[ Pat Riccio Orch ], (50's)
Alto Sax.
Pat got his band experience when he joined the RCAF (1941) and was made arranger and Leader of the RCAF Streamliners Orchestra. In 1944, the band was in London, England, for an booking at the Queensbury Club. While there the Streamliners alternated with the Major Glenn Miller Army Air Force Band.

In 1945, after his war service was completed, Pat became a sideman (Alto Sax) with the bands of Maynard Ferguson; Art Hallman; Mart Kenney, and Bert Niosi. In 1957, Pat formed his own band, which was booked into Oshawa's Jubilee Pavilion.

      [ Dal Richards & his Hotel Vancouver Orch ]
Main Instrument: Saxophone
né: Dallas Murray Richards.
Overview
Originally known as 'The Band at the Top of the Town' because, for 26 years, Dal played the Panarama Roof room of the Vancouver Hotel, - from April 1940 to August 1966, -the longest running dance band engagement in Canadian history. He didn't actually form the band. In late 1939, Stan Patton turned over his orchestra to Dal, who then took it into his 26 years stay at the Vancouver Hotel. "Mr. Music" did tour widely, from time to time visiting such well known venues as the Jantzen Beach Ballroom in Portland, OR, and the Olympic Hotel in Seattle, WA. The band was often heard on CBC's two networks. Richards eventually disbanded and got out of the music business. He wound up managing a hotel, the Jet Inn, at the Sea-Tac International Airport in Seattle, WA, USA. But this great musician could not, and his fans would not let him, stay inactive. There were special Telethons and such, including the Half-Time Shows for the B.C. Lions. And, we are especially happy to report that his wonderful career continues. Yes! Dal Richards and his band continue to thrill a legion of loyal fans to this day.(1999)

His career began in 1937 when Vancouver high school student Dal Richards landed a part-time summer job in White Rock, BC, playing the saxophone as a member of the orchestra at the Blue Moon Room. His career would continue all during the first big band era when the Dal Richards' Orchestra performed nightly, and broadcast weekly, from the Panorama Roof of the Hotel Vancouver. During that time, 'The Band at the Top of the Town', was featured on over 2000 coast to coast broadcasts on CBC Radio, earning the band a National reputation. In that time, a few of the vocalists who would appear with the band included Lorraine Foster, Lynne McNeil and Peter Chipman, as well as lovely Lorraine McAllister who became his bride.

Dal has compiled an astonishing number of 'firsts' in Vancouver's entertainment industry and has played many memorable engagements. His band was given the honor of opening Empire Stadium in 1954, the year this nostalgic facility played host to the British Empire Games. The band also played at the B. C. Lions Football game when the team first entered the Canadian Football League and has since become a league favorite at the annual Grey Cup Dinners.

Dal's career continues gloriously. Now with 'Swing' back near the top of the charts, Dal is a big hit with a whole new generation of music and dance lovers. These days, the band is busy with a full schedule of convention appearances, stage shows, dances and concerts. Whether it's the best of arrangements from Duke Ellington, Harry James, Count Basie and Tommy Dorsey, -or the latest swing sounds of Harry Connick Jr., and Big Band Voodoo Daddy, Dal Richards and his Orchestra are packing the dance floors and wowing crowds and all over Western Canada.

More recently, Dal has been featured in two national TV documentaries, and in a ten-page spread in Canada's new 'NUVO' Magazine. His bio-pic, "Big Band Boom" won a silver medal for documentaries at the 1998 U.S. International Film and Video Festival in Chicago; while his musical special "What Legends Are Made Of" has been broadcast nationally several times on Canadian TV. Dal's big band headlined daily at the 1999 Pacific National Exhibition in Vancouver, and the band consistently wows a huge crowd at the 'Canada Day' festivities at 'Canada Place' and an equally large crowd at special 'Remembrance Days Shows' at the 'Orpheum Theatre'.

One of Dal's major passions has been helping the 'special needs children' assisted by the Variety Club of BC, where he and his band perform at Christmas parties and fund raising dinners. In 1993, that Club honored Dal with their Heart Award, and the International's Presidential Citation. Dal has received many other honors and accolades including the City of Vancouver's Civic Merit Award in 1994. And, on May 3rd 1995, at Rideau Hall in Ottawa, Dal Richards was inducted into The Order of Canada by His Excellency The Right Honourable Romeo LeBlanc, Governor General of Canada. In early 1999, Dal received an Honorary Doctorate of Technology from his Alma Mater, the B.C. Institute of Technology.

Today, after more than fifty years, the Dal Richards' Orchestra continues to delight Canadians with both memorable dance music from the swing era, and the newest hits of the day. He has a weekly Big Band radio show on 600 AM --the memory music station, plays regular gigs around Vancouver and special concerts in many other cities in Canada and the U.S., and bookings for the Dal Richards' Orchestra continue well into the new millennium. Dal is a member of the BC Entertainment Hall of Fame, housed at the historic Orpheum Theatre.

Incidentally, for more information on Booking the Dal Richards Orchestra for your special event - Civic, Corporate or Private Gala, just 'click' this Dal Richards Working Bands Registry, prompt.

      [ The Romanelli's Orchestras ], (early 20's)
There were two brothers living in Italy, Joseph and Rocco Romanelli.
One brother, Rocco, a violinist, aka 'Romanelli the Great', had accompanied some well known stars including Madame Nellie Melba, and had accompanied Enrico Caruso on his American tour. Rocco visited the U.S.A. many times, and had even conducted a band in America. He died in 1941, a year before his famous nephew Luigi died.

The other brother, Joseph, (1859-1944) was a harpist who arrived Canada when he was just 5 years old. He spent his career as a concert and theatre musician in Toronto. Joseph had five sons, Luigi (most famous), Don, Leo, Johnny and Joseph, - all of whom found their careers in music.

Luigi, fiddle
b. Nov. 29, 1885, Belleville, Ont, Canada, d. July 29, 1942, Murray Bay (La Malbaie), Que, Canada (age 57)
Here are some early (ca. 1933) photos of Luigi Romanelli, (from the sheet music for" Robins and Roses"), and a 1935 photograph of Luigi at NBC Microphone, (Old NBC Publicity Photo - NBC-Blue Network, WJZ), and here's another Romanelli photo, from the 1936 sheet music for "A Star Fell Out Of Heaven". Luigi was certainly the most famous of the brothers. Here, -in 1922- is his band playing "I Want You Morning, Noon an Night". (Digitally re-engineered by Mr. Verne Buland.) This band was resident at the King Edward Hotel's in 1923 and stayed resident for twenty years. During this time, be was also a band agent, sending out other 'Romanelli' orchestras to other hotels, ballrooms and social gatherings. A list of musicians who worked in Luigi's bands, would read like a who's who of Canadian music. They included Nat Cassel on reeds in the early 1923 band. Horace Lapp was another musician who worked with Luigi. Trump Davidson was in Luigi's orchestra from 1929 - 1936. Ed Culley got his training with Luigi. Most of Luigi's scores were written by Trump Davison; trombonist-arranger Seymour 'Red' Ginzler and by Percy Faith. Trump Davidson once said, "If you didn't work for the Romanellis, you didn't work." No wonder! The dance band business in the Toronto area was all but sewn up by the Romanelli family in the 1920s and '30s. At times there might be seven or eight bands under the name of The Romanelli Orchestra working Toronto the same night. Luigi died at Manor Richelieu, Murray Bay, Que. where his band had played for four summers.

Don (1891-1960) (20's)
During his teens, Don had played with the dance band of Charles Bodley. By 1918, he had formed an orchestra that was playing on the Cayuga and Chippewa, Lake Ontario cruise boats. (Nat Cassels was in the band.) In the early 1930s, Don had the orchestra playing the Royal York Hotel Imperial Room (circa 1931).

Leo (1902-1961) (20's)
When he was just 17, he joined Luigi's 11 piece radio band, the 'Monarchs of Melody', and later led the orchestra. In 1930's, he led a band at the Old Mill and also at the King Edward Hotel.

Johnny Currently no information available. (20's)