[Dixielandjazz] Longines Symphonette

[Stephen G Barbone]

Bill Haesler asked about  a Dixieland recording from this label. I  
can't help with the personnel but do know that the Longines  
Symphonette was based in Larchmount / New Rochelle New York, just a  
couple of miles from New York City. They were a large orchestra that  
morphed into record production and other pursuits presenting many  
different genres of music. They also presented well known artists such  
as Al Hirt, Bing Crosby et al. They also sold records of people like  
Jack Benny recalling the good old days in radio. They produced several  
different "Dixieland" albums.

The also had a weekly radio program. Sponsored by the watch company,  
they also sold a radio, and then a cassette recorder of the same name.

They mostly used New York City Studio musicians like Hank D'amico (clt/ 
sax) Charlie Butterfield (tb) and Billy Butterfield (tp) so it could  
well have been Butterfield that Bill heard. If there is a list of NYC  
studio musicians of that era around, (many of whom were jazzers) it  
would give you an idea of who was probably in the Symphonette.

The LS was active in the 1960s but I am not sure when they started, or  
finished.

I think the records listed under their own name/label, were actually  
pressed by Decca.

There would have been other jazzers in NYC available to LS back then.  
For example, in the 1960s, Bobby Hackett had a regular gig at the  
Roosevelt Grill in NYC. Personnel on that gig included Cliff Leeman,  
Dave McKenna, Jack Lesberg and Vic Dickenson.

And if the musicians were "under contract" to other labels, they may  
have wished to remained anonymous. <grin>

Cheers,
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband