[Dixielandjazz] Pee Wee Hunt and then some

[Robert Newman]

Incredibly fascinating, Don -- what great memories.   Are you writing a book 
about all of this wonderful background?   I'm serious, Pops.

Bob Newman

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Don Ingle" <cornet at 1010internet.com>
To: "Robert Newman" <bobngaye at surewest.net>
Cc: "Dixieland Jazz Mailing List" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Tuesday, October 27, 2009 3:10 PM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Pee Wee Hunt and then some


> My dad was a member of the Goldkette stable in Detroit - operated much 
> like the Lester Lanin NY office, with bands assembled from the signed 
> players under different leaders for each gig. A few bands were set up with 
> regulars, others ad hoc to fit the gig. The key band was the Victor band 
> with Bix and Tram, and dad did get to be a part of that during his 
> Goldkette days (1926-29.)
> Pee Wee Hunt (real first name Walter) was past of the Orange Blossoms, led 
> by Hank Biagini. Dad noted that this leader was not liked by most of the 
> men in it,so "one day they fired the leader" The members incorporated as 
> the Casa Loma Band, fronted by Glenn Grey Knobloch. It was actually led by 
> Mel Jensen, a violinist from Toledo.
> But when the "name bands" were not playing a gig in town or on tour, 
> members were swapped to fill in with other Glodkette "Units."
> In one situation, Goldkette had the contract for music on Bob Lo (Bois 
> Blanc) Island, a Canadian Island in the Detroit River with a dance 
> pavilion and lots of good booze since there was no prohibition in Canada. 
> There were two bands on this gig, one to play on the ferry excursion boat 
> enroute to the Island, the other to play at the Island. Dad was in the 
> "Vagabonds", led by pianist Fred Bergen, with bassist Steve Brown, 
> trumpeter Fuzzy Farrar, Jimmy Dorsey, and others in the stable at that 
> time. My mother would go along with dad and dance to the band on the boat 
> with Pee Wee Hunt in it, then when they were on the island, Pee Wee would 
> dance with my mother while dad played. This story, told by my dad for many 
> years, was confirmed when Pee Wee Came through Lansing MI in '52 where I 
> was winding up college at Michigan State. I picked mom up at our then 
> family home in Ovid, MI and brought her to the club where Pee Wee was 
> playing and during intermission he would sit with us and spin tales of 
> that time, telling the story of their "dance date"all over.
> It was an interesting time in Detroit. The Goldkette office owned the 
> Graystone Ballroom, and when the Victor band was not playing, they had the 
> McKinny's Cotton Pickers booked, with Don Redman as leader. Another 
> popular Goldkette unit was led by Chuck Wallcott, who later became musical 
> director for Disney, underscoring many of the classic Disney cartoons of 
> the 40-60's. Russ  Morgan was part of the Goldkette Stable, and also wrote 
> and orchestrated for the Detroit Symphony. (Used to bring arrangments by 
> for my dad to copy parts from as dad's copy hand made for the cleanest 
> chart parts in town according to Morgan.) The Detroit Athletic Club house 
> band was led by Tommy Dorsey for a time. Both Dorseys put in their hitch 
> with the remarkable musical "empire" of Jean Goldkette. Musicians and jazz 
> mavens alike can only salute the existence of Goldkette's impact of both 
> jazz and the beginnings of much of the big bands that followed.
> (It was a great time to be young and part of it - my dad was 19, just 
> married,when he joined up in 1926. Thankfully, I listened well when he 
> talked of his "great days" in Detroit. Great they were.
> Pee Wee Hunt's thread made this flow of memory begin. My brain smiles!
> Don Ingle
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> To unsubscribe or change your e-mail preferences for the Dixieland Jazz 
> Mailing list, or to find the online archives, please visit:
>
> http://ml.islandnet.com/mailman/listinfo/dixielandjazz
>
>
>
> Dixielandjazz mailing list
> Dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>