Champion records in the 1920’s were derived from Gennett masters, and priced to sell as a budget label. The department store of Lit Brothers, situated in Philadelphia, PA., announced the latest Champion records that they were stocking, in the April 10, 1926 edition of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
On March 12, 2014 I published a blog dealing with Canada’s Gilbert Watson and his Orchestra, and that I would be receiving sound files from his son. Those sound files have now been uploaded, and contain eight tracks of music that was recorded between 1925 to 1926 by the Compo Company, Lachine, Quebec, and released on several of their labels. The other two tracks that were recorded are not present, unfortunately. The track list is as follows:
1. Apex 728 Lonesome Me
2. Leonora 23016 That’s All There Is
3. Leonora 23016 Bamboola
4. Apex 728 Don’t Wake Me Up
5. Domino 21563 I Just Want To Be Known As “Susie’s Feller”
6. Microphone 22544 How Could Red Riding Hood?
7. Domino 21563 St. Louis Blues
8. Microphone 22544 Don’t Be Angry With Me
https://soundcloud.com/ken-mcpherson/gilbert-watson-and-his
Variety announced that the Goldkette Orchestra would be appearing at New York’s Roseland Ballroom on January 26, 1926. Two days later, on January 28th, they would be in the Victor studios in New York City recording “Dinah” and “After I Say I’m Sorry”. The Goldkette Orchestra consisted of Doc Ryker-Jimmy Dorsey-cl-as, Don Murray-cl-ts, Joe Venuti-vn, Chauncey Morehouse-d, Russ Morgan-a, Fuzzy Farrar-Ray Lodwig-t, Spiegle Wilcox-Bill Rank-tb, Lou Longo-p, Howdy Quicksell-bj, Steve Brown-sb, and Frank Bessinger-v. Bix Beiderbecke does not record with the Goldkette Orchestra until October 12, 1926.
Most Canadian jazz collectors of the 1920’s would say that the Gilbert Watson Orchestra, was the first to record jazz. Gilbert Watson was born in Glasgow, Scotland on October 31, 1896, and died in Peterborough, Ontario on August 12, 1959. He studied piano with Michael Hambourg and Harvey Robb, and played at the Allen Theatre in Toronto, Ontario. He worked for several music retailers in Toronto, including Mason and Risch (in the Victrola department) and Whaley Royce (as store manager).
In the mid 1920’s he formed his own dance band, which played at the Prince George Hotel, where he was heard on the Toronto radio station and, from 1935 to 1942. The band also appeared in dance pavilions around Toronto. In 1929 the orchestra also performed a recital at Massey Hall in Toronto, a first for Massey Hall. The seven or eight musicians made a total of nine sides for the Compo Company of Lachine, Quebec, first recording on July 12, 1925 and then again on November 15, 1926. Six sides released in 1925 appeared on the Apex and Starr labels, while the three sides made in 1926 appeared on the Domino label. It is not clear if any of the recordings ever showed up on other Compo labels such as Lucky Strike and Microphone.
Watson retired from music in 1942 after the Old Mill band broke up, and opened a Summer resort, Gil-Mar Lodge, and a dance hall at Sturgeon Lake in the Kawartha region of Ontario. Below is a photographic history of the Watson Orchestra, some pics are seen here for the first time! The first set shows the band in 1925 and 1929, and the second line shows The Old Mill Orchestra, along with some personal photo’s of Gilbert Watson and sheet music.
Most of this information has been provided to me by Gilbert Watson’s son, Doug, for whom I am very grateful. I hope to upload some recordings of the Gilbert Watson Orchestra in the near future.
The Original Indiana Five had various musicians in the group while they recorded from 1923 to 1929. Some of these were: James Christie on Trumpet, Tony Colucci, Banjo, Nick Vitalo on Clarinet and Alto Saxophone, and Harry Ford, Piano and Director. I came across an advertisement in The Daily Times of Beaver, PA. for the Original Indiana Five appearing at Junction Park. The ad was placed in the paper the date of the concert, June 15, 1926.
Columbia records promotes blues singer Clara Smith latest recording of “Whip It To A Jelly” in this race series advertisement from The Afro-American newspaper, Baltimore, Maryland. This was taken from the August 28, 1926 edition .
Columbia Records dedicated a full page ad to Ethel Waters in 1926 to promote her as their exclusive recording artist.
The Ottawa, Ontario distributor for McLagan Phonographs, Robertson, Pringle and Tilley Limited placed this wonderful advertisement for the Phonothetic McLagan in the December 18, 1926 edition of the Ottawa Citizen.
Ontario Music and Piano Company Ltd., Ottawa, Ontario, suggested that the Ultra-Phonic Phonograph would be the ideal Christmas present for the entire family in the December 13, 1926 Ottawa Citizen. Unfortunately, none of the models are shown in this advertisement.
J.W. Martin & Bros. of Rochester, New York, a dealer of pianos and phonographs, placed this advertisement for the Clayola in the November 5, 1926 edition of the Rochester Evening Journal And The Post Express. The Clayola went into production in 1922 and was manufactured by Bristol and Barber Co., Inc., New York City.
This advertisement for Brunswick Records of the Six Jumping Jacks appeared in the August 6th, 1926 edition of the Milwaukee Journal. The Six Jumping Jacks were one of the many recording groups fronted by banjo player Harry Reser.
the78rpmrecordspins 