Rockford Republic, Monday, October 22, 1923 (found on Geneologybank.com)
Here is the whole page!
My cousin initiated correspondence with Malcolm Shaw, who in turn sent us a very informative and hopeful response!
Dear Jenny:
Thank you for your kind reply and update. If Conn had your ggfather's band as a "house band,"there IS the possibility that they might have recorded for internal use and distribution, especially since Conn is an instrument manufacturer. Many companies of the era in question had such bands making private recordings for local sale; some of them became more widely distributed, for example the B.F. Goodrich Silvertown Cord Orchestra, whose records were available through regular record company catalogs.
Also, the paper article refers to records and recordings... so they're out there. It also refers to a "Steinhour's" orchestra, of Cleveland (more likely the name might be "Steinhauer," or "Steiner:" the tendency to mistranscribe "foreign" names in the era is legendary.) The following snippet from American Dance Bands on Record and Film might conceivably be a whiff of a hint of a clue...
STEINER'S ORCHESTRA
Instrumentation and personnel unknown.
11038-A One Kiss
NOTE:- Matrix 11038 (with no take suffix) had been allocated to a recording made by The Richmond High School Choir, made five days earlier.
The "Gnt" referred to is the Gennett record label operated by the Starr Piano Co. in Richmond, IN; a pioneer small business in a world of giants like Columbia, Brunswick, Victor and Edison. They were the precursor of the independent small recording label, like Sun (Memphis) in the 50's and Motown (Detroit) in the 60's, who discovered Elvis Presley and everyone from Smokey Robinson to Aretha Franklin, respectively. Gennett had the habit of making "discoveries" who went on to world-famous status, usually out of the Midwest, the major name being Louis Armstrong, but also Gene Autry, Lawrence Welk and Guy Lombardo, amongst many others. They also made many "private-label" recordings (i.e. non-commercially available records made to order in small quantities, usually 100 or less.) Although this particular session is shown as "rejected," artists on sessions would usually receive a test pressing, which could conceivably be what your Mother remembers hearing. If that were so, I have to shudder, since it would mean that only participants would have kept copies, which would mean...
Again; I hope your search bears fruit even beyond yesterday's news article (you don't give newspaper or date) and ask that you let me know of any further threads. My ADBORAF authors would burst their buttons to know. Likewise, given your interest in the era and music, I'd like to send you a complimentary set of "American Dance Bands" in the hope that it might help you in some as-yet-undreamed-of way.
Sincerely yours:
Malcolm Shaw
Rustbooks Publishing
July 15th, a follow up message:
Dear Jenny:
As I surmised; all the musicians in the personnel you give were "journeyman" musicians in the Chi area in the 20's and into the 30's. You will see this in the ADBORAF index, when you get the book. Some of the bands they played with were Arthur Lange, Russo and Fiorito's Orioles, Don Bestor and others. They were the top dance bands of the day, so Ggpa was in swell company. Like his band, all the above played a continuing circuit across the Midwest and were probably on tour as much as they were in town, just like rock bands today touring the world. For Dick, touring the world was going to Cleveland and Des Moines with a bunch of other guys and staying in tiny, steam-heated hotel rooms in St. Louis, two to a room, but playing swishy, sweet venues.
For atmosphere, visit the Congress Hotel and look at the Gold Room, then see if you can get them to show you staff accommodations. They probably won't; they suck. I got the experience in Chicago myself in the early 70's, at what was then the Radisson on Wabash, between the Trib building and the WaterTower, in a staff room, where you could touch both walls on either side with your fingertips. I was living in Venezuela at the time, and couldn't believe anyone in the world's most prosperous country could live like that.
For summer, bands like these usually had a summer residency like Castle Farms in Cinncinati or Hudson Lake in Indiana, where things were a bit more resort-like an you didn't have to unpack every day. The musician's life sounds romantic, like a gypsy's. Also vaudeville acts. It wasn't. It was a young man's game, and guys I have spoken to were glad to get off the road and run a pawnshop or be a building superintendent. It changed up to, during and after the war, once every house had a radio an eventually a TV, and many successful guys migrated to California to play for films.
Back to yours: many of the musicians you mention also recorded for Gennett; so the distant scent I got from your first thoughts is getting stronger.
2508 N. Kedzie. Hmmm; my wife's from Akron, but lived for a number of years at Halsted/Armitage, just behind the Biograph. The demographics hadn't changed much since Dillinger was shot there. We understand it's been gentrified since. I'm an original Brit, but here since 1980, after 15 years in the West Indies and South America. I used to buy parts for my 1972 American Motors Hornet at Archer/Kedzie Autos, on trips like the one I mention. I's still my favorite US city.
Good hunting.
Previous Correspondence:
Bruce Pedalty
Dear Mr. Pedalty:
Regrettably, I can't be of help to you, since Mr. Lucke does not appear to have recorded, under his own name or that of "The Arcadians." That name in particular was used by recording companies as a cover, or pseudonym for other bands, but the personnels do not appear to have included Mr. Lucke on Piano. Likewise, "The High Steppers" appear on record, but as a recording band rather than a dance troupe, and likewise, there is no information regarding Mr. Lucke in band personnels.
I wish I could be more help, and I hope that efforts in other quarters give you better results.
Sincerely yous:
Malcolm Shaw
Rustbooks Publishing.
Dear Malcolm,
Bruce Pedalty kindly forwarded this correspondence to me, and, as alternate search, I wonder if anything is available under C.G. Conn Ltd? It appears that our ancestor's band was their official recording band around 1922-1923, if not in other years as well. Please follow this link for an article I found last night with more details & a great photo. Thank you sincerely for your time! http://www.
-Jenny Moran
Malcolm Shaw's in-depth response may be found above!
