;[ Russ Carlyle Orch ]
b. Cleveland, OH, USA. July 4, 1921. D:
Themes:
"If I Ever Love Again"
"In The Chapel, In The Moonlight"
"It Was Wonderful Then"
"Miss You"
"You Call It Madness"
Carlyle, an earlier generation band leader, was born in Cleveland on July 4, 1921. Blue Barron featured Russ Carlyle as his vocalist before Carlyle formed his own band in 1940.

He quickly gained the reputation as the smooth romantic and billed himself as "The Romantic Style of Russ Carlyle." The band had a string of long engagements at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis and at Roseland Dance City in New York. He composed a number of songs including his theme, "Again", "Stashu Pandowski", "Studola Pumpa" and "Sing a Lumma Lay". His popularity seemed to gain more momentum in the 1950's and '60's. In 1957 he sold a million copied of "In a Little Spanish Town."
Above Notes courtesy of Mr. Dan DelFiorentino

    [ Phil Carreon Orch. ]
No information currently available.
Overview
In the 1940's, this band was very active working out of the Southern California area. It was quite a band at that time and had some pretty big names such as Johnny Mandell, Billy Byers and Lenny Neihaus, who later did arranging for many of the Clint Eastwood movies and also for John Williams, who then led the famed Boston Pops Orchestra.

    [ David Carroll Orch. ]
Currently no information available. Operating circa 1921
Overview
This instrumentalist and arranger is a veteran of many dance bands. David's home was in Plum Grove Estates, Palatine, Illinois, where he often played with his Hi Fi equipment learning just how to get the perfect recording. His Mercury Records 'Let's dance Again' album (SR 60152) was immensely popular at the dawn of Hi Fi and Stereo sound.

    [ Ray Carroll and his Sands Point Orch. ]
The Ray Carroll, Buddy Campbell, Lloyd Keating, Chester Leighton Orchestras and Golden Terrace and Roof Garden Orchestras had the SAME PERSONNEL. In short these bands never existed. They were just names on record labels. They are studio groups with the same personnel. This practice of using differing names for one orchestra was widely prevelant during the 1930's and 1940's. It allowed one band to be paid by several different Record companies.

In May 1931 Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey and Mannie Klein were in the orchestra on the following records:
"There Ought To Be A Moonlight Savings Time"
(this was on the Clarion label as by Ray Carroll; it was on Okeh as by Buddy Campbell)
"Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams"
(this was on the Clarion label as by Lloyd Keating; on Okeh as The Golden Terrace Orchestra)
"I Want To Sing Again"
(this was on the Clarion label as by the Roof Garden Orchestra)
"Let's Get Friendly"
(this was on Clarion as by Ray Carroll; on Okeh as by Buddy Campbell; on both labels the vocal was credited to "Ray Carroll"; the singer was actually Dick Robertson)
"Love Is Like That"
(this was released on the Clarion label as by Chester Leighton & His Orchestra)
This interesting information was supplied by Mr. Robin Lenhart who did the research on the above bands.

    [ Ernie Carson and The Castle Jazz Band ]
Also as the [ Capitol City Jazz Band ]
Instruments: Trumpet/Cornet; Piano; Vocals
Ernie, one of the finest Jazz cornetists of the 1950s-'2000s, also doubles very effectively on Piano and on humorous vocals. He began playing trumpet while in grammar school and by the time he was a junior in high school Ernie was working in theatre pit bands. During 1954-'56, he worked with the 'Castle Jazz Band'. During 1956-58, he served in the U. S. Marines, after which he played with various Los Angeles area ensembles including some led by Ray Bauduc, Dave Wierbach, and Jig Adams. During 1961-'62, be worked with Turk Murphy's band. In 1972, he re-located to Atlanta, GA, remaining there until 1995. In 1972, he formed his own 'Capital City Jazz Band', and in 1992, formed the 'Castle Jazz Band'.

Since 1995, Carson has been based out of Oregon state. His new 'Castle Jazz Band' (aka 'Famous Castle Jazz Band') used hand-picked stellar jazz players in the West Coast tradition (including three Original 'Salty Dog'-ers and three ex-Turk Murphy-ers). The band continued Ernie's trademark of eschewing over-played standards in favor of unusual material from diverse sources (some sung in his compelling personalized barroom style) - all played hot by musicians used to playing that way. Ernie's work as a leader can be heard on the Pearl (1964), Jazzology, GHB, Fat Cat's Jazz, Good Time Jazz, and Stomp Off labels.

    [ Benny Carter Swing Orch. 1934 ]
Theme Song: Melancholy Lullaby
Benny Carter: Reeds; alto sax and clarinet; trumpet, Arr. Still living (1995 - 88 yrs on Aug 7.)
Roy Felton, voc.
né: Bennett "Benny" Lester Carter. born: August 8, 1907. Alto Sax & others.
Benny went to Wilberforce College to study theology. Fletcher Henderson's brother Horace was also attending and Benny quit to play with Horace Henderson's Wilberforce Collegians orchestra.

After the 'Collegians', Benny worked as a sideman in such bands as Duke Ellington; Fletcher Henderson; McKinney's Cotton Pickers; Chick Webb and with Charlie Johnson's band at Small's Paradise in New York City.

Throughout, Benny's career, he was not only a distinguished sideman (sax and trumpet) and leader, but he was a very important arranger, too. His scores helped many different orchestras. One band that Benny helped comes to mind. In 1939, Charlie Barnet's band was booked into the Los Angeles Palomar Ballroom. Before they could start, the Ballroom burned down, and Barnet lost everything, instruments, uniforms and scores. In a magnificent gesture of goodwill, Carter and Duke Ellington sent replacement scores to Barnet, which greatly helped him to carry on. But Benny's scores enhanced many of the leading bands, He was with Benny Goodman's orch where he also contributed some good arrangements. Before that he had worked in McKinney's Cotton Pickers, playing and arranging.

Brief Chronology:
1928. Cut his first record with Charlie Johnson's Paradise Club Hot Ten.
1933.
Launches his own band. Sidemen: Teddy Wilson; Chu Berry; Wilbur De Paris; 'Big" Sid Catlett. In 1933, Benny also organized a band for a visiting English composer, Spike Hughes.
1934. Works as a sideman (trumpet) in Willie Bryant's orch.
1935. Goes to Europe for 3 years. In England he work's as staff arranger for the BBC's house band, - The Henry Hall Orchestra.
1937. Leads a band in Holland for the summer season. (The band is both International and Inter-racial in make-up.) He also does some work in France and Sweden.
1938. Returns to New York City. Forms another band. Works with lionel hampton group on rca vivtor recordings
1939. Opens at Savoy Ballroom in Harlem, NYC. Sidemen: Jonah Jones; Tyree Glenn; VIc Dickenson and Eddie Heywood. Disbands about 1-1/2 years later.
1940. Forms another band at New York's Famous Door club on 52nd Street. Mark Warnow hires him to write arrangements for the Lucky Strike " Your Hit Parade"
1941. Forms a very short-lived sextet. He also cuts 2 records with the A Shaw band. The band includes Henry "Red" Allen, Trombonist J. C. Higginbotham and a string section.
1942. Forms another band to work with Billie Holiday.
1943. Goes to Los Angeles, CA., and forms a new band. Benny will now spend most all of his time in Hollywood. Records for capitol.

Benny was one of the many bandleaders who took advantage of the oppotunities available in Hollywood. Among the bands that were operating in Los Angeles at that time were, Woody Herman; Kay Kyser; the Dorsey Bros; james, Vaughn Monroe; Hal McIntyre; Stan Kenton; Benny Goodman; Artie Shaw; Freddie Slack; Horace Heidt; Charlie Spivak, and Charlie Barnet.

1944. Opens at the Swing Club in Los Angeles. Some of the sidemen who play with Benny in Hollywood include: Jerry Wiggins; Hal Schaefer; Buddy Rich; Joe Albany; J. J. Johnson; Max Roach and Henry Coker. Savannah Churchill, vocs.

Among the films for which Benny supplied soundtrack music are: The Gene Krupa Story; The Snows of Kilimanjaro; The Five Pennies (The Red Nichols Story); and The View From Pompey's Head.

1946 Benny is one of the Bands that disband in that fateful December month of 1946. The "Swing Era" begins to fade away. Benny will continue as a soloist/sideman in various 'gigs' afterwards.
1991. Found Benny still 'gigging', -appeared at Catalina's in Hollywood, CA.

    [ Casa Loma Orch., Please see Glen Gray and The Casa Loma Orch..

    [ Russ Case Orch. ]
b. ca. 1912, d. Oct. 10, 1964
As a youngster, Russ studied the trumpet. While he was still a teenager, he joined the staff of Radio Station WOC in Davenport, OH, as music arranger and even did some solist playing. Following this, he went to Chicago where he joined the Frankie Trumbauer band. He next joined the Paul Whiteman Orchestra in New York where he wrote many arrangements for Whiteman's popular and classical concerts. He next joined Benny Goodman. Still later, he did some arranging for Andre Kostelantz and others.

Case had done much studio work, including music director for Rondo Records (New Jersey). Russ is an very experienced and dependable arranger and a fine conductor. He has orchestrated scores for a majority of the leading stars in Radio, Television and the recording studios. He has worked on a large number of transcriptions and also film shorts, frequently composing the music for them.

    [ Lee Castle Orch ], Trumpet
B: New York, USA. Feb. 28, 1915 D: Nov. 22, 1990, Hollywood, FL, USA.
né: : Lee Castaldo (began using 'Lee Castle' in 1942)
Trumpeter and bandleader Lee Castaldo was already playing professionally at age 18. In 1935, he joined the Joe Haymes orchestra. In 1936, he played in the Artie Shaw, Dick Stabile and Red Norvo bands before joining Tommy Dorsey's orchestra in September 1937. In 1939, he worked for Glenn Miller and Jack Teagarden. Throughout his career, even as a leader, Castle thought of himself as a trumpeter first, -the bandleading was always secondary.

During 1940, Castaldo briefly led his own unsuccessful orchestra. In private correspondence, trumpeter Ed Downs and his wife Billie Jo have sent these photos of the Castle orchestra, in 1944 or '45, on the stage of the Loew's State Theatre in New York city. Regretfully, a part of the picture is torn due to water damage. Ed Downs is the 1st trumpet on the left, and the blond 'girl' vocalist maybe a young Peggy Lee. Another photo taken within just a few minutes of the above also shows the Castle orchestra. It cannot be seen in this photo, but in the upper left corner Lee Castaldo wrote "To Ed, Your pal Lee Castle" and on the back he wrote "To Ed my very dear pal, Lee Castle.

During the 1940's, after disbanding his first orchestra, he worked with Artie Shaw for the 2nd time. In 1942, he changed his last name to Castle, again formed a new orchestra, - which again proved unsuccessful, and before the year ended he turned leadership over to Richard Himber. Castle then joined Benny Goodman. remaining with Goodman for a year. After Goodman, Castle worked in the recording studios, until 1949 when he formed a Dixieland group. In 1950, he rejoined Artie Shaw (the 3rd time).

Along the way he signed an Epic recording contract that proved very beneficial as his albums sold well. In 1953 he re-joined the Dorsey Brothers Band and stayed with Jimmy's outfit when Tommy died in 1956. Six months later Castle took over as the leader when Jimmy died. The band was then billed as The Jimmy Dorsey Band Directed By Lee Castle.

Lee Castle's other band credits include Will Bradley, Glenn Miller, Dick Stabile, Red Norvo, and Jack Teagarden! His talents as a soloist can be best heard in these following recordings: "Sugar Foot Stomp", with Artie Shaw; "I Never Knew", with Tommy Dorsey; "Basin Street Boogie", with Will Bradley; "So Rare", with Jimmy Dorsey

In later years he wrote a fantastic book on the transcriptions of Louis Armstrong's solo performances. Lee Castle died in Hollywood, Florida at the age of 75 on November 22, 1990.

    [ George Cates Orch. ]
b: Oct. 19, 1911, New York, NY, USA.
After his graduation from New York University, Cates found work with the vaudeville (slapstick comedy) team of Olsen and Johnson on their legendary revue, "Hellzapoppin".

His early career included arranging and playing saxophone with such bands as Henry Busse, Dick Stabile, and Russ Morgan between 1945 and 1951. In the mid-1950s, he was A&R director for Coral Records, writing and conducting for the label's stars that included the Andrews Sisters, Teresa Brewer, Bing Crosby, and Danny Kaye. During this time, he hit the Top 40 charts with his release of the "Moonglow/Theme from 'Picnic'", This record had some wordless vocal effects by long-time Lawrence Welk orchestra vocalist Norma Zimmer ("The Champagne Lady"). After leaving the ABC radio network in 1971, Welk syndicated his show and continued on TV using the theme song "Champagne Time," which Cates had composed.

Cates served (for 25 years) as Lawrence Welk's musical director, appearing on the show with him and often conducting the band on TV. While many people associate him with that particular type of 'straight-ahead' champagne dancing music, he never-the-less could, and did, produce some interesting albums. One of his albums "Polynesian Percussion" featured some fine instrumental work by his brothers-in-law guitarist Alvino Rey, and Buddy Cole playing a console guitar, and "Novachord" (an electronic organ tradename), as well as another 15-plus odd percussion instruments producing some rather strange and interesting sounds.

Among his recordings are
Exciting, Coral 57220
Great Hit Sounds, Hamilton 12127
Hit Songs--Hit Sounds, Dot DLP 25564
"Moonglow/Theme from 'Picnic'"3
Polynesian Percussion, Dot DLP 25355
Take Five, Dot DLP 25400
Under European Skies, Coral 57126

    [ "Chuck Cascales Orch. ]
Currently No Information Available.
Here's a photo of the "Chuck" Cascales Orch.,, performing on the bandstand. The reverse side, of the photo has the bandmember names. (Femme vocalist sitting on piano is not identified.) The saxophonist is probably not the Lyricist Benny Davis (who co-composed "Baby Face" with Harry Akst).
This photo reproduced courtesy of trumpeter Irvan Stumph, who also played in this band.

[ Mel Cardwell Orch. ]
Currently No Information Available.
Here's a photo of the "Kel Cardwell Orch.,, on the bandstand. The reverse side, of the photo has the bandmember names. The band was playing in Modesto, California, at the 'Uptown Ballroom'.
This photo reproduced courtesy of trumpeter Irvan Stumph, who also played in this band.

    [ .The Charleston Chasers ]
The name was used solely by studio groups for a series of recordings between 1925 and 1931. The 1925 group had Leo McConville on cornet, Miff Mole on trombone and Arthur Schutt on piano The 1927 group was in reality 'Red Nichols and His Five Pennies', with Nichols on cornet, trombonist Mole, Jimmy Dorsey on clarinet and alto (later replaced by clarinetist Pee Wee Russell), and usually pianist Arthur Schutt, Dick McDonough on banjo or guitar, Joe Tarto on tuba, and drummer Vic Berton.

Although the Charleston Chasers recorded two song in 1928 (with singer Scrappy Lambert), the were basically inactive until mid-1929, when trumpeter Phil Napoleon became leader of a group that included Miff Mole, Jimmy Dorsey, Arthur Schutt, and (at various times) also included clarinetist Benny Goodman and trombonist Tommy Dorsey, along with Roy Evans and Eva Taylor on vocals.