[ Mike Speciale Orch. ]
In private correspondenceMr Verne Buland has advised that :

       I haven't been able to locate much information concerning Mike Speciale's band. Ray Millerof early
       big band fameonce had his own booking officecalled 'Cosmopolitan OrchestrasInc'. Mike Speciale
       today mainly remembered as leader of his own dance bandwas the office manager.

Listen to this July 261927 recording of Mike's band playing "Miss Annabelle Lee" (digitally re-engineered by Mr. Verne Buland.)

   [ Blue Steele and His Victor Recording Orch. ]
Here are some rather rare photographs of Blue Steele. The first is a very early picture of the Blue Steele Orch.. Although this appears to be a club date it is quite probable that this is also "His Victor Recording Orchestra". At that time the members of the band were (?) Myers, Ernie Winburn, Andre McDowell, Harry White, Clyde Davis, Pedro Noriega, Jerry Farrar, Cappie Crouse, George Marks, Coosy Grantham, Jules Mendelsohn, Red Roundtree, Olin Gibson, and the leader Blue Steele. The legend on the photo reads "To Mabel Batson with best wishes for your First record. Always your friend. Blue Steele". And, here's a picture of Mabel Batson, who was the "girl" singer with Blue's band, as posed for this photo with Major Bowes- then a popular Amateur Hour show host. These photos were graciously supplied by Mr. Ross Dodds, Mabel Batson's son, and are reproduced here with his kind permission.
(Mabel Batson: b. 1908 Leaksville, MI, USA, d. January 1989, USA. Circa 1918, Mabel's family moved to Jackson, MI. In a beauty contest, she was voted 'Miss Jackson', and represented the state of Mississippi in the 'Miss America' beauty contest- coming in Third Place. Sang and toured with the Major Bowes Troupe, and with Blue Steele's orch. She is known to have recorded two sides with the Steele band.)

The below photographs and Flyer on Blue Steele are part of the Sammy Goble Family Archives. The Big Bands Database Plus thanks the family for graciously allowing us to reproduce them here. Here's a publicity photograph of Blue Steeleand this is a Blue Steele cartoonboth are from a Flyer (ca. 1930s) for Blue and his band. The 'Flyer' was written by Mr. William B. "Tubby" Rives, then manager of the Flamingo Club in St. Petersburg, FL.

And since we couldn't hope to do better, here's the exact text of that wonderful little flyer - errors and all.

Greetings:

My name is William B. (Tubby) Rives and as most of you know, I have been in show business a long time covering the field in its entirety, -radio, television, motion pictures and night clubs, but I am not going to talk about me. I'd like to say a few words about an old friend and former associate, who has become A Living Legend in the music world. I refer to none other than Blue Steele, the Dean of Dixieland, who like Old Man River just keeps rolling along.

He has had a Band longer than most of us care to remember. One of his great bands of yesteryear went on to achieve world wide recognition under the name of Glenn Gray (né: Spike Knobloch) and the Casa Loma Orchestra, using the musical style originated by Blue Steele with an assist from arranger Gene Gifford.

Blue's present group, the Rhythm Rebels, includes such great names as Elmer Schoebel on the piano, the writer of hit tunes "Nobody's Sweetheart," Bugle Call Rag," "Farewell Blues," and many more. Elmer is one of the men to pioneer Dixieland as he was the Leader of the famous Friars Inn Band which boasted such great stars as Leon Rapollo, Paul Mares, and George Brunis, to name a few.

Arnie Mossler rated by musicians everywhere as one of the top flight cornet men in the Jazz world. Besides his fine playing he sings a good song and possesses a wonderful personality with great human warmth.

On clarinet the Rhythm Rebels have a man who rates right along side Pete Fountain with Lawrence Welk (Pete also played with Blue a couple years back in New Orleans).

The other members have played with such outstanding leaders as Red Nichols, Phil Napoleon, Charlie Teagarden, Tony Parenti, Wild Bill Davison, and Isham Jones. So you see, this group is not just a bunch of misfits thrown together to make a fast buck but dedicated musicians who can and do play some of the best Dixieland in these United States.

Blue Steele started his musical career as a band leader as far back as 1919 (gee whiz) that was even before radio which came in 1923. Such great stars as Euday Bowman, the writer of "Twelfth Street Rag", Phil Baxter, the writer of "Piccolo Pete", "Harmonica Harry," and "Ding Dong Daddy from Dumas." Also Sidney Aroden, the originator of "Lazy River," Harry Shields, now playing at the Famous Door in New Orleans, Red Camp a present piano star on Cook records, Bob Zurke of "Little Rock Getaway" fame and a former member of Crosby's Bobcats, Wayne Smith also a former Bobcat, Bitsy Mullins and many other famous names in the music world which will also have to include Poppa John Gordy, Tim Kelly, Gene Gifford, Kenny Sargeant and oh what's the use, you couldn't name them all.

But our Little Boy Blue got a real break in 1927 when one of his boys came up with an idea for a song. The result was record number 20971-A on Victor, the name of the song was "Girl of My Dreams." Vocal by Kenny Sargeant. It was such a big hit that both Blue Steele and Sonny Clapp hit the chips. This tune has been played and sung wherever the English language is spoken and is considered even today, more than thirty years later, the classic of all love songs. Blue Steele and his Victor Recording Orchestra went on to be the darlings of the after dark set

That was the era of the sweet bands, Paul Whiteman, Lombardo, Garber, Wayne King, so Blue was in high style, but somewhere in his large orchestra (which included seventeen pieces by this time,) was a bunch of cats who could step out at a moment's notice and start the joint jumpin' much to the delight of the customers but the annoyance of managers for Dixie in those days was considered a bad girl who lived on the wrong side of the tracks and was played only by off beat musicians in clip joints, strip joints, speakeasies and barrel house dance halls, but dixie now, bless her heart, is a lady loved and accepted by people from all walks of life and in all parts of the world and Blue Steele, bless his heart, has contributed much toward having helped her make her Debut in the so-called best places, for after all Rosie O'Grady and The Colonel's Lady are sisters under the skin.

It might interest you to know that besides playing most of the top spots in this country this man of Steele has also toured continental Europe, the Philippine Islands, Hawaii and Mexico City (he spent many years at the El Patio Club, he also had a fifty-two piece symphony orchestra which he directed twice a week over Radio Station XEW, Mexico City, known as the Haste Hour sponsored by Harry A. Steele, -no relation).

The Rhythm Rebels have just finished a four week engagement for me at the Flamingo Club and from where I sit this band will go down in history as an all time all-American Dixieland Band for they are truly great and MAN TO DIG 'EM IS TO LOVE 'EM. Besides that they core real BOX OFFICE Most people grow old but Blue Steele and the RHYTHM REBELS GROW ONLY IN STATURE.

Sincerely,

(printed Signature)

Wm. B. (Tubby) Rives
Mgr. Flamingo Club

ADDRESS ALL CORRESPONDENCE TO
BLUE STEELE. BOX 3638. ST. PETERSBURG. FLORIDA

   [ Ted Steele Orch. ]
b. July 91917Hartford CTUSA d. Oct. 151985 USA.
Bandleader and Disk Jockey
Here's a photo of a very young Ted Steele, who is probably best recalled now as the orchestra leader on the 'Cavalcade of Stars' radio show. (Photo courtesy of Ted's daughter Ms. Alizah Steele.)

Some chronology:
-- In 1941, his record "I'll Wait For You" (Freddy Martin/Bobby Worth/Stanley Cowan) was released.
-- On March 27,1945, Ted's Band backed Perry Como singing a Nacio Herb Brown/Arthur Freed tune "Temptation" (first sung by Bing Crosby in his first Hollywood film 'Going Hollywood').
-- On July 10, 1945, his orchestra was playing on the NBC radio program 'The Chesterfield Supper Club', with host Martin Block (of "Make Believe Ballroom Time" radio show). That night, Marion Hutton substituted for an ailing Perry Como, and the Ted Steele orch. accompanied guest star Frank Sinatra on two songs: "How Deep Is The Ocean"and "There's No You".
-- On April 20, 1946, Marie Windsor, the buxom Hollywood sex symbol, wed bandleader Ted Steele. The marriage didn't last and later Marie said :
-- "...but he was still in love with his first wife, so we rarely lived together. I soon sought and obtained an annulment and decided to really concentrate on my work." -- Marie Windsor in a magazine interview.

Ted also worked with such other stars as: Betty Hutton, Marty Manning, Lloyd Shaffer, Ernie Altschuler, Perry Como, Joe Reisman, Charles Randolph, Grean, Eddie Eddings, Hugo Winterhalter & His Orchestra, Chet Atkins, The Fontane Sisters, Sigmund Romberg, Tom Pick, Mitchell Ayers, Henri Rene, The Ramblers, and Bill Lacey.
In March 1946Ted became the music director at Hollywood radio station KMPC, and immediately banned Jazz music avering it contributed to juvenile delinquency. (Does this statement sound familiar?) Interestingly, one of the first records banned by the station was Harry "the Hipster" Gibson's "Who Put The Benzedrine In Mrs. Murphy's Ovaltine".
-- The tune "Smoke Dreams" (music by John Klenner/Lloyd Shaffer/Ted Steele Lyric) was recorded by K.D. Lang. It had originally been recorded by Jo Stafford and The Starlighters vocal group with Paul Weston's orchestra backing them. Capitol records. March 26. 1947

In January 1949Pittsburgh's TV station WDTV's first day of "Live" Network programming began. This event was celebratedon January 111949in a special broadcast originating from Pittsburgh's Syria Mosque and aired on all four networks. Former Pittsburgh broadcaster Lynn Boyd Hinds describes these programs in his book Broadcasting the Local News:

       "The locally-produced hour was followed by the
       "Golden Spike" ceremony from 9:30 P.M. until 10:00
       P.M.a program shared by the four networks then an
       hour-long program in which each network served up a
       sampling of its fare. CBS led off with Arthur Godfrey,
       puppeteersthen "Douglas Edwards and the News,"
       for its fifteen-minute segment; DuMont's quarter-hour
       featured Ted Steele and his orchestra; Milton Berle
       followed for NBC; and ABC presented a mystery drama
       "Stand By for Crime," originating from Chicago. At
       11:00 P.M. on the first evening of television in
       PittsburghWDTV signed off."

Prior to 1958Ted Steele had his own Disk Jockey show with New York Radio Station WMCA. He left the station to do a 'dance party' type show on TV (Channel 9 - New York City). In 1958he returned to WMCA and, until about 1960, was on during the afternoon.
On Nov. 261958Ted Steele presented his five day "Ted Steele's Band Stand" concert at the Brooklyn Paramount Theater (Brooklyn, NY).
Ted also had an album called Music for Grieving Lovers (A.A.MCO Label) which had some 'romantic' music with Ted narrating 'poetry'.
Another of his (12") LP albums was (Bethlehem BCP-5001) "Ted Steele Presents Miss Teal Joy".

Among the tunes that are credited to Ted Steele are:
"Love is Wonderful Everywhere", music Matt Dennis
"Friends"(music by L. Ambrose Burgett; J. Franklin Jones and Ted Steele lyric)
"Happiness No. 5" (music by L. Ambrose Burgett; J. Franklin Jones and Ted Steele lyric)
"Mary Smith"(music by L. Ambrose Burgett; J. Franklin Jones and Ted Steele lyric)
"Two Men"(music by L. Ambrose Burgett; J. Franklin Jones and Ted Steele lyric)
"Democracy" music by L. Ambrose Burgettand Ted Steele lyric.
"Why"music by Jane Paulette Steinkamp and Ted Steele lyric.
"It's a Man's World"Ted Steele words and music.
"Love Passed By"Ted Steele words and music.

   [ Ellis Stratakos and his Jung Hotel Orch. ]
Currently no information on this early 1920s band.
Stratakos was a trombonist who was active in the early "White" New Orleans Jazz bands. He played trombone in Johnny DeDroit's bandwhen that band was playing in Chicago. (He may have been with DeDroit possibly at the same time as clarinetist Tony Parenti.) It is known that he led a band that was resident for a while at the Jung Hotel in New Orleans.

In private correspondence a visitor to our site, Shelle Tubbs, has noted that clarinetist Meyer Weinberg also played with Stratakos. However, Weinberg is perhaps best recalled for working with Louis Prima. Circa 1938, Weinberg appeared with Prima in a Vitaphone music short featuring 'Louis Prima and his Band', then comprised of Louis Prima (trumpet and vocals); Meyer Weinberg (clarinet); Frank Pinero (piano); Sherman Masinter (bass); Frank Frederico (guitar); Geroge Hirsh (drums); with vocalist Shirley Lloyd; and dancers Ted Gary and Mitzi Dahl.

   [ Irvan Stumph and His Orch. ]
b. June 26, 1917, USA.
né: Irvan William Stumph.
Here's a photo of a 20 year old "Stumpy", who rarely fronted his own bands although on occasion he did lead "Stumpy's Stompers" and "Irvan Stumph and his Magic Rhythm Makers". Here's an advertisement for one of his appearances at the Murray Go Round Ballroom the reverse side of which has in Stumpy's own writing the bandmember's names as follows: 'Stumpy'- Trumpet' Tod' Gregory - Drums Al Hewer - Sax George Churchill - Piano. Here's another advertisement for his appearance at the Dante's Tropical Gardens, with his first name mis-spelled.

In his younger days, he played with a many bands, and later on, even though his "day job" was managing his own 'Lighting and Sound Company', he nevertheless found time to play with many other great big bands of the day. At one time during his wonderful career", Stumpy" played with such bands as Bob Crosby, Chuck Cabot, Bix Biederbiecke, Cavanaugh's Curbstone Cops, Bob Wills and The Texas Playboys, 'Sons of the Pioneers', 'Darrell Fischer and His Log Jammers', Count Basie, Hal Blaine, Bob Randolph, Bob Telfair, Mel Cardwell, Bobby Sherwood, Carmen Cavallaro, Johnny Catron, Billy Butterfield, Leonard Gray, Louis Armstrong, "Doc" Severinsen, Dorsey Brothers, Les Brown, Johnny Mercer, Sammy Kaye, Glenn Miller, and still others!

Stumpy's daughter, Ms. Bobby Jean Simkins, has graciously given some of her memories of working with her father.

       "'Stumpy' worked as a musician all during the 1930's'40's and '50's. During World War IIhe served
       in the U. S. Navy as a construction electricianor 'Sea Bee'before traveling with the Navy Band on USO
       Band on USO tours. He is a master electrician and master mechanic, and started a stage lighting
       and sound business with his father that operated for 75 years. He owned one of the original
       WWII searchlight advertising companies too."

       He played a big part in the history of our hometown San Bernardino, California, witnessing Tong wars
       Tong wars in the underground tunnels frequented by early Chinese immigrants taking music
       lessons from Ernie DeSoto orchestra conductor for the old Opera House in 1922 hand-cranking
       an old silent movie projector on Sunday evenings for families visiting Urbita Springs or
       Pickering Park, and selling newspapers for a nickel a piece at his father's garage during

       the Lindburgh kidnapping case. "In the 1960's, '70's, and '80's, he and his father provided
       lighting and sound for virtually all of the exhibits in southern California for many years.
       They worked for such groups as the Rolling Stones' American tour in 1966, and with Jefferson
       Airplane, Fleetwood Mac, Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin when they were simply warm-up bands.
       I helped a very intoxicated Janis Joplin to her bus; same for Jim Morrison, Sly Stone, Grace
       Slick and Johnny Cash. Our backstage passes are a directory of 'Who's Who' in the music industry."

       "Dad and I were also part of the historic NASA/Dryden Space Shuttle Support Team at Edwards AF
       Band worked together on movie sets like 'Yellow Rose,' and 'Die Hard.' We also worked TV
       locations like 'Twelve O'Clock High,' 'Combat,' 'Rat Patrol,' Bonanza,' 'Mannix,'
       'Barnaby Jones,' and 'Cannon.' I was introduced to Presidents Johnson, Nixon, and Reagan during

       their tenures." "Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby and Buddy Ebsen were just 'some of the
       guys' to Dad, and we saw them several times a year. Christmas cards and letters were exchanged
       too. Along the way a talented young poet that I used to sneak backstage at Swing Auditorium
       concerts grew up to have one of the biggest selling albums of all time: 'Born In The USA.'"

       "This unique, wonderful man celebrates his 87th birthday on June 28, and still tries to work
       every day. (April 2004). Alzheimer's Disorder has changed his life drastically, and has
       robbed him of almost everything but memories of Mom and his music. Even though he does not
       remember who I am, I remember who HE is and I love him very much. He gave me the opportunity
       to have an extraordinary life of my own inspired by his example."
The Big Bands Database Plus, thanks Irvan's daughter, Bobby Jean, for these wonderful memories of her father's musical life.

   [ Victor Schilling Orch. ]
Currently no information available.
Schilling led one of the better Denver-based dance orchestras. At one time Roc Hillman was playing the upright string bass in Schilling's band. Hilman had been a student of the University of Denver where a young co-ed Kay Weber was also studying. Two other of Hilman's college friends were saxophonist Arthur "Skeets" Herfurt and trombonist Don Mattison. These three would later play (and sing as a novelty trio) in the short-lived Smith Bellew Orch.(whose trombonist/arrangerand real leaderwas Glenn Miller.) When Hilman played with Schilling's bandthe singer was Kay Weber. Hillman would go on to play guitar in the 'Dorsey Brothers Orchestra'then with 'Jimmy Dorsey's and Kay Kyser's bands. He would also become a successful composer. Meanwhile, singer Kay Weber would also go on to play with the Dorsey Brothers, then with Jimmy Dorsey's group and finally with the Bob Crosby band. She was one of the most prominent female vocalists active at the very beginning of the BigBands era.

   [ Larry Sonn Orch. ]
b. Jan. 17, 1919, Woodmere, Long Island, NY, USA.
Overview:
Trumpet player, arranger, composer, and internationally known band leader, Larry graduated from the Julliard School of Music in New York City. He began his career (as first trumpet) with the Southern Symphony Orchestra in Columbia, South Carolina but later turned to the popular idiom of Swing and the big band sound. He soon was playing trumpet and arranging for the top orchestras in the U.S. including Glenn Miller, Teddy Powell, Bobby Byrne, Charlie Barnett, and Vincent Lopez.

At the age of 8, Sonn began to study the pianobut later switched to trumpet. As a teenager, Sonn was already playing professionally with a very early version of the Dick Jacobs Orchestra. It is interesting to note that on some of those early sessions, the young mandolin player was Al ("Jazzbo") Collins, who later grew a beard, cultivated his voice, and became an exceedingly popular New York City radio station Disk Jockey. A little later, Sonn won a scholarship at New York's famed Julliard School of Music where he continued his study of the trumpet. Though training for a career in Classical music, the sounds of fellow trumpeters Bunny Berigan and Harry James affected him deeply. Although he first played with the Southern Symphony, Larry soon returned North to take a chair in the Vincent Lopez band.

An early 1940s tour took him from New York to Philadelphia, and on to San Antonio. In Texas, Colonel Enrique R. Vega, an assistant to Mexican President Adolfo Ruiz Cortines, had opened a lavish club in Mexico City's then new Hotel Reforma and needed an American bandleader, vocalist, and musicians. After hearing Sonn play, Vega offered him a job at the hotel's 'Ciros Night Club'. In 1946, Larry went south of the border on a six month contract and stayed for nine years. Sonn built the band, set its style, and gradually drew top Mexican musicians into the organization.

During his years 'south of the border', Larry and the band played in the new club Bugambilia, as well as virtually every city and hamlet in Mexico. Larry loved Mexico. Still, there was a feeling among the band's musicians that what they were doing was "minor league"and that the major leagues were in the U.S.A. In the mid-'50's, Sonn did return for a stay in the U.S. Here's a publicity photo of Larry Sonn, and another photo of one of his Coral label albums. Sonn's American band had a book largely written by chief arranger Manny Albam, with contributions by Al Cohn, and additional scores by Sonn himself. Among the men who played with Sonn were Al Baldini on drums, Spencer Sinatra on flute, Hal McKusic on tenor sax; Jay Cameron, baritone sax; Bob Swope, trombone; Bob Corwin, piano, and Joe Lopes and Hal Stein, alto saxes. Arlene Corwin pleasantly handled the vocal chores.

INTERESTING NOTE: The April 41957 issue of 'Down Beat Magazine' (which hit the stands on March 21, 1957) mentioned that if you were in the right place in the U.S.A, you could still catch the big bands of Charlie Barnet, Les Brown, Duke Ellington, Woody Herman, Stan Kenton, Preston Love, Boyd Raeburn and Larry Sonn, who were all on tour. (Quite remarkable since the Big Band era had all but ended some years earlier.)

Still, Mexico called, and Larry returned and formed one of the foremost big bands in the country. Besides touring Mexico, Sonn also did radio shows for XEW, Mexico's largest station. In 1972, Larry retired from music and relocated from Mexico City to Cuernavaca 40 miles south. He opened a popular book store specializing in U.S. editions for English-speaking residents and tourists. After several years he retired completely. His wife Margara continued to practice dentistry, while daughter Maggie, also a dentist, specialized in xray diagnosis.

Today (2004) on most mornings Larry can be found having breakfast with friends at the downtown Sanborns under the giant palm trees surrounding the restaurant terrace. They speak of the latest happenings among the retirement community and discuss MexicanUSand Canadian politics. The weather is never mentioned because it never changes: Cuernavaca is the "City of Eternal Springtime."

Postscript: Currently, January 2006, Larry is alive and well, -still living in Mexico, and just celebrated his 87th birthday.

   [ Emil Seidel Orchestra ]
A reader has kindly sent this old newspaper photo of the Emil Seidel Orchestrashowing L-R Dick Kent, Gene Woods, Emil Seidel (seated at the piano), Byron Smart, Maurice Bennett, Oscar Rosberg, Donn Kimmel, Clif Williams, and Paul Brown.

Emila native of IndianapolisINwas a composera pianist and a publisher of Ragtime musicwhose orchestra was the first to record Carmichael"s legendary "Stardust" (an 'uptempo version at Gennett's Recording Studio on Oct. 31, 1927). Actually, Gennett (and Hoagy) had simply recruited pianist Emil Seidel and seven men out of his orchestra; a group which was credited on the original Gennett label as "Hoagy Carmichael and His Pals." The song did not become a hit until two years later when it was recorded by Isham Jones, and also by Don Redman, then the leader of 'McKinney's Cotton Pickers' (who recorded the tune under the pseudonym of "The Chocolate Dandies"). Seidel"s orchestra recorded a dozen more songs through early 1928 at Gennett. In late 1928Emil relocated to New York city, where he found work as a radio accompanist. His recording career had lasted from 1923 to 1928.

   [ Sons of the Pioneers ]
Bob Nolan, the son of an Army officer who had retired to Arizona, had attended the University of Arizona where he studied music and poetry. After his graduation, Nolan more or less drifted about the country writing songs, and taking odd jobs (such as Lifeguard at a California beach).. Then, in 1931, he joined a singing group which was first called 'The Rocky Mountaineers'. then 'The Pioneer Trio', and finally evolving into 'The Sons of the Pioneers'. ( The original "Rocky Mountaineers" consisted of Leonard Slye (later better known as Roy Rogers, b: November 5, 1911, Cincinnati, OH USA, d. July 6, 1998, Victorville, CA, USA; fiddler Bob Nichols. (dates unknown); and Tim Spencer (born Vernon Spencer, July 13, 1908, Webb City, MO, USA, d. April 26, 1974, Victorville, California, USA. (stroke) ). Rogers soon left the group to star as a singing cowboy in Hollywood "B" Western films, and Bob Nolan who was brought in to replace Rogers, soon became the 'de facto' leader.

Still, the careers of Roy Rogers and the 'Pioneers' would be intertwined for many years.to come It is no exageration to say that the group gained fame due mostly to the numerous songs Nolan composed. Several of them, including "Tumbling Tumbleweeds", (596 kb) recorded August 8, 1934 for Decca by the Sons of the Pioneers (it was one of their biggest hits), and "Cool Cool Water", (508 kb) recorded 1948 by the Sons of the Pioneers. (Brunswick label 78RPM). became standards of the "Western" or "Cowboy" genre. Besides their radio work, 'The Sons of the Pioneers' appeared in many B-Westerns performing musical numbers, and very often playing as 'sidekicks' to Roy Rogers. In 1949, Nolan left the group to concentrate on his songwriting, although he continued to intermittently record with the group throughout the 1950s. In 1979, he recorded his last album, "The Sound of a Pioneer", his first recording in nearly two decades. Nolan died the following year in 1980.

  VIDEO: "Dust Dust "  Sung by Roy Rogers and The Sons Of The Pioneers in 1948. From the 1948 public domain film "Under California Stars". (film clip: ballardmedia )
Aside from it's entertainment value, this film clip is also important because it reminds us that "Western" music was something quite far removed from "Hillbilly" or "Country". "Dust Dust" was a somewhat "Pop" tune during the great world-wide economic depression of the 1930s.

'The Sons of the Pioneers', a vocal and instrumental group, enjoyed a 7 decades long career whose work defined the "Western" musical genre, setting the standard for every "Cowboy" group that followed. Their vocal harmonies and brilliant arrangements delighted generations of listeners, as well as inspiring numerous performers.