[ Regina Orchester ], 1920s - '30s
Currently No Information Available.
Probably the name for the current "house band" playing at Munich's Regina Palast Hotel.

      [ Charles Remue and his New Stompers Orch. ]
Alto sax. b. d. 1971
Known to have appeared on the 1st Belgian jazz recording June 27, 1927, which was cut in London's Edison Bell Studios. Pianist Stan Brenders, who later formed his own big band, was present at this recording session. Charles formed bands in 1929 and again in 1930.

      [ (Theo Uden Masman and) The Ramblers ]
b: Cheribon, Java (Dutch East Indies) March 15, 1901, d: The Hague, Holland, Jan. 27, 1965
After moving to Holland in 1907, Masman studied piano and, in 1922, became a journalist. He played in amateur bands, and in 1924 became sole importer of American Brunswick records. Along with his reasonably succesful piano compositions (which were even published in the USA) these activities brought him into contact with the professional music world. In 1926, he joined The Resonance Seven and became a full-time professional musician. A born leader, Masman soon took charge of the band's affairs and the name was changed to 'The Original Ramblers Dance Orchestra'. The band debuted in The Hague on September 1, 1926. After succesfully touring Holland and Germany, The Ramblers' first recordings were made in July 1929 for the Odeon label, a second session in October was for HMV.

  VIDEO: "Tthe Ramblers"   (film clip: adriennesis ) This great Dutch orchestra playing in 1933

Sidenote: In 1931, another well known "Dutch" musician, Hans Fernandes (please see: The Hawaiian Five) married Elly Benjamins. Their reception was held at the Cabaret La Gaité in Amsterdam (12 November 1931). All the "Original Ramblers" were present, and in their wedding book guest list, autographs identified as "The Original Ramblers" appear. Here is a photo of that page with the Signatures The Original Ramblers. The translation of the text at the top of the Signatures page is "Signatures of guests at the occasion of our Wedding Celebration in Cabaret La Gaité 12 November 1931." The signatures (top to bottom) are: Theo Uden Masman, Jac Pet, Wim Poppink, M. Dreese, Gerard Springt, E. Tokkie, H. Hinrichs, J. de Vries, K. Veenendaal, P. Bernie, and A. Prins. (The BigBands Database Plus thanks the daughter of Hans Fernandes for permission to reproduce this page from her father's wedding book.)

Further engagements abroad (Denmark, Germany and Switzerland) followed and from summer 1932 onwards the band played seven consecutive years at the Casino Hamdorff, a popular resort in Laren (near Amsterdam), and in November 1932 the band secured a Decca recording contract. The first two sessions (Autumn 1932 and Spring 1933) took place in London, but after Dutch Decca set up their own recording facilities, further activities took place in Holland. For recording purposes the seven-piece band was sometimes augmented with studio musicians, and the early 78 rpm's show a heavy Casa Loma and Ellington influence. After the arrival of trumpeter / arranger Jack Bulterman, and a contract with VARA Radio, the band's musical policy increasingly veered towards a more commercial approach.

In 1935 the band accompanied Coleman Hawkins (who, when on tour with Jack Hylton, was denied access into Germany and decided to stay in Holland). Although, perhaps, The Ramblers lacked the rhythmic drive of American bands, their recording of Bulterman's "Meditation" can be regarded as a classic of its kind. Other well known artists that The Ramblers accompanied were vocalist Connee Boswell, Benny Carter, Hal Yates and Freddy Johnson. Masman's and Bulterman's shrewd policy of mixing comedy routines with original Dutch material and a fair amount of jazz, made the band the most popular musical aggregation in Holland. Because of their versatility they (anonymously) accompanied a wide variety of Dutch artists on records.

The band was expanded to eleven in 1937 (with a.o. the addition of trumpeter Sem Nijveen, a good jazz soloist), but towards 1939-1940 the jazz played by the band was slightly out of date (taking inspiration from Bob Crosby's two beat style rather than from more modern bands as Artie Shaw for example). The challenge offered in 1941, by newcomer Ernst van 't Hoff and in 1942 by Dick Willebrandts, gave new inspiration to Bulterman and trumpeter / arranger Ferry Barendse, who started penning more modern arrangements. A dark page in the band's history was when its two Jewish members were forced to leave the band in 1941 (one, Sem Nijveen, survived, being financially supported by Masman after going into hiding). Several times Masman was reprimanded by the authorities for playing jazz-inflected music (eg. the extended feature for drummer Kees Kranenburg "Triple Sec") but he always managed to avoid getting into any serious trouble and the band continued recording and touring Holland and Belgium throughout the war.

With Fud Candrix and Jean Omer, two of the principal Belgian bigbands, frequently away in Germany, The Ramblers became very popular in Belgium indeed. Towards the end of the war they remained in Belgium (which was liberated six months earlier than Holland) and right after the liberation the band was augmented to a full bigband size (including some of Van 't Hoff's and Willebrandts' best players), playing mainly in American officers' clubs. The first concerts in Holland were received with a marked display of hostility (because the band had also worked for a number of German propaganda organisations during the war), but opinions soon changed and the band enjoyed undiminished popularity until the early Fifties.

While still retaining a number of jazz instrumentals (some, arranged by tenor sax man Kees Bruijn, in a fairly advanced style), the band's popularity was now mainly based on its interpretation of international hits, Dutch songs and comedy routines (often vocally featuring long-time member Marcel Thielemans). After 1950, popular enthusiasm for the band gradually deminished and although its Thirtieth Anniversary in 1956 was celebrated in style, recording sessions and live performances became rare.

The addition of a Shadows-style pop group and a couple of teenage singers did not help. Masman, after having suffered a stroke, was no longer the strong leader he had once been and when VARA Radio decided to break up the band in 1964, Masman, disappointed, could not help but give in. A year later he died.

In the early 1970s The Ramblers were again brought to life (with many of the original members) and they resumed recording and touring. Staunchly supported by a small but active fan club, the band exists to this day and has fairly recently published two cd's recreating some of its old successes.
The Big Bands Database thanks Mr. Joost Kiefte for this entry on Theo Masman and The Ramblers.

      [ Ady Rosner Orch. ]
b: May 26, 1910, Berlin, Germany, d: August 8, 1976, Berlin, Germany
Trumpet
Please see our Rosner Main Entry
Polish jazz in the early 1930's was due mainly to the rise of fascism in Germany. In 1933, the German Nazis came to power and many Jewish musicians emigrated to Poland. Consequently, Polish Jazz was strengthened by Ady Rosner's trumpet, Erwin Woheller's saxophone, and Arkady Flato's swinging band.

Trumpeter Ady was probably the best known of these Polish bandleaders. He formed an orchestra with Polish musicians, and frequently experimented with a band that had the unusual lineup of 3 trumpets, tenor sax and 3 rhythm. Among the bandsmen was Ludwig Lampel, whom the critics hailed as "a sensational singer of European jazz". In the mid-30's, Ady Rozner's small swinging combo gave concerts in Finland, Denmark, Sweden and France.

In 1938, Ady toured France, and during the 1938 summer played in both Holland and Denmark. At end of summer of 1938, he returned to Poland; re-formed his band; and got booked into the Esplanade in Warsaw, where he became the highest paid polish musician. Rosner was widely hailed all over Europe. The President of Belgiums's "Sweet and Hot Club of Brussels", called him in (in the British 'Melody Marker' magazine) "...the Polish Armstrong! Other critics called him ".. the Jazz sensation". Ady became a war victim and died in the early 1940s.

      [ Ludwig Rueth Orch. ], 1915 - '30s
b: 1889, d: 1941.
Currently no information on this band.
His orchestra was heard at the legendary premiere of Kurt Weill's and Berthold Brecht's "Drei Groschen Opera". Still, Rueth left Germany in 1937 to protect his wife who was of Jewish ancestry. He was then recorded under the name of Lewis Ruth.

Listen to the band playing "Bleibe Noch ein Weilchen Hier" (668 KB), a lovely tune composed by another bandleader, Gerhard Winkler

      [ Emanuel Rambur Orch. ], (Rambour)
b: June 20, 1908, Berlin, d: June 21, 1980, Garmisch, Germany .
Instrument: Violin.
Here's a photo of Rambur, who received violin instruction as a child, and while still in his 'teens, was already playing in silent movie cinemas. After studying music in Berlin, Rambur worked in the orchestra of Bernard Ette, with whom in 1930, he traveled for an appearance in the USA. Rambur remained almost three years in the USA, where, among other things, he found work as a concertmaster with famed conductor/composer Erno Rapee. After his return to Berlin, he led his own orchestra in the Femina Cafe, Villa d'Este, and other places. In 1933, his was the house orchestra of the Hotel Kaiserhof. His band also played at large balls, including several times at the Berlin City Press Ball. Starting in 1935 he was also in the 'Fernsehsender Paul Nipkow'. Throughout 1938 to 1941, his band was often recorded. During WW II, Rambur was active in the German special services. After the war, he relocated to the city of Garmisch, and was again active with own orchestra until 1959. From 1961 to 1977, Rambur operated a record business in Garmisch. .

      [ "Rudi" (Rudolf) Rischbeck Orch. ]
b.: March 16, 1903, Muenchen, Germany; d: June 16, 1988, Muenchen, Germany
Instruments: Violin, clarinet, vocals.
Here's a photo of Rischbeck, who while still studying at the Munich academy (violin, piano, singing, harmony teachings) was already working as a musician in various orchestras. From 1929 on, he was active in Berlin, working in such orchestras as James Kok, Julian Fuhs, Juan Llossas, Otto Dobrindt, Efim Schachmeister, and others. From the mid-1930s to the beginning of 1941, he played with his own small group in different Bars (Atlantic, Konigin, Pallete, Latin Quartier, and others). During WW II, Rischbeck was still musically active (among other things in the propaganda orchestra "Charlie and his Orchestra"), on armed forces tours to the special services. After the war he operated mainly in Munich and Duesseldorf (Hotel Breidenbacher Hof) as musician and conductor.

      [ Hermann Rohrbeck Orch. ]
b: Feb. 28, 1899, Berlin, Germany ; d: feb. 22, 1978, Berlin, Germany .
Instrument: Violin
Here's a photo of Rohrbeck, who formed his own band while still studying at the Stern Conservatoire in Berlin and continued the band after World War I ended. His brother Paul Rohrbeck was also in the band. The orchestra found engagements in Berlin at such venues as Resi, Delphi Palace, Hotel Excelsior, and others, and also toured to other large cities. Before, and after, WW II, his was for many years, the on-board orchestra of different Ocean liners. He also did some recording.

      [ Max Rumpf Orch. ]
b: June 22, 1906, Berlin, Germany, d: Sept. 12, 1987, Darmstadt, Germany
Instrument: Leader.
Here's a photo of Rumpf's Orch.. Though Rumpf never finished his medical studies, he did become an optician. In the mid-1920s, he was a pianist in silent movie cinemas. In the late '20s, he formed and led several orchestras. From 1934 on, Rumpf played under the name 'Max Romme and his Rommees' in the Faun and in the Barberina Cafes. After some serious study Rumpf took the check-test in October 1936 before the 'Reichsmusikkammer' chamber to be certified as a professional musician. In July 1937, the orchestra, now extended to 12 men, played for the first time in Berlin's famed Delphi Palace; (in 1938 and 1939 they were again in the Delphi), they also played in the Cafe Femina and in the Cafe Berolina. After 1945, Rumpf, - due to hearing damage suffered in the war, returned again in his occupation as an Optician. He owned several business in Darmstadt until 1976.

      [ Syd Roy's Lyricals ]
né: Sydney Lipman
Instruments: Violin; Tenor Sax.
The orchestra of English pianist and Bandleader Sydney Roy (né: Lipman, and brother of Harry Roy). The band existed from 1919 and ended after their appearance in Berlin's 'Haus Gourmenia' (February 1930). After disbanding, Syd Roy worked actively as a manager for his brother Harry, as well as for other bands. 1946 he tried a comeback as Bandleader.