[ Franz "Teddy" Kleindin Orch. ]
Instruments: Sax and Clarinet.
During the 1930s, Kleindin worked with many Berlin dance bands. In June 1941, he left Teddy Stauffer's Original Teddies orchestra and formed his own group for recording date with Telefunken. Listen to that 1942 band:

  "Frauen Sind Keine Engel", (509 kb). ("Women Are Not Angels"). Tanzorchester Franz "Teddy" Kleindin, with vocal refrain by Horst Winter. Rec'd: Telefunken A 10489 mx. 26721 Berlin, 1942

Early on, his style was greatly influenced by Benny Goodman, changing only slightly in later years.

      [ Karasinski & Kataszek Orch. ]
In 1926 this band was formed, with the sole purpose of advertising the American made "Indian" brand motorcycles. Bandleader Aleksander Halicki (who played sax in the 'K&K' band) has said that the "Karasinski & Kataszek" band was the very first Polish group to play Jazz improvisation......but I have to admit that we were not very original; most of the time we just copied what Paul Whiteman or Red Nicholas were doing then". Nevertheless, the band's tour for the Indian Motorcycle Company brought them great fame.

      Szymon Kataszek
b. July 4, 1898, Warsaw, then part of Imperial Russia, d. May 22, 1943. Pawiak (in a German Prison), Poland. (Other sources say, in 1943 he was sent to Auschwitz, where he died).
A jazz pianist, composer, arranger.
During 1910-1914, he studied music at the Music Institute of Warsaw. During World War I, he joined the Pilsudski Legion. Then, from 1918-'20, he fought in the defense of the Polish city of Lwow during the Polish-Bolshevic war. After WWI, he joined the Gala Orchestra of the Warsaw Military Headquarters , and also, -together with his friend Zygmunt Karasinski (piano, violin and clarinet), played in the silent movie theaters. In 1921, Karasinski went to Berlin where he played for some time with the Harry Spieler Band. In 1922, after returning to Warsaw, he, Kataszek, Jerzy Petersburski, (piano) and Sam Salvano (drums) established the "Karasinski & Kataszek Jazz-Tango Orchestra", which became an immediate sensation in Warsaw as the first Polish band playing American Jazz. Quickly they became the most popular Warsaw dance orchestra, playing in popular night clubs and revue theatres, such as "Morskie Oko" or "Wesoly Wieczor". In 1934-'35, they made 'the grand tournee' around Europe and Middle East.

Besides band-leading, Kataszek was also a very productive composer. He wrote dozens of the greatest pre-war "schlagers", such as "Abram, ja ci zagram" ("Abram, I Will Play for You"), "A ile mi dasz?" ("How Much Will You Pay Me?"), the shimmy "Czy pani mieszka sama?" ("Do You Live Alone, Madame?"), and received the Grand Prix in the Tango Competition of "Morskie Oko" Theatre for his "Czemuś o mnie zapomniał" ("Why Have You Forgotten Me?").

In September 1939, when the German occupation of the Western and Central Poland started, he fled from Warsaw to Lwow - the Eastern Polish city taken due to the Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact - by the Soviets, where he played for some time as the leader of a restaurant orchestra. Yet in 1941, as soon as the Nazis captured the city, he was arrested and sent back to Warsaw. In the Ghetto, he managed to arrange a small orchestra of the Ghetto Police (Jüdischer Ordnungdienst), but soon managed to flee from the Ghetto and went back to Lwow, using an "aryan" name. In Lwow, he led the orchestra in the Casino, often attended by the German SS officers. Unfortunately, during one of his performances, an SS officer who was originally from Warsaw recognised Kataszek as a 'Jewish bandleader'. He was immediately arrested and again sent back to the Warsaw Ghetto, where he was probably shot in the Pawiak prison on 22 May 1943. (Other sources say, he was sent to Auschwitz, where he died).

      Zygmunt Karasinski
b. May 2, 1898, Warsaw, then part of Imperial Russia, d. June 20, 1973, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Zygmunt's father was Adam Karasinski, a well known composer of popular songs (including the 'evergreen' waltz "François"). Primarly taught music at home by his father, he later joined the violin class of Prof. Jerzy Jarzebski at the Warsaw Conservatory. However, he could not complete his education due to the onset of World War I. After the war, he, together with his friend Szymon Kataszek, earned their living playing piano in the 'nickelodeons'. In 1921, he played for some time in Berlin with Harry Spieler's famous Jazz band. In 1922, after returning to Warsaw, he and Kataszek established their own "Karasinski & Kataszek Jazz-Tango Orchestra", which soon became one of the most popular bands in Poland, -the real pioneers of Polish Jazz.

Karasinski was also the composer of many pre-war evergreens, e.g. the slow foxtrot "Każdemu wolno kochac" ("Everyone Is Allowed To Love"), the foxtrot "Yo-yo", the tango "Pamiętam twoje oczy" ("I Remember Your Eyes"), and
  "Zlociste Chryzantemy":, (403 kb) A well known Tango sung - over the years - by many stars. This version is sung by the tenor Janusz Popławski. Recorded in 1939, this was one of the last Tangos recorded by the Odeon label in their Warsaw studios, just prior to the start of World War II., and also one of the most famous Polish tangos ever (composed just a few months before the onset of World War II) "Czy pamietasz te noc w Zakopanem", 581kb. ("Do You Remember That Night In Zakopane?").

In September 1939, he left Warsaw for the north-eastern part of Poland, which had been taken by the Soviets. In 1941, he established a jazz ensemble, "The Belorussia Jazz", in Białystok, and later organised a big jazz revue group of performers in Lwow.

After WWII, he returned to Warsaw where he worked as the music editor for the Warsaw Broadcasting service. In 1945 the citizens of Warsaw, who remembered and loved his music and songs, organized in the "Roma" - the one and only Warsaw cinema building that survived in the totally ruined city - the gala anniversary of 25 years of his artistic career. Up until 1968, he continued composing songs, e.g. "Deszczowy koncert" ("The Rain Concerto") for a popular singer Fryderyka Elkana, and he ran the radio program "A Thousand Facts of Jazz". In 1968, a victim of the infamous Polish communist regime's anti-Jewish campaign, he left for Denmark. Zygmunt Karasinski died in Copenhagen on 20 June 1973.
The BigBands Database thanks Dr. Grzegorz Musial , for his gracious help with this 'Karasinski & Kataszek Orch.' entry. Dr. Grzegorz Musial is by education a medical doctor, and by second profession, a writer and a poet, author of numerous books of poetry and prose, a member of Polish Writers' Association, and the Polish PEN Club.
Among the sources used are:
Jonas Turkow "C'etait ainsi". 1939-1943 "la vie dans le getto de Varsovie".
Adolf Berman: "Wos der gojr hot mir beszert. Mit jedn in Warsze 1939-1942" ("What Has the Fate Prepared For Me. In Warsaw With the Jews In 1939-42").
Adam Czerniakow "Dziennik Getta Warszawskiego" ("The Diary of Warsaw Getto" 6.IX 1939 - 23 VII 1942) .

      [ James Kok Orch. ]
Jan. 26, 1902. Czernowitz, Bukovina. d: Oct. 18, 1976, Berlin, Germany.
né: James Arthur Kok
Instrument: Violin.
James Kok, Roumanian by birth, emigrated to Germany in the late 1920's, where in 1929 he organized a small band which he later enlarged to 15 pieces (with Fritz Schulze: Piano, Erhard Bauschke: Clarinet, with Kurt himself doing sax fills and some "Scat" singing.). It was one of the 'hottest' Big Bands then playing in Germany. Listen to the band playing "Jungle Jazz", and also "Tigers", recorded Jan. 1935. Here's a photo of Kok's Orchestra. His great inspiration was the Casa Loma Orchestra. In 1935, Kok publicly expressed sympathy for the music of England's Jack Hylton Orchestra, and because of his outspoken public support of the British Orchestra, (anything English or American was unpopular with the Nazis), Kok attracted the attention of the "Reichsmusikkammer" (Reichs-music-board). This incident led to the discovery of his "half-Jewish" origin and resulted in banning his orchestra from performing or recording. In 1935, Kok, although very popular in Germany, fled to England, survived the war and later lived in Switzerland. When he left Germany, he handed the baton over to Erhard Bauschke, who continued to record, but with less effect until 1942.

      [ Gorni Kramer e i Suoi Solisti ]
b. July 22, 1913, Rivarolo Mantovano, Italy, d. Oct. 26, 1995, Milan, Italy.
Recorded on Fonit label., Active in late 1930's.- late '80s.
Gorni Kramer, who had learned music at a very young age, thanks to his musician father, would become one of the most famous Italian songwriters, musicians and band leaders of the 20th Century. He was a multi-instrumentalist, playing piano, Double Bass and was probably the best European accordionist all during the 1930s and '40s. Still, very early in his career, he was underestimated and very nearly ignored. On June 18, 1935, he became the first to record accordion music with only a rhythm section.

The Italian fascist regime forbade musicians from playing in the new American Jazz and Swing style, but Gorni, thanks to some fellow musicians who worked on board the ocean liners connecting Europe and America, got to know the genre very well. In time, other Italian accordionists would be influenced by Gorni's work, - men such as Wolmer Beltrami and Peppino Principe.

From 1939 to 1946, Kramer played with the some of the best musicians of the period, including such stars as Nino Impallomeni, (leader/trumpet player in the 1930s and '40s), and trombonist Nello Di Geronimo, who later resided in South America. In 1949, Gorni Kramer began working for musical impresarios Peter Garinei and Sandro Giovannini, and by March 1952, he had become a very well-known accordion player as well as a director of Jazz and Argentinean Tango orchestras. He had already recorded numerous discs for the Fonit label. In 1957, Kramer debuted on television with the 'Il Musichiere' music show hosted by Mario Riva.

For over four decades, this wonderful accordionist/leader/composer was a favorite of Italians, and appeared in many musical comedies and television shows, as well as on-stage. As a composer, men such as lyricist Tata Giacobetti wrote for Kramer's music. As a bandleader, men such as guitarist Franco Cerri (b. Jan. 29, 1926, Milano, Italy) began his careers working in Kramer's orchestra (1945). Cerri later went on to play with stars such as famed Gypsy guitarist Django Renhardt, and violinist Ste�phane Grappelli, Gerry Mulligan, Chet Baker, Billie Holiday, the Modern Jazz Quartet, Buddy Collette, and Lars Gullin, to name a few.

Some of his work has just been recently re-released by Rivera Jazz Records with two CDs offering some of his best recordings, previously unavailable. Also on the recording are selections by "The Three Niggers of Broadway".
For more information on this recording, please contact:
Riviera Jazz Records, Via Livigno, 145, 00188 Rome, Italy
eMail:   annamaria@rivierajazz.it
Web URL:   http://www.rivierajazz.it

      [ Teddy Kleinden Trio ]
Currently No Information Available.

      [ Peter Kreuder ]
né: Peter Paul Kreuder
b. August 18, 1905, Aachen, Germany, d. June 28, 1981, Salzburg, Austria.
Is the name familiar? Upon his demise in 1981, the artistic legacy he left behind included music to 188 sound films, II musicals, 1 opera, 5 operettas and 6 symphonic works. He had given 4318 concerts in 39 countries, and left behind 2314 records and CDs.

Kreuder was a child prodigy who was already studying the piano by age 3, and who gave his first public concert in Guerzenich, Cologne at just age 6. At age 12, he entered the Piano Academy in Hamburg, and, a year later, he was already a repetiteur (assistant) at the Hamburg City Theatre. The "Jazz Age" was just beginning, and Kreuder quickly became a fan of the new music. 1923 found him working as a pianist in the "Gruss' pavilion, and as a director of silent movies in Munich.

By 1931, at age 26, Kreuder had become one of Germany's most popular and well known composers. In 1937, with the Nazi party in full control of Germany, Kreuder and famed actress Marlene Dietrich, (b. Dec. 27, 1901, Schöneberg, Germany, d. May 6, 1992, Paris, France) made some recordings in Paris, France for 'the enemies abroad'. He had known Marlene since the filming her in the 'Die Blaue Engel' ('The Blue Angel'), a film where he and some Jewish colleagues, such as Friedrich Hollander, Hugo Hirsch and others, were responsible for the musical arrangements.

  VIDEO: "Falling In Love Again"   Marlene Dietrich in the scene that made her a star.

Listen now to Austrian songstress Greta Keller, singing some tunes with the Peter Kreuder Orchestra.
  "Ausgerechnet Du!", (568 kb).( "Calculating You") sung by Greta Keller accompanied by the Peter Kreuder Orchestra. (Rec'd: Telefunken A 1845 mx. 20849 1935 )
  "Zwischen Heute Und Morgen", (384 kb) sung by Greta Keller, accompanied by the Peter Kreuder orchestra. The song is from the 1937 film "Frauen Liebe Frauenleid".
  "If It's The Last Thing I Do", (601 kb) Greta Keller singing with the Peter Kreuder Orch.

In 1938, at age 33, while working as general musical director at Munich's Gaertnerplatz Theatre, he "Jazzed up" Franz Lehar's "The Merry Widow". This was a very dangerous thing to do since the Nazi regime had declared Jazz and Swing to be forbidden. The danger was very real, and in 1941, Kreuder became resident in Sweden, where his opera 'Lips' had its premiere in Stockholm's Royal Opera House that same year.

Kreuder's life now took a very interesting turn of events. From Sweden, Peter Kreuder traveled first to Prague, Czechoslovakia, then to Austria and finally to Switzerland, where he met and fell in love with Evita Peron (née: Maria Eva Duarte, 7 May 1919, Los Toldos, Argentina), the wife of Argentina's dictator Juan Peron. Evita took him back to Argentina where he remained until Eva's demise in July 26, 1952 (cancer). He then went to Brazil, where he found some musical success.

Homesick, he returned to his native Germany where, in the 1960s, he again became involved with the musical theatre, helping the 'comeback' of Zarah Leander with the musicals 'Madame Schandaleuse' and 'Lady from Paris'. Today, many folks can still recall that inimitable "Peter Kreuder Touch".

Note on Zarah Leander:
The career of singer/actress Zarah Leander is interesting (Publicity Postcard photo). She was born March 15, 1907, Karlstad, Värmlands län, Sweden, and died June 23, 1981, Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden. (natural causes). In 1929, she was singing in provincial Swedish theaters, and soon worked her way up to starring roles in Stockholm and Vienna. In 1936, despite her imperfect command of the German language, she signed a contract with the Berlin film studio, UFA. This choice --bypassing offers from both England and the U.S.A. to make films in Germany, shocked her friends in the mostly liberal (anti-Nazi) Swedish theatre community. During World War II, Goebbels, the Nazi Minister of Propoganda, was highly upset when she became the highest-paid star of the Nazi cinema. He felt that this role should have been filled by a German actress. Leander became known as "the Nazi Garbo". (She was very popular in Germany both before and during World War 2. In 1937, her face appeared on the cover of 80 German magazines.) It is very interesting to note that Zarah Leander continued to produce movies in Nazi Germany even after two of her grandparents, both Jews, had died in the Nazi concentration camps. After World War II ended, few of her films met with success. Swedish audiences never overcame their hostility. Zarah never understood why people couldn't accept that she was a non-political figure who only wanted to make happy musicals and merely happened to do so in Nazi Germany. However, 15 years after the Nazis surrendered, she enjoyed a "come-back" of sorts appearing in musicals and concerts in Germany and Austria. Her work in these musicals was greatly helped by Peter Kreuder. There is an interesting epilog to her life. Anthony Beevor, in his book, "The Mystery of Olga Chekhova" (2004), has stated that Leander worked for Soviet intelligence during World War II, passing information about Nazi Germany to a Soviet contact during her visits home to Sweden.

      [ Paul Kuhn Orch. ]
Currently no information on Paul Kuhn
At various times, the Paul Kuhn Orchestra heard on 'Sender Freisi Berlin (Radio Free Berlin (SFB)' had the following lineup:
Paul Kuhn (leader, piano, arranger)
Milo Pavlovic, Ron Simmonds, Carmell Jones, Horst Larisch, Ossie Dudek (trumpets)
Ake Persson, Slide Hampton, Torolf Mlgaard, Andre Paquinet, Georg Rak, Charles Orieux (trombones)
Herb Geller, Leo Wright, Heinz von Hermann, Rolf R�er, Lother Noack (saxes)
Eugen Cicero, Walter Norris (piano)
Hans Rettenbacher (bass)
Ingo Cramer (guitar)
Joe Harris, Dai Bowen, Ronnie Stephenson (drums)
Adrian Cicero (vibes, percussion)
The BigBands Database thanks famed trumpeter Mr. Ron Simmonds for this information on the Paul Kuhn band.

      Alexei Kuznetsov Trio. ca.1941
Alexei was a guitarist. Later, -ca. 1950, Kuznetsov was part of a trio of Vladimir Danilin (accordion), and Alexander Rostotsky (electric bass). Also playing at this time was legendary Russian jazz pianist Mikhail Okun (whose sun Okun Jr.is active today).

      [ Bert Kaempfert Orch. ]
b. 1923, Hamburg, Germany, d. June 21, 1980, Majorca, Spain
Overview:
As a child in Hamburg, Kaempfert had studied music. He served in the German Armed forces during WW2, often working as an orchestrator or arranger for the Radio services. At the war's end, he found employment with Polydor Records as a A&R man.

Mr. Russ Allert, a friend of the Big Bands Database, has provided some interesting information on both Bert Kaempfert and James Last.
        "Both Last and Kaempfert recorded in Hamburg at Polydor's company studios in
        the Studio Hamburg complex. (Last still does so today) and made use of
        musicians mainly employed by the NDR Big Band, as well as other local
        players that they knew; Last in particular used some rock musicians who
        played for groups like Udo Lindenberg's Panik-Orchester and Lucifer's
        Friend. During the 1960s, both bandleaders mainly stuck to the local talent,
        but in the 1970s, they increasingly used a more international line-up. Last
        especially did so with his touring band, which often differed (though not
        greatly) from his studio crew. Kaempfert did not tour very much, and when he
        did he often combined Hamburg-based players with other available musicians.
        In an interview with Melody Maker in 1974, he noted that it was hard to get
        studio players to come on the road with him for a few weeks, only to come
        home and find half their studio gigs taken up by other players. He also
        noted that because he and Last used many of the same players, there was the
        chance that the more observant audience members would suspect that he
        (Kaempfert) was just fronting the Last orchestra."

        "What follows is a cumulative listing of the collective personnel of the Last
        and Kaempfert bands during the 1960s and 1970s. While most of the players
        played with both bands, occasionally there were some who only played with
        either one or the other. This is not a complete list by any means, but
        should give a good general idea of who was playing for Kaempfert and Last
        during this period."

        "TRUMPETS: Charly Tabor, Werner Gutterer, Manfred Moch, Heinz Habermann,
        Dieter Kock, Leif Uvemark, Bob Lanese, Rick Kiefer, Lennart Axelsson,
        Ack van Rooyen, Greg Bowen, Laurence Flam, Derek Watkins, Hakan Nyquist
        TROMBONES: Konrad Bogdan (bass), Gnter Fuhlisch, Detlef Surmann, Georges
        Delagaye, Nick Hauck, Wolfgang Ahlers, Ole Holmquist
        REEDS: Emil Wurster, Willi Surmann (father of trombonist Detlef),
        Karl-Hermann Ler, Jochen Ment (also known as bandleader Jo Ment), Harald
        Ende, Herb Geller, Ferdinand Povel
        GUITAR: Ladi Geisler, Karlheinz Kaestel, Bernd Steffanowski, Helmuth Franke,
        Peter Hesslein, Big Jim Sullivan
        ELECTRIC BASS: Ladi Geisler, Benny Bendorff
        DRUMS & PERCUSSION: Robert Last (brother of James), Rolf Ahrens, Barry Roy
        Reeves, Terry Jenkins, Wolfgang Schlter, Herbert Bornhold
        KEYBOARDS: Gunter Platzek, Peter Hecht."

        "Note: a number of these musicians also recorded for other German-based
        studio big bands such as Kai Warner (AKA Werner Last), Roberto Delgado (AKA
        Horst Wende), Jo Ment, Kurt Edelhagen, etc. All of these players were
        especially notable for playing in a wide variety of musical contexts."

Kaempfert is another of the 'easy-listening music' musicians of the 1960's, - as well known as a composer as he is a conductor. His over 30 Decca albums, released between the years 1959 and 1973, helped shape the sound of the 1960's. Upbeat and quite danceable, many of the records featured a lead trumpet (played by Fred Moch) and an electric bass and guitar. In 1961, he recorded his own tune, "Wonderland By Night" which reached #1 in the US charts.

There's an interesting sidelight on his career. In 1961, while working as an A&R man for Polydor Records, he helped produce the first 'Beatles' record. Polydor had contracted a stranded English vocalist, Tony Sheridan, who was trying to make enough money to return to England. Tony suggested the 'Beatles' to 'back' him on the record. The resulting album included Tony singing "My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean" and "When the Saints Go Marching In"; while the Beatles sang "Ain't She Sweet" and "Cry for a Shadow." Kaempfert was fairly unimpressed with the Beatles and released the recording using the name "The Beat Brothers."

Kaempfert is also a successful composer. One of his tunes was an instrumental originally titled "Moon Over Naples". A few years later, a lyric was added and the song was also re-named "Spanish Eyes". It became a huge top-10 hit for the American vocalist Al Martino. Frank Sinatra's version of another Kaempfert tune "Strangers in the Night" was an even bigger hit. While his "Swingin' Safari" has been used as background music by uncounted amateur home vacation videos.
Among his albums are:
African Beat, Decca DL 4273
April in Portugal, Decca DL 8881
Blue Midnight, Decca DL 74529
Bye Bye Blues, Decca DL 74693
Christmas in Wonderland, Decca DL 74441
Dancing in Wonderland, Decca DL 4161
Greatest Hits, Decca DL 74810
Hold Me, Decca DL 74860
Kaempfert Touch, Decca DL 75175
Lights Out, Sweet Dreams, Decca DL 4265
Living It Up, Decca DL 74374
Love That, Decca DL 74986
Music from "A Man Could Get Killed," Decca DL 74750
Orange Colored Sky, Decca DL 75256
Strangers in the Night, Decca DL 74795
That Happy Feeling, Decca DL 74305
That Latin Feeling, Decca DL 74490
The Magic Music of Far Away Places, Decca DL 74616
The Wonderland of Bert Kaempfert, Decca DL 4117
Three O'Clock in the Morning, Decca DL 74670
With a Sound in My Heart, Decca DL 4228
Wonderland by Night, Decca DL 4101

      [ Teddy Kline Orch. ], 1920s - '30s
Currently No Information Available
American clarinet player, Teddy Kline's band, was well known in Berlin. In 1929, he recorded the song "I'm Doing What I'm Doing For Love", with the 'Two Jazzers" vocal group, who were a very popular Germany vocal group. The recording is a good example of the talents of both Teddy Kline's band and 'The Two Jazzers'. It's also a good example of German Jazz as it was played between the wars. Klines band was quite popular in Berlin, He was as well received as the other orchestras of that time such as Marek Weber, and Stefan Weintraub's Syncopators. In Paris, Ray Ventura and his Collegians, Fred Adison and his Orchestra, and Django Reinhardt with Stephane Grappelli and their Quintet of the Hot Club of France were all the rage in Jazz circles.

      [ Géza Komor Tanz Orchester ], aka: Harry Jackson's Tanz Orchester; Géza Komor und sein Orchester vom "Hotel Kaiserhof" (Berlin - 1929); Tango-Kapelle Komor; Tango-Kapelle Morello; Künstlerorch. Geza Komor; Orchestre Tango Geza Komor, etc. (usw)
Currently no information available.
The orchestra was quite popular after World War I, in Germany's Weimar Republic era.

      [ Wilfried Kruger Orchester ], aka: W. Krueger
b.: Jan. 26, 1903, Neustettin (Pommern), Germany . d: Jam. 18, 1970, Berlin, Germany
Instruments: Violin, piano.
When he was one year old, Krueger's parents moved to Berlin. There the child received violin instruction, and at just 14 years of age, was occasionally playing for weddings and, later in silent movie cinemas. In 1920, Krueger became a member of the Marek Weber Orchestra. In 1923, he formed his own Trio. In 1928, he and the group played for six months at the famed London Savoy hotel. After his return, Krueger played first in the Cafe Schoen (it was destroyed during WW II in 1943). From 1930 on, he recorded often, and was often heard on radio broadcasts. Here's a photo of the Kruger group After the war Krueger, formed a group that included accordion virtuoso Joe Alex (1895-1972). They were often heard in Radio broadcasts such as "RlAS Kaffeetafel" and "Mach!" He also owned the restaurant "Stadtwappen" on the Neukoellner airport route.

      [ Sid Kay's Fellows Orch. ]
The name of this orchestra relates to their founders, - Sigmund Petruschka ("Sid"; b: 1903), and Kurt Kaiser ("Kay"; 1906-1972), both of whom earlier had been members the Weintraubs Syncopators. The 'Sid Kay's Fellows' were first formed in 1926 as an amateur Dance Band consisting of students from Berlin's technical university. At the beginning, they were seen only occasionally, but soon the Sid Kay's Fellows became a Ball and Gala type orchestra, and found additonal engagements as 'Begleitkapelle' with theatre productions. After their first tours, in 1929 (Frankfurt/Main, Vienna, Budapest), the Sid Kay's Fellows were engaged (1930-32) as the House Orchestra in the 'Vaterland Haus' (Hauskapelle im Haus Vaterland), where they played for dancing and for musical revues, in the Palm Hall. In 1930, they also accompanied famed American Soprano Saxophonist Sidney Bechet (1897-1959), during his appearances.

    "Die Ganze Welt ist Himmelblau", (543 kb): (English: "The Whole World Is Sky Blue" --From the Robert Stolz Operetta "Im Weissen Rössl" ) Rec'd: Tri Ergon 1930.

In 1933, after the nazis seized power, the 'Sid Kay's Fellows' existed only as a studio recording orchestra, and brought out some titles on the Lukraphon label, - a firm which had specialized in the aid to, and publication of Jewish artists in the years 1934/'35, under the direction of Petruschka. This orchestra probably consisted of members of the original 1933 orchestra that was created by the Jewish culture federation. In 1938, Petruschka emigrated to Palestine, where he assumed the name Shabtai Petrushka and played an important role in the music life of Palestine or Israel, among other things as musical conductor of Radio Israel.

      [ Egon Kaiser Orch. ]
b.: August 25, 1901, Berlin, Germany. d: July 11, 1982, Berlin, Germany .
Instrument: Violin.
Here's a photo of Kaiser, who came from a musical family (father: Director of music, mother: Violinist). From 1923 - '25, after completing his music studies, Kaiser was a member of the Berlin State Opera; 1925-26, kapellmeister at the Metropol-Theatre; 1926-29, member of the Berlin Philharmonic Orch. In 1929, on behalf of the Reichsrundfunk-Gesellschaft, he organized a "house:" orchestra. About this same time, Kaiser also led his own orchestra, and appeared in various Berlin restaurants and cafes (Delphi, Resi, Palace de Danse, Moka Efti, Pavillion at the Zoo, and others); he also appeared films and made recordings.

  "Kann Denn Liebe Sünde Sein? ", (540 kb) . ("Can Love Be A Sin"). played by Egon Kaiser Tanz-Orchester with vocal by Paul Dorn. From the film: "Der Blaufuchs". Rec'd: Polydor 2908 B mx. 8232 1/2 GR 9 Berlin, 1939

After WWII ended and into the 1980s, Kaiser and his orchestra were active in the Bereich de Unterhaltungsmusik fur Rundfunk, for broadcast, film and record, and for public meetings.

      [ Karel Krautgartner Orch. ]
b. July 20, 1922, Czechoslovakia d. September 20, 1982, Czechoslovakia
Czech-born alto saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer who had played with the Gustave Brom orchestra and others. The other top big band leaders in Prague during the 1950s included Karel Vlach, Prof. Ladislav Habart, and Kamil Behounek.