Buddy briefly attended the University of Southern California, but left to pursue a career in Show Business. . In 1918, Al Jolson was in California where he discovered De Sylva and took him to New York. Several of De Sylva's songs were interpolated in Jolson's hit show, 'Sinbad', including ."I'll Say She Does."
De Sylva was soon working as a songwriter in New York's "Tin Pan Alley". He wrote songs for other Broadway musicals including "Sally", "The Perfect Fool", "The French Doll", and the 1918 and 1921 editions of the Ziegfeld Follies. In 1925, he became one third of the songwriting team DeSylva, lyricist Lew Brown and composer Ray Henderson, who was one of the top Tin Pan Alley songwriters of the era.
The team scored many Broadway musicals including "La La Lucille", "Bombo", "Orange Blossoms", "The Yankee Princess", "and George White's Scandals" (1922 through 1926, and 1928), "Big Boy", "Sweet Little Devil", "Tell Me More", "Captain Jinks", and "Manhattan Mary". DeSylva also was co-librettist for "Good News", "Hold Everything", "Three Cheers", "Follow Through", "Flying High", and "Take A Chance" (the latter of which he also co-produced). He also was producer and co-librettist for the Broadway musicals "DuBarry Was a Lady" and "Panama Hattie", and produced "Louisiana Purchase". The writing and publishing partnership continued until 1930. In 1929, he sold the publishing firm and went to Hollywood, and after this, he collaborated with other composers, and occasionally wrote both words and music for some of his songs.
After the introduction of Sound, Hollywood stopped making "movies" and started making "talkies". Hollywood soon found that it needed composers, and
DeSylva, along with many others, relocated to Hollywood. Buddy first went under contract to Fox Studios. In 1941, he became the Executive Producer at Paramount Pictures, where during his tenure, he produced such movies as 'The Little Colonel', 'The Littlest Rebel', 'Captain January', 'Poor Little Rich Girl' and 'Stowaway'. He was also an uncredited exectutive producer for 'Double Indemnity' and 'The Glass Key'. In 1942, Johnny Mercer, Glenn Wallichs and De Sylva together founded Capitol Records. De Sylva remained with Paramount until 1944. (.He is sometimes credited as: Buddy De Sylva, Buddy DeSylva, Bud De Sylva and B.G. DeSylva.)
Among the men with whom Buddy collaborated musically include Jerome Kern, Emmerich Kalman, Nacio Herb Brown, Gus Kahn, Victor Herbert, Al Jolson, George adn Ira Gershwin, Vincent Rose, Louis Silvers, Ballard Macdonald, Lewis Gensler, James Hanley, Richard Whiting, Joseph Meyer, and Vincent Youmans.
Among his hits are:
And.... still others including "The Varsity Drag", "It All Depends on You", "Why Do I Love You?", "Just Imagine", "In Arcady", "When Day is Done", "I'm A Dreamer, Aren't We All?", "If I Had a Talking Picture of You", "Just a Cottage Small by a Waterfall", "Should I Be Sweet?", "Birth of the Blues", "Do It Again", "Red Hot Chicago", "You're the Cream in My Coffee", "Should I Be Sweet?", "I'm on the Crest of a Wave",, "My Sin", "The Best Things in Life Are Free", "Broken Hearted" , "Kickin' the Clouds Away", "Little Pal", "I'll Build a Stairway to Paradise", ,"A Kiss in the Dark", "Good News",, "Yoo-Hoo", "I'll Say She Does", "If You Knew Susie", "Lucky Day", "Without Love", "You Try Somebody Else", "Sonny Boy", Eadie Was a Lady", "Thank Your Father",, "Gather Lip Rouge While You May", "You're an Old Smoothie", "Somebody Loves Me", "I Won't Say I Will but I Won't Say I Won't", "Keep Smiling at Trouble", "Rise 'n Shine",,"You Wouldn't Fool Me, Would You?", "(Keep Your) Sunny Side Up", and still many others.
Buddy De Sylva is a member of the Songwriters' Hall of Fame.
Not long after graduating from Juilliard, he became the Music Director of a small radio station in Queens (NYC). The station was later purchased by William S. Paley, and became the nucleus of the Columbia Broadcasting System. Deutsch was appointed music director of the new network and held that post for 11 years. Among the many artists who joined CBS under his aegis were Benny Goodman, Andre Kostelanetz, and Bing Crosby.
During this time, Deutsch formed what was basically a studio orchestra that became quite popular due to their frequent radio broadcasts. Booked into popular venues around the country, the band often played Emery's own compostions. Over his 60 year career, Emery composed over 80 songs
including:
Among Dietz's best lyrics are:
When the Dietz and Schwartz partnership ended, Howard worked with other composers, including Jerome Kern, Vernon Duke, Jimmy McHugh, and Ralph Rainger. But in the 1960s, Dietz did reunite with Schwartz and the team again worked on musicals such as 1961s The Gay Life and 1963s Jennie. Dietz was the librettist for perhaps half of the Broadway musicals on which he worked. He wrote both his own autobiography ('Dancing in the Dark'), and the English lyrics for the operas La Boheme and Der Fledermaus. Howard Dietz is a member of the Songwriter's Hall of Fame.
Among his best lyrics are:
Mort Dixon is a member of the Songwriters' Hall of Fame.
In 1925, De Sarli led his own sextet at the Guarany Cafe. Because of his popularity there, he was offered a contract by Radio Cultura to appear on
some of their radio programs. On Nov. 26, 1929, two of his compositions, "La Guitarrita" and "TBC" were recorded.
In 1934, his entire orchestra quit him and formed their own band called 'The Novel Orchestra'. During the 1939 to 1949 decade, DiSarli (with a new group or musicians) would go on to record more than 156 times, and to appear in theaters, cabarets and radio. Here's a photo of the
Carlos DeSarli Orquestra on stage (photo source unknown)
In 1956, Once again, all of his musicians left en masse, and again formed an orchestra of their own,- 'Los Senores del Tango'.
In 1957, because he had given - in perpetuity - 25% of his composer rights to the 'Patronato de la Infancia Italia', he was awarded the title of
"Comendador del Tango" by the Italian government.
Carlos would compose many successful Tangos, including "Tus Labios me Diran" (with Marco), "Verdemar" (with Contursi), and "Porteno y Bailarin" (again with Marco). Interestingly, he led his groups from his piano. He very rarely, if ever, utilized a Bandoneon.
There can be little question about his having a 'difficult' personality. Still, he had an exquisite interpretive sensitivity, and is today considered by many to be one of the men in Argentina's select gallery of Tango figures.
Discepolo, born in the Once neighbourhood (the centre of Buenos Aires), was orphaned during infancy and, at age 10, after spending a year in the care of an aunt, went to live with his older brother Armando. Armando's artistic temperament brought Discépolo into contact with other 'artistes' at parties and get-togethers attended by his older brother. In this way, Discepolo was introduced into the theatrical world.
In 1917, Enrique (now 18 years old) made his own theatrical debut at the Mayo theatre, -the start of a long and very productive musical career. Even while performing on stage, he began collaborating with composer Mario Folco, and they wrote such songs as "Los Duendes" (The Elves), and "Pase lo Cabo".
The very first Tango Enrique Santos Discépolo wrote by himself was entitled "Bizcochito", composed for dramatist Jose Antonio Saldias' short comedy "La Porota", and sung by famed actress Olinda Bozan. (Much later, singer Juan Carlos Marambio Catan recorded recorded the tune.)
In 1925, he collaborated with his brother Armando, and they produced "The Organito" which had its first showing at the National Theatre, and starred Olinda Bozan. Enrique's own second composition, "Que Vachache", was first presented in Montevideo, Uruguay, and subsequently became popular in Buenos Aires, Argentina when it was recorded by singer Tita Merello. In 1927, singer Azucena Maizani, recorded his next song, -"Esta Noche me Emborracho". (in 1935, another wonderful singer, Mercedes Simone, bestowed the nickname "nata gaucha" ("the snub-nosed gaucho") on Maizani). Two other noteworthy events occurred in 1935. Enrique became romantically involved with Tania, a singer of Spanish origin, and his much celebrated Tango "Cambalache" first appeared.
Discépolo left Argentina and toured to venues in various Spanish, Portuguese, French and North African cities. Upon returning to Buenos Aires he formed his own orchestra which was heard on Radio Municipal. In 1937, this orchestra began recording.
In 1943, (collaborating with pianist Mariano Mores) he wrote the Tango "Uno". In 1946, his Tango "Sin Palabras" appeared, followed in 1948 by another of his Tangos "Cafetin de Buenos Aires". Also in 1948, Discepolo, along with such other artists as Francisco Lomuto, and Francisco Canaro, formed SADAIC, the Argentine Society of Authors and Composers. (Lomuto would become the first President, Discépolo the first Vice-President, and Canaro was the first Chairman of the Board.) In 1949, he toured Central America, performing with considerable success, particularly in Mexico and Cuba.
At one time, Discépolo was heard on his own radio program entitled "Pienso y digo Io que pienso" (I think and say what I think). He also did much work in the Argentine film studios, as actor, director and scriptwriter. Among the films in which he worked or appeared are "EI Alma del Bandoneón"
(The Soul of the Bandoneon), "Un Senor Mucamo", "Mateo", "Cuatro Carazones", "Melodia Parteńa", "EI Hincha", and "Fantasmas de Buenos
Aires".
An interesting sidelight is that to friends and co-workers, Enrique was always called simply, "Discépolo". (Another such example is American singer Vic Damone. Even his wife calls him simply 'Damone'. "Damone, hand me that newspaper"; -"Damone, the telephone is ringing", etc.)
On December 23, 1951, Enrique Santos Discépolo died in his home on Callao Avenue in Buenos Aires. Suffering severe depression, his heart stopped at 11.20 p.m. that summer night. From his window's balcony, "Discépolo" had made his final farewell to his fellow Portenos, - his Tangos
have forever marked the genre with an indelible form.
In 1917, Francisco first appeared, together with bandoneonist Carlos Marcucci,in a quartet in the cafe "El Parque" (The Park), and then at other venues as well. Previously, his musical personality had been shaped when he and his brother Julio had played in the Orquesta Minotto Di Cicco. Francisco would go on to achieve successes, playing in Uruguay, Brazil, Italy and France.
A little later, he formed the now famous "sexteto" that included his brothers Julio and Emilio De Caro on the violins, Maffia, and Petrucelli on bandoneones, Francisco on the piano and Leopoldo Thompson playing the doublebass. Later Petrucelli would leave and was replaced by Pedro Laurenz. Luis Adolpho Sierra, speaking about this sextet said:
Sierra also emphasized the harmonized acompaniment of Francisco De Caro's piano. He noted Francisco's ability to use tenths in his Chordals, two notes beyond the usual eight, and he remarked that ".....(the) institutionalization of that resource would be the merit of this great musician."
Among the Tangos composed by Francisco are :
Francisco was a remarkable player who created a new "pianística"
school of the Tango, that would give stimulus to his other colleagues; he was a
true innovator. Before, the piano was usually relagated to just playing rhythm,
but in Francisco's hands, it became on a par with the Bandoneón of Maffia
and the violin of his brother Julio De Caro.
Julio De Caro
His father wanted Julio to be a doctor, and threw him out of the house when
he discovered Julio was secretly performing in the Eduardo Arolas orchestra, at one of the local theatres.
Here's an early photo of Julio De Caro, who continued playing popular Tango music, and just a year later composed his first tango,
"Mala Pinta" ( Bad Dot), in collaboration with his brother Francisco, (who had suffered the same fate of being thrown out of the paternal house).
The song was recorded in 1918 by Juan Maglio Pacho and his orchestra.
In 1923, he joined the sextet of pianist Juan Carlo Cobián but they were soon estranged, and De Caro
along with bandoneonists Pedro Maffia and Luis Petrucelli, left and formed their own group
to which was added the violin of his brother Emilio, the piano of his other brother, Francisco, and the doublebass of Leopoldo Thompson.
This became the famous Julio De Caro Sextet, that for the very first time introduced the concepts
of Solos and Improvisation that had been started by the early Jazz musicians in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It is also important to
note that pianist Francisco De Caro was basically accompanying with harmony, - not melody.
Early on, bandoneonist Petrucelli, was replaced by another bandoneonist, Pedro Laurenz, and these two men,
Maffia and Laurenz, were soon playing with a technical virtuosity that would influence all later bandeonists..
(In Argentina, the first printed "how-to" for playing the Bandoneon was published by Luis Bernstein, a Jewish musician often
called "The German" because of his parentage.)
Here's an early photo of showing three Tango greats, Pedro Maffia on the left, Julio De Caro center, Pedro Laurenz on right
Notice the trumpet bell that De Caro has attached to his violin. The technicians at Victor, his record label, created
a "violin cornet", a violin with a small gramophone horn to amplify the sound, so that he could be heard better recording
live when there was no electrical amplification.
When the Julio De Caro orchestra (photo source unknown), began to achieve success, his bandoneon players Pedro Maffia and Pedro Laurenz introduced a new way of performing tangos: the bandoneon duo. It has been said that people went to the movies to listen to the musicians instead of to watch the screen. The Julio De Caro orchestra and the Maffia-Laurenz duo, were so successful that other movie theaters began to employ Tango bands, many of whom managed to get recording contracts.
De Caro composed such extraordinary tangos as:
"Tierra Querida", "Boedo", "Todo Corazon", "Buen Amigo", "Mala Junta", "Orgullo Criollo", "Copacabana",
"La Rayuela", "El Malevo", "Olimpia", "Chiclana" and many more.
Julio went on in the late 1920s and early 1930s to have one of the most important and influential Tango orchestras of all time.
He will be remembered as one of the true founders of the "New Guard". Some historians have noted that his innovative arranging style may have influenced
many others, including Osvaldo Pugliese.
Donaggio's classical career came to a grinding halt during the summer of 1959 with his discovery of rock and roll music, and his singing
debut with Paul Anka. He was soon writing his own songs, and became one of Italy's prominent singer-songwriters. Beside appearing at the
San Remo Festival with "Come Sinfonia", he also had a string of successes, most notably with the song "Il Cane di Stoffa." However, he will
always be remembered for his 1963 composition "Io Che Non Vivo", which sold 60 million records worldwide. The English title was "You
Don't Have to Say You Love Me", and such stars as Elvis Presley and Dusty Springfield had widely popular versions.
"Buddy" De Sylva
b. Jan. 27, 1895, New York, NY, USA, d. July 1, 1950, Hollywood, CA, USA (heart attack). Age: 55
né: George Gard De Sylva
Buddy's father, Aloysius J. De Sylva, was better known to American audiences as the Portuguese-born actor, Hal De Forrest (b. 1862, Portugal, d. February 1938, New York, NY, USA (heart attack). His son, Buddy, would also die of coronary arrest at just age 55)
1920's "Avalon"
1921's
"April Showers", (553 kb). a 1922 recording, Chas. Harrison vocal. (Jolson had the big hit.)
"Yoo-hoo"
"Look for the Silver Lining"
"Whip-poor-will"
"Down South"
1922's
"Stairway to Paradise"
"A Kiss in the Dark"
1924's
"Somebody Loves Me"
"Alabamy Bound"
"California, Here I Come"
1925's "If You Knew Susie"
1926's "When Day Is Done"
(Please see the Ray Henderson, bio for 1925-31 songs)
1932's
"Eadie Was a Lady"
"You're an Old Smoothie"
"Rise 'n Shine."
Emery Deutsch
b. 1906, Budapest, Hungary, d. April 16, 1997, Miami, FL.
(Also See American Bands Database - Emery Deutsch Orch.)
Overview
Born in Budapest, Hungary, Emery came to the United States with his family when he was 8, and grew up in Cleveland, OH. He later graduated from New York's famed Juilliard School of Music.
1933 "Play, Fiddle, Play"
1935 "When a Gypsy Makes His Violin Cry". (His theme song.)
Howard Dietz
b. Sept 8, 1896 New York, NY, USA, d. 1983 New York, NY, USA.
Overview
Lyricist Howard Dietz was most active from the 1920's through the 1960's. Though best remembered today as the lyrics half of the Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz team, he did work with other well known composers. Dietz attended Columbia University (NYC) briefly and then began his career working as a newspaper columnist and 'Ad' writer. During WW 1, he served in the U. S. Armed forces, and after his service discharge continued his career, - in time becoming the advertising and publicity director of MGM Pictures (and others), He also later wrote for radio and television. Dietz and Schwartz composed for some of Broadway's greatest shows including 1929s The Little Show, 1930s Three's a Crowd, 1935s At Home Abroad, and 1948s Inside U.S.A.
1929
"I Guess I'll Have to Change My Plans"
"Moanin' Low"
1930 "Something to Remember You By"
1931 "Dancing in the Dark"
1932
"Louisiana Hayride"
"A Shine on Your Shoes"
1934
"You and the Night and the Music"
"If There Is Someone Lovelier Than You"
1938 "I See Your Face Before Me"
1953 "That's Entertainment"
Mort Dixon
b. March 2, 1892, New York, NY, USA. d. March 23, 1956, Bronxville, NY, USA.
Overview
Lyricist Mort Dixon began writing songs in the early 1920's, and was active into the 1930's. He achieved success with his first published effort, 1923's "That Old Gang of Mine." His chief composer collaborators were Ray Henderson, Harry Warren, Harry Woods, and Allie Wrubel.
1923 "That Old Gang Of Mine"
1926 "Bye Bye Blackbird"
1927 "I'm Looking over a Four Leaf Clover"
1930 "Would You Like to Take a Walk?"
1931
"I Found a Million Dollar Baby"
"You're My Everything"
"River, Stay 'Way from My Door"
I934
"Flirtation Walk"
"Mr. and Mrs. Is the Name"
1935 "The Lady in Red"
Carlos Di Sarli
b. Jan. 7, 1903, Bahia Blanco, Argentina, d. Jan 12, 1960, Olivos, Argentina
né: Cayetano De Sarli
Here's a photo of Carlos Disarli, shown with some of the many vocalists who appeared with his band. The son of Miguel and Josefina Russomano, this Argentine Tango composer was encouraged to study music by his older brother, Domingo, a teacher at the Williams Conservatory in Bahia Blanco. One of his classmates was Juan Carlos Cobian, who would also go on to became a well known Tango composer. Cayetano composed his first Tango, "Meditacion", when he was only 15 years old, dedicating it to his friends Carmelo and Fortunato Martino. (Ten years later, in 1928, the song was published.) In 1920, he relocated to Argentina's capitol city of Buenos Aires, where he earned a living playing piano in the "cafetines" on the Paseo Colon. During this period, he was often the accompanist for various singers, including "Tania", who would later marry Enrique Santos Discepolo.
Norman Del Mar
Basically recalled as a British Conductor, but he did compose some music for a few British Armed Forces short documentaries, including contributing music to an RAF newsreel The Gen.. The BBC Northern Orchestra has recorded the "Battle Landing Party" sketch as a broadcast transcription disc. In 1951, he was the conductor for the background music to the film "The African Queen", that starred Humphrey Bogart and Kathryn Hepburn. Also in 1951, he worked as the Musical Director for the film "The Reluctant Widow".
Robert Docker
b. 1919, UK., d. 1992 age 73, UK.
Best recalled for his arrangement of the music for the film Chariots of Fire, with a
score by Vangelis.
Marcus Dods
b. March 4, 1901, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.
Recalled today as a conductor of concert and film music.
Enrique Santos Discépolo
b: March 27, 1901, Buenos Aires, Argentina, d: Dec. 23, 1951, Bs. As., Argentina
Tango lovers say this about Discépolo: Discepolo wrote sad thoughts that you could dance to. ("Discépolin scriba pensamientos tristes que se podian bailar...")
Francisco De Caro
b: March 23, 1898, Buenos Aires, Argentina, d: July 31, 1976, Bs. As., Argentina
Jose De Caro De Sica, and his wife Mariana Ricciardi Villari, had five children; - Francisco (piano), Emilio, Jose, Alberto, and Julio (violins). Their father ran a music shop and school where the children first studied music.
"In that the initial stage of that orchestra, one could clearly see the
temperamental influence exerted by bandoneón of Pedro Maffia, -it's slow
modality, with a propensity for filigreed shades and pianisimos".
"Luciérnaga" -"Firefly" (This compositon was his musical debut in 1916)
"Mala Pinta", - "Bad Dot" Co-composed with brother Julio; recorded by Roberto Firpo 1919.
"Flores Negras", - "Black Flowers", 1926
"Loca Bohemia", - "Crazy Bohemia", 1928
"Triste", - "Sad"
"Páginas Muertas", - "Dead Pages", 1931
"Suenó Azul", - "Blue Dream"
"Dos Lunares", - "Two Spots", 1929
"Un Poema", - "A Poem"
"Bibelot", - "Bibelot", 1934
"El Bajel", - "The Vessel"
"Pura Labia", - "Pure Tongue"
"Colombina", - "Columbina:
"Por Un Beso", - "For a Kiss"
"Poema de Amor", - "Poem of Love"
"Aquel Amor", - "That Love"
"Don Antonio", - "'Sir' Antonio"
"Mala Pata", - "Bad Leg"
"Mi Diosa", - "My Goddess", recorded by Carlos Gardel in 1926.
"Adios Tristeza", - "Goodbye Sadness"
And over 50 others.
b: Dec. 11, 1899, Buenos Aires, Argentina, d: March 10, 1980 (1988?)
Violinist, bandleader, and composer.
Jose De Caro De Sica and Mariana Ricciardi Villari, had five children; - Francisco (piano),
Emilio, Jose, Alberto, and Julio (violins). Their father ran a music shop and school where Julio began his musical studies
when he was only six years old (violin and later other instruments), and by just age thirteen, he was already teaching others.
Giuseppe "Pino" Donaggio
b. Nov. 24, 1941, Burano, Veneto, Italy.
aka: Pino Donaggio, and, Donimak
Venice-born into a musical family, Donaggio began studying the violin at age ten, first at the 'Benedetto Marcello Conservatory' in
Venice, and then at Milan's 'Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory'. At just age 14, he made his solo debut on Italian radio, in a Vivaldi concert.
He would subsequently go on to play for both 'Il Solisti Veneti', and the 'Il Solisti di Milano'.
