[ Trio Gambarelli-Mojoli-Boneschi ]
Claudio Gambarelli was born in 1907 (and began his career at the end of the 1920s). He did work with famous orchestras who went into the recording studios and left us with excellent records. Some of his work can be heard on a recent RJR CD release.
For more information on this recording, please contact:
Riviera Jazz Records, P.O. Box 8031 - 00188 Rome, Italy eMail: montefalasco@tiscalinet.it

      [ Barnabas von Géczy Orch. ], 1930s -40s
b: March 4, 1897, Budapest, Hungary. d: July 2, 1971, Muenchen, Germany
Instrument: Violin.
Here's a photograph of Geczy who had one of the best-known German hotel orchestras of the 1930s. The band had the popular designation: "BvG-Orchester" (in humorous support to the abbreviation "BVG" der Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe), Berlin city transporting enterprises. Géczy was the son of a high officer, who, after World War I, became a concert master at the Budapester opera, - a position he held for 22 years. In 1924, Geczy came to Berlin, where got his first residency in the 'Weinhaus Traube' (Leipziger Str.) From 1925 to 1937, he led the Hotel Esplanade house orchestra, and during this time, Géczy undertook numerous tours and made broadcasts and recordings. In 1932, he became winner in the contest organized by the "8-Uhr-Abendblatt" around the "Blaue Geige" (blue violin). (Michael Schugalte (Moses Schuchhalter) came in 2nd. ) In 1944, he (together with Willi Stech) became leaders of German dance and house orchestras. After the war Géczy relocated to the Munich area, and, in 1952, created a new orchestra.

      [ Will Glahe Orch. ], 1930s -40s
b: Feb. 12, 1902, Elberfeld, Germany. d: Nov. 21, 1989, Rheinbreitbach bei Bad Honnef, Germany
Currently no information on this orchestra.
nee: Willy Glahe
Instruments: Accordion, Piano.
Glahe was already working as a pianist in various Cologne cafes and silent movie cinemas even while studying at the Cologne Conservatory. In 1929, he became the pianist in the Dajos Bela Orchestra. In 1932, he formed his own orchestra for a residency at the Delphi Palace. He has since recorded many times. Curiously, he is better known as an accordionist and not as a pianist. After the end of World War II, he found world-wide success as an interpreter of "Easy Listening" music receiving 17 Golden records. Glahe has also composed some songs.

In 1938, he scored big on the American charts with his release of the million-seller "Beer Barrel Polka". The song was written in 1934 as "Skoda Lasky" ("Lost Love") by Czech writers Jaromir Vejvoda and Vasek Zeman. The English lyric (1934) was by Lew Brown and the title by Wladimir Timm. Interviewed on his 85th birthday, Vejvoda said he wrote the tune in 1927 for his own band. It was his first composition and 70 songs later he retired in 1981. Bandleader Sammy Kaye, and also the Andrew Sisters vocal group had hit recordings of the song. In Holland and Switzerland, it was a hit under the name of "Rosamunder", and in Scandinavia as "Hvor er Min Kone". During World War II, it was the American General Eisenhower's favorite tune. Glahe followed that with "Hot Pretzels" (digitally modified by Mr. V. Buland), "W.P.A. Polka", "Woodpecker", "Bartender Polka" and "You Can't Be True Dear". 10 years later, he had another hit with his 1957 release of "Liechtensteiner Polka". Here's a photograph of Accordionist Will Glahe's 1941 Orchestra

      [ Zdzislaw Gorzynski Orch. ]
Currently No Information Available.

      [ Orchester Georg Glas ]
Trumpeter Ron Simmonds has advised us that the members of this band were taken mostly from the Frankfurt (Hessischer Rundfunk) big band. The line up consisted of:
     Alto Sax/Flute:  Harry Peterson
     Trumpets:  Conny Jackel, Ivo Preis
     Trombones:  Georg Glas, Erich Otto Schilling, Richard Bergmann, Eugen Christ
     Keyboards:  Gunter Schemmler, Louis Freichel
     Guitar:  Werner Vetterer
     Bass:  Eberhard Leibling
     Drums:  Rudi Sehring

      [ Die Goldene Sieben ]
Here's a photo of the Die Goldene Sieben, a group founded by the inspiration of guitarist Harold M. Kirchstein (Kirchstein has previously with the Dajos Bela Orchestra, and still later, in 1936, Kirchstein contributed music to the film Verräter, in the USA The Traitor, and to two films in 1937, Menschen ohne Vaterland, and Togger. He also composed some Pop songs). The "7" made their first appearance in the 1930s, and right from their start became one of the leading German studio bands. Eventually "Seven" became "Fourteen" members, but during WW2, they had a little problem with Nazi Propaganda Minister Goebbels who first reduced them to the "Swing Ten", and by 1935, prohibited them from broadcasting. In 1939, not even their recordings were available (in Germany). Several future Bandleaders and Singers came out of the group; future leaders like Kurt Hohenberger, Willi Berking, Franz Thon, and singers such as Rudi Schuricke and Hildebrand. Their repertoire included film hits, international melodies, and German compositions. Here are the Die Goldene Sieben playing "Weil der D-Zugfuhrer heute Hochzeit macht", and here's the group recording of Das Solistische Orchester, Probably, their biggest hit was the 1937 recording of "Quartier Latin".

      [ Tanzorchester Paul Godwin ]
b: March 28, 1902 Sosnowiec, Poland (then: Sosnowitz, Prussia), d: Dec. 9, 1982, Zeist/Driebergen, Holland
nee: Pinchas Goldfein.
Instruments: Violin, Leader.
Here's a photo of Paul Godwin, who is mostly forgotten today, but who was a large part of the pre-WWII culture of Berlin, Germany. While still a young man, Godwin was already performing at concerts in Warsaw, Poland, under his given name of Pinchas Goldfein. The 1999 edition of the Deutsche National-Discographie by Dr. Rainer E. Lotz notes that from 1923 to March 1933, the Deutsche Grammophon label sold 9 Million copies of 220 sides with over 2,500 titles recorded by Godwin.

Listen now to Tanzorchester Paul Godwin playing "Ein Bißchen Liebe Für Mich" (527 kb). "A Little Love For Me" recorded Berlin, 1932.

Curiously, Godwins true identity remains somewhat of a mystery. Hardly anything of his early life is known, and he is even forgotten in Germany where he had some of his greatest success. During WWII, the German archives were obviously strongly edited ("one may say the typical emigrant fate").

The young Pinchas Goldfein took violin instruction with Hermann Kaplan in Warsaw, Poland, and with Jenoe Hubay in Budapest, Hungary. In 1920, he relocated to Berlin, where in 1922 (21 years old), he formed his own first orchestra. By his fifth orchestra, he had five violinists, playing side by side. Concomitantly, he was also in as much demand as such other leading violinists of that time as Max Hansen, Curt Bois, Otto Reutter, Betty Bird and Paul O'Montis. On his many recordings, a great many singers interpreted songs by such composers as Werner Richard Heymann,    Friedrich Hollander,    Kurt Weill,  and Willy Rosen.

Paul Godwin and his Jazz Symphonikern could be heard playing for dances in such venues as the Delphipalast (Kant/Ecke Fasanenstraß), in the Revue-Theater von Rudolf Nelson, in the Studio der Grammophon, and with the Wiener Schrammel-Quartett. (Viennese Schrammel Quartet). For an insatiable market, it was really a stroke of good luck that Godwin was equally at home playing many different styles of music. Godwin released titles such as "Die Nachtigall und die Fröche" ("the nightingale and the frogs"), "Kitsch-Tango" ("A Hokum Tango") , "Du bist als Kind zu heiß gebadet worden" ("As a child you were bathed in 'Hot' Water") , and "Der Michel wird nicht klger durch den Krieg" ("The War didn't make Michel more intelligent").

Godwin also began working in the first Tonfilm-Produktionen der UFA ("talkie" productions of the UFA). He appeared in such films as Melodie des Herzens (1929 - 'Melody of the Hearts'), Liebeswalzer (1930 - 'Love's Waltz'), die Tonfilmoperette Liebeskommando (1931 - the operetta 'Love's Commando'), and Die unsichtbare Front (1933 - 'The Invisible Front'). In only three years Godwin supplied the sound for over 80 UFA films including a Cartoon film song for 'Mickey Mouse'. In April 1932 Godwin toured playing in the restaurants of the department store chain Karstadt, and was heard on broadcasts from Stuttgart. In February 1933, Godwin was heard in Berlin for the last time. "Jewish" Paul Godwin left Germany.

He settled in Holland and there created a new orchestra. Between 1933 and 1937, he toured to Switzerland and Belgium; and also gave broadcast concerts in Vienna while touring to Budapest. He 'guest-ed' in Brussels, Zurich and in Nice.

After the German occupation of the Netherlands all Jews were concentrated in the 'Amsterdamer Ghetto'. Godwin played in both of the two theatres there. One in particular was named the Hollandsche Schouwburg, and he found work playing in the large "Jewish Entertainment Orchestra".
(Note: The Hollandsche Schouwburg ("Dutch" Theater) flourished from 1892 until 1941. During the Nazi occupation it was renamed Joodsche Schouwburg (Jewish Theater) and was restricted to Jewish preformers and audiences. In 1942 the theater became a point of assembly for Jews being sent to Westerbork transit camp (and from thence to Auschwitz). Between 60,000 and 80,000 Jews (out of Holland's 150,000 Jewish families, were deported from this point. The old building site has been restored as a Memorial. (Photo credit: Florida Center for Instructional Technology, - Univ. of South Florida.)

The history of the Schouwburg is told in the book Silvie, by Silvia Grohs-Martin (in English): Welcome Rain Publishers, New York 2000 ). Actress Silvia Grohs-Martin, was a beautiful young Viennesse singer who, during a 1938 tour to Switzerland, escaped to Amsterdam, Holland where she rapidly gained stardom working at the famous Jewish Schouwburg theatre. In Silvie, Grohs-Martin has written "I had a love affair with every inch of this theater. The walls, the seats, the footlights, and the drafty backstage. Adoring fans nightly packed the theater, Jews and non-Jews alike (the latter waring yellow armbands to blend in), and watched everything from cabaret numbers to Greek tragedy. I could not imagine ever leaving it." But she did leave it. Under Nazi occupation the theatre became the collecting point for the Deportation of the Dutch Jews. Silvia was deported to Auschwitz, -- to this day she still wears the KZ51841 concentration camp number tatooed on her arm -- and then to the forced labor camp at Ravensbrueck. By some miracle she survived.

At the age of 82 years, Sylvia Grohs Martin wrote another book, Ich Sah Die Toten, Gros und Klein (I saw the dead, large and small. - ISBN 3-89487-416-3 Henschel Publ. - with a good closeup photo of the very young Silvia.) in which she told of those frightful days, when she was reduced to the above shown KZ number. Her book described the history of that odyssey. Today, many decades later, Grohs-Martin is adamant about her book ("Silvie") being more than just a memory of a World War II-era theater. "The Holocaust is in it because it's part of my life," she says. "But it's really about life and the human spirit. Life is the greatest invention, the greatest adventure." In the 1960s, Sylvia Grohs-Martin, moved to Los Angeles, CA, USA, where she now works as a Realtor. She also travels lecturing young students at schools and universities across America. She tells these youngsters "that whatever misery we must endure, - the human spirit always triumphs!" ( Today -2002- Schouwburg is a learning center with no reference to the performers who once graced it's stage, and, Grohs-Martin, now eighty-two, is still in show business. She's a spokeswoman for Steven Spielberg's Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation for Holocaust Survivors, an organization started by the film director in 1994. The foundation's mission is to videotape and to preserve the memories of Holocaust survivors.)

Author and Film producer Hans Lang has had conversations with actress Silvia Grohs-Martin. She and Godwin often appeared on the same show (at the Schouwburg theatre), and Silvia has said of Godwin that "He had given his soul to the violin. He played with soul. He played with heart." In her recent autobiography ("Silvie"), Grohs-Martin describes the assumption of the Schouwburg theatre by the Nazis. When the Nazi's took over, the actors were obligated to publically state their disbelief in Judaism before an astonished audience prior to their Deportation into the Nazi extermination camps. Grohs-Martin wrote "we had sung everything that we could for these people, we had danced for these people, and it was all to be vain." In October 1942. the Deportation of the Jews began, and Paul Godwin disappeared for the second time.

After Germany's defeat in 1945, Godwin, a stateless person, returned to Holland, not to Germany, because he didn't wish to be reminded of his old successes. In 1947, Godwin began a new career playing in the Holländischen Streichquartett, exclusively playing the classical music of Mozart, Schubert and Schostakowitsch, Distler and Hindemith, a turn of events that few would have expected.

In 1952, Godwin finally received Dutch nationality. In 1960, Die Botschaft des Königreichs der Niederlande (Embassy of the Royal Kingdom of the Netherlands) issued a composition of Rudolf Escher, "Le Tombeau de Ravel", played by the ensemble Alma Musica, but Paul Godwin's violin sounded very far away.

The Crowning culmination and acknowledgment of his life's work came when he appeared in a concert, on 4 November 1972 in Amsterdam, together with another famed violinist, Yehudi Menuhin. Paul Godwin died on 9 December 1982 in Driebergen (a suburb of the city of Zeist, Holland).

Collectors can still find a great many of Godwin's Shellac (78rpm) discs (Every one of his releases was a "hit"). In Holland, he was known as a "disc millionaire" for his many successful releases. Curiously, in France he was well known as Pinkus Feingold, not as Paul Godwin.

The Big Bands Database Plus wishes to thank Mr. Hans Lang, for this entry on Paul Godwin.
Author Hans Lang recalls being told by his father that they had a famous relative in Berlin, a violinist, whose brother owned the Hotel Central in Sosnowitz, not far from the Rail station. Currently, Mr Lang is a film producer and assistant at the Hochschule für Fernsehen und Film in München (University for Television and Film) in Munich. He has also worked on a documentary film about Paul Godwin.
The information here on Paul Godwin was obtained from an article originally written by Mr. Lang for the German language weekly "Freitag" and appeared in 5.4.2002. Reader's may peruse Mr. Lang's original copy at: http://www.freitag.de/2002/15/02151603.php

      [ Henryk Gold Orch. ]
b. 1899, Warsaw, then a provincial town in Imperial Russia, d. 1977, New York, NY, USA.
Here's a photograph of Henryk Gold, who was a pioneer in the history of Polish Jazz and Dance Music, as well as being one of the most prolific song writers in Poland during the inter-war years. And, another photograph of Henryk Gold's Orchestra. Gold was born in 1899 in Warsaw into a very musical family in which all of the children were encouraged to play various instruments. His mother came from the famous Warsaw klezmer family Melodysta, and his father was one of the first flutist in the Warsaw Opera Orchestra. His brother, Artur Gold (1903-1943), was also an orchestra leader and composer of note, writing many of the tangos that were popular during the 1920s and 30s.

Henryk Gold, after the sudden death of his father (who died on the stage, while playing the flute) had to go to Tambow in Russia, where he was brought up by his relatives, who also taught him play the violin. Soon, he was admitted to the Glazunov Censervatory and when the World War I ended, he returned to Warsaw, to continue his music studie at the Warsaw Conservatory, under the leadership of famous professors Stanisław Barcewicz and Aleksander Michalowski.

During the period immediately after WW1 when Poland again became independent, Jazz, as popularized by the 'Original Dixieland Jazz Band', began to sweep Europe from west to east. Henryk Gold was caught up in the extreme popularity of this music and followed the lead of Zygmunt Karasinski, a saxophonist, who founded the very first Polish jazz band in 1923.

In 1925, Henryk and his brother Artur formed an 8-piece Jazz Band to play at the Cafe Bodega in Warsaw. They were an immediate success, and this lead to a recording contract with the SYRENA company. The first records by the Gold Orchestra were issued in 1926 and included such titles as "Heebie Jeebies", "Oh, Miss Hannah" and others, as well as the Tangos and Waltzes which were required of any orchestra during the period.

At first, the Gold Orchestra had a very 'salon orchestra' feel, with the musicians playing in more of a ragtime style than anything else. But by 1929, with the addition of Mulatto Jerzy (George) Scott on the drums, the orchestra was on it's way to becoming a versatile all-around dance band. During the 1930's Henryk Gold became the most popular musician in Poland. He was writing songs for films, recording with his orchestra for both SYRENA-ELECTRO and COLUMBIA, and joining his brother Artur, and fellow songwriter Jerzy Petersburski (composer of "Oh Donna Clara") in running "Adria" - a very popular night club in Warsaw. Here's a photograph of the Syrena Label for Gold's recording of the 'Black Bottom' dance "Heebie-Jeebies", (composed by B.Atkins and Jones) and here's the Syrena Label for Gold's recording of the Tango dance Wiem, ze odejdziesz, (composed by Wrobłewski-Włast). Some of the notable recordings made during the 1929-1938 period by the Gold Orchestra include: "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man" (1929- SYRENA), "On Nie Powroci" (1930 SYRENA), "Cheek to Cheek" (1934 COLUMBIA) and "Rose Marie" (1937 SYRENA). The Gold Orchestra can also be heard accompanying many singers of the period such as Hanka Ordonowna, Adam Aston, Janusz Poplawski, and Witold Conti.

Listen now to "Na-pierwszy-znak", ("At The First Sign From You") -(460kb) a 1933 recording by the Henryk Gold Band, with vocal by Hanka Ordonowna - who was the grand disseuse of Polish pre war singing. The song was originally heard in Henry Wars' great film schlager "A Spy In The Mask". To understand why she was called "the grand disseuse", listen now to her singing probably the most touching Polish song of that period "Milosc ci wszystko wybaczy", ("Love Will Forgive You Everything") -(475kb). Both files courtesy of Dr. Grzegorz Musial, -and here digitally re-engineered.

In early 1939, Gold and his Orchestra were invited to be part of the delegation from Poland to the World's Fair in New York. During their time at the Fair they played for dancers at the Polish Pavilion. The outbreak of war on September 1, 1939 forced Gold and the Band to stay in the United Sates temporarily, which was quite a lucky break for them. Gold's brother Artur was not so lucky, he perished in Treblinka in 1943. Gold and most of his musicians volunteered to join General Wladislaw Anders and his army of Polish recruits. In 1946, rather than return to Poland, where most of his family had been exterminated, Gold decided to try his luck in Paris. He formed a large orchestra that played light-classical pieces, as well as the Tangos for which he had been known. This orchestra recorded for the French label SATURNE, including a very rare 'picture disc' of a tune that Gold wrote called "Autumn Serenade". Henryk Gold continued to lead orchestras through the 1950's.

As with most pioneers, the name of Henryk Gold is almost completely forgotten in Poland today, a sad legacy to the man who did so much for the art of Polish popular music.
The BigBands Database thanks Mr. Peter Doyle for this entry on Henryk Gold, and for the two rare photographs and Labels from his archive. We also thank Dr. Grzegorz Musial for further editing.

      [ Max Greger Orch. ]
Max is one of the first to play western music in Germany after the war. His big band sound in 1948 won Germany. In the 1950s and '60s he played in concert with Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, James Last and many more. Max stopped playing with his orchestra in 1998. Presently (1999), he is on concert with some other great orchestras. Max has a wonderful sense of humor, -really positive and very human with his staff or friends. His son, Max Greger Jr, arranger and composer, appears sometimes on his CD's and LP's. I think his son was born in 1952, but I'm not certain. Now living in the Grunwald area (Germany), Max is, at age 74, supposed to be as energetic on a stage as he was 20 years ago.
The above information on Max Greger is from Mr. Joerg Kaufmann (one of Max Greger's sidemen) via the courtesy of Mr. Robert Cantin, of Quebec, Canada.
And: Mr Ron Simmonds (Trumpet) has graciously supplied this lineup for the Greger Orchestra - ZDF Television 1963
Ron Simmonds, Benny Bailey, Ferenc Aszodi, Fredy Brock (trumpets); Karl-Heinz Denick, Helmut Rinck, Rich Richardson, Fritz Gleser (trombones); Dick Spencer, Manfred Mende, Don Menza, Fred Spannuth, Horst Reipsch (saxes); Armin Rusch (piano); Branko Pejakovic (bass); Pierre Favre (drums); Max Greger (leader, tenor sax); Russ Garcia, Hans Hammerschmid, Boris Jojic (arrangers)

      [ Gerd Gerald Quartet ]
b: Oct. 19, 1909, Berlin, Germany. d: March 3, 1976, Langenfeld, Germany
Instrument: Violin.
In the Mid-1930s, Gerald and his Orchestra played, and recorded, in Berlin. After WW II, he was active as both a sideman and conductor (Duesseldorf, Hotel Breidenbacher Hof; East Berlin, Cafe Budapest).

      [ Adolph Ginsburg Orch. ]
Instrument: Violin.
Currently no information available.
In 1933, Ginsburg and his Orchestra played several times in Berlin, mostly at the Cafe Berlin. Due to his Jewish background he emigrated in 1933.

Listen now to the 'Adolf Ginsburg Tanz-Orchester' playing "I Found a Million Dollar Baby" (In A Five And Ten Cent Store) , 570kb. ("Ich habe leider kein Vermogen"). The song was originally composed for producer Billy Rose's 1931 Broadway musical "Crazy Quilt", with music by Harry Warren, and lryic by Mort Dixon & Billy Rose. When Bing Crosby recorded the song, it became a world-wide hit.

      [ Robert Gaden Tango-Orchester ]
Currently no information available.
Here's a photo of Robert Gaden, a sophisticated violinist who, in the 1930s, led dance orchestras that became famous for their elegant style. He preferred playing the Argentine Tango and even recorded (Elektrola) as the Robert Gaden Tango-Orchester. Still, he did record all manner of Jazz compositions, Film music, and waltzes as Robert Gaden Tanzorchester.