[Dixielandjazz] Simultaneous Gigs - Historical take

[Don Ingle]

The Gene Goldkette office in Detroit was, like Lanin in New York or his
brother Sam in San Francisco (who had Red Nichols and Phil Harris at times),
suppliers of bands. The main, famed Goldkette band of Bix and Tram was the
Victor Recording Orchestra. But he also had some other units of pretty good
personnel.
They included:
*  Henry Biagini and the Orange Blossoms - this became the Casa Loma band.
*  Chuck Wolcott and his Society orchestra- Wolcott later became musical
director on most Mickey Mouse and other Disney Cartoons.
* The Vagabonds, led by pianist Fred Bergin who was also the Detroit office
manager for Goldkette.
* The Owen Bartlett Orchestra, which featured Jimmy Dorsey for a short time.
* The Detroit Athletic Club Orchestra, led at times by Tommy Dorsey or Russ
Morgan
* The Bob Lo Island Pavilion orchestra; led by different leaders week to
week -- my dad was one, and Walter Hunt (Pee Wee) another.
In all there were as many as 16 Goldkette Groups playing under the GG
banner.
In 1929, Goldkette and his partner Charlie Horvak opened the Play-Mor
ballroom in Kansas City under violinist/leader Harold Stokes. To get it
started off, he filled the band with some of his Detroit stable which
included at that time my dad, Red Ingle, and also Andy Secrest, the Bix
sound-alike who eventually took over for Bix with Whiteman; and on piano for
a short stay was Hoagy Carmichael. (The famous story about some of the guys
tossing Hoagy's cornet (which he wanted to play in the worst way and that
was how it sounded) down the air shaft in the building they stayed in was,
according to my dad, true. Eventually, the Detroit guys were replaced by
locals who joined the KC band, and most returned to Detroit, with my dad
soon to leave for Chicago later than year to work with Maury Sherman's Orch.
(pianist Ray Sherman's dad) and then with Ted Weems from 1931 to 1941.
But in all cases, each Goldkette office band had a unique name and was not
in the sense of being many bands under the same name but a band of its own
under the Goldkette banner, a mark of the quality of the music provided.
The Victor Band,with Bix and Tram, was the flagship, and soon after it broke
up, the fortunes of the Goldkette office began a decline that the Depression
finished by early '30's.
Just a bit of history as handed down from one who lived through it all, my
father. Gather 'round the fire, children, while the legends are told for
another generation to hear.
Don Ingle



----- Original Message -----
From: "Stephen Barbone" <barbonestreet at earthlink.net>
To: "Dixieland Jazz Mailing List" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Friday, July 11, 2003 1:09 PM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Simultaneous Gigs - Redux


> Chatting off list with Charlie Hull, he reminded me of Lester Lanin.
>
> Lester was the premier "Society" Band in the World. For example, he sent
> units to play at Princess Di's wedding, Duchess Sarah's Wedding (In the
> UK) and Princess Grace's Wedding in Monaco, All US Presidential
> Inaugurations, etc., etc.,., etc.
>
> He also booked other gigs during these periods, in fact, booked many
> simultaneous gigs over his life time, as did his brother Howard.
>
> Clients wanted a "Lanin" band because of the quality of the music and
> because of snob appeal.
> Lester personally appeared where the most money was, or the most snob
> factor was. So, if Diana wanted Lester, she paid an extra $10 or $20
> thousand for him personally. While lesser lights got a band under his
> name. He employed hundreds of musicians to cover all these gigs.
>
> Music is a BUSINESS folks. You are supposed to make money at it. Having
> worked for Lester and Howard Lanin a few times in my life (never in his
> A Band, I can assure you),  I never heard anyone complain that they
> didn't get their money's worth. Even when I was there instead of Davern
> or Peplowski.
>
> And I have subbed for Orange Kellin and Dan Levinson in Independence
> Hall on occasion. Once when leader Doug Finke could not make the gig
> either. No one complained. By the same token, Doug Finke has, at times,
> subbed for Glenn Dodson, and earlier Pete Pepke in Barbone Street. No
> one complained then either.
>
> Fraud? Of course not. Such substitutions go on all the time. And there
> are just a very few of us who can tell the difference. Not to argue that
> point, but we few who can, are not the audience, just a very minute part
> of it, and not very important in the totality of the music's viability.
>
> Music is a business. Play it, satisfy the audience, not the exceptions,
> make money at it and don't sweat the small stuff..
>
> Cheers,
> Steve Barbone
>
>
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