[ The Gene Rodemich Orch. ]
b. April 13, 1890, St. Louis, MO, USA. d. Feb. 27, 1934, New York, NY, USA. Age:43.
piano/leader
Here's the Rodemich Orchestra playing (digitally re-engineered by Mr. Verne Buland) "You Darling You", recorded in the early 1920s. The 'flip' side of the disc shows that in addition to playing the lovely ballads of the day, the Rodemich band could also play the fun type of "corn" then prevalent. Here's the band with "Blue Grass Blues", (Listen for the 'corny' "Doo-Wakka-Doo" musical phrase later used by Henry Busse as an audio trademark.)

To gain some idea of just how popular this orchestra was all through the 1920s and into the 1930s, on should realize that the Gene Rodemich orchestra/recorded some 87 sides for Brunswick Records between 1919 and 1936. Here's one of those sides, Brunswick 2391-B, with the Rodemich band playing "Down Home in Maryland". (1922. Digital Remastering: Verne Buland) They also recorded the background music for many Van Beuren film cartoons, in the early 1930's.

(The information herein has been supplied thru the courtesy of Mr Bob Lang whose wife is Larry Conley's daughter, and by Mr. Lawrence Sallinger, Gene Rodemich's Grandson.)

Mr. Lawrence R. Sallinger, has mentioned in private correspondence, that from discussion with his mother (Gene's daughter):
"Gene, whose band was extremely popular in St. Louis and the midwest area, left St. Louis around 1926 and went to Boston to open the Metropolitan Theater (now the Wang Center). He had a 2 year contract and hired musicians from the Boston area. My mother thinks many of the St. Louis musicians went to New York and some may have rejoined the orchestra when Gene left Boston for N.Y., around 1927 or '28. ...a Paul Whiteman photo was taken at the Metropolitan Theatre in Boston, where Paul was a frequent guest of Gene Rodemich." (Here is that very rare photo of Paul Whiteman with Gene Rodemich and his Metropolitan (Theatre) Orchestra, (in Boston ca. 1926, '27' or '28) showing Gene presenting a slice of birthday cake to Paul Whiteman on Whiteman's Birthday. Courtesy of Mr. Lawrence Sallinger.)

"My mother thinks it was at the CBS radio studios rather than Radio City that Gene played for various radio shows. He wrote the music for "Manhatten Merry-go-round" which, my mother says was a well known radio show sponsored by "Dr. Ryans Toothpaste". When he died, he was getting into motion picture work on Long Island at the "Amity-Van Beuren Sound Studios" doing music for the "Aesops Fables" cartoons and Frank Eaton's Sports Travelogs, -which were featured one-reelers shown in the "movie" theatres before the main feature was shown." "The other picture titled "Gene Rodemich & His Liberty Theatre Orchestra Season 1918-" was, probably, the Liberty Theatre in St. Louis."

"Gene Rodemich was well known in St. Louis, achieved national fame, and ended his career in New York City. His band played the musical accompanyment for many of the radio shows in the early days at the Columbia Broadcasting System's studios in New York City. He also was getting started with motion picture accompaniments when he died. Gene was a close friend of Spiro Scouras who headed '20th Century Fox Pictures', at the time. I recall seeing his name on the credits for some old "Krazy Kat" cartoons when I was a kid. I also recall my mother saying that his orchestra was selected to play for shows when the Metropolitan Theater opened in Boston; probably in the 1920s."
".... the family has a collection of Brunswick recordings that includes the following nos.: 2572, 2500, 2843, 3073, 2641, 2474, 2556, 2867, 2616, 2026, 2527, 2760, 2169, 2025, 2381, 2595, 2680, 2756, 2399, 2406, 2031, 2060, 2550, 2389, 2663, 2159, 2579, 2756, 2797, 2526, 2059. All are sides A & B and include artists, besides Gene, such as Bernie Krueger"s Orch.; Isham Jones' Orch.; Rudy Wiedoeft.; Paul Biese's Novelty Orch., and the Oriole Terrace Orch."

Mr. Bob Lang has said that:
"Some of this information is from Brian Rust's books. Most of the details, however, came from photographs that were handed down from my wife's father, Larry Conley (trombonist with Rodemich's Band and later leader of his own band), and from conversations that I had recently (ca. 1998) with trumpet players Lou Land and Harold Ripplinger who played in the bands. Other information, particularly on the Rodemich Orchestra, came from recent conversations I had with Tuba player John Bambridge's son, Banjo player Porter Brown's grandson, and Gene Rodemich's sister-in-law."

The Rodemich Orchestra made about 100 recordings on the Brunswick label between 1919 and 1926. Eight of the songs were written by Conley and Rodemich. On two of the recordings they backed vocals for Al Jolson. This certainly indicates how well known the band must have been, not just in the Mid-west, but also nationally, as well."

(Ed. Note: There is another interesting quote regarding the Gene Rodemich Orchestra.
The April 1924 issue of "Talking Machine World" magazine, in an article on page 104, states that Walter "Gus" Haenschen was in St. Louis, along with Brunswick recording engineer C. Hancox,

     "for the sole purpose of recording the inimitable Jolson with Gene Rodemich's
     Orchestra, and also Isham Jones' Orchestra, which journeyed from Chicago to
     record with Al. There were also several new numbers recorded by the Mound City
     Blue Blowers."

Jolson actually recorded with Rodemich on March 13 and with Jones on March 14; the Mound City Blue Blowers cut "San" and "Red Hot" on these two days (Frank Trumbauer, who had a home in St. Louis, attended the sessions). While various discographies do cite Chicago as the recording city, it seems quite probable Haenschen's home city of St. Louis was the actual recording site. Jolson was in the city appearing in the show 'Bombo', at the Jefferson Theatre.) (Walter Haenschen, was the musical director for Brunswick Records from 1919 - 1927) End Ed. Note.

As can be seen from the lists of musicians below, Larry Conley was the trombonist and David Silverman was the pianist with the Gene Rodemich Orch.

• [ Gene Rodemich Orch. ], This rare photograph of the Gene Rodemich Orchestra was taken in 1924. It was on the sheet music of one of the Conley-Rodemich songs "Just a Funny Little Tune".
  
• [ Conley-Silverman Orch. ], July 1925.
  
• [ David H. Silverman Orch. ], ca. 1924
  

The Conley-Silverman band never made any recordings as far as we know.

We don't believe the Dave Silverman associated with this group was the same person as the David H. Silverman who earlier had his own orchestra and had played with the Rodemich Orchestra. A note on him in Jacob's Orchestra Monthly said that he had been a film producer and that this was his first involvement with a Big Band.

The David H. Silverman Orchestra made six recordings for Victor in 1923.
(Ed. Note: The Allister Wylie Orchestra made four recordings for Brunswick in 1928. This orchestra is listed separately on our database, but is included here because it is one of the orchestras that was active during the 1920's in St. Louis, MO.)

     Regards,
     Bob Lang

                        THE GENE RODEMICH ORCHESTRA
                                 11/24/24
      INFORMATION FROM LOU LAND, BRIAN RUST, BRUNSWICK BUILDING PHOTO

Gene Rodemich       Piano, Leader
Larry Conley        Trombone
Charles Werner      Trumpet
Allister Wylie      Sax, Piano
Paul Spohrlieder    Drums
Ed Storman          Banjo, "Cello, Guitar
Bill Bailey         Clarinet, Alto Sax and Xylophone
Clarence Forster    Trumpet
Otto Reinert        Violin
Jules Silberburg    Sax and Violin
Joe Zotterella?     Tuba


                EARLIER PLAYERS WITH THE RODEMICH ORCHESTRA

Joe Zotterella      Tuba
John Bambridge?     Tuba
Jess Walton         Trumpet
Frankie Trumbauer   Sax
David H. Silverman  Piano
Porter Brown?       Banjo


                 LATER PLAYERS WITH THE RODEMICH ORCHESTRA

Fred Wild           Violin
Al Eldridge         Piano
Ted Hunt            Sax, Other Reeds
Alex Halbran        Sax, Other Reeds
Claude Conrad       First Trumpet
Nick Belcastro      Second Cornet
Robert Smith        Trombone
Duke Selders        Trombone
Porter Brown        Banjo
Tom Satterfield     Piano, Arranger
Alex Holman         Tenor Sax
A. Spillier         Brass Bass
Sonny Lee?          Trombone
Sid Hartman         Trombone

George Lottman      Managed Rodemich Publishing New York Office



                         THE CONLEY-SILVERMAN BAND
                      PERSONNEL AT STARTUP, JULY 1925
  INFORMATION FROM LOU LAND AND JACOB'S ORCHESTRA MONTHLY-NOVEMBER, 1925

Larry Conley        Director, Trombone
Dave Silverman      Associate Director, Pianist
Al Eldridge         Piano
Ping Spalding       Sax
Larry Skinnell      Sax
Joe Stovall         Sax
Jess Walton         Cornet
Harold Ripplinger   Cornet
John Bambridge      Tuba
Ben Feld            Violin
Ed Storman          Banjo
Charles Schmat      Trombone
George Cloud        Drums
Rich Schwenker      Banjo



              ALLISTER WYLIE AND HIS CORONADO HOTEL ORCHESTRA
                           INFORMATION FROM RUST
                RECORDING SESSION SEPTEMBER 1928, ST. LOUIS

Allister Wylie      Piano, Director
Clarence Forster    Trumpet
?                   Trombone
Kenneth Albrecht    Clarinet, Alto Sax
?                   Alto Sax
?                   Tenor Sax
?                   Bass Sax?
?                   Violin
?                   Violin
Bill Bailey         Piano
?                   Guitar
Vincent Vanni       Brass Bass
?                   Drum, Vibes, Xylophone
Rich Richards       Vocals

                               OTHER MEMBERS

Lou Land            Trumpet



                   DAVID H. SILVERMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
                           INFORMATION FROM RUST
               RECORDING SESSION OCTOBER 28, 1923, ST. LOUIS

David H. Silverman  Piano, Director
Harold Ripplinger   Cornet
?                   Cornet
Paul Benger         Trombone
Dominic Sala        Clarinet, Alto Sax
?                   Alto Sax, Flute
?                   Tenor Sax
Maurice Somers      Violin
Roland Thurston     Banjo
Nat Shilkret        Drums