[ Paul Biese Novelty Orch. ]
Instrument: Tenor Sax; Leader
Though Paul is all but unknown today, he was a highly regarded musician during his active years. He played stylish establishments in the Chicago area such as the Edgewater Beach Hotel, The Bismarck Hotel and Marigold Gardens. He also played a season or two in New York City. Here's a photograph of Paul's band, and here's the band playing the "Yellow Dog Blues", recorded in November of 1919, and here they are playing Carroll, I'm So Sympathetic, which both of which give an idea of what many Chicago area White bands sounded like in the late 1910's and very early 1920's. Here's the Paul Biese College Inn Orchestra (recorded Aug. 1920) playing Speed, a tune written by Paul Biese. (All tunes were digitally re-mastered by Mr. Verne Buland. Listen to these pieces and imagine dancers trotting, or perhaps jogging, around the dance floor!) Marathon music? Six guys making a joyful noise!

The rest of the guys in the band also became band leaders:
Paul Biese-Tenor Saxophone & Leader
Lloyd Barber-Trombone
Lou Goldwasser-Drums
Arnold Johnson-Piano
Harry "Rags" Vrooman-Trumpet
Ralph Williams-Banjo
The BigBands Database Plus thanks Mr. Verne Buland for this entry on the Paul Biese Novelty Orch.

   [ Billy Bishop & his Mayfair Music Orch ]
B: D: Poway, CA, USA. July 11, 1995 ( July 9, 1953 ??)
In 1931, Billy Bishop started a small swing band in Toronto, Canada, after playing piano in the Bissett-McLean Orchestra.* His smooth arrangements brought offers to join bands led by people like Tommy Dorsey and Guy Lombardo. His love for the road kept him traveling and touring all over the world with his own band. In London his band recorded hundreds of sides (many now available for the first time in the USA on CD). The band, now known as Billy Bishop and His Mayfair Music, featured vocalists including the talented young Dennis Day and Billy's future wife, Alice Mann. The Bishop band enjoyed great success on radio programs such as "Waltz Time" throughout most of the Big Band Era.
* In 1936-7, Co-Leader Billy Bissett was back in London, guesting with London's Savoy Hotel Band (then the Carroll Gibbons Savoy Hotel Orpheans).

Billy Bishop gave up the band business in 1953 and became a stockbroker for Merrill Lynch in Beverly Hills, CA. During his retirement the couple moved to Poway, California where Billy once again became active as a songwriter and pianist playing for St. Michael's Catholic Church.

An array of fellow leaders, musicians and singers attended his furneral at St. Michael's on July 11, 1995. A friend read the Musicians Prayer and a member of the choir sang a hymn Billy had written. The minister recalled, "The days when the band business was good and the sweet sound of all the instruments melting together could only be equaled by the innocence of the time."
These notes contributed by Mr. Dan DelFiorentino.

   [ Frank Black Orch ]
b: Nov 28, 1896 Philadelphia, PA, USA. D: USA.
First and foremost, Frank Black was a classical conductor who lead the NBC Symphony Orchestra, on radio and on records, for over twenty years!

When he decided to put together a swing band, he did a top rate job! The fact of the matter is, any band, combo, or full symphony he lead, no matter the type of music, was extremely impressive, always clear and often times dazzling.

He was musical director at New York's Century Theater before leading orchestras on radio in the 1920's. After establishing The Revelers singing group, he moved on to NBC Radio. Although his bands played classical and light-classical music, as back ground to radio theater, they also performed and recorded popular songs. The band's recordings of, "It's A Million To One," "The Varsity Drag," and "Beside A Lazy Stream" were among the first to have sales increases as a result of air time on radio.

The Frank Black Band is perhaps best known for their work on such radio shows as, The Jack Benny Show (1934), The Contented Hour, Coca Cola Show, The String Symphony Program, Music America Loves Best, Harvest Of Stars and The Bell Hour.

In later years he worked in light operas, Hollywood Musicals and Broadway. Black also composed a number of classical pieces including, "A Sea Tale," "Starlight," and "Bells At Eventide."
Above notes by Mr. Dan DelFiorentino

   [ Ted Black Orch ]
Theme: Early: "On The Beach With You", Later; "Pagan Moon"
Ted Black's Orchestra was one of those wonderfully sweet bands with top rated arrangements, but who's name faded with the band era. He formed his band in 1929, keeping most of the original musicians when it disbanded in 1943.

The band toured, recorded, signed on to a few radio shows and even appeared on Broadway for the 1931 musical Bally Hoo. Author Roger Kinkle wrote Black's band, "left it's mark mainly with excellent recordings of the early 1930's." In 1931 Victor released, "Love Letters in the Sand" which featured vocals by the bands leader. The song was loosely based on "The Spanish Cavalier" of 1881. The following year they recorded three songs that have been released in recent years on CD: "Pagan Moon," "Masquerade," and "Banking on the Weather."

  "On The Beach With You", (519 kb): Ted Black Orchestra with vocal by Tom Brown. The band's first theme song.

  "Love Letters In The Sand", (532 kb): Ted Black Orchestra with vocal by Tom Brown. Music by J. Fred Coots, Words by Nick and Charles Kenny. Victor 22799

  "Banking On The Weather", (451 kb): Ted Black Orchestra vocal by Dick Robertson Victor 24046

  "Two Loves", (621 kb): Ted Black Orchestra with Frank Munn vocal. Yes, it's the song ("J'ai Deux Amours") made famous by Josephine Baker, the great black American star of the Follies Bergere, who sometimes sang the lyric heard here, but mostly sang of HER two loves, "Mon pais et mon Paris" - "My country and my Paris" Music by Vincent Scotto with Original French lyrics by Georges Koger and Henri Varna. English lyrics were added by Jack Murray and Barry Trivers

  "Now That You Are Gone", (615 kb): Ted Black Orchestra with vocal by Tom Brown

  "Without That Certain Thing", (604 kb): Ted Black Orchestra with vocal by ?
These tracks were graciously submitted by Mr. Leonard Schwartz, and then digitally re-mastered.
Above notes by Mr. Dan Del Fiorentino

   [ Jerry Blaine Orch ]
b. .. .. .. d. March 14, 1973
Theme song: "Streamline Rhythm"
Blaine 's first recordings were on the Master label, March 3, 1937. Beginning Oct. 15, 1937 he started recording for the Bluebird label and ended his recordings Feb. 18, 1938.

He recorded a total of 18 sides, only two of which were insturmentals. (Bluebird 7228, The Snake Charmer, and Bluebird 7344, The Big Dipper)

Blaine's recordings are easy to identify because of the sax section "trill" he always included, his was a good Hotel band and should have recorded more.

Band Personnel -- 1937
Trumpets: George Schmidt, Buddy Pottle, Fred Train trombone: Nat Lobovsky
Saxes: Tony Antonelli, Abe Markowitz, Harry Roberts, and Irving Broucke
Piano: Jack Matthias guitar: Joel Livingston
Bass: Carl Tandberg
Drums: Eddie Ross
Vocals: Phyllis Kenny, Johnny McKeever and Jerry Blaine
When Jerry's bandleading days were over, he started the Jubilee Records company.
Above notes on Jerry Blaine courtesy of James B. Zerr

   Eubie Blake Orch ]
b: Feb 7, 1883, Baltimore, MD; d: Feb 13, 1983, Brooklyn, NY, USA.
Eubie was a jazz giant! This wonderful ragtime pianist and composer performed on a live TV broadcast celebrating his 100th birthday in 1983! His life had an immeasurable impact on American popular music, and jazz history.

In 1915, he teamed with Noble Sissle for one of the top vaudeville acts in history. Sissle and Blake had a number of acts, musical reviews and bands during their years together.

Among his long list of accomplishments was his role in the first black musical comedy on Broadway, "Shuffle Along," in 1921, and two well known and widely recorded standards which he composed, "I'm Just Wild About Harry," and "Memories Of You."

By chance, Sophie Tucker heard one of Sissle and Blake's original songs ("It's All Your Fault") and she loved it. Sophie Tucker not only used the song as one of her themes, she hired the band to tour with her.

Through the years Eubie Blake lead a number of bands. One such group was formed in 1936, that band recorded a handful of songs, including, "Bandanna Days," and "It Looks Like Love." However, most of Blake's recordings can be found as a pianist with other groups. Two of his studio works in the 1950's sold very well, including the 20th Century Fox release, "The Wizard of the Ragtime Piano." His career assumed new energy in later years as he performed at the White House and made appearances on college campuses and TV programs. "I caught Eubie Blake on the tube the other night," recalled Count Basie, "and, see, he was good, just full of life! This is a funny business. People get out of the picture and then first thing you know they're big again."

In 1979, Eubie was a guest on Marian McPartland's radio show "Piano Jazz." The show, which included many of Eubie's early rags and conversations about his wonderful career, is now available on the Concord Jazz CD Collection. The CD is a must of any jazz collector, as it traces the career of a man who helped create a musical style.

The United States Postal Service released a series of stamps in 1995 depicting jazz legends. Among those legends was Eubie Blake.
Above notes courtesy of Mr. Dan Del Fiorentino

   [ Archie Bleyer Orch ]
Theme Song: "Business in "Q"
Archie was an arranger in the early 1930's. He led his own orchestra in Hollywood, at the Earl Carroll Club.
Nowadays, he is best remembered for being Arthur Godfrey's Musical Director.. Later on, he became head of Cadence Records.

   [ Bert Block Orch ]
Theme Song: "Glow Worm"
Bert's orchestra - actually 'two' orchestras - never went any place. One was known as the "Bert Block Orchestra" and the other was called the "Bell Music Orchestra". "Bell" featured celeste and bell instruments, while the "Bert Block Orch." was a standard bigband.
The Bert Block orch. had Axel Stordhal (Odd Stordhal) doing t he arrangements. Jack Leonard was the 'boy' singer. Both of whom wound up with the Tommy Dorsey Orch.
The Bell Music Orch featured a good drummer by the name to Terry Snyder. The 'boy' vocalist was Bill Johnson.
After the band era, Bert wound up as a successful booking agent for "Folk" groups.

   [ Buddy Bolden Orch ]
b: New Orleans, LA, 1868. d: New Orleans, Nov. 4, 1931
This link for Buddy Bolden is included here as a historical reference. Here's a closup of Buddy Bolden, and here's a photograph of the Bolden Band. Buddy is standing second from right, -holding his cornet. (It is not known if the guitarist was really left-handed.) Since Buddy's life pre-dated recording, there are no records of his music in existence. He is one of the first musicians, that we know of, who played the music we now call, Dixieland or Jazz. He was a Barber by trade.

Due to an advanced stage of Syphilis, he began suffering periods of derangement during 1906, but was able to continue playing until 1907. His last job was with the Allen Brass Band, playing for a funeral. On June 5, 1907, he was committed to the East Louisiana Sate Hospital.

"He was so popular, that he sometimes had six or seven bands going in one night, and he'd go from one to another playing his specialties, "Make Me A Pallet On the Floor", Bucket's Got a Hole In It", and Funky Butt, Funky Butt, Take It Away". *
* 'Jazz: New Orleans', Samuel Charters.

   [ Sharkey and His Sharks of Rhythm ]
Sharkey Bonano: b. April 9, 1904 New Orleans; d. March 27, 1972 New Orleans
"Old Sharkey had a fat sound, man. He could blow like wild fire and when he played, I am telling you, the whole place would stop dead-away and listen!" --Al Hirt

Sharkey Bonano was, without question, one of the top ranked New Orleans style trumpeters! He developed his talents at an early age and played alongside some of the greatest jazz men of all time; 'cats' like, Monk Hazel, and Jean Goldkette . He organized two bands in the 1930's. The first was a short lived band in New Orleans; the second was a well received orchestra, formed in New York, billed as Sharkey and His S harks of Rhythm. That band, formed in 1936, played clubs, performed on the radio and recorded. It played in New York until 1941. A large number of this band's recordings were re-issued on long playing albums during the 1950's. Two of the albums, Sharkey's Southern Comfort and Midnight On Bourbon Street, featured some of the bands most requested songs, such as, "Auf Wiedersehen Sweetheart," "If I Had You," "Old Fashioned Swing," "Swingin' On the Swanee Shore," and "The Missouri Waltz."

After his service during World War II, he returned to New Orleans where he dedicated the rest of his life to performing Dixieland. It was during this time that Bonano mastered the mute and often played his driving style in clubs, street fairs and on TV programs.

Over 300 musicians attended his New Orleans Jazz style funeral on April 5, 1972. Al Hirt recalled the service in a 1979 interview, saying, "He was 'The Man' and most of us wanted to send him off in style, and we did."
Notes by Mr. Dan Del Fiorentino

   [ Earl Bostic Orch. ]
b. April 25, 1913, Tulsa, OK, USA. d. Oct. 28, 1968, Rochester, NY, USA. (Cardiac Arrest)
Overview
Here's a photograph of Earl Bostic, who led a fine little Black orchestra - playing mostly "Jump" tunes - that was very popular circa 1941/'42. Earl never was fully recognized by the general public, but he was a great musician; a fine showman; a top alto sax stylist; an arranger of note, and a fine composer of novelty tunes. He wrote his first arrangement (while in school) by humming the parts of the individual instruments and writing them in a style he thought might appeal to the public. He was right. Even at an early age, Bostic knew the desires and feelings of the dancing public. Many of his recorded hits have been original compositions . and, for other bands he has turned out such tunes as "Let Me Off Uptown", "The Major And The Minor", "Brooklyn Boogie", which have all become recording successes played by name bands. His education in music came through playing with great orchestras such as: Don Redman, Cab Calloway and Lionel Hampton -- to name just a few. His arranging prowess came to light when he turned out successful music for Louis Prima, Lionel Hampton and Jack Teagarden. Other appreciation of technique developed when he played with such greats as Red Allen, J.C. Higginbotham, Sid Catlett, Teddy Wilson and Lionel Hampton.

"Earl Bostic was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma on April 25, 1913. He died on October 28th 1965 of a heart attack, two days after a gig at the Midtown Tower Hotel in Rochester, New York. In many ways his history resembles that of so many others who barnstormed America during the swing era. The similarities with Bill Doggett...are particularly striking. Both men came up through the ranks of the hard-travelling big bands. Indeed they even recorded together for King Records and hopefully this material will become available on forthcoming Charly releases. Bostic and Doggett shared a common ideal, a scheme for an ensemble sound. This seed, which w as to come to fruition many years later, clearly demonstrates strong origins of rock'n' roll and rhythm 'n' blues in jazz. "Bostic was a schooled musician with a degree in music from Xavier University in New Orleans. Legend has it that a nun took special interest in him and provided private tuition and encouragement. Was this the swinging nun? "By 1931 he was a fully professional musician specializing in clarinet. His abilities soon found him working with Joseph Robichant, Ernie Fields, Clarence Olden and Charlie Creath. He worked the Mississippi riverboats with Fate Marable, one of the first bandleaders to be known as a jazz musician. Earl then went on to work with Cousin Joe, Don Redman, Cab Calloway and Hot Lips Page. Page was said to have been one of the few trumpet players to make Louis Armstrong nervous. In 1942, Earl joined Lionel Hampton's big band, which proved to be an incubator for so many future developments in modern music. Many classic be-bop players as well the honking sax players, who later became so prevalent in rock 'n' roll, cut their teeth with Lionel Hampton. "Earl became known as a "bad" man on his horn. He frequented the historic jam sessions at Minton's in New York city with the likes of Charlie Christian, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, Kenny Clarke and Charlie Parker, who were busy turning western music on its ear (forgive the pun) and making history in the process. "Bostic seemed to inspire awesome respect because in the search for his dream sound he actually devised a technique to extend the range of his horn by one fourth of the available notes. This was achieved through the use of harmonics. "John Coltrane, who played with Bostic in 1952, had his say about him: "I went with Earl Bostic who I consider a very gifted musician. He showed me a lot of things on my horn. He has fabulous technical facilities on his instrument and knows many a trick." "Seymour Wyse, the man already credited with turning Jack Kerouac onto jaz z during their younger days in Manhattan, often caught Earl in action after hours at Minton's. He also bears witness to Earl "blowing the cats off the bandstand with his swing, power and unstoppable ideas. "While Bostic developed his sound on alto sax, He became equally respected as a writer and arranger, supplying hits for Louis Prima, Paul Whiteman, Alvino Rey and Gene Crupa, amongst others. But it was as a leader in his own right that Earl Bostic was to make his mark in the world. Starting in 1945, Earl's records for the King label began to establish him as a mammoth hitmaker. Finally, after 25 years of endless touring and late nights, he had arrived. "Now with his own band he had the perfect vehicle to develop his original concept of sound. This then became the perfect showcase for his extraordinary sax playing. His choice of musicians in this setting reads like a Who's Who of jazz: John Coltrane, Stanley Terrentine, Blue Mitchell, Don Byas, Cozy Cole, Tiny Grimes, Sir Char les Thompson, Jackie Byard, Shep Sheperd, Jimmy Cobb, Benny Golson, Teddy Charles, Johnny Coles, Benny Carter, Croove Holmes, Joe Pass. Al McKibbon, Earl Palmer; the list is endless. Special mention should be made of Gene Redd, who contributed the atmospheric vibes (playing) on Earl's most successful records. Gene went on to become a producer of many top acts, including Kool and the Gang in the 1970s! "But enough of this history business. Earl Bostic has supplied us with beautiful music for a[t] least 50 years now, and that's probably the most important thing that needs to be said. "The music biz today seems to put great stock in that mouldy old phrase uttered by a famous circus entrepeneur many years ago: "You can never go wrong by underestimating the intelligence of the public." Happily, if he never did anything else, Earl Bostic proved that this wasn't the only way to capture the rapture of the public at large."
"Liner" Notes by: Danny Alder
Sources:
King Record s' archives, Martin Van Olderen, Seymour Wyse, Gene Redd, Don DeMichael and Bill Cole
The preceding was taken from the album jacket of "Earl Bostic Blows A Fuse" by Charly Records Ltd., London 1985 Compiled by Danny Adler Recordings in the album from 1946 to 1958. Record No. CRB1091.
Some Bostic Album releases include:
       Alto Magic in Hi-Fi - King 597
       Bostic Rocks - King 571

"Earl Bostic Blows A Fuse" Charly Records Ltd., London 1985 CRB1091 had these tunes:
       Night Train
       Flamingo
       Moonglow
       Seven Steps
       Always

       Serenade
       Deep Purple
       Jungle Drums
       Smoke Rings
       I Can't Give You Anything But Love
       Harlem Nocturne
Others Songs recorded were:
       8:45 Stomp
       That's The Groovy Thing
       Special Delivery Stomp
       Mambostic
       Earl Blows A Fuse
       Don't You Do It
       Disc Jockey's Nightmare
       What! No Pearls
       Steam Whistle Jump
       Who Stuck the Wine in the Gravy?
The BigBands Database is indebted to the kindness of Mr. Jim Brown for contributing these liner notes on Earl Bostic

   [ Johnny Bothwell Orch ]
b. 1917 (most bios show 1919), Gary, Ind., d. August 1995, USA.
Theme Song: "Sleepy Alto"
Johnny Bothwell was, without question, one of the chief soloists with the Boyd Raeburn Orchestra. His alto saxophone playing brought him both praise and jeers by critics and musicologists. Regardless of the critics reviews, Bothwell made a name for himself as a sideman for Raeburn and Bob Chester. In 1946, he established his first big band.

Early on, Johnny played with the Boyd Raeburn orchestra in Chicago (a society tenor band...yes, he played tenor!), then in 1941 joined Bob Chester, for whom he was musical director and lead altoist. In late 1941 or early '42 he joined Gene Krupa, where he stayed until Gene's unfortunate marijuana bust. He then joined Woody Herman, where he was rather heavily featured despite the fact that Woody was himself a reed man. Johnny was instrumental in persuading Woody to feature himself more on alto sax, before which clarinet solos comprised 98% of Woody's solo performances.

In 1943, Raeburn formed a new band, featuring arrangements by George "The Fox" Williams, and called for Johnny to rejoin him. This Johnny did, --taking a $100, per week cut in pay. He was 'The Star' of Raeburn's band, and his talents were showcased perfectly by the arranging genius of George Williams. ( Mr. Ruark, advises that: "When Johnny was appearing at the Savoy ballroom with Raeburn, Billy Eckstine sent his lead alto man over to listen to Johnny so that "he could see how lead alto should be played." ) In late 1944, Bothwell arranged with Bob Thiele, of Signature Records, to cut a dozen sides, using the Raeburn band with himself as titled leader. Most of these sides were arranged by Williams, although 2 were Paul Villepigue charts and one was by George Handy. In the mid 40's, Count Basie wanted Johnny to come into his band as lead alto, but Basie's manager nixed the idea, not wanting Basie to have a mixed band. 1945 found the Raeburn band in the San Francisco area. Handy (né: Handelman) came up from Los Angeles, CA, with a batch of radical new charts, few of which featured Johnny. Incensed by this, Johnny left for New York, taking with him the Williams arrangements which showcased him, in addition to the band's current girl vocalist, Clare "Shanty" Hogan, with whom he was romantically involved.

Shortly thereafter, he formed his own band, and recorded a dozen or so sides for Signature. The arrangements were mostly by Villepigue, and utilized the Signature studio band, under the direction of Ray Block. Most of these sounded very good indeed, but Signature was a small label with limited distribution, so these never produced any meaningful revenue. By the way, Johnny cut four sides in early 1945 with Krupa, including the tremendous hit "Boogie Blues" wherein he had a memorable solo. At any rate, he continued with the band through 1947, and in early 1948 the band was stranded and broke in St. Louis, whereupon Johnny returned to New York and gigged around for a couple of years.

Thoroughly disgusted with the future of big band music, Johnny went to Conneticut where he took a position as salesman for GE, and was very successful. He subsequently moved to Lakeland, FL where for years he operated a successful photography/video production business until seriously impaired by a stroke in the 1980's. He passed away unexpectedly in August of 1995.

Mr. Richard Ruark graciously submitted this entry on his very good friend, -Johnny Bothwell.

   [ Charlie Boulanger Orch ]
The Boulanger band was based in Hartford, Connecticut and often played for Broadway productions and supper clubs in and around New York. The band's style began to change once they toured. During Boulanger's first Midwest tour, he hired famed drummer, Herman Dressel, who made a name for himself while with Hal McIntyer's band. The sound of the band changed while on tour to reflect Dressel's talents.

George Simon once wrote that Charlie Boulanger, "put together a pleasantly subdued orchestra that eschewed the usual blatant brass and crunchy rhythms prevalent in the Broadway-type nightclubs it played, while still satifiying customers with its light, lilting, melodic sounds."
These notes supplied thru the courtesy of Mr. Dan DelFiorentino.

   [ Black and Tan Orch. (Buddy Pettit) ]
Buddy Pettit (cornet): b. 1897, White Castle, Louisiana, USA. d. July 4, 1931, New Orleans, LA, USA. Age: 34
Currently no information available.
Here's a photo of Buddy Petit, who was the nominal leader This group was one of the first New Orleans Jazz bands to play in California. Unfortunately, they never recorded, still many of the bandsmen would later record with other groups such as 'Harvey Brooks' Quality Four', 'Sonny Clay's orchestra', and 'Paul Howard's Quality Serenaders' in Los Angeles.