[ Erwin Lehn's Band ]
b. June 8, 1919, Grünstadt-Pfalz , Germany
Famed Trumpeter Ron Simmonds has advised that "...Lehn's band was resident at the Sudfunk, Stuttgart radio station for many years. Ack van Rooyen and Rolf Ericson played earlier in the trumpet section and were replaced by Faber and Osterloh. I don't know the exact dates. Lehn is now retired." (2002) The band had this line-up:
     Trumpets:  Lubomir Rezanina, Johannes Faber, Bela Wei_bach, Klaus Osterloh
     Trombones:  Bob Burgess, Jose Gallardo, Alfred Pendyialek, Kurt Krause
     Saxes:  Bernd Rabe, Frity Dautel, Joki Freund, Manfred Hoffbauer, Ernst Machwitz
     Piano:  Helmut Kirchsner
     Bass:  Peter Witte
     Drums:  Joerg Gebhardt
     Guitar:  Hans Wenzel

      [ Georgi Landsberg ], (1920's-30's)
Currently No Information Available.

      [ Lanigiro Syncopating Melody Kings ], 1920s - '30s
Here's a 1938 photograph of Lanigiro Hot Shots In 1924, a Basle (Switzerland) student, Hans Philippi, formed a high school band he called The Lanigiro Syncopating Melody Kings. Lanigiros was derived from the word "original" spelled backwards. In the patois of the time, the band was also known more simply as 'The Lanigiros'. (This type of simple appellation was applied to many other bands, for example, 'Weintraubs Syncopators' were usually just referred to as 'The Weintraubs', and so forth..) At first they performed at dances and in theaters, but from 1926 on, they were heard on radio broadcasts. They were the first band entirely made up of Swiss musicians to record jazz (1929).

The group was still an 'amateur' band but in 1932 became "professional" under the leadership of the alto saxophonist Rene Schmassmann, who promptly re-christened them The Lanigiro Hot Players, (but still referred to as just 'The Lanigiros'). Here's a photo of Rene Schmassmann's Langiro Hot Players. During the 1930s, the band toured Germany, Belgium, and Switzerland, and in 1937 recorded dance music for Odeon in Berlin. Smasshman and The Lanigiros Hot Players were at the Cafe Heinze in Hamburg, during March/April 1937, and in Berlin's Delphi Palace during Sept/Oct. '37. (In Berlin, they were known as 'Rene Schmassmann's Lanigiro's', and the band was augmented to 14 men with additional German musicians including Willy Berking.) They also did some recording in Berlin during 1937.

In 1939, former sideman Bruno Bandini (tenor saxophone) became leader, and from 1941 to 1943 the band made several recordings in Zurich (including a quartet version of St. Louis Blues, 1943, Columbia ZZ1132). From 1941, Rio de Gregori, clarinet/tenor sax Fernand Clare, and double bass Ren�Bertschi were among the ensemble's principal soloists. The size of the group varied widely from four to 15 with frequent changes in personne. By 1945, only trumpeter and saxophonist Eric Landsrath remained from the original members. The group disbanded in 1961.
( An excellent history of the band can be found on the net at this URL:
http://www.jazzdocumentation.ch/lanigiro-intro.html )

      [ James Last Orch. ]
b. 1929, Bremen, Germany
(Please also see our entry for Bert Kaempfert, for additional information on James Last.
Overview
In one way or another, a lot of people have hard his music. Beginning in 1965, when he began recording, James "Hansi" Last (ca.1998), has been composing and producing hundreds of records, which have sold in millions all over the world, - in fact Hansi owns 208 Golden and 14 Platinum records. 'Jazz Poll' has three times voted him best bass player of the year. An excellent musician, composer, arranger & producer, he's among the best jazz musicians in Germany. His first record, "Non-Stop Dancing", was released in 1965, and Last is still going strong today (2000), - his latest release is an album recorded in Nashville, TN, USA (1998). And, today, 34 years later, millions of avid fans can't wait to get their hands on his latest releases.

James Last comes from a musical family, and began Piano studies at an early age, with a private teacher. But James preferred playing bass and later on played the Bass (together with his brothers) in Radio Bremen's dance and entertainment orchestra. Both of his brothers, Robert and Werner are also musicans. Werner, using the professional name of Kai Warner, has a swinging big band made up of casual musicians from various radio stations.

At just 21 years of age, he was first voted "the best bass player of the year". Famed trumpeter Ron Simmonds (in private correspondence) has advised that in 1955, James Last ("Hansi" Last) was the bass player in the Hamburg radio band (NDR). During these years he was also arranging for such recording stars as Freddy Quinn, Caterina Valente, and Helmut Zacharias, - and finally formed his own orchestra. In the mid-60s, Hansi got a record producer interested in his idea of having a band play mostly unison melody, and formed a band, using mostly members of the NDR band in his line-up, plus some from Peter Herbolzheimer's band when Peter was living in Hamburg. Peter often played bass trombone, and Ack van Rooyen did all the trumpet and flugelhorn solos. This same line-up was also used by Bert Kaempfert when he started.

In 1965, his first album, "Non Stop Dancing", became a big success and the spark that started his career, which has since included tours over Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa and America.

         "Facing everyone without prejudice, James Last's charisma is that of a
        happy, optimistic person who, as he states, did not meet a single "bad
        guy" in his whole life. So is his music. So are his arrangements. His
        adaptations of classic or pop tunes have always the "Last-touch."
        I cannot describe what it is", Hansi says. "I am only following what I am
        feeling. I am what I am - and I want to to know people only as themselves
        - not what they pretend."
                        (from James Last - a short biography, Berlin Inside)

Since the day of his "Non-Stop Dancing" record, Last has explored, and continues to explore, many themes and music styles ranging from classical to disco, - all with his own distinctive sound. He uses a simple formula for success: select familiar themes, treat the melodic lines with respect, and emphasize the Bass and the Brass in tasteful arrangements.

      [ Juan Llossas Orchester ]
b: July 27, .1900, Barcelona, Spain. d: May 21, 1957, Salzburg. .
Instrument: Piano.
Tag: "The German Tango King"
Overview
Juan Llossas was a bandleader, composer and arranger who was most active in Germany, and where he was most popular.. He had to write one new tango each week, rehearse it with a 44-piece-orchestra, and present it live on air. Hundreds of the most beautiful tangos in the world bear this Spaniard's signature. Known as the 'German King of Tango', Llossas set world standards, especially when he worked at British Forces Network BFN in Hamburg. His weekly Radio-Show 'Tango Time' was heard all over the World via BBC.

Here's a photo of Juan Llossas, whose early years were spent in central and South America. In 1923, he relocated to Berlin. There he studied at the 'musikhochschule' music while also working nights as a musician. In 1925, he formed his own first band for a residency at the Eden Hotel Roof Garden. From there he went on to play at all the larger restaurants of Berlin (Casanova, Delphi Palace, Femina, Europa Spiegelsaal, Berolina, and others). Listen now to the Juan Llossas Orchester playing "Du Bist Nicht Die Erste", (483 kb)."You Are Not The First" (composer: Walter Jurmann, - Rudolph Bernauer). with vocal by Leo Monosson. This 'schlager' was first heard in the film "Ihre Majestät - Die Liebe" (1931).

After World War II ended, Llossas was predominantly active in the Hamburg area, where, among other things, his orchestra was heard on the English Military Radio BFN. Over his career, he recorded many times and even composed some songs, including such compositions as "Tango Bolero", "My Beautiful" and "O Ms Grete" (both co-composed with Beda), "Blond Clara" (co-composed with Rotter), etc.

   [ Adalbert Lutter Orch. ]
b: Oct. 20, 1896, Osnabrueck, Germany. d: July 28, 1970, Berlin, Germany
Instrument: Piano.
Here's a photograph of Adalbert Lutter, who formed his own first small band in Hanover, following a stay in South America (1922-'28). From 1932 on, his band played in Berlin (in the William Halles, in the Europa-Pavilion, the Roof Garden of the Cafe Berlin). The orchester made innumerable recordings, and Lutter was also a guest conductor at Telefunken. After World War II, his was the house orchestra for the (Russian Zone) East Berlin Radio. Lutter gave it up in 1961, just like Otto Dobrindt (director/conductor of the House Orchestra of the city of Berlin broadcasts), and Bruno Sangster (head of the orchestra of radio GDR) gave up his activity in East Berlin (Russian Zone after WWII).

      [ Hermann Leopoldi Orch. ]
b: August 15,1888, Vienna, Austria. d: June 28, 1959, Vienna, Austria
Ferdinand Cohn
Composer / Pianist.
Here is a photo of Leopoldi, who as a child, studied Piano with his father, -a professional musician. After attending High School and some commercial training Hermann decided to make music his career, and found work as a pianist. After the First World War, he began his career in Vienna, working first as a piano humorist and he soon became a 'steady' in the Viennese cabarets. He composed songs - in the Viennese style, many with lyrics by Peter Herz. One such, entitled "In a Small Cafe in Hernals" might be his most popular song. In 1926, he had already cut his first records; many more followed -into the 1950s. In the mid-'20s, he was playing in Berlin, and toured also to Prague, Paris, and Bucharest. After the Nazi Annexation of Austria, he was arrested and, from 1938 to 1939, was first in the Dachau concentration camp, and later in the Buchenwald concentration camp. There he, together with Fritz Loehner Beda, composed the "Buchenwald Song" In 1942, Loehner Beda was murdered in Auschwitz, but Leopoldi, with the help of his wife's family, managed to leave Germany, and found a haven in the USA. In New York he again began to compose Viennese songs, together with other exiled artists. In 1947, he returned to his hometown, Vienna, where his artistic ability could express itself with old and new songs.

      [ Edith Lorand Orchester ]
Also as: "Edith Lorand and Her Hungarian Orch." (in America) , and "Edith Lorand & Her Viennese Orch."
b. Dec. 17, 1898, Budapest, Hungary, d. Nov. 23, 1960, New York, NY, USA.
OVERVIEW:
Here's a photo of Edith Lorand, from a Publicity Post Card. (The back side reads: "Edith Lorand, Her dynamic Violin and Continental Orchestra are currently featured in gay dance music and sparkling musical entertainment in the Tavern Room* Bismarck Hotel, Chicago.") Lorand was a skilled violinist whose early career was spent mainly in Germany, although she did tour all of Europe extensively. She was a prolific recording artist and her recordings (as 'Edith Lorand Orchester') sold extremely well all during the late 1920s and 1930s.

Lets watch a beautiful   VIDEO: "Strauss Waltz"   played by 'Edith Lorand and Her Viennese Orchestra' filmed in 1931. ( film clip: jozefsterkens)

In the early 1900s, "Salon" ensembles proliferated throughout Europe (and North America); small groups of musicians performing in a variety of locations, such as hotels and tearooms. Groups such as Dajos Bela, Albert Sandler, and Edith Lorand led such "Salon orchestras" of just a few musicians, playing popular dance tunes and selections from operettas and musical comedies, as well as some light classical works. Many became the recording stars of their day

Little is known of her early life other than she did graduate from music academy in Budapest. Subsequently, she studied with professor Carl Flesch. In 1920, she appeared for the first time on a concert stage (in Berlin, Germany) as a soloist. Lorand made Berlin her permanent residence, and remained there, with some interruptions, until 1934. She would go on to appear on stages in Munich, Hamburg, in the capitals of Switzerland, Italy, Holland, and England.

On June 1921, she made her first recordings for the Parlophone label. In 1927, Parlophone released their 1000th recording which was titled "Wiener Maedln" ("Vienna Girl"), a waltz by Karl Michael Ziehrer, -and it was played by Lorand's orchestra. In 1928, Parlophone recorded "Amorettenreigen Valse" ("Love Reigns"), by the Orchestra Mascotti with Edith Lorand (composed by Czech composer Julius Fucik). During that six year period, her repertoire covered a genre we today call "Salon" music, -operettas, dance music, popular melodies of the day, even some symphonic selections, all of which were released on the old 78rpm 25 and 30CM (10 and 12 inch) records.

On April 1, 1930, she signed a three year recording contract with Lindstroem AG, which called for her to produce at least 144 tunes per year, averaging six two-sided records per month. According to her contract, Lorand received 250 Deutsche Marks per session, so that (for the 144 tunes) she was guaranteed a fee of at least 36,000 Marks per year. An interesting contract sidelight was that the costs of the orchestra were borne by the record company, not by Edith Lorand. According to the contract, Lindstroem engaged a studio orchestra of eleven musicians for Edith Lorand to lead for the duration of seven months, starting from Sept. 1, 1930. The orchestra was known under her name Edith Lorand Orchester, (from a Parlophone publicity flyer) both in Germany and on those records sold abroad.

During this period, music was undergoing a sort of technical revolution. The invention of the phonograph made it possible for large numbers of people to hear music that was previously part of the domain of just financially affluent members of society. Artists could now reach a mass public. She appeared on the stage of Berlin's "Capitol" theatre, in Hamburg, and in the important European Variety halls, - in Paris, in Vienna ("the Ronacher"), in London ("Alhambra") and also at the Berlin opera theatre "Scala".

During February 1932 and January 14, 1933, she appeared several times at the Scala theatre in the revue "Nachtparade" ("Night Parade"), but still continued to play both Popular and Classical themes. Her orchestra was very frequently heard on the radio, not only on records, but also with Live concerts on German, Austrian, Swedish, Dutch and English broadcasts. On February 21, 1932, and again on the 27th, her orchestra was heard in America via short wave transmission from Berlin By this time, her popularity was so large that she was also appearing in films. But by early 1934, all this success began to unravel. Lorand and her orchestra were performing at Berlin's "Scala" theatre when the commitment was prematurely broken after just 10 days, for "rassischen" (racial) reasons. In later years, (confirmed -1958 in a written explanation) "Scala" Kapellmeister Otto Stenzel revealed that on March 19, 1934, he had written to Lorand on behalf of the "Scala Theatre Society m.b.H." the following letter (here paraphrased due to translation):

       "very honoured Ms Lorand! We communicate you hereby that for
       remainder of this month, we must do without the orchestra's
       artistic activity in our house, with yourself starring,
       (which 10. CR arranged for on Saturday) for preventive measures,
        - the financial affairs adjust themselves automatically in accordance
       with the regulations of the collective

Lorand, who was well-known as a "Jewish artist" understood that "preventive measures" meant the management of the Scala had removed her from the program in order to forestall anti-Semitic motivated disturbances. In 1933, when the National Socialist party came to power, Edith Lorand was age 34, and riding high on success, with wide artist recognition; a very popular star well-liked by the public. But the abnormal termination of the "Scala" appearance made it perfectly clear to her that there was no possibility for future employment in Germany. Even though she was a registered member of the national music chamber, and possessed a "provisional" document of identification with the number 3339, no other organizer wanted to run the risk of disturbances by the Nazis or other hate groups. In addition, her contract with Lindstroem AG had run out after its three-year duration to March 31, 1933. In view of changed political conditions, it was hardly to be expected that the contract would be extended. Furthermore, Lindstroem AG didn't have to schedule any recording sessions with Lorand, since they could still use the old 'masters'. (Their old disk catalogs prove that the older Lorand discs were indeed re-pressed and sold far into the time of the National Socialism.)

In the middle of May 1934, following her last "Scala" appearance in March, Edith Lorand moved quickly to return to her homeland, Hungary. At the time, she also insured her valuable Guarneri violin with Lloyd's of London. It is interesting to note that it was insured only for travel in Europe (with the exception of Russia and Turkey). Obviously, at this time, she still had the intention of remaining in Europe - probably in Hungary. A furniture mover was contacted to arrange for the transport of her furniture from her dwelling in the Charlottenburger Giesebrechtstrasse No. 13 to Budapest. On June 14, the carriers sent the cost estimate, and on June 30, the furniture packers moved her household effects to Hungary.

However, Budapest would only offer a short respite from anti-semitism. Sadly, the Hungarian government was becoming increasingly aligned with Nazi Germany. All of this meant that Lorand had to again flee. In December 1937, Lorand again fled to safety, this time to the United States where she would spend the remainder of her life. In America, she later married, and husband and wife settled in Woodstock, New York.

Concerning her career in America, there is an interesting comment from a fellow Hungarian, famed cellist and conductor, George Barati (b. Gyor, Hungary,), who has written (http://library.ucsc.edu/library/reg-hist/barati.pdf):

       "In 1935, when the beautiful, but aging Hungarian violinist, Edith Lorand
       returned to Budapest from Germany, where she had lived as the infamous
       mistress of the German Crown Prince, to form an all-Gypsy orchestra for
       a tour to the United States. She auditioned all the available leading
       cellists to no avail. Again, as two years earlier, my teacher, Professor
       Schiffer, suggested that I try out. Once again, I got the job. It was
       to be a two-month stint. I was to be paid $36, -that was a very
       large sum in Hungary. I had to pay room and board out of that."

       "We had several weeks of rehearsals at Miss Lorand's villa in the mountains
       of Buda. Sixteen young men - none Gypsy - and a dark beauty of a
       violinist; the combination could only be a winner, except that soon I
       realized that she had no idea how to rehearse. I began to say,
       "Madam Artist, we have to rehearse this passage. We are not
       together." Or, "The trombone is much too loud; in a small
       orchestra it should sound like a second bassoon, that's the part he is
       really playing, you know. " Gradually I became sort of an assistant
       conductor."

       "After weeks of hard work, we left for Paris and Le Havre where we boarded
       the Ile De France; a true luxury trip except for the heavy ocean.
       We played a concert aboard ship. We arrived in New York on a Wednesday
       and Thursday night was our debut concert on the famous Kraft Cheese Hour.
       In Studio H of NBC, on one end sat the Paul Whiteman Band, on the other
       our all "Gypsy" orchestra. We alternated."

       "Of course, Whiteman had Gershwin as his pianist and Ferde Grofe as his arranger.
       This was a distinguished group and an honor for us to be associated with them.
       Then came our Carnegie Hall concert with many famous musical personalities
       in the audience. Joseph Szigeti, the great Hungarian violinist was one. I
       had several major solos and cadenzas in the program and I played well.

       Of course, once again, I had no idea of the importance of Carnegie Hall
       in the musical life of this country. Had I known, probably I'd have been very
       nervous. We had a bus with a native-born Hungarian, and we had a manager
       who spoke English. Lorand was paid by NBC Management for each concert but
       she paid us by the week. The original itinerary started as follows:
       Monday, New York; Wednesday, Washington; Friday, Wheeling, West Virginia.
       So she re-arranged the tour by throwing in between whatever town she could.
       Tuesday became Chicago, between New York and Washington. Thursday some
       other distant city. The result was that, as our bus always left at midnight
       after supper, it arrived at 5 or 6 o'clock, or even later, just in time to dress for
       the next concert. "

       "This resulted in several major developments: 1) total fatigue; 2) saving
       much money on not having to sleep in hotels; 3) since we ate hurriedly,
       the manager had to order food for us and we never learned a single word of
       English; and 4) Edith Lorand made a small fortune on her mishandling the
       contract. But then, at the end of the tour, in the Midwest somewhere after a
       concert, she announced that she extended our contract since we were
       successfully re-engaged. Not so said our bassoon player, who was a law
       student. The extension of the contract had to be done by noon
       that day, not midnight, according to our written contract. This turned
       into a battle with the Hungarian consulates in Chicago and New York.
       They threatened us with arrest if we didn't give in. We held our ground,
       shaky as it was due to fatigue and frustration, with Toscanini and Feuerman,
       and at 4 p.m. we sailed back home home on the Ile De France!

       What a sweet victory! All the way, until the Hungarian border and
       the behavior of the border customs officials. The bassoonist gingerly
       carried a brand new glass coffee maker. It was a Silex and it was the
       gift of the century to his fiancée. The customs official took
       one look at it and threw it on the ground; it broke into fragments. This
       was our homecoming but a similar thing happened to me upon disembarking
       from the ship at Le Havre. The French customs official, seeing my Hungarian
       passport, threw my beautiful, custom-made evening shirts into the mud.
       France was against Hungary in both world wars and this was just a casual
       expression of his feelings."

        "To sum up my first American experience:
       I knew well and loved New York. I roamed the streets, walking twenty, thirty
       blocks for pleasure. But, I hated America. I wrote a couple of short
       articles for my home town paper in which I declared that I'd never
       live in a country that used Greek temples as banks, and covered its nature with
       huge posters on the highways, to mention just two facts. Little did I know . . ."

Although Lorand's new orchestra toured America, she never achieved the same level of success as she had in Europe. In May 1960, she returned to Berlin, where during the 1920s and '30s, she had spent probably the most important and exciting time of her life. At the time, sources reported that she was intending to return permanently to Berlin, and to again take up her artistic activity there. But, that was not to be. Edith Lorand died at the age of 61 years on November 23, 1960 in New York. in an age when very few women were accepted by the public, Edith Lorand had found success in both the worlds of Classical and Popular music, receiving very wide public acceptance as both a solo violinist and as an orchestra leader. Sadly, only a few of her old 78RPM records have been transcribed onto CDs.

      [ Ilya Livshakoff Jazz-Sympkoniker ]
Currently no information.
Listen now to two songs played by the 'Ilya Livshakoff Jazz-Sympkoniker'. The uptempo "Ich Hab' Ein Divanpueppchen", (504 kb). ("I Have A Sofa Doll") and the slower, contemplative, "Auch du Wirst Mich Einmal Betruegen", (445 kb). ("Also you will deceive me one time").

Both songs are the absolutely rare and real Livshakoff recordings!!! Interestingly, "Auch Du Wirst Mich Einmal Betruegen" was made under the name of 'Fred Marley'. Both have the refrain sung by Leo Monosson - an odd and unsuccesful Polish singer, who, at the turn of 1920s/1930s, emigrated from Warsaw to Berlin and unexpectedly gained success as the No. 1 singer for the Paul Goodwin, and Marek Weber, Orchestras in Berlin. Visitors to our site who wish to hear more of Leo Monosson singing may "click" on "Du Bist Nicht Die Erste", (483 kb)."You Are Not The First" (composers: Walter Jurmann, - Lyric: (Weimar-era impresario) Rudolph Bernauer ). This 'schlager' was first heard in the film "Ihre Majestät - Die Liebe" (1931). Monosson is backed by the Juan Llossas Orchestra,
The Big Bands Database thanks Dr. Grzegorz Musial, for his gracious help with this Mitja Nikisch entry. Dr. Grzegorz Musial is by education a medical doctor, and by second profession, a writer and a poet, author of numerous books of poetry and prose, a member of Polish Writers' Association, and the Polish PEN Club.

      [ Claude Luter et son Orchestre ], (1940's -- 2000)
b. 23 June 1923, Paris, France, d. Oct. 6, 2006, Poissy, Yvelines, France.
Luter, the son of a musician, discovered New Orleans jazz while still in his teens, He originally played trumpet, and later the clarinet and saxophone. During World War II, he was performing in Paris during the German occupation., As both a bandleader, and soloist, Claude Luter, was one of the stars of the Paris post-war Jazz scene. After France's liberation, he and his band became a fixture at the Lorientais, the first of the great Latin Quarter jazz clubs that were the center of France’s burgeoning musical and intellectual revival. In fact, Claude Luter, was one of the first stars to emerge in the Paris post-war Jazz scene. In 1948, he met Armstrong at the Nice Jazz Festival and in 1949, began a working relationship with clarinetist Sidney Bechet that lasted until Bechet’s death 10 years later. During his career he also worked with Barney Bigard, and French writer and musician Boris Vian. Luter was one of France’s best exponents of traditional Jazz, and even though he continued to actively playing up to his demise, his music was gradually eclipsed by the emergence of a new generation playing bebop and free jazz,