then signed with Columbia for 2 sessions in 1934 and subsequently signed with Decca from 1936. Weems also co-wrote several popular songs: “The Martins and the McCoys”, “Jig Time”, “The One-Man Band”, “Three Shif’less Skonks”, and “Oh, Monah!”, which he co-wrote with band member “Country” Washburn.^]

Ted Weems and his Orchestra on theFibber McGee and Molly NBC Radio show, 1937.

Weems moved to Chicago with his band around 1928.  The Ted Weems Orchestra had more chart success in 1929 with the novelty song “Piccolo Pete”, and the #1 hit “The Man from the South”. The band gained popularity in the 1930s, making regular radio broadcasts. These included Jack Benny‘s Canada Dry program on CBS and NBC during the early 1930s, and the Fibber McGee & Molly program in the late 1930s.

In 1936, the Ted Weems Orchestra gave singer Perry Como his first national exposure; Como recorded with the band (on Decca Records), beginning his long and successful career. Among Weems’ other discoveries were whistler-singer Elmo Tanner, sax player and singer Red Ingle, Marilyn Maxwell, who left the band for an acting career; and arranger Joe Haymes, who created the band’s unique jazz-novelty style. Weems also signed 14 year old ventriloquist Paul Winchell to a contract, after seeing him with one of the Major Bowes touring companies.  The first season of the Beat the Band radio show (1940–1941) included Weems and his orchestra as part of the cast.

In November 1942, Ted Weems and his entire band enlisted in the United States Merchant Marine, directing the Merchant Marine Band.  Reorganizing his big band in 1945,  he made records for Mercury, including the hits “Peg O’ My Heart” and “Mickey”. However, the biggest hit of Weems’ career was a reissue on his former Victor label: the Weems Orchestra’s 1933 recording of “Heartaches” topped the national charts for 13 weeks.

Ted Weems (right) with William P. Gottlieb, WINX Studio, Washington, D.C., ca. 1940.

For his August 4, 1933 session, Weems recorded 6 tunes, including “Heartaches”. Since Victor wanted the recording made quickly, Weems and his band had time for only one rehearsal session prior to this. Weems did not like the song at first, and decided to have Elmo Tanner whistle rather than use a vocalist. While rehearsing, someone came up with an idea of trying the song at a faster tempo than it was written for. The recording attracted very little attention after its release. In 1947, a Charlotte, North Carolina overnight disc jockey named Kurt Webster found it in a box of old records he had recently received. He played it on the air and the radio station’s phones never stopped ringing; the callers wanted to hear the song again. The calls continued, now joined by record stores wanting to know how to order copies of the record. Other radio markets began playing the song, while Victor searched for its old masters to press copies. Since the Weems orchestra had also recorded “Heartaches” when the band moved to Decca, the company decided to re-release its version of the song also. “Heartaches” topped the Hit Parade on April 19, 1947; 14 years after it was first recorded.

Decca Records seized the moment, and it also reissued “I Wonder Who’s Kissing Her Now” with vocals by Perry Como, which became another major chart hit. The new-found popularity of the 1933 recording came at a time when Weems was struggling to re-form his band; many former members had other music-related jobs, others were no longer interested in performing. Two of his band members were killed in World War II. Weems was then able to recruit new band members and was again being asked to play at the same venues as before the war.  In a 1960 interview, band member Elmo Tanner related that he and Weems received nothing for the reissue as both men had let their contracts expire while they were in the Merchant Marine.

Despite this sudden surfeit of popularity, the hits dried up after 1947. Weems toured until 1953. At that time he accepted a disc jockey position in Memphis, Tennessee,  later moving on to a management position with the Holiday Inn hotel chain. Perry Como played host to his old boss, Elmo Tanner, and three other Weems band members on his Perry Como’s Kraft Music Hall show of October 18, 1961.

Ted Weems died of emphysema in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1963.  He had been operating a talent agency in Dallas with his son which also served as his band’s headquarters. Weems was in Tulsa with his band for an engagement the day he was taken ill.  His son Ted Jr. led a revival band at times during the 1960s and 1970s.

Tal Henry

From Wikipedia

Tal Henry
Tal Henry
Background information
Born	July 10, 1898
Origin	Maysville, Georgia, USA
Died	August 17, 1967 (aged 69)
Genres	Big band Swing Jazz
Occupations	Bandleader
Instruments	Violin
Years active	1919–1946
Labels	Victor, Bluebird, Sunrise,
Associated acts	Bob Hope George Byrne Daisy and Violet Hilton Mary Pickford Kate Smith Kay Kyser Fred Waring Paul Whiteman Jan Garber Duke Ellington Vincent Lopez Randolph Scott Tommy Dorsey Jimmy Dorsey Hal Kemp Jack Marshall Nat “King” Cole Randy Brooks Ina Ray Hutton Lionel Hampton Larry Clinton
Notable instruments
violin

Tal Henry (July 10, 1898 – August 17, 1967) was an American orchestra director in the swing and big band eras.

Henry was born Talmadge Allen Henry in Maysville, Georgia.^[1][2] At the age of 7, he started playing the violin. He left Maysville in 1914 to attend Shenandoah Conservatory of Music located in Dayton, Virginia. The school moved to Winchester, Virginia and has become a University. After his education there, Henry went to Elon College, near Burlington, North Carolina, where he taught violin.

In early 1919, he began playing with the Frank Hood band and made his home in Greensboro, North Carolina. In 1924 Tal Henry took over the band and formed the Tal Henry and His North Carolinians Orchestra where he played in the O’Henry Hotel in Greensboro. The orchestra moved north to Washington, Pennsylvania playing the dances and events at the Washington Hotel. The orchestra had a contract to perform at the formal opening of the Hotel Charlotte when the hotel opened in 1924. The orchestra moved on to the Mound Club in St. Louis, Missouri where he signed with William Foor-Robinson Orchestra Corporation of America. The Tal Henry orchestra went on to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Ed Fishman introduced Bob Hope and George Burns to Tal Henry and His North Carolinians and booked them into the Stanley in Pittsburgh. They traveled vaudeville for sixteen weeks, going from town to town playing wherever the act could find work.

Tal Henry signed with the Orchestra Corporation of America, and so the orchestra was under contract with the Hotel New Yorker, Peabody Hotel in Memphis, Tenn., and the Baker Hotels all in the cities of the state of Texas. There was always a place for the orchestra in New York City.The Dorsey Brothers, Tommy and Jimmy, practiced with the orchestra when they were in the city. By the middle of the 1920s, the orchestra was nationally known as a famous band with theVictor Records, Bluebird and Sunrise records. In 1928, the orchestra produced two Warner Bros.and Victor Record Company’s Vitaphone films. These Vitaphone shorts were used in theatres, radio, photoplay theatres, Loew’s Palace and other standard movie theatres. Vitaphone was the first sound film technology to gain widespread acceptance in the early Swing Era offering audiences the closest approximation possible to a live performance. The orchestra played many of the movie theatres in the orchestra pit, on stage, in hotel ballrooms, and any other venues where the orchestra performed.

The orchestra became so famous nationally, and were so busy with contracts afforded by the Orchestra Corporation of America that Charles Miller of Music Corporation of America, wrote to Tal at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis, telling him how extremely surprised he was to receive a letter advising the MCOA that Tal was not interested changing his booking arrangement at that time. The letter from Miller stated that Tal should change his mind; they would like very much to talk to him and make the change.

Tal Henry and His Orchestra was billed at the Hershey Park Hotel, on the advertisement,dated Wednesday May 25, 1932, with admission 50 cents. They were also billed Saturday May 21, 1932 “Harlem’s Aristocrat of Jazz” with Duke Ellington, followed on May 28, 1932 Vincent Lopez would be at the same ballroom in the Hershey Park Hotel. Memorial Day on May 30, 1932, hadOpie Cates and His Orchestra. Tal Henry recorded Victor Records, Bluebird and Sunrise recordings in New York City on May 6, 1926, Camden, New Jersey on April 25, 1928. New York City on May 22, 1928, New York City December 5, 1928 and New York City on February 7, 1934.

Tal’s photo was on the front of Max Hart Inc Magazine. He was presented as the Exclusive VICTOR Artists, Tal Henry and his North Carolinians Orchestra, claiming Tal Henry as “The Prince of Personality” with a great Orchestra from the Cotton Belt of North Carolina. He was also on the cover of Orchestra World Magazine and Billboard Magazine, February 3, 1934. He had become the “South’s Finest …One of American’s Best.” Miami News wrote that Tal Henry is “here at last” with his “knock-out” orchestra of Victor Recording Artists. “One of America’s greatest entertaining and novelty orchestras…A sensational hit” …. A orchestra that radiates enthusiasm, life and action….people recalled the nostalgic, favorite enchanting swing and big band music Tal Henry played for the patrons. Tal directed the orchestra with 11 talented musicians.

The Tal Henry Orchestra accompanied many of the Major Bowes applicants trying out for the program on the network broadcasting on Sunday nights. The applicants were tabulated for votes and were thinned down to 15 or 20 in Major Bowes fashion. The chosen ones had to rehearse privately for the broadcast. The eleven piece band took on other musicians, making a total of fourteen sensational orchestra. They were at the Roseland-on-the-Merrimack where Tal Henry and his clever artists were one of the outstanding dance orchestras in America in 1931. They were known far and wide throughout daily radio broadcast over the networks of the National Broadcasting Company, featured particularly through Station WEAF in New York. In addition they won worldwide fame through their hundreds of Victor Red Seal records. He returned to the Hotel New Yorker after the Roseland booking. United Artists had the movie “Coquette” with Mary Pickford at Loew’s Palace the week of April 15, 1929. Tal Henry was billed with Mary Pickford on stage with “Coquette.” Thomas Meighan played with Mary Pickford in early movies with no sound. Tal Henry and his North Carolinians provided the musical accompaniment.

Paul Whiteman came to Tal Henry’s home on many occasions. Around the sametime, Jan Garber, a close friend of Tal’s came to Greensboro, NC., where Tal drove him to Asheville, NC. There was a band from Canada that had a tax levy against the band. Jan took over the band, which was Jan Garber’s second band.

Tal Henry and His North Carolinians Orchestra

Tal Henry and His North Carolinians Personnel: Tal Henry – Violin & Leader Walter brown – Carinet, Alto Saxophone & Vocalist Doc Dibert – Cornet Francis Ellsworth – Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone Walter Fellman – Clarinet, Soprano Saxophone, Alto Saxophone Charlie Hudson – Drums Paul Kenestrick – Piano Chet Lincoln – Trombone Harold Madsen – Vocalist Gordon Martin – Cornet Ivan Morris – Banjo, Trumpet, Vocalist Chester Shaw – Brass Bass, Vocalist Taz Wolter – Vocalist – Vern Yocum also played with the Tal Henry Orchestra.

1923 in Washington, DC “Skirts” by Tal Henry and Guy Funk (Music and Words) 1924

Recordings of Tal Henry and His North Carolinians Orchestra April 25, 1928 Recordings List by Victor Record Co. Camden, NJ. “My Song of Songs to You” Shaw, (vocal) “Why Do You Make Me Lonesome?” (vocal) “Some Little Someone” – Brown, Morris, Shaw, (Vocal) “You’ve Broken My Castle of Dreams”

May 22, 1928 “Louise, I Love You”… “I’d Trade My Air Castles For A Love Nest And You”… “Lonesome”

December 5, 1928 “Just You and I” – Madsen, (Vocal)… “Found My Gal” – Brown, Fellman, Morris, (Vocal)… “I Know Why I Think of You” – Madsen, (Vocal) “When Shadows Fall” … “Shame On You” – Brown, Fellman, Morris, (Vocal)… “My Little Old Home Down In New Orleans”

February 7, 1934 By Bluebird and Sunrise “Dancing In the Moonlight” – Wolter, (Vocal) By Bluebird … “Dancing In the Moonlight” – Wolter, (Vocal) By Sunrise … “Carioca” (Rumba) By Bluebird … “Carioca” (Rumba) By Sunrise … “There Goes My Heart” – Wolter, (Vocal) By Bluebird … “There Goes My Heart” – Wolter, (Vocal) By Sunrise … “Don’t Say Goodnight” – Shaw, (Vocal) By Bluebird … “Don’t Say Goodnight” – Shaw, (Vocal) By Sunrise … “Goin’ To Heaven On A Mule” (Vocal?) By Bluebird … “Goin’ To Heaven On A Mule” (Vocal?) By Sunrise … “I Can’t Go On Like This” – Wolter (Vocal) By Bluebird … “I Can’t Go On Like This” – Wolter (Vocal) By Sunrise.

Selected discography

“I Know Why I Think Of You” Words: Hank Hauser Music: Tal Henry 12/7/29 EUnp 14155

“Just You and I” Words: Walter Fellman Music: Tal Henry 6/3/29 EUnp 7413

“Shame on You” Words: Ivan Morris Music: Tal Henry 12/7/29 EUnp 14158

“Louise” Words: Hank Hauser Music: Tal Henry

“Why Do You Make Me Lonesome” Words: I. Morris, F. Ellsworth Music: Tal Henry

“Skirts” Words: Tal Henry and Guy Funk Date: 1923 Music: Tal Henry and Guy Funk Copyright: 1924

Warner Bros. Victor Recording Vitaphone Film 1928

Associated acts

Bob Hope, Kay Kyser, Hal Kemp, Vincent Lopez, Fred Waring, Paul Whiteman, Dorsey Brothers, Tommy Dorsey, Jimmy Dorsey, Duke Ellington, Lionel Hampton, Dave Brubeck, Randy Brooks, Ina Ray Hutton, Nat “King” Cole, Larry Clinton, and Jan Garber

Career

1920s–1940s, 1995

English: Tal Henry and His North Carolinian Warner Bros.Victor Record Co. Brooklyn, New York 1928 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Tal Henry Orchestra entertained from New York to Miami, to Maine. East, North, West, South in the USA. The orchestra performed in the New Yorker Hotel, Peabody Hotel, Baker Hotels of Texas, Casinos, Roseland Ballroom, Hershey Park Hotel, Steel Pier in Atlantic City and other Ballrooms, Theatre, Parks, Madison Square Garden, Loew’s Palace, Million Dollar Photoplay Theatre. His photo was featured on several piano sheet music. The Tal Henry Orchestra played for PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt‘s Birthday Ball. Tal Henry Orchestra was heard on NBC Network coast to coast. The first radio hook-up SS Starr off the Aleutian Islands to Tal Henry at Baker Hotel, Jan. 13, 1930. He Broadcast on WLW, Cincinnati, WJZ-NBC New York City, and WEAF Danbury, Conn.

The Elitch Gardens in Denver, CO. opened in 1890. Tal Henry performed at the ballroom “Trocadero” in The Elitch Gardens inDenver, Colorado, shown from an advertisement in the 1920s or 1930s with a photo. Tal Henry moved from East to West, to North and South. When performing at the Hotel New Yorker, he would have a reunion with Hal Kemp and Kay Kyser, enjoying ole’ times sake. Hal Kemp, Kay Kyser and Tal Henry were playing in nearby cities. Hal was at the Manger Hotel while Kay Kyser was at the Bamboo Gardens in Cleveland. All three were from North Carolina with great success with their orchestras. Tal had a contract with Hotel New Yorker for weeks at a time. Dinner was on the Summer Terrace and the Empire Tea Room with $1.00 to $1.75 prices. The orchestra played for the dances and events in the ballroom of the hotel, the Manhattan Room and the Summer Terrace for all occasions.

The first Dance Marathon was directed and conducted by Tal Henry and His North Carolinians Orchestra at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Tal left New York many times to play other cities. He and Jack Marshall went to the Grand Opening of the New China Cafe at 1614 Euclid Avenue on a Saturday on August 30 (year not noted) according to the news ad that showed they would be broadcasting in Cleveland, Ohio over WTAM. In the New China Cafe, the customers had a chance to hear their favorite song by entering the name of the tune on the entry card and asking for a request to be played.

During the Great Depression, many of the famous musicians disbanded the bands and began to look for work or to make a come back if they could raise the funds for recruiting more musicians. Tal Henry did not disband the orchestra until 1938. At that time, he became the agent and manager for some of the fallen bands and musicians. Some famous names were Lionel Hampton, Randy Brooks, Ian Ray Hutton, Nat “King” Cole, and Larry Clinton. When the World War II began, Fred Waring and Kay Kyser wrote to Special Services in the Army, suggesting Tal Henry become the European Director of Music Theatre. In 1944 through 1946 Tal was traveling England, France, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and the French Riviera. He produced some of the USO and Radio City Music Hall productions where he checked on other production too. Tal Henry was with Glenn Miller on the day he left an airport outside of London to fly to Paris. That plane was lost in the fog of the English Channel and Glenn Miller never made it to his destination in Paris, where the members of his band were waiting for his arrival. After the war was over Tal Henry returned home and began to play in the King Cotton Hotel with an organist on occasions. He also performed with the North Carolina Symphony.

In 1995, long after the death of Tal Henry, UCLA Festival of Preservation began to appoint actors and donors to restore old movies and Vitaphone Films to be screened in the UCLA Auditorium where the media, actors, families of the producers and associates could view the films. On April 30, 1995 the Tal Henry, Jr family received an invitation to the screening of Tal Henry’s Warner Bros. Victor Recording Company Vitaphone Short film for the first time showing in Hollywood. Sara and Tal Henry, Jr. attended the screening where Tal, Jr. was introduced as the only living relative present at the event. Soon after the trip to Hollywood, Sara and Tal Henry, Jr. moved to Palm Beach for a year. While searching for the Big Band Hall of Fame, a neighbor was found to be the founder of a new Big Band Museum. The Tal Henrys returned to North Carolina and went back to Palm Beach with the Swing Band and Big Band memorabilia. The Henry family donated archives to the upcoming Big Band Museum. The museum was completed and a special dinner dance was held at the Mar-A-Lago Club owned by Donald Trump. The Tal Henry family were honored guest on February 3, 1998 as the late Tal Henry was inductee (posthumouly) while the Tal Henry, Jr family became charter members of the Palm Beach Big Band Hall of Fame Museum. Later, memorabilia was placed in the University of Pacific by Dave Brubeck and the UCLA Vitaphone Film was placed into the Movie Image Museum in Astoria, NY.

Personal

He married Florrie Tidwell Henry. Their children are Jane Delores Henry Hardin, and Talmadge Allen Henry Jr. Grandchildren are Kyle Talmadge Henry, Tobin Allen Henry, Talmadge Allen Henry III, William Hardin, Paul Hardin, Patty Hardin, and Wade Hardin.

Eddie Lang

From Wikipedia

Eddie Lang
Eddie Lang (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Background information
Birth name	Salvatore Massaro
Also known as	Blind Willie Dunn
Born	October 25, 1902 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,United States
Died	March 26, 1933 (aged 30) New York, United States
Genres	Jazz
Occupations	Musician
Instruments	Guitar, violin, banjo
Associated acts	Joe Venuti, Paul Whiteman, Bing Crosby, Annette Hanshaw,Lonnie Johnson
Notable instruments
Gibson L-4, Gibson L-5

Eddie Lang (October 25, 1902 – March 26, 1933) was an American jazz guitarist, regarded as the Father of Jazz Guitar. He played a Gibson L-4 and L-5 guitar, providing great influence for many guitarists, including Django Reinhardt.

The Gibson L5 owned by Eddie Lang

Biography

Lang was born Salvatore Massaro, the son of an Italian-American  instrument maker in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At first, he tookviolin lessons for 11 years. In school he became friends with Joe Venuti, with whom he would work for much of his career.  He was playing professionally by about 1918, playing violin, banjo, and guitar. He worked with various bands in the USA‘s north-east, worked inLondon (late 1924 to early 1925), then settled in New York City.

Lang was the first important jazz guitarist. He was effectively able to integrate the guitar into 1920s jazz recordings. He played with the bands of Joe Venuti, Adrian Rollini, Roger Wolfe Kahn and Jean Goldkette in addition to doing a large amount of freelance radio andrecording work.

On February 4, 1927, Lang featured in the recording of “Singin’ the Blues” by Frankie Trumbauer and His Orchestra featuring Bix Beiderbecke on cornet. Lang traded guitar licks while Beiderbecke soloed on cornet, in a landmark jazz recording of the 1920s.

In 1929, he joined Paul Whiteman‘s Orchestra, and can be seen and heard in the movie The King of Jazz. In 1930, Lang played guitar on the original recording of the jazz and pop standard “Georgia On My Mind“, recorded with Hoagy Carmichael and His Orchestra. Joe Venuti and Bix Beiderbecke also played on this recording.

When Bing Crosby left Whiteman, Lang went with Crosby as his accompanist, and can be seen with him in the 1932 movie Big Broadcast. Lang also played under the pseudonym Blind Willie Dunn on a number of blues records with Lonnie Johnson.

Lang died following a tonsillectomy  in New York City in 1933 at the age of thirty. He had been urged by Crosby to have the tonsillectomy so that he might have speaking parts in Crosby’s films. Lang’s voice was chronically hoarse, and it was hoped that the operation would remedy this. It is unclear exactly what the cause of death was, but it is thought that uncontrolled bleeding played a role. Author James Sallis claims that he died when he developed an embolism while still under anesthetic and never regained consciousness.

Influence and legacy

Lang’s compositions, based on the Red Hot Jazz database, included “Wild Cat” with Joe Venuti, “Perfect” with Frank Signorelli, “April Kisses” (1927), “Sunshine”, “Melody Man’s Dream”, “Goin’ Places”, “Black and Blue Bottom”, “Bull Frog Moan”, “Rainbow Dreams”, “Feelin’ My Way”, “Eddie’s Twister”, “Really Blue”, “Penn Beach Blues”, “Wild Dog”, “Pretty Trix”, “A Mug of Ale”, “Apple Blossoms”, “Beating the Dog”, “To To Blues”, “Running Ragged”, “Kicking the Cat”, “Cheese and Crackers”, “Doin’ Things”, “Blue Guitars”, “Guitar Blues” with Lonnie Johnson, “Hot Fingers”, “Have to Change Keys to Play These Blues”, “A Handful of Riffs”, “Blue Room”, “Deep Minor Rhythm Stomp”, “Two-Tone Stomp”. “Midnight Call Blues”, “Four String Joe”, “Goin’ Home”, and “Pickin’ My Way” (1932) with Carl Kress.

Jazz guitarist George Van Eps assessed the legacy of Eddie Lang: “It’s very fair to call Eddie Lang the father of jazz guitar”. Barney Kessel noted that “Eddie Lang first elevated the guitar and made it artistic in jazz.” Les Paul acknowledged that “Eddie Lang was the first and had a very modern technique.” Joe Pass, in a 1976 interview, stated that Lang was one of the three main guitars innovators, along with Wes Montgomery and Django.

In 1977, Lang’s recording of “Singin’ the Blues” with Frankie Trumbauer and His Orchestra featuring Bix Beiderbecke on cornet was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

In 1986, Lang was inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame.

In 2006, his 1927 recording of “Singin’ the Blues” with Bix Beiderbecke and Frankie Trumbauer was placed on the U.S. Library of Congress National Recording Registry.

In 2010, he was one of the ASCAP Jazz Wall of Fame inductees.^]

Major recordings

• “Stringin’ the Blues” [Take 11], with Joe Venuti, November 8, 1926
• “Hurricane”, Red Nichols and His Five Pennies, January 12, 1927
• “Wild Cat”, with Joe Venuti, January 24, 1927, New York, Okeh 40762-A
• “Sunshine”, with Joe Venuti, January 24, 1927, New York, Okeh 40762-B
• “Singin’ the Blues”, recorded on February 4, 1927, with Frankie Trumbauer and Bix Beiderbecke in New York and released as Okeh 40772
• “April Kisses” b/w “Eddie’s Twister”, recorded April 1. 1927, Okeh 40807
• “Doin’ Things”, with Joe Venuti, May 4, 1927
• “Goin’ Places”, with Joe Venuti, May 4, 1927
• “For No Reason at All in C” with Frankie Trumbauer and Bix Beiderbecke, recorded on May 13, 1927, in New York and released as Okeh 40871, Columbia 35667, and Parlophone R 3419
• “Beating the dog”,with Joe Venuti and Adrian Rollini,recorded on June 28, 1927,New York,Okeh
• “Wringin’ An’ Twistin’, with Frankie Trumbauer and Bix Beiderbecke, September 17, 1927, OKeh 40916
• “Perfect”, October 21, 1927, New York, Okeh 40936
• “Four String Joe*, Joe Venuti’s Blue Four, November 15, 1927
• “Guitar Blues”, with Lonnie Johnson, May 7, 1929, in New York, released as Okeh 8711
• “Knockin’ A Jug”, with Louis Armstrong and Jack Teagarden, March 5. 1929
• “Kitchen Man”, with Bessie Smith, May 8, 1929
• “A Bench in the Park”, Paule Whiteman and His Orchestra, March 21, 1930
• “Georgia on My Mind“, with Hoagy Carmichael on vocals, Bix Beiderbecke on cornet, recorded on September 15, 1930, in New York and released as Victor 23013
• “Pickin’ My Way”, with Carl Kress, recorded January 15, 1932, Brunswick 1282
• “Feelin’ My Way”, with Carl Kress, January 17, 1932, Brunswick 1282
• “Please”, with Bing Crosby, recorded September 16, 1932, no. 1 for 6 weeks
• “Jig Saw Puzzle Blues”, Joe Venuti and Eddie Lang’s Blue Five, recorded February 28, 1933

Joe Venuti

From Wikipedia

Joe Venuti
Joe Venuti with the Bubba Kolb Trio at the Village Jazz Lounge, Disneyworld (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Joe Venuti (right) with the Bubba Kolb Trio at the Village Jazz Lounge, Walt Disney World, in 1978
Background information
Birth name	Giuseppe Venuti
Born	September 16, 1903
Died	August 14, 1978 (aged 74)
Genres	Jazz
Occupations	Musician
Instruments	Violin
Associated acts	Eddie Lang, Benny Goodman, the Dorsey Brothers, Bing Crosby, Bix Beiderbecke, Jack Teagarden, the Boswell Sisters, many others.
Notable instruments
violin

Giuseppe Venuti (September 16, 1903 – August 14, 1978), better known as Joe Venuti, was an Italian-American jazzmusician and pioneer jazz violinist.

Considered the father of jazz violin, he pioneered the use of string instruments in jazz along with the guitarist Eddie Lang, a childhood friend of his. Through the 1920s and early 1930s, Venuti and Lang made many recordings, as leader and as featured soloists. He and Lang became so well known for their ‘hot’ violin and guitar solos that on many commercial dance recordings they were hired do 12 or 24 bar duos towards the end of otherwise stock dance arrangements. In 1926, Venuti and Lang started recording for the OKeh label as a duet (after a solitary duet issued on Columbia), followed by “Blue Four” combinations, which are considered milestone jazz recordings. Venuti also recorded a number of larger, more commercial dance records for OKeh under the name New Yorkers.

Overview

He worked with Benny Goodman, Adrian Rollini, the Dorsey Brothers, Bing Crosby, Bix Beiderbecke, Jack Teagarden,Frank Signorelli, the Boswell Sisters and most of the other important white jazz and semi-jazz figures of the late 1920s and early 1930s. However, following Lang’s early death in 1933, his career began to wane, though he continued performing through the 1930s, recording a series of excellent commercial dance records (usually containing a Venuti violin solo) for the dime store labels, OKeh and Columbia, as well as the occasional jazz small group sessions. He was also a strong early influence on western swing players like Cecil Brower, not to mention the fact that Lang and Venuti were the primary influences of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli. (Many of the 1920s OKeh sides continued to sell through 1935, when ARC reissued selected sides on the 35 cent Vocalion label.)

After a period of relative obscurity in the 1940s and 1950s, Venuti played violin and other instruments with Jack Statham at the Desert Inn Hotel in Las Vegas. Statham headed several musical groups that played at the Desert Inn from late 1961 until 1965, including a Dixieland combo. Venuti was with him during that time, and was active with the Las Vegas Symphony Orchestra during the 1960s. He was ‘rediscovered’ in the late 1960s. In the 1970s, he established a musical relationship with tenor saxophonist Zoot Sims that resulted in three recordings. In 1976, he recorded an album of duets with pianist Earl Hines entitled Hot Sonatas. He also recorded an entire album with country-jazz musicians including mandolinist Jethro Burns (of Homer & Jethro), pedal steel guitaristCurly Chalker and former Bob Wills sideman and guitarist Eldon Shamblin. Venuti died in Seattle, Washington.

Early life

Early Life Joe Venuti was well known for giving out conflicting information regarding his early life, including his birthplace and birth date as well as his education and upbringing. Since there is no record of any recognized birth certificate, it is difficult to say for certain which information is correct.

Joe Venuti (Giuseppe Venuti) claimed to have been born aboard a ship as his parents emigrated from Italy around 1904, though many believe he was born in Philadelphia. It has also been claimed that he was born on April 4, 1898 in Lecco, Italy, or on September 16, 1903 in Philadelphia. Later in life, he said he was born in Lecco, Italy in 1896 and that he came to the U.S. in 1906 and settled in Philadelphia.

Joe was classically trained in the violin from a young age, and studied solfeggio with his grandfather. He later said that while he studied music from him, he did not learn any one instrument but rather music theory in general. He began studying the violin in Philadelphia, and later claimed to have studied at a conservatory, though there is no documented evidence to support this theory. Despite this, his style of playing was characteristic of someone who had a solid basis in violin technique.

Career

Joe Venuti had an extensive career ranging from 1924 until shortly before his death in 1978. During this time, he redefined the role of violin playing and introduced the violin as a serious jazz instrument.

Venuti spent time in the early 1900s playing in the James Campbell School Orchestra in the violin section. It was there that he first met and befriended Salvatore Massaro, who was also playing in the violin section of the orchestra. During this time they were also experimenting with jazz and blues in addition to classical playing.

In 1924 he moved to Detroit to join Jean Goldkette’s band, and began playing with the Book Cadillac Hotel Orchestra, one of Jean Goldkette’s dance bands. It was here that he made his first recordings with Goldkette’s big band. By the summer of 1925, he had moved to Atlantic City briefly to play with Bert Estlow’s band before settling in New York. Here, he once again encountered Massaro, who had changed his name to Eddie Lang. Lang had also switched instruments from the violin to the guitar. The two friends struck up a professional partnership which was to last until Lang’s untimely death in 1933. They began playing with Roger Wolfe Kahn’s dance orchestras in addition to playing in Broadway pit orchestra’s to support themselves.

From 1926-1928, the Venuti and Lang duo were recording with most of the prominent jazz musicians of the day, including Goldkette (1926–27), Red Nichols (1927–28), Bix Beiderbecke (1927), Adrian Rollini (1927) and Frankie Trumbauer (1927). Between 1927 and 1929 Lang and Venuti were leading bands and performing in Atlantic City. Venuti then moved back to New York in 1929 to play with Paul Whiteman‘s orchestra from 1929 to 1931. He also appeared in the film The King of Jazz (1930) with the band. From the period of 1931-1933, Venuti recorded again with Eddie Lang, Bix Beiderbecke and Frankie Trumbauer. The most famous recording of Venuti’s career was also produced during this time: his October 22, 1931 recording with Joe Venuti-Eddie Lang and their All Star orchestra. This session also included Benny Goodman and Jack Teagarden. Both Venuti and Lang rejoined Roger Wolfe Kahns’ orchestra in 1932 and played and recorded with him until Eddie Lang’s death in 1933.

Following Eddie Lang’s death, Venuti conducted a tour of Europe and the UK. During this period he also alternated from violin to guitar, varying from his almost strictly violin approach formerly. Upon returning to the US in 1935, he formed a big band and worked as its leader. During this time he also composed most of his original arrangements. Venuti was less successful as a big band leader than as a soloist, and the band folded in 1943.

After this period, Venuti transitioned from being in a position of relative prominence to one of ignominy. Venuti moved to California in 1944 to become a studio musician with MGM, in addition to playing with other film and radio studios. He also appeared regularly on Bing Crosby’s radio show during this time. Later, Venuti returned to a small group format and continued to play and record in and around Los Angeles, while touring frequently. In 1953 he conducted another tour of Europe, and in 1963 a tour of Seattle.

Throughout much of the 1950s Venuti made records and played at clubs. This was the beginning of about a 15 year lull in Venuti’s career. In the early 1960s Venuti was mostly inactive due to his development of alcoholism. The late 1960s marked a revival in his career. In 1967 he was invited to perform at Dick Gibson’s Colorado Jazz Party, and was such a success that he would be asked to repeat his performances annually until his death in 1978. In 1968 he was also invited to the Newport Jazz Festival, and in 1969 he performed at the London Jazz Expo.

During the 1970s, at the end of his life, Venuti toured extensively in Europe with a small ensemble. During this time he made his final recordings with names such as Earl Hines,George Barnes, Ross Tompkins, Dave McKenna, Marian McPartland, Scott Hamilton, Leon Redbone, and most notably Zoot Sims. Venuti continued to tour and play until his death in 1978.

Personal life

Little is known about Venuti’s personal life aside from his extensive jazz career. Some of his many biographers claim that he married at least once, some others report that he was married three times, although there does not seem to be any documented evidence about his wife (or wives).

Venuti suffered from alcoholism in his middle age, throughout the 1950s and early 1960s. He was able to recover, and to regain his former acclaim for his playing. In 1970 Venuti was diagnosed with cancer. He died from cancer on August 14, 1978 in Seattle, Washington.

Playing Style

Venuti pioneered the violin as a solo instrument to the jazz world. He was famous for a fast, “hot” playing style characteristic of jazz soloists in the 1920s and the swing era. His solos have been described as incredibly rhythmic with patterns of duplets and running eighth and sixteenth notes. He favored a lively, fast tempo that showed off his superior technique. Venuti was a virtuosic player with a wide range of techniques including left hand pizzicato and runs spanning the length of the fingerboard. He also frequently implemented slides common in blues and country fiddle playing. Occasionally, he used a strange technique in which he unscrewed the end of his bow and wrapped the bow hair around the strings of the violin, lending the subsequent sound a “wild” tone. He was particularly notable in small ensemble jazz, since the force of the horns in big band jazz was sufficient to drown out the violin, prior to the invention of the musical amplifier.

Practical Jokes

Apart from his impressive playing style, Joe Venuti was almost as well known for his amusing practical jokes. He was well known to play inexpensive violins, since many of his former band members have said that he had been known to crack these over the heads of his players on occasion. There are many anecdotes of his humorous pranks fondly told by his associates. One of the best known tales was one in which he filled a tuba player’s horn with flour during a break in a rehearsal. Another involved sending a well-known one-armed trumpet player, Wingy Manone, a single cufflink for Christmas several years in a row. He was also well known for calling up every bass player in the New York phonebook and asking them to meet with him on a street corner. When over 50 bass players arrived with their instruments it created a minor roadblock. He then subsequently had to pay the players for their time as mandated by the AMF.

Eddie Condon

From Wikipedia

Albert Edwin Condon (November 16, 1905 – August 4, 1973), better known as Eddie Condon, was a jazz banjoist, guitarist, andbandleader. A leading figure in the so-called “Chicago school” of early Dixieland, he also played piano and sang on occasion.

Condon was born in Goodland, Indiana, the son of John and Margaret (née McGraw) Condon. He grew up in Momence, Illinois andChicago Heights, Illinois, where he attended St. Agnes and Bloom High School. After some time playing ukulele, he switched to banjo and was a professional musician by 1921. He was based in Chicago for most of the 1920s, and played with such jazz notables as Bix Beiderbecke, Jack Teagarden and Frank Teschemacher.

Biography

In 1928 Condon moved to New York City. He frequently arranged jazz sessions for various record labels, sometimes playing with the artists he brought to the recording studios, including Louis Armstrong and Fats Waller. He organised racially-integrated recording sessions – when these were still rare – with Waller, Armstrong and Henry ‘Red’ Allen. He played with the band of Red Nichols for a time. Later, from 1938 he had a long association with Milt Gabler‘s Commodore Records.

From the late 1930s on he was a regular at the Manhattan jazz club Nick’s. The sophisticated variation on Dixieland music which Condon and his colleagues created there came to be nicknamed “Nicksieland.” By this time, his regular circle of musical associates included Wild Bill Davison, Bobby Hackett, George Brunies, Edmond Hall and Pee Wee Russell. In 1939, he appeared with “Bobby Hacket and Band” in the Warner Brothers & Vitaphone film musical short-subject, “On the Air”.

Condon also did a series of jazz radio broadcasts from New York’s Town Hall during 1944-45 which were nationally popular. These recordings survive, and have been issued on theJazzology label.

From 1945 through 1967 he ran his own New York jazz club, first located on West 52nd Street near Sixth Avenue, on the present site of the CBS headquarters building, then later, on the south side of East 56th Street, east of Second Avenue. It was of course called Eddie Condon’s. In the 1950s Condon recorded a sequence of classic albums for Columbia Records. The musicians involved in these albums – and at Condon’s club – included Wild Bill Davison, Bobby Hackett (cornet), Billy Butterfield (trumpet), Edmond Hall, Peanuts Hucko, Pee Wee Russell, Bob Wilber (clarinet), Cutty Cutshall, Lou McGarity, George Brunies (trombone), Bud Freeman (tenor sax), Gene Schroeder, Dick Cary, Ralph Sutton(piano), Bob Casey, Walter Page, Jack Lesberg, Al Hall (bass), George Wettling, Buzzy Drootin, Cliff Leeman (drums).

Condon toured Britain in 1957 with a band including Wild Bill Davison, Cutty Cutshall, Gene Schroeder and George Wettling. His last tour was in 1964, when he took a band to Australia and Japan. Condon’s men, on that tour, were a roll-call of top mainstream jazz musicians: Buck Clayton (trumpet), Pee Wee Russell (clarinet), Vic Dickenson (trombone),Bud Freeman (tenor sax), Dick Cary (piano and alto horn), Jack Lesberg (bass), Cliff Leeman (drums), Jimmy Rushing (vocals). A nice touch was that Billy Banks, a vocalist who had recorded with Condon and Pee Wee Russell in 1932, and had lived in obscurity in Japan for many years, turned up at one of the 1964 concerts: Pee Wee asked him “have you got any more gigs?”.

In 1948 his autobiography We Called It Music was published. The book has many interesting and entertaining anecdotes about musicians Condon worked with. Eddie Condon’s Treasury of Jazz (1956) was a collection of articles by various writers co-edited by Condon and Richard Gehman.

A latter-day collaborator, clarinetist Kenny Davern, described a Condon gig: “It was always a thrill to get a call from Eddie and with a gig involved even more so. I remember eating beforehand with Bernie (Previn; trumpet) and Lou (McGarity; trombone) and everyone being in good spirits. There was a buzz on, we’d all had a taste and there was a great feel to the music.”

Eddie Condon toured and appeared at jazz festivals through 1971. He died in New York City.

He is survived by his daughter Maggie Condon and his only grandchild Michael Repplier, who both live in Greenwich Village in New York City. It has been falsely reported that he has another grandson, Zach Condon, lead singer and instrumentalist of the band Beirut, but this is incorrect.

References to Condon are common in the BBC Radio 4 parody series Down the Line.

Bobby Hackett

From Wikipedia

Bobby Hackett
Bobby Hackett
Background information
Birth name	Robert Leo Hackett
Born	January 13, 1915 Providence, Rhode Island, USA
Died	June 7, 1976 (aged 61) Chatham, Massachusetts, USA
Genres	Big band Swing Jazz
Occupations	Bandleader, Sideman
Instruments	Trumpet Cornet Guitar
Years active	1920’s–1976
Labels	Storyville, Project 3 records, ADD, Classics, Segal Enterprices, DBK Jazz, Bluebird
Associated acts	Louis Armstrong, Glenn Miller,Tony Bennett, Benny Goodman,Ray McKinley, Jackie Gleason,Pee Wee Russell, Lee Wiley,Horace Heidt

Ernie Caceres, Bobby Hackett, Freddie Ohms, and George Wettling, Nick’s, NYC, 1940s.
Photography by William P. Gottlieb.

Robert Leo “Bobby” Hackett (January 31, 1915 – June 7, 1976) was an US jazz musician who played trumpet, cornet and guitar with the bands of Glenn Miller and Benny Goodman in the late thirties and early forties. Hackett is probably most well known for being the featured soloist on some of the Jackie Gleason mood music albums during the 1950s.

Hackett was born in Providence, Rhode Island. He made his name as a follower of the legendary cornet player Bix Beiderbecke: Benny Goodman hired him to recreate Bix’s famous “I’m Coming Virginia” solo at his (Goodman’s) 1938 Carnegie Hall concert.  In the late 1930s Hackett played lead trumpet in the Vic Schoen Orchestra which backed the Andrews Sisters. Bobby Hackett can be heard on the soundtrack to the 1940 Fred Astaire movie Second Chorus.  In 1939 the talent agency MCA asked Bobby Hackett to form a big band with their backing. Unfortunately the band failed and Hackett was in substantial debt to MCA after it folded. Bobby Hackett joined the bands of Horace Heidt and then Glenn Miller to pay down this debt.  To make matters worse, his lip was in bad shape after dental surgery, making it difficult for him to play the trumpet or cornet. Glenn Miller came to Hackett’s rescue, offering him a job as a guitarist with the Miller Band. “When I joined the band and I was making good money at last, […] [jazz critics] accused me of selling out. Hell I wasn’t selling out, I was selling in! It’s funny, isn’t it, how you go right into the wastebasket with some critics the minute you become successful”.  Despite his lip problems, Hackett could still play occasional short solos, and he can be heard playing a famous one with the Glenn Miller Orchestra on “A String of Pearls.”

Biography

A dream come true for Hackett was his inclusion in Louis Armstrong’s 1947 Town Hall Jazz Concert.  In 1954, Hackett appeared as a regular on the short-lived ABC variety show, The Martha Wright Show, also known as The Packard Showroom.

However, what made Hackett something of a household name was his being hired by Jackie Gleason as a soloist for some of Gleason’s earliest mood music albums. Starting in 1952, Hackett apppeared on Gleason’s first Capitol Records album, Music for Lovers Only. The record – as well as all of Gleason’s next ten albums – went gold. Hackett went on to appear on six more Gleason LPs. This association led directly to Hackett signing with Capitol for a series of his own albums.

In 1965, he toured with singer Tony Bennett. In 1966 and 1967 Hackett accompanied Bennett on two European tours.  In the early 1970s, Hackett performed separately with Dizzy Gillespie and Teresa Brewer.

Personal life

Sometime in the 1930s, Bobby Hackett married Edna Hackett. He had two children with her, Barbara Hackett(†) and Ernie Hackett. His son became a musician as well, playing the drums. Hackett died in 1976 of a heart attack, at age 61.

Partial Discography

As leader:

• Giants (Perception, 1971) – with Dizzy Gillespie and Mary Lou Williams
• Thanks Bobby, Bobby Hackett Quartet, Dobre Records

As sideman:

• With Glenn Miller
• A String of Pearls1941, Bluebird records.
• Rhapsody In Blue 1942, Victor records.
• With Frank Sinatra
• I’ve Got a Crush on You 1947, Columbia Records
• Body and Soul 1947, Columbia Records

With Bill Kenny of The Ink Spots

• I Don’t Stand a Ghost of a Chance with You 1951, Decca Records

With George Wein

• Wein, Women and Song and More, George Wein Plays and Sings (Arbors Records)

With Tony Bennett

• The Very Thought of You 1965, Columbia Records 
• A Time for Love (1966)

With Jackie Gleason

• Music for Lovers Only (1952) Capitol Records
• Music to Make You Misty (1953) Capitol Records
• Music, Martini’s and Memories (1954) Capitol Records
• Music to Remember Her (1955) Capitol Records
• Music to Change Her Mind (1956) Capitol Records
• Music for the Love Hours (1957) Capitol Records
• That Moment (1959) Capitol Records

New Orleans Owls

From Wikipedia

The New Orleans Owls in 1922

The New Orleans Owls (active 1922-29) were an early jazz band from New Orleans that descended from The Invincibles String band and recorded 18 sides for Gennett and 23 sides for Columbia from 1925 to 1927 on 78 rpm Gramophone record. They are reportedly the first group to record by the electric system operating from a mobile recording van. They played principally for the dancers in the ballroom of theRoosevelt Hotel in New Orleans. The replaced Abbie Brunies’ Halfway House Orchestra at the Halfway House dancehall in the late 1920s.

Members included Bill Padron (very much in the Paul Mares school) (ct), Benjie White (cl, as, leader), Lester Smith (ts), Mose Farrar (p), Rene Gelpi (bjo, g), Dan LeBlanc (tu), Earl Crumb (d), Frank Netto (tb), Pinky Vidacovitch (cl, as) and Sigfre Christensen (p). Their records are not as collectible as those of similar bands like the New Orleans Rhythm Kings or the Friar’s Society Orchestra, but will still fetch a hundred dollars or more at auction if they are in excellent condition.

Kansas City Recalls: The Coon-Sanders Night Hawk Orchestra (courtesy The Daily Record, 2009)

KC Recalls: The Coon-Sanders Night Hawk Orchestra

January 26, 2009 by thedailyrecord

(Above: Joseph Sanders, left, and Carleton Coon.)

By Joel Francis

The music Carleton Coon and Joseph Sanders made for a dozen years together helped put Kansas City jazz on the map. Their Nighthawk Orchestra may have broken up in 1932, but it’s two bandleaders have been silently reunited for 40 years at Mt. Moriah Cemetery in Kansas City.

Coon and Sanders first met at a downtown Kansas City music store in 1918. Tall, handsome and quick-tempered Sanders, was an amateur baseball player on leave from the Army. He was practically the antonym of the pudgy, extroverted Coon. Despite their physical and temperamental differences, both men quickly found they shared a love of jazz and complementary tenor voices.

The following year, when Sanders got out of the Army, the two teamed up, formed a jazz combo and started booking gigs around Kansas City. With Coon handling business, Sanders writing songs and city boss Tom Pendergast ignoring prohibition with his “wide open” bars, clubs and brothels, the Coon-Sanders Novelty Orchestra was soon one of town’s in-demand outfits.

Shortly after Thanksgiving, 1922, the orchestra was booked to play on radio station WDAF. The success of that performance helped launch their weekly show, broadcast from 11:30 p.m. until 12:30 a.m. When the announcer let slip that “anyone who’d stay up this late to hear us would have to be a real night hawk,” thousands of listeners spread across Canada, Mexico and most of the United States let him know that they were proud to be “night hawks.”

Sanders quickly penned a theme song “Night Hawks Blues” and the pair rechristened their ensemble the Coon-Sanders Original Night Hawk Orchestra. In 1924, they recorded for the Victor record label in Chicago and agreed to let burgeoning Chicago promoter Jules Stein book a four-week tour. Stein parlayed his profits from that tour into his own booking company, which he called Music Corporation of America, or MCA.

On the strength of that tour, the Night Hawk Orchestra relocated to Chicago where their performance opening the Balloon Ballroom of the Congress Hotel was broadcast on KYW. Two years later, they moved to the Blackhawk Restaurant where fan Al Capone frequently left $100 tips for the band. On the strength of WGN radio broadcasts and reputation built playing around Chicago (including Capone’s Dells supper club in Morton Grove, Ill.), the Coon-Sanders Orchestra relocated once again in 1931.

Broadcasting weekly from Terrace Room in the Hotel New Yorker on CBS radio, Coon and Sanders found themselves in the same Big Apple circles as Bing Crosby and Guy Lombardo. Coon loved the night life, frequenting the Cotton Club and other Harlem jazz clubs, and making friends with Cab Calloway and Duke Ellington.

Sanders, on the other hand, was less enamored. He longed for the Midwest and made his sentiment plain the final number recorded by the Coon-Sanders Original Night Hawk Orchestra, “I Want to Go Home.”

Unfortunately, circumstances forced the bandleaders’ hands. Popular taste was shifting away from the Caucasian stylings of Coon and Sanders and toward all-black ensembles like the Ellington, Calloway and Kansas City’s Bennie Moten orchestras.

These circumstances, coupled with the Great Depression, forced the Night Hawks back to Chicago in April, 1932, for an engagement at the College Inn. Sander’s delight to be back in familiar territory was tempered when Coon was admitted to the hospital in critical condition. He died a few weeks later from blood poisoning from an abscessed tooth.

Coon’s 1932 funeral was one of the largest Kansas City had seen. Although his procession carried on for miles, his band’s legacy did not stretch so far. Less than a year after Coon’s death, Sanders dissolved the group and moved to Hollywood to write movie scores. Although Sanders was active in music for the rest of his life, he never regained the popularity he found with the Nighthawk Orchestra. In 1965, he died after having a stroke and was buried about 200 yards sound of his friend, Carleton Coon, at Mt. Moriah Cemetery.

Today, the Coon-Sanders Original Night Hawk Orchestra is a footnote in the Kansas City jazz story that includes big bands lead by Bennie Moten, Count Basie, Andy Kirk and Jay McShann, and soloists like Big Joe Turner, Mary Lou Williams, Walter Page and, of course, Charlie Parker. But Coon and Sander’s early triumphs helped paved the way for all who followed them out of Kansas City.

Ironically, the Night Hawks are most celebrated in Huntington, West Virginia, where the Coon Sanders Nighthawks Fans’ Bash has been held on the weekend after Mother’s Day for 39 years.

Gilbert Watson Orchestra in the Georgetown Herald, 1929

A rare mention of the Gilbert Watson Orchestra, who recorded sides with the Compo Company in 1925. From the Georgetown Herald, October 9th, 1929.

Charles Dornberger Orchestra in Montreal, 1933

from the Kingsville Reporter (Kingsville, Ontario: WH Hellems; Conners Publishing;), 9 Feb 1933,

Victor recording artist Charles Dornberger at the Mount Royal Hotel, Montreal, Quebec.

My Ohio Home – Paul Whiteman and his orchestra with Bix Beiderbecke

My Ohio Home – Paul Whiteman and his orchestra with Bix Beiderbecke.
This is the only known footage of Bix playing the cornet. A Fox Movietone Newsreel for the week of May 18, 1928, shows Paul Whiteman tearing up his old contract with Victor on the stroke of midnight. Paul now has a new contract with Columbia and leads his orchestra playing My Ohio Home. At one point, during a chorus by the brass section, we see Bix standing up and playing his part on the cornet. There are two transfers, one normal and a second one with somewhat more of a close-up.

Adrian Rollini

From Wikipedia

Adrian Rollini
Adrian Rollini with Allen Haulon (guitar) circa 1946-48.
Background information
Birth name	Adrian Francis Rollini
Born	June 28, 1903
Origin	New York, New York, USA
Died	May 15, 1956 (53) Homestead, Florida, USA
Genres	Jazz
Occupations	Bass saxophonist, Bandleader
Instruments	Bass Saxophone, Piano,Vibraphone, Chimes
Years active	1922–1955
Associated acts	California Ramblers, Little Ramblers, Goofus Five, Adrian Rollini and his Orchestra, Adrian Rollini Quintette, The Adrian Rollini Trio, Adrian and his Tap Room Gang

Adrian Francis Rollini (June 28, 1903 – May 15, 1956) was a multi-instrumentalist best known for his jazz music. He played the bass saxophone, piano, xylophone, and many other instruments. Rollini is also known for introducing the goofus in jazz music.^[1] As leader, his major recordings included “You’ve Got Everything” (1933), “Savage Serenade” (1933) and “Got The Jitters (1934) on Banner, Perfect, Melotone, Romeo, Oriole, “A Thousand Good Nights” (1934) on Vocalion, “Davenport Blues” (1934) on Decca, “Nothing But Notes”, “Tap Room Swing”, “Jitters”, “Riverboat Shuffle” (1934) on Decca, and “Small Fry” (1938) on Columbia.

Rollini was born June 28, 1903, to Ferdinand Rollini and Adele Augenti Rollini. (Some sources will date 1904, but his brother Arthur, as well as social security records will attest to the earlier date.) He was born in New York and was the eldest of several children. His Brother Arthur played tenor saxophone with Benny Goodman from 1934 to 1939, and later with Will Bradley). Growing up in Larchmont, New York, Adrian showed musical ability early on, and began to take piano lessons on a miniature piano, at the age of two. At the age of four, he played a fifteen-minute recital at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. Among the selections played were Chopin‘s Minute Waltz—he was hailed as a child prodigy and was billed as “Professor Adrian Rollini.”

Early life

Rollini continued with music and by age 14 he was leading his own group composed of neighborhood boys, in which he doubled onpiano and xylophone. His interest in music was far greater than his interest in school, and Rollini left high school in his third year. Adrian also cut several piano rolls for the Aeolian company on their Mel-O-Dee label, and the Republic brand in Philadelphia – these rolls are quite rare and very few of these have survived. He gigged around and finally made his break when he was 16, and began playing in Arthur Hand’s California Ramblers. Rollini was equally skilled at piano, drums, xylophone, and bass saxophone, which gained him the respect of Hand, who transferred the band to Rollini when he later retired from the music field.

How Rollini came to play the bass saxophone is somewhat of a mystery. Some argue that the Ramblers’ manager, Ed Kirkeby suggested the instrument to Rollini as a possible tuba double. Others say that it was suggested to him by the banjo player, who saw one in a music store. In either case, Adrian, who could tackle just about anything that came his way, would go on to become the star player of the instrument, a true maestro. His brother Arthur recalls in his book “Thirty Years with the Big Bands” that he just came home with it one day and went to work and within two weeks he was recording on it.

Career

He cut many sides under the California Ramblers and formed two subgroups—The Little Ramblers (starting in 1924) and the Goofus Five (most prominently 1926-1927). It was during his work with these groups that he developed his distinctive style of saxophone playing. Rollini’s swing and impetus are quite evident; “Clementine (From New Orleans)”, “Vo-Do-Do-De-O Blues”, and “And Then I Forget” are among some of the best recordings that not only typify the era but showcase the prominence and power that Rollini brought to the table. During this time, he managed to lay down hundreds of sessions with names like Annette Hanshaw, Cliff Edwards (Ukelele Ike), Joe Venuti and his Blue Four, The University Six, Miff Mole, and Red Nichols to name a few. Some of his best work appears on the sides he cut with Bix Biederbecke (scattered throughout the 1920s, Rollini’s great bass sax solos were on scores of records, and were usually outstanding.) He also recorded and worked with Roger Wolfe Kahn, Frank Trumbauer, and Red Nichols.

1927 was a landmark year for jazz and Rollini, as not only did he participate in numerous sides, but he also got the job heading up the talent roster for the opening of the Club New Yorker. It was a short-lived organization, a who’s-who of 1920s jazz, including Bix Beiderbecke, Eddie Lang, Joe Venuti, Frank Signorelli and Frank Trumbauer. Sadly, salary demands began to rise, and the club had its own shortcomings, which proved a bad combination in the end, and the arrangement only lasted for some 3 weeks.it was not long until other talent would be seeking his name. From across the pond, a young England-based band leader by the name of Fred Elizalde was leading a band in London at the Savoy Ballroom, and he was looking for the best American jazzmen to spice up his already hot sound. He found Rollini, as well as Chelsea Quealey, Bobby Davis, Tommy Felline andJack Russin. Rollini submitted his resignation to the Ramblers (where he was replaced by bass saxist Spencer Clark and later by bassist-tubist Ward Lay), and agreed to join Elizalde, along with fellow-Ramblers Quealey, Felline, Russin, and (later) Davis, in 1927, and stayed until September 1928.

Once he returned to America he also began to write, working with Robbins Music Corporation—some of his compositions would include “Preparation”, “On Edge”, “Nonchalance”, “Lightly and Politely”, “Gliding Ghost”, and “Au Revoir”.

He continued to work, recording with such artists as Bert Lown, Lee Morse, The Dorsey Brothers, Ben Selvin and Jack Teagarden on into the depression and the 30s. However, the 1930s saw a shift in musical idea—away from the “hot”, two-beat feel and towards a more staid, conservative sound, and Rollini adapted. In 1932-’33 he was part of a short-lived experiment with the Bert Lown band using two bass saxophones, Spencer Clark in the rhythm section and Rollini himself as fourth sax in the reed team. In 1933 as well he formed the Adrian Rollini Orchestra (a studio group assembled for recording), which appeared on Perfect, Vocalion, Melotone, Banner, and Romeo labels. While Rollini did manage to assemble some great talent (for example Bunny Berigan, Benny Goodman and Jack Teagarden), these records were clearly more commercial in comparison to his earlier work. There are a few examples that have solo work, but on the whole the records were highly commercial and tame in comparison. (A number of these sides has Rollini on bass sax only to switch to vibraphone during the song.) At this time Rollini also appeared as vibraphonist with Richard Himber‘s radio orchestra, playing a strictly secondary role in the large, string-oriented ensemble.

His other groups would include the Adrian Rollini Quintette, The Adrian Rollini Trio (primarily late 1930s) and Adrian and his Tap Room Gang which was based in the Hotel Presidentat 234 West 48th Street in New York City. Rollini reportedly managed the club inside of the hotel for a short while as well as leading the orchestra. He also had the Whitby Grill on West 45th St. Both of these were indicative of his inseparability of professional and social life. His clientele in each club were for the most part musicians on a holiday. Rollini could also be found on the radio working with artists like Kate Smith. As if he didn’t have enough going for him he turned once again to another phase of musical venture, and opened a store for sale and repair of musical instruments, known as White Way Musical Products which was located at 1587 Broadway. It had long been his belief that the artist playing the instrument knows more about it than the maker concerned only with the mechanics. The shop was a hot spot for autograph hounds who trolled the shop in search of famous band leaders. He was also making excursions between the Georgian Room and the Piccadilly Circus Bar, both in the Piccadilly Hotel. He also began recording for Master and Muzak.

During this time, a gradual shift occurs in Adrian’s focus from the bass sax to the vibraphone. This is not so much that Rollini was giving up on the bass saxophone or his abilities, as that popular tastes had rendered the instrument unmarketable after the hot jazz era of the 20s. Rollini recorded on bass sax for the last time in 1938. He continued to be active with vibraphone and chimes, but sadly, when he gave up his role as a bass saxophonist, his role in jazz went with it.

He went on to play hotels, as well as arranging and writing songs behind the scenes, collaborating with such names as Vaughan Monroe but he never did any big recording once the big band era really got underway- his trio pretty much represents the last of his great work. After these, he faded from the scene, appearing here and there and participating in jam sessions. He can be seen in a 1938 short entitled “For Auld lang Syne” starring James Cagney, as well as “Himber Harmonics” (1938) where he appears with the trio, and “Melody Masters: Swing Style” (1939). He also did a brief tour in the late 1940s in which he came to the Majestic Theater in downtown Dallas, as well as other cities.

In his spare time Rollini considered himself a “waterbug,” and proud of it. He owned a 21-foot Chris Craft speedboat and a Chris Craft cruiser, sleeping four. After an exhaustive career he made his last recording with his trio in the early 50s, and then turned his attention fully to the hotel business. He later relocated to Florida, and opened the Eden Roc Hotel in September 1955. He also ran the Driftwood Inn at Tavernier Key. Rollini loved sport-fishing, and his Driftwood offered deep-sea fishing charters. After Rollini’s death, it appears his wife Dixie left Florida. The remains of the old Driftwood Inn were completely destroyed in a hurricane that rocked the Florida keys in 1960.

Death

He died May 15, 1956, at the age of 52. Jazz collector and scholar Brian Rust presented a memorial program in BBC Light program’s “World of Jazz” on June 8. Rollini’s death for a long time was somewhat of a mystery. In a brief article from England’s Melody Maker, it says Adrian’s brother, Arthur is “trying to solve the mystery surrounding Adrian’s death. He was sent to the hospital following a severe trauma to his ankle (apparently from an auto-related accident) in the parking lot of the Green Turtle Inn at the Islamorada Key). According to the Melody Maker he was found lying in a blood-splattered car, and one of his feet was almost severed. The article also says he died of a heart attack and lung collapse. The hospital he was sent to was the James Archer Smith Hospital in Homestead, Florida. He died after an 18-day stay in the hospital. According to the recent book, Jazz and Death: Medical Profiles of Jazz Greats, the author, M.D. Frederick J. Spencer (also a coroner) went back and analyzed Rollini’s death along with many other jazz greats, and discovered Rollini truly died of mercury poisoning. While in his 18-day stay, he had developed a resistance to feeding and so a glass tube had been inserted into his stomach. The tube was weighted with mercury and somehow the tube broke, exposing Rollini to mercury poisoning. He was survived by his wife, Dorothy (Dixie).

In 1998, Adrian Rollini was inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame.

Bennie Moten

From Wikipedia

Bennie Moten
Background information
Born	November 13, 1894
Origin	Kansas City, Missouri, USA
Died	April 2, 1935 (aged 40)
Genres	Jazz
Occupations	Piano, Bandleader
Instruments	Piano
Associated acts	Count Basie, Walter Page

Bennie Moten (November 13, 1894 – April 2, 1935) was a noted American jazz pianist and band leader born in Kansas City, Missouri.

He led the Kansas City Orchestra, the most important of the regional, blues-based orchestras active in the Midwest in the 1920s, and helped to develop the riffing style that would come to define many of the 1930s Big Bands.

His first recordings were made (for OKeh Records) in 1923, and were rather typical interpretations of the New Orleans style of King Oliver and others. They also showed the influence of the Ragtime that was still popular in the area. These OKeh sides (recorded 1923-1925) are some of the more valuable acoustic jazz 78’s of the era and continue to be treasured records in many serious jazz collections.

They signed with Victor Records in 1926, and were influenced by the more sophisticated style of Fletcher Henderson, but more often than not featured a hard stomp beat that was extremely popular in Kansas City. Moten remained one of Victor’s most popular orchestras through 1930. The song Kansas City Shuffle was recorded during this time. (The band recorded prolifically and many of their records were issued in Victor’s regular series, therefore not specifically marketed to the Black community.)

By 1928 Moten’s piano was showing some Boogie Woogie influences, but the real revolution came in 1929 when he recruited Count Basie, Walter Page and Oran ‘Hot Lips’ Page. Walter Page’s walking bass lines gave the music an entirely new feel compared to the 2/4 tuba of his predecessor Vernon Page, coloured by Basie‘s understated, syncopated piano fills. Another boon to the band was adding Jimmy Rushing as their primary vocalist.

Their final session (10 recordings made at Victor’s Camden, NJ studios on December 13, 1932, during a time when the band was suffering significant financial hardship) showed the early stages of what became known as the “Basie sound”; four years before Basie would record under his own name. By this time Ben Webster and Jimmy Rushing had joined Moten’s band, but Moten himself does not play on these sessions. These sides (mostly arranged by Eddie Durham) include a number of tunes that later became swing classics:

• “Toby”
• “Moten Swing”
• “The Blue Room“
• “Imagination” (vocals: Sterling Russell Trio)
• “New Orleans” (vocal: Jimmy Rushing)
• “The Only Girl I Ever Loved” (vocals: Sterling Russell Trio)
• “Milenberg Joys”
• “Lafayette”
• “Prince of Wails”
• “Two Times” (recorded with six musicians and with vocalist Josephine Garrison)

After Moten’s death in 1935 after an unsuccessful tonsillectomy, Basie took many of the leading musicians from the band to form his own orchestra.

Moten’s popular 1928 recording of “South” (V-38021) stayed in Victor’s catalog over the years (reissued as 24893 in 1935 as Victor phased out any remaining V-38000 series that were still in the catalog) and became a big jukebox hit in the late 1940s (by then, reissued as 44-0004). It remained in print (as a vinyl 45) until RCA stopping making vinyl records!

Isham Jones

From Wikipedia

Isham Edgar Jones
Isham Jones, 1922
Background information
Born	January 31, 1894
Origin	Coalton, Ohio, United States
Died	October 19, 1956 (aged 62) Hollywood, Florida, United States
Occupations	Songwriter, bandleader,saxophonist, bassist

Isham Jones in 1922 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Isham Jones in 1922

Isham Edgar Jones (January 31, 1894 – October 19, 1956) was an American bandleader, saxophonist, bassist and songwriter.

Jones was born in Coalton, Ohio, to a musical and mining family, and grew up in Saginaw, Michigan, where he started his first band. In 1911 one of Jones’ earliest compositions “On The Alamo” was published by Tell Taylor Inc. (Taylor had just formed a publishing company the year before when his song “Down By The Old Mill Stream” became a big hit.)

Career

In 1915 Isham Jones moved to Chicago, Illinois, which remained his home base until 1932, when he reestablished himself in New York City. Jones also toured England with his orchestra in 1925.

The Isham Jones band made a series of popular gramophone records for Brunswick throughout the 1920s. He led one of the most popular dance bands in the 1920s and 1930s. His first successful recording, Wabash Blues written by Dave Ringle and Fred Meinken, was recorded in 1921 by Isham Jones and his Orchestra. This million-seller stayed twelve weeks in the U.S. charts, six at No. 1.^[1]Noted musicians who played in Jones’ band included Louis Panico, Benny Goodman (although he did not make any records during the short time he was with them), Woody Herman, Walt Yoder, and Roy Bargy. Reed virtuoso Al Gallodoro appeared briefly with Jones in 1933, taking part in a record date October 3.

Jones was reportedly a strict taskmaster and was known for being rather cold and distant. His lushly romantic compositions seem at odds with his reported personality.

From the start, his Brunswick records were extremely popular. There was a gap from October 1927 to June 1929 where Jones did not record due to disbanding and reorganization.

From 1929 to 1932, his Brunswick recordings became even more sophisticated with often very unusual arrangements (byGordon Jenkins and others; Jones was his own arranger early on, but cultivated others for offbeat arrangements). During this period, Jones started featuring violinist Eddie Stone as one of his regular vocalists. Stone had an unusual, almost humorous tone to his voice. His other vocalists included Frank Sylvano, Billy Scott, Arthur Jarrett and Stone beginning in 1929 and in 1932, he added Joe Martin, another of the band’s violinists, as a frequent vocalist. In April that year, youngBing Crosby recorded two sessions with Jones’ group which included “Sweet Georgia Brown“. Crosby at this point in his career was still singing in a jazz idiom, transitioning to his better known “crooner” style.

In August 1932, Jones signed with Victor, and these records are generally considered among the very best arranged and performed commercial dance band records of the Depression era. Victor’s recording technique was especially suited to Jones’ band. In October 1932, he teamed up with the Three X Sisters in New York who had just departed from CBS radio. They recorded “experimental” songs for RCA Victor which Jones began to fuse jazz and early swing music. They recorded “Where, I Wonder Where?” and “What Would Happen To Me If Something Happened To You.” His Victor releases had an almost symphonic sound, often with a strong use of tuba. He stayed with Victor until July 1934, when he signed withDecca. (Jones’ recordings during this period rivaled Paul Whiteman and other dance orchestras as examples of the very best and most popular dance music of the era.)

Jones’ Decca recordings are often unfavoribly compared to his Victor recordings. He continued the same high standard of fine arrangements and well chosen songs (as well as bunch of rerecordings of his Victor hits), but Decca’s flat recording technique made his Decca’s sound like it was a smaller band, which it wasn’t. After he left Decca in 1936, he again retired and his orchestra was taken over by band member Woody Herman. Jones started a new band in 1937-38 and recorded a handful of sessions under the ARC labels:Melotone, Perfect and Banner.

In the 1940s, Jones resided on his poultry farm in Colorado, which he occasionally left for short tours with pickup bands. He later resided in Los Angeles. He moved to Hollywood, Florida in 1955, and died there of cancer in 1956. (He is interred at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Los Angeles, and perhaps for that reason is often erroneously listed as having died in Hollywood, California.)

His great-nephew is the noted jazz drummer Rusty Jones.

Compositions by Isham Jones

Isham Jones’ compositions (he wrote the music, Charles Newman and Gus Kahn were among his lyricists ) included:

• “Meet Me In Bubble Land” 1919
• “On the Alamo” recorded 1922 (composed & published in 1911)
• “Swingin’ Down The Lane” 1923
• “I’ll See You in My Dreams” 1924
• “The One I Love (Belongs to Somebody Else)” 1924
• “It Had To Be You” 1924
• “Spain” 1924
• “Song Of The Blues” (1929)
• “Not A Cloud In The Sky” 1929
• “What’s The Use?” 1930
• “Feeling That Way” 1930
• “You’re Just A Dream Come True” (his theme song) 1931
• “I Wouldn’t Change You For The World” 1931
• “Let That Be A Lesson To You” 1932
• “I Can’t Believe It’s True” 1932
• “One Little Word Led To Another” 1932
• “The Wooden Soldier And The China Doll” 1932 [“Calvacade of Vitaphone Shorts Volume 1: Swing, Swing Swing:1931-1944″(Cat. #ML103928) 1934]
• “I’ll Never Have To Dream Again” 1932
• “Pretending You Care” 1932
• “There’s Nothing Left To Do But Say Goodbye” 1932
• “Why Can’t This Night Go On Forever?” (another theme song) 1932
• “You’ve Got Me Crying Again” 1933
• “Honestly” 1933
• “Old Lace” 1933
• “Something Seems To Tell Me” 1933
• “You’re Welcome” 1933
• “Bubbles In The Wine” 1933
• “All Mine, Almost” 1934
• “There Is No Greater Love” 1936

Number One Hits

During the 1920s, Isham Jones had several number one records on the pop charts in the U.S.:

• “Wabash Blues” was number one for six weeks in 1921;
• “On the Alamo” was number one for four weeks in 1922;
• “Swinging Down the Lane” was number one for six weeks in 1923;
• “Spain” was number one for two weeks and “It Had To Be You” was number one for five weeks in 1924; and,
• “I’ll See You in My Dreams” was number one for seven weeks and “Remember” was number one for one week in 1925.
• His 1930 version of “Star Dust” was one of the best selling versions. Jones commissioned Victor Young to write a ballad instrumental of the mid-tempo tune and it was this arrangement (with Victor Young’s violin solo) which became such a hit. Mitchell Parish wrote lyrics for the song at this time.

McKinney’s Cotton Pickers in Belle River, Ontario-1929

From the Essex Free Press (Essex, ON), 5 Apr 1929

McKinney’s Cotton Pickers at the Lakeview Pavilion, April 6th, 1929. This might explain the Canadian issues of their records in part.

Jean Goldkette’s Orchestra in Leamington Ontario, 1926

Leamington Post (Leamington, ON), 4 Feb 1926, The Goldkette Orchestra has been contracted by the Leamington Tennis Club to play at their Valentine’s dance Feb. 12th.

Ted Lewis

From Wikipedia

Ted Lewis
Background information
Birth name	Theodore Leopold Friedman
Born	June 6, 1890
Origin	Circleville, Ohio, United States
Died	August 25, 1971 (aged 81)
Genres	Jazz
Occupations	Musician Bandleader Singer Entertainer
Instruments	Clarinet
Years active	1917–1968
Associated acts	Earl Fuller‘s Famous Jazz Band

Theodore Leopold Friedman, better known as Ted Lewis (June 6, 1890 – August 25, 1971), was an American entertainer, bandleader, singer, and musician. He led a band presenting a combination of jazz, hokey comedy, and schmaltzy sentimentality that was a hit with the American public. He was known by the moniker “Mr. Entertainment” or Ted “Is Everybody Happy?” Lewis.

Born in Circleville, Ohio, Lewis was one of the first Northern musicians to start imitating the New Orleans jazz musicians who came up to New York in the teens. He first recorded in 1917 with Earl Fuller’s Jass Band, who were making an energetic if somewhat clumsy attempt to copy the sound of the city’s newest sensation, the Original Dixieland Jass Band. At the time, Lewis didn’t seem to be able to do much on the clarinet other than trill. (Promoting one recording the Victor catalog stated:”The sounds as of a dog in his dying anguish are from Ted Lewis’ clarinet”). He improved a bit later, forming his style from the influences of the first New Orleans clarinetists to reside in New York, Larry Shields, Alcide Nunez, and Achille Baquet.

Early life

Career

By 1919, Lewis was leading his own band, and had a recording contract with Columbia Records, which marketed him as their answer to the Original Dixieland Jass Band who recorded for Victor records. For a time (as they did with Paul Whiteman) Columbia gave him a special record label featuring his picture. At the start of the 1920s, he was considered by many people without previous knowledge of jazz (that is to say, most of America) to be one of the leading lights of hot jazz. Lewis’s clarinet playing barely evolved beyond his style of 1919 which in later years would sound increasingly corny, but Lewis certainly knew what good clarinet playing sounded like, for he hired musicians like Benny Goodman, Jimmy Dorsey, and Don Murray to play clarinet in his band. Lewis actually could play normally well (listen to his earliest records for an idea; no missed notes, for one). For years, his band also included jazz greats Muggsy Spanieron trumpet and George Brunis on trombone. Ted Lewis’s band was second only to the Paul Whiteman in popularity during the 1920s, and arguably played more real jazz with less pretension than Whiteman, especially in his recordings of the late 1920s.

Lewis recorded for Columbia from 1919-1933. He was on Decca 1934 into the 1940s. In 1932, Lewis recorded “In a Shanty in Old Shanty Town“, which he had performed in the film “The Crooner” with his orchestra. It was released on a 78 and reached number one on the charts where it stayed for 10 weeks.

Lewis’s band got cornier and schmaltzier as the Great Depression wore on, but this seemed to match the general public’s taste, as he remained commercially successful during an era when many bands broke up. Through it all he retained his famous catchphrase “Is everybody happy?”. Lewis adopted a battered top hat for sentimental, hard-luck tunes (he called himself “the high-hatted tragedian of song”). Frequently he would stray from song lyrics, improvising chatter around them. This gave the effect of Lewis “speaking” the song spontaneously: “When ma’ baby… when ma’ baby smiles at me… gee, what a wonderful, wonderful light that comes to her eyes… look at that light, folks…”

Films

Lewis and his band appeared in a few early-talkie movie musicals in 1929, notably the Warner Brothers revue The Show of Shows. The first of several films titled with Lewis’ catchphrase, Is Everybody Happy? also premiered in 1929, while 1935 saw Lewis and his band performing several numbers in the film Here Comes the Band.

In 1941 the band was recruited at the last minute, along with the Andrews Sisters, to furnish musical numbers for the Abbott and Costello comedy Hold That Ghost (1941), released by Universal Studios on August 6, 1941. Musical numbers cut from the feature were released by Universal separately on September 3, 1941, in a short subject entitled Is Everybody Happy?

In 1943 Columbia Pictures mounted a feature-length biopic of Lewis—yet again titled Is Everybody Happy? — with actor Michael Duane portraying the bandleader and lip synching to Lewis’s recordings.

There is an extended caricature of Lewis in the Warner Brothers short Speaking of the Weather (Tashlin, 1937), playing Plenty of Money and You.

Later career

Lewis in 1951.

Lewis kept his band together through the 1950s, and continued to make appearances on television and in Las Vegas into the 1960s. True to hisvaudeville beginnings, he created a visual as well as a musical act. His physical presence with props like his top hat combined with bits of visual humor and dancing were as important to him as his music.

One of his most memorable songs was “Me and My Shadow” with which he frequently closed his act. During the song he danced on stage with his own, spotlight-generated, shadow. In Vegas, a dancer was added to duet with Lewis’ shadow on stage.  He died in New York City in 1971. In June 1977, Adah Becker Lewis and friends dedicated the Ted Lewis Museum and park in his honor in his home town of Circleville, Ohio.

• 

  Ted Lewis Park in Circleville, Ohio.

• 

  Ted Lewis Museum at 133 West Main Street in Circleville, Ohio.

• 

  Ted Lewis headstone at Forest Cemetery in Circleville, Ohio.

• 

  Ted Lewis gravemarker.

• 

  Adah Becker Lewis gravemarker.

Rudy Vallée

From Wikipedia

Rudy Vallée
Background information
Birth name	Hubert Prior Vallée
Born	July 28, 1901 Island Pond, Vermont, U.S.
Died	July 3, 1986 (aged 84) North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupations	Singer, actor, bandleader,entertainer
Instruments	Saxophone
Years active	1924–1984
Labels	RCA Victor
Website	www.rudyvallee.com

Rudy Vallée (July 28, 1901 – July 3, 1986) was an American singer, actor, bandleader, and entertainer.

Early life

Rudy Vallée was born Hubert Prior Vallée in Island Pond, Vermont, the son of Charles Alphonse and Catherine Lynch Vallée. Both of his parents were born and raised in Vermont, but his grandparents were immigrants. The Vallées were French Canadians from neighboring Quebec, while the Lynches were from Ireland. Vallée grew up in Westbrook, Maine.

Career

After playing drums in his high school band, Vallée played clarinet and saxophone in various bands around New England as a teenager. In 1917, he decided to enlist for World War I, but was discharged when the Navy authorities found out that he was only 15. He enlisted in Portland, Maine on March 29, 1917, under the false birthdate of July 28, 1899. He was discharged at the Naval Training Station, Newport, Rhode Island, on May 17, 1917 with 41 days of active service.  From 1924 through 1925, he played with the Savoy Havana Band at the Savoy Hotel in London, where his fellow band-members discouraged his attempts to become a vocalist.^[2] He then returned to the United States to obtain a degree in philosophy from Yale and to form his own band, “Rudy Vallée and the Connecticut Yankees.” With this band, which featured two violins, two saxophones, a piano, a banjo and drums, he started singing (supposedly reluctantly at first). He had a rather thin, wavering tenor voice and seemed more at home singing sweet ballads than jazz numbers. However, his singing, together with his suave manner and boyish good looks, attracted great attention, especially from young women.  Vallée  was given a recording contract and in 1928, he started performing on the radio.

Vallée became the most prominent and, arguably, the first of a new style of popular singer, the crooner.  Previously, popular singers needed strong projecting voices to fill theaters in the days before the electric microphone. Crooners had soft voices that were well suited to the intimacy of the new medium of the radio. Vallée’s  trombone-like vocal phrasing on “Deep Night” would inspire later crooners such as Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, and Perry Como to model their voices on jazz instruments.

Rudy Vallée megaphone crafted in between shows at the New York Palace in May 1929

Vallée also became what was perhaps the first complete example of the 20th century mass media pop star.  Flappers mobbed him wherever he went.  His live appearances were usually sold out, and even if his singing could hardly be heard in those venues not yet equipped with the new electronic microphones, his screaming female fans went home happy if they had caught sight of his lips through the opening of the trademark megaphone he sang through. A brief caricature of him in the Fleischer Brothers‘ color Betty Booptheatrical short cartoon from 1934 Poor Cinderella depicts him singing through a megaphone.

In 1929, Vallée made his first feature film, The Vagabond Lover for RKO Radio. His first films were made to cash in on his singing popularity. Despite Vallée’s rather wooden initial performances, his acting greatly improved in the late 1930s and 1940s. Also in 1929, Vallée began hosting The Fleischmann’s Yeast Hour, a very popular radio show at the time.

Vallée’s recording career began in 1928 recording for Columbia Records‘ cheap labels (Harmony, Velvet Tone, and Diva). He signed toVictor in February 1929 and remained with them through to late 1931, leaving after a heated dispute with company executives over title selections. He then recorded for the short-lived, but extremely popular “Hit of the Week” label (which sold records laminated onto cardboard). In August 1932, he signed with Columbia and stayed with them through 1933; he returned to Victor in June 1933. His records were issued on Victor’s new budget label, Bluebird, until November 1933 when he was moved up to the full-priced Victor label. He stayed with Victor until signing with ARC in 1936, who released his records on their Perfect, Melotone, Conqueror and Romeo labels until 1937 when he returned to Victor.

Vallée continued hosting popular radio variety shows through the 1930s and 1940s. The Royal Gelatin Hour featured various film performers of the era, such as Fay Wray and Richard Cromwell in dramatic skits.

Along with his group, The Connecticut Yankees, Vallée’s best known popular recordings included: “The Stein Song” (aka University of Maine fighting song) in 1929   and “Vieni, Vieni” in the latter 1930s. Vallée sang fluently in three Mediterranean languages, and always varied the keys,^{[citation needed]} thus paving the way for later pop crooners such as Dean Martin, Andy Williams and Vic Damone. Another memorable rendition of his is “Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries“, in which he imitates Willie Howard‘s voice in the final chorus. One of his record hits was “The Drunkard Song,” popularly known as “There Is a Tavern in the Town.” Vallée couldn’t stop laughing for the last couple of verses- supposedly he struggled to keep a straight face at the corny lyrics, and the band members egged him on. He managed a second take reasonably well. The “laughing” version was so infectious, however, that Victor released both takes (take 1 was issued on Victor 24721 with a regular Victor label, and take 2 was issued on Victor 24739 on a special white label that read in bright red: “Dear Rudy, What do you say we let the public have this one? The slip-up makes the record sound funnier” – E. Wallerstein” and “O.K. – R. Vallée”.)

Caricature of Rudy Vallée in the 1934Betty Boop cartoon Poor Cinderella

Vallée’s last hit song was the 1943 reissue of the melancholy ballad “As Time Goes By“, popularized in the feature film Casablanca in 1943 (due to the mid-1940s recording ban, Victor reissued the version he had recorded 15 years earlier). During World War II, Vallée enlisted in the Coast Guard to help direct the 11th district Coast Guard band as a Chief Petty Officer. Eventually he was promoted toLieutenant and led the 40 piece band to great success. In 1944 he was placed on the inactive list and he returned to radio.

When Vallée took his contractual vacations from his national radio show in 1937, he insisted his sponsor hire Louis Armstrong as his substitute  (this was the first instance of an African-American fronting a national radio program). Vallée also wrote the introduction for Armstrong’s 1936 book Swing That Music.

In 1937 Vallée attended Suffolk University Law School in Boston, Massachusetts.

Vallée acted in a number of Hollywood films starting with “The Vagabond Lover” in 1929. His earliest films showed him rather stiff and unemotional. He improved during the 1930s, and by the time he began working with Preston Sturges in the 1940s he had become a successful comedic supporting player. He appeared opposite Claudette Colbert in the 1942 Preston Sturges screwball comedy The Palm Beach Story. Other films in which he appeared include I Remember Mama, Unfaithfully Yours and The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer.

In 1955, Vallée was featured in Gentlemen Marry Brunettes, co-starring Jane Russell, Alan Young, and Jeanne Crain. The production was filmed on location in Paris. The film was based on the Anita Loos novel that was a sequel to her acclaimed Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Gentlemen Marry Brunettes was popular throughout Europe at the time and was released in France as A Paris Pour les Quatre (“Paris for the Four”), and in Belgium as Tevieren Te Parijs.

In 1971 he made a television appearance as a vindictive surgeon in the Night Gallery episode “Marmalade Wine.”

In middle age, Vallée’s voice matured into a robust baritone. He performed on Broadway as J.B. Biggley in the musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and reprised the role in the film version of the show. He appeared in the campy 1960s Batman television show as the character “Lord Marmaduke Ffogg”. He toured with a one-man theater show into the 1980s. He occasionally opened for The Village People.

Vallée’s song compositions included “Oh! Ma-Ma! (The Butcher Boy)” in 1938, recorded by Glenn Miller and his Orchestra, “Deep Night”, which was recorded by Duke Ellington and his Orchestra, “If You Haven’t Got a Girl”, “Violets”, “Where To”, “Will You Remember Me?”, “We’ll Never Get Drunk Any More”, “Sweet Summer Breeze”, “Actions Speak Louder Than Words”, “Ask Not”, “Forgive Me”, “Charlie Cadet”, “Somewhere In Your Heart”, “You Took Me Out Of This World”, “Old Man Harlem” with Hoagy Carmichael, which was recorded by the Dorsey Brothers band, “I’m Just a Vagabond Lover”, and “Betty Co-Ed”.

In 1967 Vallée recorded a new record album. Called “Hi-Ho Everybody” it was produced by Snuff Garrett and Ed Silvers for Dot Records on its Viva label; arranged by Al Capps. The engineers were Dave Hassinger and Henry Leroy. Included on the album were songs: “Winchester Cathedral”, “Michelle”, “My Blue Heaven”, “Sweet Heart of Sigma Chi”, “Who Likes Good Pop Music?”, “Bluebird”, “Who”, “Lady Godiva”, “Mame”, The Wiffenpoof Song”, “Strangers in The Night”, and “One of Those Songs”.

In 1995, a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs, California, Walk of Stars was dedicated to him.

Personal life

Vallée was married briefly to actress Jane Greer, but that ended in divorce in 1944. His previous marriage to Leonie Cauchois was annulled and the one to Fay Webb ended in divorce. After divorcing Jane Greer, he married Eleanor Norris in 1946, who wrote a memoir, My Vagabond Lover. Their marriage lasted until his death in 1986.

Always loyal to Yale University, he never forgot his Maine roots, and maintained an estate at Kezar Lake in Maine.

Death

Vallée died of cancer at his home on July 3, 1986. He is interred in St. Hyacinth’s Cemetery in Westbrook, Maine.

Fletcher Henderson

From Wikipedia

Fletcher Henderson
Fletcher Henderson (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Background information
Birth name	James Fletcher Hamilton Henderson, Jr.
Also known as	“Smack” Henderson
Born	December 18, 1897 Cuthbert, Georgia, United States
Died	December 29, 1952 (aged 55) New York City, New York, United States
Genres	Jazz, swing
Occupations	Pianist, arranger, bandleader
Instruments	Piano
Years active	1921–1950

James Fletcher Hamilton Henderson, Jr. (December 18, 1897 – December 29, 1952) was an American pianist, bandleader,arranger and composer, important in the development of big band jazz and swing music. His was one of the most prolific black orchestras and his influence was vast. He was often known as “Smack” Henderson (apparently named due to his college baseball hitting skills).  Fletcher is ranked along with Duke Ellington as one of the most influential arrangers and band leaders in jazz history, and helped bridge the gap between the jazz and swing era.

Biography

Built by his father in 1888, this house inCuthbert, Georgia is where Fletcher Henderson was born in 1897. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 17, 1982.

Fletcher Henderson was born in Cuthbert, Georgia. His father, Fletcher H. Henderson Sr. (1857–1943), was the principal of the nearby Howard Normal Randolph School from 1880 until 1942.

Henderson attended Atlanta University in Atlanta, Georgia and graduated in 1920. After graduation, he moved to New York City to attend Columbia University for a master’s degree in chemistry. However, he found his job prospects in chemistry to be very restricted due to his race, and turned to music for a living.

He was recording director for the fledgling Black Swan label from 1921–1923. Throughout the early and mid-1920s, Henderson provided solo piano accompanyment for many blues singers. He also led the backing group for Ethel Waters during one of her national tours. Henderson’s group was not technically a jazz band yet (more like a dance band), though its music was inflected with the ragtime rhythms that had been popular for some time. In 1922 he formed his own band, which was resident first at the Club Alabam, then at the Roseland Ballroom, and quickly became known as the best African-American band in New York. Even though he did not do band arrangements in the 1920s, for a time his ideas of arrangement were heavily influenced by those of Paul Whiteman. But when Louis Armstrong joined his orchestra in 1924, Henderson realized there could be a much richer potential for jazz band orchestration. Henderson’s band also boasted the formidable arranging talents of Don Redman (from 1922 to 1927). After Redman’s departure from the band in 1927, Henderson took on the majority of the arranging, although Benny Carter contributed several important scores from 1930–31, and Henderson also bought scores from freelance musicians.  As an arranger, Henderson came into his own in the mid-1930s.

His band circa 1925 included Howard Scott, Coleman Hawkins (who started with Henderson in 1923 playing the low tuba parts on bass saxophone and quickly moved to tenor and a leading solo role), Louis Armstrong, Charlie Dixon, Kaiser Marshall, Buster Bailey, Elmer Chambers, Charlie Green, Ralph Escudero and Don Redman.

In 1925, along with fellow composer Henry Troy, he wrote “Gin House Blues“, recorded by Bessie Smith and Nina Simone amongst others. His other compositions include the very popular jazz composition “Soft Winds”.

Henderson recorded extensively in the 1920s for numerous labels, including Vocalion, Paramount, Columbia, Olympic, Ajax, Pathe, Perfect, Edison, Emerson, Brunswick, Plaza Records and its subsidiary imprints Banner and Oriole. From 1925–1930, he recorded primarily for Columbia, and Brunswick/ Vocalion under his own name, as well as recording a series of acoustic recordings under the name The Dixie Stompers for Columbia’s Harmony and associated dime store labels (Diva and Velvet Tone). During the 1930s, he recorded for Columbia, Crown (as “Connie’s Inn Orchestra”), ARC (Melotone, Perfect, Oriole, etc.), Victor, Vocalion and Decca. Starting in the very early 1920’s, Henderson recorded current popular hits, as well as jazz tunes. (As an example of how prolific his band was, in 1924, he recorded 80 individual sides. His version of the pop tune, “I Can’t Get The One I Want”, recorded c. June 19, 1924 was issued on at least 23 different labels!)

At one time or another, in addition to Armstrong, lead trumpeters included Henry “Red” Allen, Joe Smith, Rex Stewart, Tommy Ladnier, Doc Cheatham and Roy Eldridge. Lead saxophonists included Coleman Hawkins, Buster Bailey, Benny Carter and Chu Berry. Sun Ra also worked as an arranger during the 1940s, during Henderson’s engagement at theClub DeLisa in Chicago. Sun Ra himself said that on first hearing Henderson’s orchestra as a teenager he assumed that they must be angels because no human could produce such beautiful music.

Beginning in the early 1930s, Fletcher’s piano-playing younger brother, Horace Henderson contributed to the arrangements of the band. At different times in Horace’s career, he was Billie Holiday’s and Lena Horne’s pianist. Later, he led a band of his own that also received critical acclaim.

Although Fletcher’s band was quite popular, he had little success in managing it. But much of his lack of recognition outside of Harlem had to do more with the times in which he lived, and the hard times that resulted after the 1929 stock market crash. However, because many of Henderson’s records (Columbia, Brunswick, Vocalion, Victor and those issued on the many of the dime store labels) still turn up at junk stores, flea markets, collectors stores, on eBay and on private record auctions, there’s no denying how popular his band truly was.

After about 1931, his own arrangements became influential. In addition to his own band, he arranged for several others, including those of Teddy Hill, Isham Jones and, most famously, Benny Goodman. Henderson’s wife, Leora, said that a major turning point in his life was an auto accident which happened in 1928. Henderson’s shoulder was injured, and he apparently sustained a concussion. Leora claimed that Fletcher was never the same, and that after this point he lost his ambition and became careless. According to Leora, the accident was a major cause of Henderson’s diminishing success. She also claims that John Hammond and Benny Goodman arranged to buy Henderson’s arrangements as a way to support him, and points out that Goodman always gave Henderson credit for the arrangements, and said that the Henderson band played them better than his own. In addition, Goodman and Hammond arranged broadcasts and recordings to benefit Henderson when he was ill.

Benny Goodman

In 1935, Goodman’s Orchestra was selected as a house band for the “Let’s Dance” radio program. Since Goodman needed new charts every week for the show, his friend John Hammond suggested that he purchase some from Henderson. Many of Goodman’s hits from the swing era were played by Henderson and his own band in the late 1920s and early 1930s, and usually were head arrangements that Fletcher transcribed from his own records, then sold to Goodman. However, brother Horace Henderson recounts (in Goodman’s biography “Swing, Swing, Swing” by Ross Firestone) that the clarinettist made heavy demands on Henderson for fresh charts while his band was engaged for the “Let’s Dance” show in 1934, and that he himself contributed to help Fletcher complete some of them. Vocalist Helen Ward also states that Henderson was delighted to hear the Goodman orchestra realise his creations with such impeccable musicianship.

In 1939, Henderson disbanded his band and joined Goodman’s, first as pianist and arranger and then working full-time as staff arranger. He re-formed bands of his own several times in the 1940s and toured with Ethel Waters again in 1948–1949. Henderson suffered a stroke in 1950, resulting in partial paralysis that ended his days as a pianist. He died in New York City in 1952.

Contributions to jazz

Henderson, along with Don Redman, established the formula for swing music. The two broke the band into sections (sax section, trumpet section etc.). These sections worked together to create a unique sound. Sometimes, the sections would play in call-and-response style, and at other times one section would play supporting riffs behind the other. Swing, its popularity spanning over a decade, was the most fashionable form of jazz ever in the United States.

Henderson was also responsible for bringing Louis Armstrong from Chicago to New York in October 1924, thus flipping the focal point of jazz in the history of the United States (although Armstrong left the band in November 1925 and returned to Chicago).

Henderson also played a key role in bringing improvisatory jazz styles from New Orleans and other areas of the country to New York, where they merged with a dance-band tradition that relied heavily on arrangements written out in musical notation.

A museum is being established in his memory in Cuthbert, Georgia.

Ben Pollack

From Wikipedia

Ben Pollack and His Californians, Chicago, 1926: (L-R) Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Gil Rodin, Harry Green, Ben Pollack, Fud Livingston, Al Harris, Harry Goodman, Vic Breidis and Lou Kast(l)er.

Ben Pollack
Birth name	Ben Pollack
Born	June 22, 1903 Chicago, Illinois
Died	June 7, 1971 (aged 67) Palm Springs, California
Occupations	drummer, bandleader
Years active	1924-1971
Associated acts	Frank Sinatra

Ben Pollack (June 22, 1903 – June 7, 1971) was an American drummer and bandleader from the mid-1920s through the swing era. His eye for talent led him to either discover or employ, at one time or another, musicians such as Benny Goodman, Jack Teagarden, Glenn Miller, Jimmy McPartland and Harry James. This ability earned him the nickname “Father of Swing”.

Born in Chicago in 1903 to a well-to-do family, Pollack was largely self-taught as a drummer, and was afforded the opportunity to become the drummer for the New Orleans Rhythm Kings, a top jazz outfit, in the early 1920s. In 1924 he played for several outfits, including some on the west coast, which ultimately led to his forming a band there in 1925. One of the earliest members of his band was Gil Rodin, a saxophonist whose sharp business acumen served him well later as an executive for the Music Corporation of America (MCA). Rodin also served as the “straw boss’ for Pollack along with the young arranger-trombonist Glenn Miller. Already recognized as immensely talented on the clarinet, sixteen-year-old Benny Goodman began working with Pollack in 1925 as well.

Early life

The Victor and dime store label era

In 1926, Pollack recorded for Victor. Many of his records were good sellers. From about 1928, with involvement with Irving Mills, members of Pollack’s band moonlighted at Plaza-ARC and recorded a vast quantity of hot dance and out-and-out jazz for their dime store labels (Banner, Perfect, Domino, Cameo, Lincoln, Romeo, and others using colorful names like Mills’ Merry Makers, Goody’s Good Timers, Kentucky Grasshoppers, Mills’ Musical Clowns, The Lumberjacks, Dixie Daises, The Caroliners, The Whoopee Makers, The Hotsy Totsy Gang, Dixie Jazz Band, Jimmy Bracken’s Toe Ticklers, and many others). Most of these records are usually listed in discographical books (like Brian Rust‘s Jazz Records) as by Irving Mills. The rare Jack Teagarden’s Music book lists them properly as being a “Ben Pollack Unit”. Combining Pollack’s regular recordings with these side groups made Pollack one of the more prolific bands of the 1920s and 1930s.

The band played in Chicago, mainly, and moved to New York City around the fall of 1928, having obtained McPartland and Teagarden around that time. This outfit enjoyed immense success, playing for Broadway shows, and having an exclusive engagement at the Park Central Hotel. Pollack’s band also was involved in extensive recording activity at that time, using a variety of pseudonyms in the studios. The orchestra also made a Vitaphone short subject sound film (which has been recently restored). Pollack, in the meantime, had fancied himself as more of a bandleader-singer type instead of a drummer. To this end, he signed Ray Bauduc to handle the drumming chores.

The 1930s

Soon afterward, things began to become difficult for Ben Pollack. The Stock Market Crash of 1929, and subsequent effects on the music industry as a whole, had a negative effect on all bands at that time, and Pollack’s was no exception. Work was scarce, and the band had several periods of inactivity, in spite of Pollack’s best efforts in obtaining work. Changes in personnel were also inevitable. Benny Goodman and Jimmy McPartland left the band in the summer of 1929, either fired or quit, depending on whose story is to be believed. They were replaced by Matty Matlock on clarinet and Jack Teagarden’s brother, Charlie, on trumpet. Eddie Miller was also signed as a tenor saxophonist in 1930.

Pollack left Victor in late 1929 and subsequently recorded for Hit of the Week (1930), the above listed dime store labels (1930–1931), Victor (1933), Columbia (1933–1934),Brunswick, Vocalion and Variety (1936-37), and Decca (1937–1938).

Pollack made several forays into the U.S. Midwest in the early 1930s, and also made some trips to Canada. During this time, he became involved with the singing career of his girl vocalist, Doris Robbins. As he was also involved with her romantically, he began to de-emphasize his involvement with band matters, much to the consternation of the musicians. Eventually, Ben Pollack and Doris Robbins married.

More changes came for the band in the spring of 1933 when trombone star Jack Teagarden gave his notice during an engagement in Chicago. It was not long after that, possibly a year, when the rest of the musicians decided to leave Pollack, They re-formed soon after as a co-operative band, fronted by Bing Crosby‘s brother, Bob.

Pollack re-formed his band eventually, and had some top-flight talent, including Harry James and Irving Fazola in it, but never really achieved any of the success of his earlier bands, despite the high quality of most of his recordings. These two stars, also, found greater success after they left Pollack. In the early 1940s, Pollack was the organizer for a band led by comedian Chico Marx. He tried his hand organizing a record label, Jewel Records (not the Plaza-ARC or the Shreveport labels), and at other venues, including restaurants on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood and in Palm Springs, California. He also appeared, as himself, in the motion picture The Benny Goodman Story and made a cameo appearance in The Glenn Miller Story.

All through this troubled period, Pollack managed to record excellent records and had an occasional hit, like the 1937 “Peckin'”, which Pollack co-wrote with Harry James, originally issued on Variety VA-556. Ben Pollack also wrote “Deep Jungle”, “Tin Roof Blues” with the New Orleans Rhythm Kings, and “Swing Out” with Wingy Manone.

Ben Pollack co-wrote the jazz standard “Tin Roof Blues” in 1923 when he was a member of the New Orleans Rhythm Kings: the band’s trombonist George Brunies is also generally credited as a co-composer. In 1954, Jo Stafford recorded “Make Love to Me“, which used Pollack’s music from “Tin Roof Blues”. “Make Love to Me” was no. 1 for three weeks onBillboard and no. 2 on Cashbox. The song was also recorded by Anne Murray and B. B. King.

In 1992, Ben Pollack was inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame.

Death

In later years, Pollack grew despondent and committed suicide by hanging in Palm Springs in 1971.