[ Claus Ogerman Orch. ]
b. April 27, 1930, Ratibor, Germany (now Raciborz, Poland)
Claus had studied classical piano after graduating from the gymnasium in Nurnemburg and had found work with Kurt Edelhagen's then pioneering German jazz band. Following his work with Edelhagen, he joined "rival" bandleader Max Greger, remaining with him for five years, during which time he did some arrangements as well as composing scores for 14 German films.

In 1959, he emigrated to the U.S. where he found work as an orchestrator and arranger in both television and recording studios. By 1963, he had become a Musical Director for Verve Records, where he worked on albums by Bill Evans, Brazilian composer/guitarist Antonio Carlos Jobim, Oscar Peterson, and Cal Tjader ('Soul Sauce' albums). Herb Alpert's A&M label, then 'lured' him, and producer Creed Taylor, away from Verve. At A&M Records, he worked with Paul Desmond among others.

By the end of the 1960's, Ogerman was concentrating more on his own compositions and recordings, but did continue with some commerical work. He recorded intermittently, mostly complex pieces for large groups, on a variety of record labels.

Among his works are:
Aranjuez, Jazz Man 5015
Fiddler on the Roof, RCA Victor LP
Gate of Dreams, Warner Brothers WB 3006
Saxes Mexicano, RCA Victor LSP-3640
Watusi Trumpets, RCA Victor LSP-3455

   [ The Arden and Ohman Orch. ]
The bio's of the two leaders are shown here individually. Click on the name desired, or just scroll along.
Victor Arden
Phil Ohman

Phil Ohman
né: Philmore Wellington Ohman
b. Oct. 7, 1896, New Brittain, CT , USA.d. Aug. 8, 1969, USA.
Phil received his musical training in high school with Edward Laubin and 2 more years of study subsequently with a local pipe organist named Alexander Russel. His teacher, Edward Laubin urged, his family to send him on to Europe for further training, but the family finances wouldn't allow.

Ohman's first job was as a piano salesman, in 1915, for Wanamakers' NY Store. In 1919 he began working for QRS, recording Player Piano Rolls. It was while working at QRS that he met a fellow QRS arranger, - Victor Arden. There soon developed a warm friendship, and they found that they could work closely as a team. Ohman's brother Ernest, has said that "Phil sketched out the arrangements, but didn't write them down. He decided the style. In their duets, Phil played the treble."

Soon, Ohman began touring as an accompanist for both classical and popular singers. During 1922 - 1923, he was the pianist with the Paul Whiteman band.

One critic at that time reported that "Arden was "the serious minded, painstaking musician", while Ohman was the "wag and clown of the pair". As an example, the critic noted "Ohman's sense of musical humor, famous among those who know him, expressed itself in his jazzing of a refrain of a negro spiritual while accompanying a singer at a staid musical concert, to the inmmense delight of a very proper audience."

In 1934, the team split up - probably a natural evolution since there was no hard feelings, etc.Alex Aarons, co-producer of some of George Gershwin's musicals, in which the team had worked in the theater pit, wanted Ohman to put an orchestra together for Hollywood's famed Trocadero nightclub. While in Hollywood, he worked in the studios, usually off-camera, for films that required an actor to simulate piano playing, as in 'The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle' (1939). He also scored and even wrote some songs for films. Probably his best known song was "Lost" (1936), with a Johnny Mercer Lyric. Along with some radio work, he remained active into the 1950's.

Victor Arden
né:John Fuiks
b. March 8, 1893 Wenona, IL, USA, d. July 31, 1962, age 69.
A very well trained musician, Victor received a degree in Music from the University of Chicago, and then continued studies at the American Conservatory of Music.

Moving on to New York (then the movie capital of the world), and Arden began playing in movie shorts and composing. He was now working in popular field as a duetist. He started recording for Ampico Piano Rolls Company, and became one of theie most prolific artists. Nearly 2 dozen Ampico Rolls were issued using Victor's his real name, Fuiks, but the bulk of his work was issued under the Arden name.

Circa 1921, Arden and Ohman were both working for the QRS Piano Roll company, and in short order, they became both friends and a working team. They did quite a bit of recording, including work for such labels as Brunswick; Victor; Columbia; Gramophone, and also some smaller labels. In addition, they led pit orchestras for such George Gershwin Musical shows as "Lady Be Good' (1924); 'Tip Toes' (1925); 'Oh, Kay' (1926); and 'Funny Face' (1927). The team also did some vaudeville touring. Their names were often listed in either order for the credits.

The Arden and Ohman team also had a film career, albeit rather limited, appearing in Vitaphone short subjects such as 'The Piano Dualists"' (1927). They played both classical and popular selections for these shorts. But it was their radio performances that made them well known to the more general public. Among their featured shows were 'American Album of Familar Music', 'The Buick Program' and the 'Bayer Music Review'.

It is interesting to note that the team was well known as players of 'Novelty' music, - a pyrotechnical keyboard style developed by Zez Confrey, that was based on Ragtime. In fact, Confrey's publisher asked the team to write a testimonial to Zez's new book ' Modern Course In Novelty Piano Playing' (1923).

After the team splip up, Victor quickly formed, and quickly dropped, a Dance Band. In 1934 to 1937, he was conducting radio and studio orchestras for such radio shows as 'Kings of Melody' and 'Broadway Varieties and Sweetest Love Songs Ever', starring Frank Munn vocalizing. He conducted Abe Lyman's orchestra on many shows of the popular 'Waltz Time' Series. In the Mid-1940's, he did the 'Manhattan Merry-Go-Round' show on Sunday Evenings. In 1947, he worked on 'American Melody Hour'.