[ Luis Arcaraz Orch. ]
Theme Song: "Sombra Verde"
b. Dec. 5, 1910, Mexico City, Mexico
d. Dec. 15, 1963, Near San Luis Potos, Mexico. (Auto Accident)
ne´: Luis Arcaraz Torras
As he was growing-up in Mexico, he had two passions; music and bull fighting. It was said that he was a fine amateur bull-fighter. Both parents had a musical background. His father, a musician recognized his son's talent and encouraged him. His mother wanted him to have a more stable career so he attended school in Spain, studying Engineering and Music. He eventually gave up the engineering to concentrate on music full-time.

Returning to Mexico, his first job was with a radio station XEW in Mexico City where he was paid the equivalent of 36 cents an hour to sing and play the piano. In 1928 he made his musical debut in Tampico and success came quickly

His talent and reputation for arranging and composing grew quickly and soon he was writing musical scores for motion pictures. In 1951, he was awarded Mexico's Gold Record Award (the U.S. equivalent to a Grammy) for his musical composition, "Quinto Patio". in 1952, his band received a similar award as "Best Orchestra of the Year". By 1963, he had already composed music for 24 films.

Throughout the fifties, concurrently with composing, he toured the Mexico with a dance orchestra. His personnel were considered to be the finest musicians in Mexico. His great, long-time trumpet player, Conrad Gozzo was often compared to "a young Harry James." RCA Victor signed the Arcaraz Orchestra to a recording contract for their special Latin-American label, but because of his popularity they soon shifted him to their standard label.. By 1949 he had, what was considered to be by critiques, as the best big band in Mexico and consistently finished fourth in polls of the all-time best dance bands ever, behind only Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey and Duke Ellington.

His orchestra did not feature Latin-American music as one might expect. For shows and dances he played a blend North American pop-tunes and standards as well as some of Mexico's best pop tunes.

During the decade of the fifties, besides playing throughout Mexico, he often toured in the United States, mostly the west coast and mid-west as far north as Chicago. His band consistently drew capacity crowds and was one of the all-time favorites at the Paladium in Los Angeles.

In the 1960s, he moved to Monterrey where he commuted between there and Mexico City. It was during one of the commutes that he lost his life in a tragic automobile accident near San Luis Potos, on December 5th, 1963.
The Big Band Database thanks Mr. Ken Tidwell for this entry on Luis Arcaraz.

   [ Harry Archer Orch. ]
b. Feb 21, 1888, Creston, Iowa, USA. d. April 23, 1960 New York, NY, USA.
né: Harold Auracher
Theme: "I'll Always Remember You"
Also see the Harry Acher in our Tunesmiths Database.
Archer was a well educated musician. As a youngster he learned the trumpet and would go on to master all of the brass instruments. He worked his way through the Michigan Military Academy by playing his trombone, and then studied music at Knox College in Galesburg, IL, and Princeton University.

In 1912, he worked with Paul Whiteman to write the score for the Broadway musical, The Pearl Maiden. He developed his songwriting abilities on such shows as Merry, Merry: 1915, Peek-a-Boo: 1921, Little Jessie James: 1923, My Girl: 1924, Merry Merry: 1924, Twinkle Twinkle: 1928, and Just A Minute: 1928.

Among his hit songs were the often recorded, "I Love You," "A Girl Like You," "Heigh-ho Cheerio," "Alone In My Dreams" and "The Sweetest Girl This Side Of Heaven."

After his work on Broadway, he formed his own dance band in Chicago. The band enjoyed the success of radio remotes at several Chicago ballrooms before signing a record deal with Brunswick. The recording sessions included the bands theme song, "I'll Always Remember You" as well as "Sunny," "It Must Be Love," "Thinking of You," "My Heart Stood Still," and "When Day Is Done."

Their recording of "There Ain't No Maybe In My Baby's Eyes" was often heard on the 1980's TV sit-com Empty Nest. The song was a favorite of the character played by Richard Mulligan.
Above notes by Mr. Dan DelFiorentino

   [ James Archey Orch ]
b. October 12, 1902 Norfolk VA, USA. d. November 16, 1967 New Jersey, USA.
"Trombonists like Jimmy Archey gave form to the jazz sound. His early performances really gave us the trombone sound we have today in modern music." --James "Trummy" Young,1984.

Jimmy was legendary for his role as a sideman for King Oliver, Henry Allen, Louis Armstrong and Thomas "Mutt" Carey. Many of his solos are classics and are used as tools for teaching young musicians.

He recorded memorable songs with Luis Russell, Willie Bryant, Benny Carter, Ella Fitzgarald and Claude Hopkins before joining the Bob Wilber Dixieland combo in 1948. He led the group when Wilber left in 1950. Archey led the band on a tour of Europe in 1954. He disbanded the group to work with Earl Hines in San Francisco from 1955 to 1962. He continued to tour overseas with all-star bands and performed with Muggsy Spanier just weeks before his passing in 1967.
Above notes contributed by Mr. Dan DelFiorentino

   [ Arden and Ohman Orchestra ]
Overview
During the 1925 to 1935 years, the Arden and Ohman orchestra played in the 'pits' of a great many successsful Broadway shows. They recorded -mainly show tunes- with a studio orchestra playing in a society dance band style.

After World War I, Victor Arden (1903-Aug. 8, 1962) went to New York to make piano rolls. It was there he first met Phil Ohman (1896-1954). The two men quickly discovered a common love for piano music and soon formed a duo. The duo was gaining a rather impressive reputation in small clubs around 52nd Street. The first time the two names where shown together came as a result of a recording session that produced such songs as "Dance of the Demon," "Raga Muffin," and "Canadian Capers."

In 1924 the two men were hired for the Broadway musical "Lady Be Good", which led to a host of other performances. They played for the show "Tip Toes" in 1926 and Spring Is Here in 1929. However, national fame was to be gained on their regular radio broadcasts. They began as back ground music for commercials and news reports, but, by the mid 1920's, Arden & Ohman had a number of their own radio shows.

Together Arden and Ohman formed a larger, full big band that Roger Kinkle recalled as having, "good arrangements, good musicianship." They used various vocalists with the full big band including Frank Luther (1905-1980). For a few years, both men led their own orchestras, but reunited to record for Brunswick in the mid 1930's.
  "Strike Up The Band", (506 kb): the title song for the 1940 Hollywood film starring Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland.
  "Black Bottom", (469 kb): This version of a "roaring 1920s' tune is somewhat mixed up. For some reason or other, the band inserts the "Birth Of The Blues" - complete with vocal - into the middle of the song. Some visitors to our site may recall this song as the "Varsity Drag", the name given when it was featured in the 1947 Hollywood film "Good News", starring June Allyson and Peter Lawford q

There has been some confusion regarding the Arden-Ohman Orchestra's theme song. As many as five theme songs were used for different performances and broadcasts. The five theme songs are, "Dance Of the Paper Doll," That Certain Feeling," "Fine and Dandy," "Funny Face" and "Ooh! That Kiss."

In the 1950's, Victor Arden led the band with which Dick Powell recorded, "Lonely Gondolier" and "Outside of You."
Above notes contributed by Mr. Dan DelFiorentino

   [ Gus Arnheim and his Cocoanut Grove Orchestra ]
Theme Song: "Sweet and Lovely", here sung in 1931 by Russ Columbo.
Born: Sept. 4, 1897, Philadelphia, PA, USA. Died: Jan. 1955, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Here's a photo of Gus Arnheim. Among the vocalists who worked in his orchestra are Russ Columbo (who also played violin), Bing Crosby, Shirley Ross, and Joy Hodges.
(Aside - actor Fred McMurray (tenor sax) and game show host Art Fleming (drums) were in his band, not to mention future bandleders Jimmy Grier, and Stan Kenton.

  VIDEO: "Medley"   Rare footage of a very early "Talkie", -a 'Vitaphone Varieties' film featuring 'Gus Arnheim and His Cocoanut Grove Ambassadors', in 1929, playing a medley of songs including "If I Can't Have You", followed by "Something About A Rose Reminds Me Of You", and ending with "Hold That Tiger ('Dixieland' style)" The film is not only notable for the excellence of Arnheim's orchestra, but also for featuring Russ Columbo playing violin and singing (in the center of the trio). The "Ambassadors" were named for their appearance at the legendary Cocoanut Grove nightclub in Los Angeles' Ambassador Hotel. Crooner Bing Crosby's solo career was launched at the Ambassador, and Columbo was still another famous vocal career that was later launched at the Ambassador, when he served as a stand in for Crosby on Gus Arnheim's radio broadcasts. (Film clip: howyoodoon)

A Mini Album of Songs by the Gus Arnheim Orchestra.
  "I'm Gonna Get You", (473 kb): Gus Arnheim & his Cocoanut Grove Orchestra with Bing Crosby vocal. Composers: Arnheim/Tobias/Lema

  "I'm Through With Love", (529 kb): Gus Arnheim Orchestra with Bing Crosby vocal.

  "Just One More Chance", (611 kb): Gus Arnheim & his Cocoanut Grove Orchestra with Bing Crosby vocal. Composers: Coslow/Johnston

  "The Little Things In Life", (531 kb): Gus Arnheim & his Cocoanut Grove Orchestra with Bing Crosby vocal. Composer: Irving Berlin

  "Why Shouldn't I", (547 kb): Gus Arnheim & His Cocoanut Grove Orchestra, with Lloyce Whiteman vocal. Composer: Cole Porter

  "Singing In The Rain", (584 kb): Gus Arnheim Orchestra. 1929 Composers: Arthur Freed/ Nacio Herb Brown

Thanks to Mr. Leonard Schwartz for contributing these tracks by the Gus Arnheim Orch.- digitally re-mastered.

In hindsight, we can now see that part of Arnheim's hard-driving, well rehearsed sound was largely due to their pianist-arranger, Stan Kenton.
Above notes courtesy of Mr Alan Popow.

   [ Sidney Arodin Orch. ]
b: Westwego, LA, USA. March 29, 1901: d: February 6, 1948, USA.
ne´: Sidney Arnondin (It is not known when he dropped the first "n" in his surname.)
Sidney (one of the very early "White" New Orleans musicians) grew up in a non-musical environment in Westwego, a small town across the river from New Orleans. At age 15, he obtained a clarinet; took lessons for only two months, and then made music his career -both playing and composing - just as America was entering WW1. The Army closed down New Orlean's (ill)famed 'Storytown' district, and musicians began migrating north in search of jobs. "Jazz' began moving up the Mississippi river from New Orleans, and Sidney joined the migration. A Jazz nomad, he was home for only a few weeks at a time after his 16th birthday. Interestingly, he one of the very few White musicians who played with both White and with Black bands.

He is known to have played on Mississippi riverboats with Johnny Stein's orchestra. Most historians believe that he must have loved the Mississipppi River, because nearly all the songs he wrote contained "River" in the title. His 1930 song "Lazy River", co-composed with Hoagy Carmichael, is without a doubt the most famous. Curiously, he never recorded the tune which does offer a good insight into his mood, character, and playing style. It did become a staple in Louis Armstrong's repertoire, and with many others as well. Another of his tunes is "Drifting Down The River", - with pretty much the same chordal progression as "Lazy River". Although Sidney has received credit for only a few songs he may have written many more. He once told a friend that that he usually sold songs for a few bucks and a bottle of wine.

From 1922 - 1925, he was playing with the Original New Orleans Jazz Band in New York City. In 1926, he worked in San Antonio, TX, with the New Orleans Rhythm Masters, and following that was again in his hometown of New Orleans playing with Abbie Brunies' Halfway House Orchestra, as well as with Monk Hazel (1928), for whom he also occasionally played a tin whistle. He also played with Johnny Miller's New Orleans Frolickers.

Sandwiched in between tours with the Sunny Clapp (t'bone) Orch.(1929), and (1930) with the New Orleans Swing Kings he was in the renowned recording session by the Jones and Collins Astoria Hot Eight in New Orleans, Nov. 15, 1929 and is heard on, - and was the only "White" man, their recordings of "Duet Stomp" (Victor V-38576, BB 8168), "Astoria Strut" (Victor V-38576, BB 8168), as well as on "Damp Weather" (Bluebird BB 10952) and "Tip Easy BLues" (Bluebird BB 10952) He next worked in Kansas Cith until 1933 when he left to work in New York with Louis Prima's band.

In the summer of 1934, after working in Kansas City, Arodin returned to New York and working with both the Louis Prima band and also with Wingy Manone and the New Orleans Rhythm Kings. It was the height of the world-wide economic depression, and with work scarse, he returned to New Orleans. During 1939 and 1940 he led his own group in New Orleans. After 1941, due to increasing illness, he worked only sporadically until his death in 1948, - highly respected by his musical colleagues.

   [ Zinn Arthur Orch. ]
b. August 25, 1912, Crimea, Ukraine, d. March 11, 2003, West Hills (Los Angeles area), CA, USA. Age: 90 (natural causes)
Theme song: 'Darling,' (which he wrote and sang on stage.)
né: Abrasha Choosidman
Overview:
Here's a photo (cropped from an old newspaper photo) of Arthur Zinn, who led the 'house' orchestra at New York's Roseland Ballroom, and was the band's featured singer. During WWII, he was drafted into the U.S. Army where he bacame an integral part of the Irving Berlin Musical "This is The Army". After WWII, he became Joshua Logan's assistant producer, a photographer of stars, and still later on, opened his own restaurant (on Long Island, NY). He eventually retired to Florida.

Apparently, his father changed the family surname to Zinberg, and then his son shortened his name to 'Arty Zinn' when he formed his first band (in high school), later changing it once more to Zinn Arthur. As a young man, his orchestra (which had a Latin sound) was very well known to New York City Swing fans of the late 1930s and early 1940s. His orchestra was the 'house band' at New York's famed 'Roseland Ballroom', and often billed in that venue's popular "battles of the bands" against other orchestra's such as Count Basie's, and many more. In this regard, author George Simon wrote in his book, "The Big Bands", that Zinn's orchestra soon became known as "the other band,". Simon also says that "......(Zinn) had an unusually warm, good baritone voice ...... and one of the biggest-sounding small bands in the country. An extremely well-organized gent with the mind of an accountant but the soul of an artist, he was just beginning to impress nationally when he was called up as one of the first Army draftees." During WWII, Arthur for a time led his own band in the Army, and then hooked up with famed composer Irving Berlin touring U.S. bases around the world for three years. That show provided much material for the 1943 film "This Is the Army."

When WW II ended, so did the big-band era, and ZInn found a second career as a celebrity photographer, His first photographs were of such well known musicians as Nat "King" Cole, Benny Goodman, Igor Stravinsky, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong and other musicians. From photographing musicians, he moved on to TV celebrities and, finally, film personalities that he was introduced to by his good friend director Joshua Logan.(Zinn was Logan's assistant producer, and later wrote a Logan biography.) It was Zinn's photographs of Yul Brynner in "The King and I" that helped make Brynner a star. Zinn also photographed Elizabeth Taylor as 'Maggie the Cat' in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof", William Holden and Kim Novak in "Picnic", and Burt Lancaster in the film "Elmer Gantry". In all, he was a photographer on 66 films and became friends with many of the stars of the day, including Audrey Hepburn, Leslie Caron, Frank Sinatra, Sophia Loren, Sid Caesar, and Humphrey Bogart.

When the Hollywood era ended, Zinn found a third career as a restauranteur with establishments on Long Island, N.Y., and in south Florida, when he had retired.. The restaurants' walls were lined with signed pictures he had taken during his years as a celebrity photographer. He was age 91 when he passed away.

   [ Paul Ash Orch ]
b. Feb., 11, 1891 Germany, d. July 13, 1958, New York, NY, USA.
Instr: piano and violin.
Overview
A late 20's and early 30's orch. that played mostly in Chicago and area surrounds. The band was usually booked into the very large movie houses as the 'pit' orchestra. It was a large orchestra well suited to the old movie palaces that were without PA systems. At one time or another, Red Norvo, Benny Goodman and Glenn Miller played in the band. Paul toured as far east as New York City. Among the band's vocalists was a young Martha Raye, who also worked in nightclubs with the Louis Prima band. She was to go on to Hollywood and stardom as a female comic.

Paul's family moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin where he formed his first band in 1910. During WWI, Paul served in the U.S. Army; after the war appeared in several silent movies. His first records were made in 1923. For many years, Paul led the house orchestra at the New York's Paramount Theaters, both in Manhattan and Brooklyn. While working at Manhattan's Paramount, he discovered singer Helen Kane.

He wrote lyrics for "(I've Grown So Lonely) Thinking Of You", which became Kay Kyser's theme song, and "That's Why I Love You So", recorded by Johnny Hamp's Kentucky Serenaders. Walter Donaldson wrote the music for both songs.
These notes on Paul Ash were contributed by Mr. Robin Lenhart. Many thanks Robin.

   [ Bob Astor Orch ]
Bob Astor was not a bandleder for very long, his band never had a regular radio program and they never did any studio recordings, however the Astor band does have a place in the history of the big band era.

The Astor band was formed in Southern California in the spring of 1940. Many musicologists consider the Astor band to be the first on the West Coast to feature African American musicians. Astor was proud of the sidemen that worked in his band including drummer Shelley Mann, Les Elgart, Neal Hefti, Illinois Jacquet, Zoot Sims and Tommy Allison.

Known primarily for his songwriting abilities, Astor relied mostly on his band to promote his compositions. In later years other top bands performed and recorded some of those numbers such as "I remember Harlem," "In the cool of the evening," "If you don't believe I'm leaving, count the days I'm gone," "Fat Sam," "Blue Lights (theme song)," "Here comes the Judge," and "You're my baby you."

After his years with the band, Astor gained additional fame as a radio disc jockey.
Notes kindly supplied by Mr. Dan DelFiorentino

   [ Astoria Hot Eight ]
See Jones & Collins Astoria Hot Eight, entry.

   [ Johnny Austin Orch ]
"The truth is I never thought our band could swing so hard, then Johnny played that trumpet and I knew we had something!" --Jan Savitt, 1945.

One of his first professional jobs was as led trumpet for a young Glenn Miller in 1938. He played with Miller for less than a year, leaving just before the band soared to world wide fame. He worked with Jan Savitt, Larry Clinton, and Abe Lyman before he formed the Johnny Austin Orchestra in 1947. The band was based in Philadelphia and continued into the 1960's. The Austin band became one of the main attractions in the Philadelphia area many years even after the end of the band era.