[Dixielandjazz] differing opinion on one point

[dingle at baldwin-net.com]

Steve wrote:

>A) Perhaps the Goldkette Band was the first to die because of economics. It
   became too top heavy. best players, highest salaries, superb music. They
   bested the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra in 1927 as you might recall. Yet
   a year or so later they were forced to disband. Why? They had become
   victims of their own success and no venue could afford them and proof
   that the music is not enough.<

I tend to disagree with much of this exanple he gave. Since my dad was with the Goldkette office and at the time they went to New York was still workng with the Victor Band, the main JG "hot" band of that time, I have had the opportuinity to know a bit more of this story from a source that could not be much closer.

The main thing about the band's (Victor) demise is that Whiteman litterally outbid Goldkette for the "stars" who left to join that band. But the Goldkette office kept many good bands going for many years mre inteh Detrit area. Among them the Orange Blossoms which became the Casa Loma, The Owen Bartlett Orch, the Chuck Wollcott Orch, led by a man who later moved to Disney studio  and directed music for Mickey Mouse and friedns for many years. Goldkette also managed the McKinney's Cotton Pickers under leadership of Don Redmond and they headquartered into the early 30' in the Goldkette-owned Graystone Ballroom. (A Graystone museum if located today in Detroit.)

Goldkette and his partner Charlie Horvath opened  the Playmore Ballroom in Kansas City and swent some of his remaining  Detroit top players, includng Hoagy Carmichael, Andy Secrest, and my father, Red Ingle, to help get the new Kansas City JG band going under Harold Stokes, a violinist. Dad returned to work withother Goldkette bandsand Secrest left to replace the failing Bix with Whiteman. Hoagy's stardust and others mved him into full time composing -- the only really wealthy playing member of the Goldkette days.

Dad continued to work with several of the Goldkette units until 192p when he left to accept another offer in Chicago. He worked with the Maury Sherman Orch. Ray Sherman's dad, with Rosey McHargue also a member) and them jioned Ted Weems in 1931 and stayed until fall of 1941 with that band, one that worked all the time and never lacked for audience or places to play.

   Goldkette's office faded in the early 1930's more from the impacts of the stock market crash on his investments rather than lack of places to play or audience. Detroit, heavily based in the auto and heavy manufacturing business was especially hard hit at that time and many businesses including the music business were the victims of a big cash flow halt.

   I agree that the rise of vocalists and the wartime "entertainment" taxes did impact heavily on the business after the war. Mr. Petrillo's recording bans ( 2 of them) but a big hit on the big bands, a misguided move that nailed the coffin of big band era shut tight. But the earlier failure of Goldkette was more owing to the big stock market crash and the pirating for his top Victor band key players by Whiteman. 
   
   Such "thievery" was not unheard of even in the hey day of big bands. Joe Haynes, a great arranger, built a great band in the 1930's -- but when the Dorsey brothers broke up, Tommy went and offered the players of that band such a sweet deal that they left Joe. Dorsey later hired Haynes to write charts for him, but more because he liked the charts and not from any guilt over steaaling the man's hard built band away from him.

Many reasons killed off the golden age of big bands, but the example of Goldkette doesn't fit into the time frame.

Don Ingle (who got a chance to play in several big bands in the last gasp years of the '50's when the Theme Song was "1000 miles a day, for good old MCA."