[ George Olsen Orch ]
b. March 18, 1893, Portland, OR, USA, d. March 18, 1971, Paramus, NJ, USA. (his 78th birthday)
Theme Song: "Beyond the Blue Horizon"
Here's a view of the 1920s Olsen band (courtesy of Mr. Leonard Schwartz - all rights reserved), - one of the better bands working in the '20s. Olsen played all over the U.S.

Here's the Olsen orchestra playing
    "Who": (531 kb): George Olsen Orchestra with vocal by a vocal trio including the singers Frey, Rice and Fulton. Rec'd: Victor, June 11, 1925.

    "The Moon Is Low"; (484 kb): George Olsen and His Orch., voc. Fran Frey (from MGM Film 'Montana Moon', an early Hollywood 'Western' that starred Joan Crawford. Music composed by Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown), Rec'd: Victor 1930

    "Varsity Drag": (528 kb): One of Olsen's biggest hits. The song was from the show "Good News"

    "Beyond The Blue Horizon"; (485 kb): George Olsen and His Music, with vocal by Bob Borger. This was Olsen's theme song. (Composers: Whiting - Robin), Victor 1930

    "Sunday": (524 kb): with the William's Sisters doing the vocalizing.

    "Doin' The Raccoon"; (475 kb): George Olsen Orch. Recorded, Victor 21701-A in 1928. Raccoon coats were all the rage with the young Collegians.

Like many others, the band was formed in a University (of Michigan), but unlike the others, this band made it to Broadway and the Big Time, playing in the Theater 'pits' of many musicals. The Band put on a sensational Vaudeville show. The 1926 Olsen Orchestra had such members as George Olsen: violin, Red Pepper:trumpet, Chuck Campbell:trombone, Dick Stable:clarinet and alto sax, Ed Killfeather:piano, Jack Hansen:Tuba, and others unknown. Interestingly, George Olsen was the band on Jack Benny's first radio program for Canada Dry, - about 1932. A 1933 recording, "There's a Cabin in the Pines", featured vocalist Lorette Lee.

The band featured two great singers in Fran Frey (male) a baritone (ca. 1989, I heard him mentioned as music director of a Chicago radio station), and Ethel Shutta (female), who later became Mrs George Olsen. Here's a photograph of George and wife Ethel, with their two sons, - in happier days. " Ethel, was his wife for many years, -from the Ziegfield Broadway show, 'Whoopee' until the late 1930s, when they divorced and she married George Kirksey, a sports writer for (I think) NEA.

  VIDEO:"Stetson"  Here's a wonderful film clip from the screen version of the hit Broadway show "Whoopee!" (starring Eddie Cantor. The song "Whoppee" was composed by Walter Donaldson, lyrics Gus Kahn). Now let's watch Ethel Shutta, Olsen's wife, singing and dancing to the tune "Stetson", with the Goldwyn Girls doing a precision dance routine.

Unfortunately, the band seemed to lose it's spirit and vitality in the 1930s, and disappeared with the coming of the Big Band Swing era. In the mid-1930s, when another bandleader, Orville Knapp, was killed, Olsen took over leadership of the Knapp band, (and added the new 'tag': "The Music of Tomorrow") but he had no good success with it. On May 17, 1940, the Olsen orchestra appeared on the stage of The Lyric Theatre of Indianapolis (Indiana), with 'The Bachelors' vocal group, consisting of Bob Rice, Ronnie Mansfield, and Jack Clifford.

Ethel Shutta, went on to work as a 'single' in the supper clubs before retiring. In 1971, she was again seen on stage in Stephen Sondheim's "Follies", while Olsen went on to 'conduct' a restaurant in New Jersey (ca. 1941) where the background music was his own recordings.
The BigBands Database thanks Mr. Glen Miller for helping on this George Olsen entry.

   [ Kid Ory's Original Creole Jazz Band ]   
né: Edward "Kid" Ory (T'bone);
B: La Place, LA, USA, Dec. 25, 1886, d. Jan. 23, 1973, Honolulu, Hawaii.
Overview
Edward "Kid" Ory. Possibly the most famous of the New Orleans Tailgate Trombonists, he could also play: Valve Trombone, guitar, sax and clarinet, bass violin, hanjo, trumpet, and piano. As a youngster, he had formed a four-piece 'skiffle' orchestra. Kid Ory's Sunshine Orchestra was the very first Black New Orleans band to cut a record.

One of America's beloved New Orleans Jazz pioneers. His career began as a child when he built a banjo out of a cigar box. At age ten, he got hold of a real banjo, and at age 13, he was already leading his own band in his hometown; La Place, Louisiana (about 30 miles outside of New Orleans). Young Ory heard other great players touring here, such as the legendary Buddy Bolden. He moved to New Orleans and began playing the Valve Trombone and then the Slide Trombone. He organized a typical New Orleans Brass Band, in which Joe "King" Oliver played trumpet. When Oliver left for Chicago, his place was taken by Louis Armstrong.

In 1919, Ory moved to the West Coast, and three years later he settled in Chicago (shortly afterwards, Louis Armstrong came north to join King Oliver's band). Ory's Chicago band had such wonderful musicians as Johnny St. Cyr on banjo; Johnnyh Dodds on clarinet, and Lil Hardin playing piano. Even though Ory was leading his own band at Chicago's Dreamland, he also recorded as a sideman with Louis Armstrong's Hot Five, when that famous group cut their historic sides on Okeh Records, including "Heebie Jeebies" and "Muskrat Ramble" (composed by Kid Ory).

Brief Chronology:
=================
1913 Formed his own band in New Orleans, LA.
      Mutt Carey, Joe "King" Oliver and Louis Armstrong trumpets
      Johnny Dodds, Sidney Bechet, Jimmie Noone and George Lewis on clarinet.
1919 Moves to Cal. and leads own band, Sunshine Orchestra, 'til 1924
1922 His Sunshine Orch is 1st Black New Orleans Band to cut a record.
1924-9 moves to Chicago and works in bands of:
      1924-7 King Oliver's Dixie Syncopaters
      1927 Dave Peyton orch
      '27-8 Clarence Black at the Savoy
      '28-9 Chicago Vagabonds at Sunset Cafe
      late '29 Leon Rene's "Lucky Day Orch"
During '25-7 he was on recordings with Lil Armstrong; Ma Rainer; Williams' Stompers; Tiny Parham; Luis Russell; and a series of "Hot FIve" sides with Louis Armstrong, including his own composition, "Muskrat Ramble", recorded in 2-26-26. Kid Ory moves back to Los Angeles, Ca and from then on, works in LA and SF, and works gigs throughout the area.
1929-'30 Worked with bands in LA,CA.
1930-39 He Quit Music and opened a Chicken Ranch with his brother.
1942 Joined Barney Bigard Combo
1943 Joined Bunk Johnson Combo
1944 Starred in Orsen Welles broadcast
1946 Seen in Film with Louis Armstrong Orch.
1947 Seen in film Crossfire
1950 seen in film Mahogany Magic
1951 Won the All-Star Poll
1954 His composition "Muskrat Ramble" had lyrics added in 1954, and was recorded by many artists.
1956 played in The Benny Goodman Story hollywood film
Sept-Oct '56 Toured Europe
1957 Appeared at the Newport Jazz Festival in Rhode Island
Fall '59 Toured Europe again

In the 1940's, Kid Ory was heard on the Orson Welles radio programs. In the late 1950's, he had his own club in San Francisco, called 'On The Levee'. In 1966, he settled in Hawaii due to ill health. At age 87, he died. It was the passing of a great New Orleans Jazz pioneer.

   [ Oriole Terrace Orch ], no entry, see Ted Fio Rito Orch.

   [ Will Osborne Orch ] b. Nov. 25, 1905 Canada, d. Oct. 22, 1981 Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Instr: Drums and Vocalist
Theme One: "Beside An Open Fireplace"
Theme Two: "The Gentleman Awaits" (Decca 2442)
Overview
Here, seen working in a CBS radio studio during the mid-1930s, is a photograph of Will Osborne, who was a Canadian, and as the son of Lord Oliphant, was the heir to the Barony of Gask, Scotland. During his career, he had several orchestras. In the very early '30's, he had an easy going swing band, staffed with some fine musicians. In mid 1935, he formed a rather interesting orchestra that featured Slide Trumpets and glissing trombones blowing into cardboard megaphones. Here's "Will Osborne And His Orchestra" (with Osborne on vocal) in 1937, playing "Listen To The Glissin', (694kb - Decca 1915-B matrix 63117). A few years after that band, he came up with still another orchestra featuring Dick "Stinky" Rogers mugging it up on vocals. Rogers took over the leadership of this band when Will left it. Will formed yet another orchestra a few years later that featured a girl singer with just a single name, - Marianne.

Will Osborne formed his first band in 1924 and continued to lead one for over thrity years. Through that time his bands played different musical styles. Originally a dance band, Osborne switched to swing music during World War II and then back to dance music in 1947. In 1935 he developed a "sound" by having four trombones played into cardboard megaphones. The band that played this style was known as 'Will Osborne & His Slide Music'. The late 1940's saw Osborne move from New York to California where his band was featured on the Abbott and Costello radio show. He led a large band which gradually was reduced to an seven man outfit before he disbanded in 1957 to become entertainment director at Harvey's, a casino in Lake Tahoe.

Originally based in New York, Osborne handled most of the vocal numbers and became known for his "soft" singing style. This 'crooning' - for which Osborne is perhaps best remembered today - eventually became the object of a well publicized 'feud' with Rudy Vallee. In 1929, when Rudy Vallee's Orchestra left the Heigh-Ho Club in New York City to perform in a Hollywood film, it was the Will Osborne band that succeeded him at the club. The job gave the band nationwide exposure through the club's radio broadcasts. Vallee's fans claimed Osborne's 'soft' singing style mimicked Vallee. They felt Osborne was getting the credit for creating "crooning" while Vallee's fans thought he deserved the credit.

An interesting note on the origination of the word 'crooning':
Back in Vaudeville days, a performer had to have perfect diction and a voice that could really "Belt" out a tune. For if the man in the back row of the theater couldn't hear the tune, he just might start throwing tomatoes at the performer. Accordingly, all the great stars, such as Sophie Tucker, Cantor, Jolson, etc., had perfect diction and powerful voices and so were able to get a song over to everyone in the theater. The advent of electronics changed all that forever. Now, it became possible for a performer to 'whisper' into the 'mic' and the amplifiers would carry his voice to everyone in the house, -at high decibel levels. A new breed of singer could now take the stage - men who would "Croon" softly into the microphone. Slowly, the 'belters' disappeared and men like Crosby, Osborne, Vallee, Como, Bowlly, and other 'Crooners' took center stage.

Osborne also wrote music. His most famous compostions are:
"Between 18th and 19th On Chestnut Street", ...a hit record for Bing Crosby & Connee Boswell
"Pompton Turnpike", ...a Charlie Barnet Orch. hit recording
"Wouldst Could I But Kiss Thy Hand, Oh Babe" Played here in 1940 by "Will Osborne And His Slide Music", with "Doghouse" Dale Jones doing the vocal. (Varsity 8143 - matrix US1158) (Curiously, the tune was a hit for another band, -'Glen Gray and the Casa Loma Orch.')
"On A Blue And Moonless Night", Wayne King Orch. hit recording.
The first three songs were co-written by Dick "Stinky" Rogers, who also sang with (and later led) the band.

Among the girl vocalists that appeared with the band were Lynn Davis, Joan Whitney, Dorothy Rogers and Eileen Wilson, who later in her career sang with Les Brown's band, and 'Marianne'.

Will appeared in several Hollywood films including:
    1941 Blues In The Night, (as bandleader Guy Heiser; also Bonita Granville and Richard Whorf)
    1944 (Abbott and Costello) In Society, as the orchestra leader.
    1946 Swing Parade, as himself.

The band recorded for the ARC labels (Melotone, Perfect, Banner, Oriole), Columbia, Decca and Varsity.
Thanks to Mr. Robin Lenhart for this entry on Will Osborne.

   [ Glenn Osser Orch. ], 1940s
b: August 28, 1914, Munising, MI, USA.
né: Abraham Osser.
The name Glenn Osser was always second, and in smaller print, on the record label. This is because he had arranged the singer's number and his group accompanied. And, he was among the best. Abe Osser studied piano and violin at the University of Michigan. He served as a U. S. Marine during World War II. In 1944, Glenn was arranging for the Paul Whiteman organization. Whiteman was a fixture on the early 'Blue Network' (NBC) radio shows, and Osser rehearsed and conducted Paul's men. Whiteman disliked Osser's name and came up with the professional name of Glenn Osser, borrowing it from announcer Glenn Riggs. (Note: In the early days of American radio, NBC (RCA Corporation) had two national networks, called the "Red" and the "Blue" Network (named after the color of the lines on the AT&T board diagrams). The 'Blue' Network's flagship station was WEAF - New York city. The 'Red' Network's flagship station was WJZ - New York city. NBC was eventually forced to sell off the 'Blue' to Edward Noble, which then became the new ABC network.) He also arranged and conducted numbers for the Whiteman group's venture into television on ABC-TV. Osser worked with Whiteman for years, and later arranged for the Les Brown, Shep Fields, Jan Savitt, Bob Crosby and Charlie Barnet orchestras.

Osser's most productive years were with Mercury, and later Columbia Records. His fine arrangements - dozens of them - and his conducting helped sell records for Vic Damone, Patti Page, Georgia Gibbs and other singers. At Columbia, he accompanied Doris Day, Jerry Vale, Jill Corey, and others. He also arranged extensively for the 'Boston Pops Orchestra', when it was led by John Williams. Two of there CDs are still in print. His chief collaborator is his wife, Edna Osser.

Glenn's work in the television studios includes:
1. Musical Director for the 1949 TV Series "Blind Date" (aka: "Your Big Moment").
2. Conductor for the 1953 TV Series "The Vaudeville Show".
3. He was the orchestrator and conductor for "Pinocchio" (1957).
4. Orchestra leader for the 1959 TV Series "Music for a Summer Night". (Retitled in 1960 as "Music for a Spring Night").

Credited with a mass of work spanning more than 60 years, Glenn Osser is remembered as among the finest of arrangers and conductors of his era.
The BigBands Database Plus thanks Mr William Ryan for the above entry on Glenn Osser.

   [ Johnny Otis - His Drums and His Orch. ]
b. Dec. 28, 1924, Berkeley, CA, USA.
né: John Veliotes
Have you ever met someone whose career encompassed being a Bandleader, Drummer, record producer and then record label owner, talent scout, R&B pioneer, nightclub impresario, rock & roll star, TV variety show host, disc jockey, author and Heath Food Retailer. Meet Johnny Otis. Born John Veliotes, in California of Greek emigre parents, he was to later change his name (while still a teen) to Otis because he had fervently adopted the American-Black culture and wanted a "Blacker" name.

His career began as a drummer playing for many 'territory bands' on the west coast (first with the 'Count Otis Matthews Orch. in Oakland, CA), and then in the mid-west. In the mid-1940s, he relocated to Los Angeles and became the drummer in Harlan Leonard's Rockets, band then playing at the Club Alabam. When Leonard's band was booked elsewhere, the 'Alabam's owner persuaded Otis to stay behind and form a band of his own to play the club. Otis formed a typical "big Band" of the time and an ever-widening fame started to come his way.

In 1945, Otis began recording for the Excelsior Label, and continued with them until 1951 (when he jumped to the Mercury label). Blues Shouter Jimmy Rushing "legally" fronted the band for a couple of the 1945 sides. One of the songs they recorded on that first date "Harlem Nocturne" became a minor hit. Later that same year, Otis was on Traps for Johnny Moore's 'Three Blazers' backing both Charles Brown and Wynonie Harris.

In 1947, Otis, - with partner Bardu Ali, opened their own 'Barrelhouse Club' in the Watts section of Los Angeles, CA. (Bardu Ali was the sideman, then in Chick Webb's orchestra, who discovered a very young Ella Fitzgerald singing in an Amateur Show at the Harlem Opera House. Chick Webb initially turned thumbs down on Ella, but it was Bardu's persistence that convinced Chick to give her a trial.). It was at the 'Barrelhouse' that Otis switched from Jazz to R&B. Now, Otis -the Promoter, discovered Little Esther Phillips; The Robins, and guitarist Pete Lewis.

From 1951 to 1953, Otis recorded for Mercury with only some undistinguished recordings. From 1953 - '55, he was a Producer with the Peacock Label (Don Robey owner). The Otis band backed one of his own discoveries, Big Mama Thornton on her huge hit recording of "(You A'int Nothin' But A) Hound Dog". He also discovered (and backed) 'Little Richard' whom he signed to the Peacock label. As a Talent Scout, Otis is credited with 'discovering' Hank Ballard; Little Willie John; and Etta James (producing her debut hit recording of "Roll With Me Henry").

In 1955, Otis became a Record Label Owner forming his own label, Dig Records, to showcase his own discoveries (Arthur Lee Maye & the Crowns, Tony Allen, and Mel Williams to name a few).

In 1957, with Rock and Roll riding the crest, he signed with Johnny Mercer's Capitol Records, and blazed a trail of R&B and Rock Hits including 1958's "Willie and The Hand Jive" (Otis on vocal singing to a "shave and a Haircut" beat.) Capitol billed him as the Johnny Otis Show and appearing with the show were vocalists Mel Williams and (huge) Marie Adams and the Three Tons of Joy. The Johnny Otis Show also had their own Television show on L.A. TV (Lionel Hampton appeared on one episode), and also appeared in the 1958 movie "Juke Box Rhythm". His contract with Capitol ended in 1959.

During 1961-'62, Otis was recording for King records, (the Otis band also backed Johnny "Guitar" Watson on several sides). Otis's son "Shuggie", playing a Bluesy guitar, began recording for Columbia Records. In the late 1960s, Otis recorded some "off-color" material for Kent Records.

In the 1990s, Otis was operating a Health Food Store (in California).

   [ Harry Owens & his Royal Hawaiians ]
b. April 18, 1902, O'Neill, Nebraska, USA, d. Dec. 12, 1986, Eugene, Oregon, USA.
Theme Song: "Sweet Leilani" (his own Academy award winning song composition)
Owens, who was born in Nebraska, started his band in 1926, when he was booked into 'The Lafayette Cafe', in Los Angeles, CA. This early L.A. band included Ted Mack, who had previously been with the Art Landry Orchestra. Mack later was the host of Major Bowes Amateur Hour, when Major Bowes died.

In 1934, Harry went to Honolulu to become music director of The Royal Hawai'ian Hotel. Harry's fame came from writing and playing Hawaiian music, and his most popular band was formed in Hawaii with local musicians. His longest engagement was at The Royal Hawai'ian. However, starting in 1949, Owens did have his own television show over the CBS network. It ran for nine years.

During his career, his band recorded with Decca; Capitol; Hamilton, Columbia, and Brunswick Records. For Brunswick (4599), recorded "What Do I Care" on side "A" as 'Harry Owens Arizona Boys', and on side "B", "Tune In On My Heart", as 'Harry Owens Hawaiians'.