Sam Lanin's band plays the old Kentucky hit, 1926

SAMUEL C. LANIN born in Russia, 1891. Soon afterward, his parents, Benjamin and Mary, moved to the United States and settled in Philadelphia. Lanin's family was a musical one. Sam was the third of ten children, which included six future bandleaders. In addition to Sam, brothers Joe, Jimmy, Howard, Willie and Lester all led bands professionally. As a child, Sam studied violin, but later began playing clarinet. As a clarinet player, Sam was employed by Victor Herbert and played with his orchestra for two years, beginning in 1911. In 1917 Lanin joined the Navy, where he was assigned leadership of one of its bands. When the WWI ended, he returned to Philadelphia, where he started his own orchestra. While there, he met Louis Brecker, who on New Year's Eve, 1919, opened the renowned Roseland Ballroom in New York City. As a bandleader at the Roseland (1919-1925), Lanin gained prominence in the music industry -- his band played opposite of some of the great bands of the jazz age, including A.J. Piron (1924) and the legendary Fletcher Henderson (1924-1925). It was also at the Roseland, that Lanin employed the young Dorsey brothers. About a year after starting at the Roseland, Sam Lanin was at Columbia's New York studio to make his first recordings (April 28, 1920). These sides were released under the name of Lanin's Roseland Orchestra. Over the next 11 years, Lanin returned to the recording studio more than 500 times, to make over 1800 recordings (there was probably no one more prolific in recording history, with the exception of Ben Selvin).
Sam Lanin himself is rarely heard, on any of his recordings. During several sessions, he did play drums, he also supplied vocals. In one photo of Bailey's Lucky Seven (ca. 1922), which was one of his bands, Lanin poses with a clarinet. Sam Lanin recorded under many different pseudonyms (some authors say about 172 names that Lanin used!). The best kown are, Bailey's Lucky Seven, Ladd's Black Aces, Lanin's Arcadians and Lanin's Red Hades. In 1925, when he made his first radio broadcast, he performed as the leader of Ipana Troubadours. Throughout the first year, the band was heard over WEAF, in New York. From 1926 until Lanin's last Ipana broadcast, in 1931, his band made weekly broadcasts over the NBC networks. Sam Lanin died in Hollywood, Florida in May, 1977.

Recording:
Sam Lanin (Al Lentz)& His Orchestra - Just A Bird's Eye View (Of My Old Kentucky Home), Words: G.Kahn, Music: W. Donaldson, Broadway 1926

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Roaring
• Twenties
• 1920s
• America
• hot
• dance
• band
• Jazz
• Age
• 78s
• nostalgia

[roybo1930]

I have this record along with over 150 other BROADWAY records, They are just FANTASTIC!!! I just LOVE your channel.

[Corrie121]

What do you do in old Paducah when there ain't no moon in sight ? Listen to this fantastic rendition would be a good alternative!

I have stolen the question from the song, "What Do You Do On A Rainy Night In Rio".

Thanks for sharing.

[HarborGuy]

I am fom Ohio we had smoke there too. Coal was the enery of most plants....I had a wonderful childhood with many plesant memories...This song and pictues fit...

[betteroffsingle]

Thanks for this wonderful upbeat tune. I used to work in Paducah,Ky. in the 70s. I liked it there. No, I loved it and I usually tell folks when they ask, that I was born there. In a way, I was. My career took off from there and I must say I miss it. Love the old photos, and crossed that bridge many times.

[HarborGuy]

Americana's heartland may have had bad air then but we at least had jobs and "hot" jazzz.......