[Dixielandjazz] Pre-rock popular music in England

[Judy Eames]

Marek Boym wrote:
> .
> There are early (mid- and late twenties) recordings of British bands
> that compare quite favourably to their American counterparts.  Fred
> Elizalde, Ambrose, and others turned out numerous hot "swingers," in
> addition to the lachrymose ballads.  A good part of Harry Roy's output
> swings, and the band led by Nat Gonel
For some reason I'd assumed that the Elizalde brothers were 
Italian/Americans... not so according to this biography I just 
found....not British either

Jude



        Biography


        Connections between the Philippines and the jazz scene are
        slight — but here is one for sure, half of a pair of brothers
        born into one of that island nation's wealthiest families. Both
        Fred Elizalde and Manuel Elizalde led dance bands in London,
        England, beginning in the second half of the '20s; they were
        sent there to attend posh Cambridge, naturally. The Elizalde
        brothers eventually dipped into the pool of brilliant New York
        City recording session players to bolster the staff of their
        band, certainly one reason that an ensuing Savoy Hotel stint was
        such a smash.

*Both brothers were shipped around to only the best schools — besides 
the aforementioned Cambridge there was Stanford University in California 
where, at only 16, Elizalde assumed leadership of the Stanford 
University Band for a Biltmore Hotel gig in Los Angeles. Moving from 
there to England only furthered his career as a bandleader and arranger: 
but his parents had meant otherwise, apparently horrified at their sons' 
interest in performing popular music. *

*An ensemble bravely called the Quinquaginta Ramblers was the first 
group Fred Elizalde took over upon arrival in England. The noted 
bandleader Bert Ambrose, often credited under just his surname, took a 
liking to the Filipino lad's piano playing as well as his ideas for 
compositions, and was an early employer. Near the end of the '20s, 
Elizalde disbanded his British-American ensemble and moved elsewhere in 
Europe, studying classical music in Spain and working privately with 
Ravel in France. In the early '30s there were some further Elizalde 
recordings done in England, but in later years he would return there 
only for classical concerts, basically settling back in the Philippines 
where he ran his own radio stati*on.