[ Don Voorhees Orch. ]
Currently no information available.
Don was an excellent pianist, who also had degrees in Law and Medicine. At one time during his career, Don Voorhees, held the record for the longest un broken orchestra run on Broadway. In addition, Don had been musical director for Broadway (and Hollywood) producer Earl Carroll, since the second edition o f the Earl Carroll Vanitie revue. (At times, his band was also very well known as "Don Voorhees and his Earl Carroll Vanities Orchestra".) During 1 932-'34, He was the Musical Director for comedian Ed Wynn's NBC radio network's Texaco 'Firechief' Gasoline weekly show. And, here's a picture of that NBC Studio Orchestra, as they appeared at that Texaco 'Firechief' show (with special thanks to Mr. Marc Giaquinto for permission to post very rare photograph). Perusal of the lineup shown here should prove rather interesting. The band personnel included Don Voorhees as Leader (standing on the bandstand:
Percussion:
Dave Grupp, drums
Harry Edison, Typmpani
Leo McConnville, ?
Trombones:
Sammy Lewis
Chas. Butterfield Sr.
Chas. Butterfield Jr.
Miff Mole
Clarinets:
Henry Wade
Instrument: Accordion
Tony Parenti
Alfie Evans
Artie Shaw
Tenor Sax:
Frankie Chase
Saxes:
Eddie Stannard
Arnold Brilhart
Jimmy Crosen
Gil Koerner
Trumpets:
Pop Evans
Joe Linworm
fuzzy Farrar
Benny Baker
Mellophone:
Bill Trone
Tuba:
Jack Pierce
Fred Pfaff
Guitars: (L-R)
Marty Quinto
Eddie Shannon
Dick McDonough
Vocals:
'Cities Service Quartet' (The 'Round Towners, with Scrappy Lambert)
Due to age and photo deterioration, one has to look carefully to see that the bandsmen were waring grayish shirts with white bow ties, The front of the shirts bore the legend "TEXACO FIRECHIEF".

The below information is extracted from: http://people.zeelandnet.nl/koerthchkz/, Hans Koert's fine site dedicated to the "Hit of The Week" paper records.

In 1930, Don's orchestra was heard on the very first release of the "Hit of The Week" paper disc.
"DON VOORHEES ORCHESTRA [2tp-2tb-2cl as-2cl ts-2v-p-banj-tu-dm]: Fred "Fuzzy" Farrar tp, (Red Nichols tp), Bill Trone tb-mell, Charlie Butterfield tb, Joe Tarto tu, unknown male vocal Recorded: New York City, ca. Dec. 1929
1019 2D "TIP TOE THROUGH THE TULIPS WITH ME" (Fox-Trot) composers Dubin and Burke
HIT OF THE WEEK 1019 SEFONO 1019 BR 107 IAJRC CS1002-1 Swingtim 9802
On the record a spoken sales talk about the qualities of the new record.
"This is the new HIT OF THE WEEK record. It is made of DURIUM, the great invention of a Columbia University professor. Its tone is as rich and clear as the costliest record made. It is guaranteed to play perfectly longer than any other record. It won't break if you drop it. It brings you the latest dance hits every week played by Broadway's best orchestras at the sensationally low price of fifteen cents! Each week, our music jury, composed of Florenz Ziegfel d, Eddie Cantor and Vincent Lopez, selects the outstanding dance hit of the hour for a HIT OF THE WEEK recording."
78rpm HIT OF THE WEEK 1019 // LP BR 107 // Cassette IAJRC CS1002-1 // CD Swingtime 9802

   [ Garwood Van and his Orch. ]
aka: 'Van and His Orchestra', and also 'Van and his Half Moon Hotel Orchestra'
b. 1911, New Jersey, USA, d. April 25, 1999, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
Theme Songs
Early on: "Poinciana"
Later on: "Time to Dream" (Van was composer)
Here's a photo of Garwood Van, as he appears on the the sheetmusic for the 1926 hit song, "You Went Away Too Far and Stayed Away Too Long". Listen now to the song "Cornfed", as recorded by 'Van & His Hotel Half Moon Orchestra' in 1927. (Note the hot 12 bar trumpet solo by Sylvester Ahola, near the beginning of the recording). Van's musical background included experiences with the Hal Grayson; Eddie Oliver; Victor Young, and Lennie Hayton orchestras. In 1936, Van formed his o wn orchestra; in his hometown of Los Angeles, California. It was a well drilled, smooth working group with a slight 'hop' when needed. Critics, at the time , called it a 'hotel orchestra', and they may have been correct because the band spent it's entire career working the hotels and casinos of the West. At times, the vocalists included Maxine Conrad and Gail Storm, another future movie star that got her early start with the big bands.

In the Los Angeles area, which became his headquarters, While in Los Angeles, he was seen in the 1939 film, "Love On Tap". Van enjoyed lengthy engagements in clubs such as the Trocadero, Ciro's, and the Florentine Gardens . However, he basically concentrated his activities to hotels. His band was often heard in such venues as the Mark Hopkins and St. Francis hotels in San Francisco; the Hotel Utah, in Salt Lake City; St. Louis' Chase Hotel; and Kansas City's famous Muehlebach Hotel. The band toured throughout the Midwest, and even reached the East Coast, playing the hotels of the Statler chain,

In the early 1940's, Van's orchestra appeared in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the El Rancho Hotel Casino. (The El Rancho was one of the pioneer casinos to use dance bands as an additional attraction.) It was a rather fortuitous engagement for other reasons as well. In the mid to late 1940's, big bands were exper iencing a downturn in bookings, and Las Vegas became one of the few areas that provided an income for the bands. The Van Orchestra was to come back many times during the forties to Las Vegas City.

Between 1952 and 1957, Van's Orchestra enjoyed a 5 year stand at the Las Vegas Frontier Hotel-Casino. He was back in Las Vegas in 1959, playing at the Thunderbird Hotel. This was to be the band's last 'gig'. Van opened a successful record shop in Las Vegas, and disbanded. By 1962, he was in full retirement from the band business, and in permanent residence in Las Vegas.
CAUTION: Do not confuse with "Skeetz Van And His Orchestra", which was a short lived Black group with Gene Ammons.

   [ Art Van Damme Quintet ]
b. April 9, 1920, Norway, MI, USA. d.
Instrument: Accordion
Here's a photograph of Jazz Accordionist Art Van Damme, And, here's another informal photo of the Van Damme group, graciously submitted by Mr. Scott Mariash, - Max Mariash's son. In the photo, Back Row L to R, Claude Scheiner (guitar), Leon (aka: Lew or Lon) Skalinder (bass) and Charlie Calzaretta (vibes). In Front Row L to R, Max Mariash (drums), Unidentified Woman, and Art Van Damme (accordion).

Art was one of a group of Chicago musicians active in the late 30's and early 1940's. Art was raised in Chicago, IL, where he studied Accordion with Andy Rizzo, He had studied both the piano and piano accordion with P. Caviani, in Iron Mountain, MI. He played with Ben Bernie's band from 1938 until Ben died in 1943, after which he worked with some small combos in and around Chicago, IL.

In 1945, Art formed a quintet with Chuck (aka: Charlie) Calzaretta, vibes; Fred Rundquist, (later Claude Scheiner) guitar; Lon (or Lou) Skalinder, bass; Max Mariash, drums. The group played mostly in the midwest but achieved nationwide fame as a result of their many recordings for Columbia in the 1950s and early '60s. ( Today, they would probably be classified as lite jazz --the liner notes on one Columbia album boast "There is nothing cerebral in this kind of music" ) but Art's solos could be pretty far out, as they used to say.

In 1944, he also became an NBC staff musician, but continued working with his own and other groups. (One of the groups with whom he played had Bud Freeman (sax) as leader; Pete Dailey (aka Daily) on Cornet; Van Damme on accordion, and Frank Melrose on piano.)

In 1948, the Dinning Sisters (vocal trio) record of "Buttons and Bows" was a big hit. They were accompanied by the Art Van Damme Quintet. He led and recorded (Cap. and Col.) with, his own small combo for about 15 years, during which time he won the Downbeat Poll in 1952-8.

In 1970, Art took Joe Pass, guitar, and Kenny Clarke, drums, to Germany where they re-recorded many of the quintets biggest hits of a decade earlier with Heribert Thusik, vibes, and Eberhard Weber, bass, for the MPS label. Two of those albums (24 sides) were re-released on CD in 1995. In their time, Van Damme's recordings were always well received by the public. The group had a very nice, tight musical sound.

   [ Billy Vaughan Orch. ]
Overview
By and large, Vaughn led a 'studio' orchestra primarily recording for first for DOT Records, and then for Paramount Music when Dot became a division. He is best recalled for his "Twin Sax" sound, where one alto sax carried the melody while a second - or twin - sax played one third away. Here's a photo of Billy with Twin Saxes Interestingly, he spent his early years creating hairdos for women, but that soon changed. During World War II, while based in Mississippi with the U.S. Army, Billy Vaughan formed his own orchestra. While still in the Armed Forces, he also met and married Marion Smith. After mustering out in 1945, Billy Vaughan left the beauty profession to pursue music career. Vaughn was the first artist, anywhere, to receive a platinum record for 3 million sales in the U.S.A ("Sail Along Silv'ry Moon"). The tune was also an international hit with "Sail Along" also earning Gold records in Germany and the Netherlands. Vaughan then arranged (and conducted) a second 3 million seller with vocalist Pat Boone's "Love Letters In The Sand".

In 1952, while attending Western Kentucky University, he formed his first vocal group, 'The Hilltoppers'. In 1956, he became musical director for 'Dot Records', working with such vocalists as "Fats" Domino, The Fontane Sisters, and Pat Boone, among others. Here's a photo of Billy with singer Gale Storm During 1956 to 1968, Billy recorded many singles and albums for Dot, and he 'charted' more records than any other rock era orchestra.

His career may be considered in four stages. His first, approximately 1954-1957, orchestra (heavy on the strings) sounded much like all the others of th e period. ("Shifting, Whispering Sands" was probably the big hit.)

His second stage (the definitive Billy Vaughn) covered the period of 1957-1963. Billy developed his trademark "twin sax" sound, -an alto sax carrying the melody, with a second -or twin- alto sax a third away. (Justin Gordon was the "Twin Sax" player.) Milt Rogers (often working anonymously) wrote many of the arrangements during this period.

His third stage, roughly 1964 to 1966, was a band carrying his name and sounding much like a Glenn Miller revival. (In all probability, Dot Records may have just used his name as the "front". The band was composed of "sessions" men, and various un-named arrangers.)

His last period covered the years 1967- to his demise. He returned to his twin sax sound, using a larger orchestra. He stayed on when Paramount acquired Dot Records, and often recorded in Europe. He toured three times to Japan and also toured Germany where his popularity grew, even as it was fading somewhat in the U.S.A.

Among his many awards, are :
* Several 3 million sellers, including 3 million seller awards from German and Sweden and all over Latin America.
* Best Selling Orchestra
* Most programmed orch.
* Best studio orch.
* The Golden Tulip Award (in Holland)
* The Gold Cow Bell Award (in Switzerland)

   [ Joe Venuti Orch. ]
b. Sept. 16, 1904, on board Ship to America. (and raised in Philadelphia, PA)
d. Aug. 14, 1978, Seattle, WA, USA.
Theme Song: "Last Night"
né: Giuseppe Venuti
Overview:
Here's a photograph of Joe Venuti, a classically trained violinist who was born on board an Ocean Liner on which his family was emigrating to America, where he was raised in the city of Philadelphia, PA. Venuti is remembered today as one of America's (and the World's) First Jaz z Violinists. And, his name is always linked with that of his best childhood friend, guitarist Eddie Lang. Venuti had a wild and irrepressible personality. (Many of his escapades are well recalled in Bing Crosby's autobiography "Call Me Lucky" (Simon and Schuster). Venuti was on th e Bing Crosby radio show in the early 1950s, working with the John Scott Trotter orchestra.

Parenthetically, --The other great Jazz Violinist is Eddie South - who was born on Nov. 27, 1904, in Louisiana, MO. South's classical training was probably a bit more intensive than Venuti's, and it was South's Jazz style of violin that had such a profound effect upon the Gypsy violinist Stephane Grappelli and the Quintet of the Hot Club of France. In 1937, South played (in France) with Stephane Grappelli and Django Reinhart.

Joe and guitarist Eddie Lang became good friends and ca. 1925, the two began working together. Here's a very short film clip of the two men playing together.

  VIDEO: "Wild Cat"   In this precious fragment, jazz guitar pioneer Eddie Lang and partner Joe Venuti chase out a 'Wild Cat'. (Film Clip: pixaninny )

During the following 8 years (Lang died in 1933) they participated in hundreds of major Jazz recording dates with such great bands as Paul Whiteman, The Dorsey Brothers, Roger Wolfe Kahn, Frank Trumbauer (with Bix), Phil Napoleon, Red Nichols, Jean Goldkette, as well as appearing with Hoagy Carmichael, Adrian Rollini and Red McKenzie. In 1924, Venuti was fronting the Jean Goldkette Orchestra. It is interesting to note that Goldkette continued to hire Venuti for his record dates. The Victor company's A&R man considered Goldkette's cornet soloist (Bix Beiderbecke) too un-commercial to be recorded and, throughout 1926 and 1927, Joe was called upon to solo in the spots Beiderbecke played in the band's live performances.

In 1926, Venuti began to record under his own name as 'Venuti's Blue Four' The "Four" consisted always of Venuti and Lang, -and then "others". The quartet, sometimes quintet or sextet, recorded for over 50 years, with, obviously, varying personnel.
Early reedmen included Jimmy Dorsey, Don Murray, Adrian Rollini, Benny Goodman and Bud Freeman.
Early brassmen included Jack and Charlie Teagarden, Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller, Louis Prima and Jerry Colonna.
A 1950's version included George Barnes and Eddie Safranski.
By the 1970s, regulars included Zoot Sims, Bucky Pizzarelli, Milt Hinton and John Bunch.
The group's musical finesse gave a "Jazz Chamber Music" quality to their playing. That quality is still heard today, 80 years after they recorded.

In 1929, Hollywood called Paul Whiteman, the biggest bandleader in the country, to come out and make one of them "newfangled" sound movies. Whiteman acc epted but quickly signed Venuti and Lang as insurance. Their contributions are the highlights of the Technicolor movie released in 1930, The King of Jazz.

Joe is also remembered for inventing a violin technique whereby he tied the bow around the instrument and thus played all four strings simultaneously for chordal musical passages. (During this same time, Adrian Rollini was playing a Bass Sax with Venuti and with Trumbauer's Orch. Rollini's embouchure and tonal quality on that instrument is another one of the period's highlights.)

Venuti also headed up a number of bigbands in the 1930s and 1940s which tended to be more commercial than the smaller groups and featured a 'sappy' vocalist singing 'sappy' lyrics: "I had my palm read by a gypsy, and my future is bright. We'll live in Poughkeepsie"...And "Shes not too short and shes not too fat. I like a little girl like That". Even on these sides, Joe's playing never descends into "schmaltz".

In 1934, Venuti's band enjoyed a very successful tour in England, and Joe was to continue touring for the next 20 years with his own band and minus his partner and friend, Eddie Lang, who had died in 1933. Joe's music never again reached the same pinnacle of style as the two had reached in prior years. (That is to say, he was only 'mildly sensational' for the rest of his life.) In 1936, Venuti was elected to Down Beat Magazine's 'All Time Swing Band'.

For much of the 40s, his girl singer was Kay Starr. His 1945 band included vocalists Ruth Robbin and Johnny Prophet.

By 1950, the the Big Bands era had ended, and Venuti's Big Band had also ended. Joe spent most of his time playing with small combos in the Los Angeles , CA, area, but his fame was such that he continued touring the U.S.A. In 1952 and '53, he appeared regularly on the Bing Crosby radio program and soloed with the John Scott Trotter band backing him.

Then, Venuti, suffering from an alcohol problem, basically dropped out of sight until 1968 when he was located in Seattle and invited to a jazz party in Vail, Colorado. "Zoot" Sims was at the party and was dumbstruck. "Zoot" later said: "I'de never seen him before. I'de heard of him all my life but I thought it was like stories about Paul Bunyan."

That party was a renaissance for Venuti and the 1970s found him as busy as he had been in the 1920s. He appeared at the Newport Jazz Festival and the Concord Jazz Festival several times. At one Newport Festival, he played in a salute to Bix with three other surviving members of the Goldkette band (Wilcox, Rank and Morehouse ) and, at another, jammed with John Lewis, Gary Burton, Steve Swallow and Charles Mingus. He recorded in Italy, Holland and France, as well as in the USA with just about everyone then active in traditional jazz his former sidemen, Jimmy McPartland and Benny Goodman and Urbie Green, George Barnes, Dick Hyman, Scott Hamilton, Earl Hines, Dave McKenna, Major Holley, Cliff Leeman, Bobby Rosengarden, George Duvivier, Ross Tompkins, Stephane Grapelli and such peripheral jazz figures as Jethro Burns, Curly Chalker, Eldon Shamblin and Leon Redbone.

He appeared on the Dick Cavett Show and a PBS fundraiser. In 1978, his speed and technique were absolutely as flawless as they had been 50 years earlier. The only change was in his expression: up to the 1950s, his tone was warm. By the 1970s, the warmth had been replaced with an acerbic quality. A certain amount of repetition became apparent in his solos, particularly in the 4 string solos, usually on "C-Jam Blues". Nonetheless, he was still a vibrant force in Jazz and his death on August 14, 1978 was a shock to those outside his immediate circle who were unaware of the onset of cancer.

   [ The Virginians (Orch) ]
This may have been a group of musicians performing under different leaders at different times. Ca. 1922, they cut some records with vocals, and with Ross Gorman as leader.

In private correspondence, Mr. Steve Phillips has said that:
       "The Virginians" was a Victor records recording group organized by
       reedman, Ross Gorman, and composed of Gorman and other members of
       the Paul Whiteman orchestra for the purpose of playing "hot-dance"
       music. The group recorded in the early-mid 1920s and often fronted
       two trumpets, one trombone. two reeds, piano,tuba, and drums. There
       was no connection between "The Virginians" of Victor records and
       Ace Brigode, whose "Virginians" recorded on Edison, Columbia, Okeh,
       and Harmony."

  "Why Should I Cry Over You", (412 kb): Ross Gorman and "The Virginians" (Instrumental) (Composers: Ned Miller, Chester Cohn) Rec;d: 1922, Victor 18933A

  "Blue", (398 kb): Ross Gorman and "The Virginians" (Instrumental) Rec'd: 1922, Victor 18933B (Composer: Lou Handman)

   [ Peter Van Steeden Orchestra ]
b. April 13, 1904, Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands, d. January 3, 1990
né: Peter Van Steeden Jr.
Currently no information available.
In addition to his work in films, he was the 'house' band for the 'Fred Allen Radio Show'. (American Network radio program)