Casa Loma Orch. - Talk Of The Town, 1942

The Casa Loma Orchestra was an American swing band active from 1927 to 1963. It did not tour after 1950 but continued to record as a studio group.
The band was organized in 1927, in Detroit, by Jean Goldkette, a French born pianist, who had over 20 bands under his name by the mid-'20s . The one which is remembered today was his main unit which recorded for Victor during 1924-29; that is the one who included Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey and Joe Venuti and the legendary cornetist Bix Beiderbecke . In 1927 Paul Whiteman hired away most of Goldkette's top jazz players (including Bix and Trumbauer) and -- from the remaining musicians plus a few new ones (including the saxophonist, Glen Gray) Jean Goldkette organized the Orange Blossoms. However, in 1928 during their stay in Toronto, Canada, Glen Gray took over the leadership and the band had adopted the Casa Loma name, by the time of its first recordings in 1929, when it was the house band at Casa Loma in Toronto, which was then operating as a hotel.

From 1929 until the rapid multiplication in the number of swing bands from 1935 on, the Casa Loma Orchestra was one of the top North American dance bands, featuring trombonist Pee Wee Hunt, trumpeter Frank L. Ryerson, trumpeter Sonny Dunham, clarinetist Clarence Hutchenrider, drummer Tony Briglia and singer Kenny Sargent. Arrangements were by Gene Gifford, who also composed much of the band's book, Salvador "Tutti" Camarata and Horace Henderson. Their mid-1930s appearances on the long run radio comedy-variety program,The Camel Caravan (introduced with their theme, "Smoke Rings") increased their popularity.
Hits included "Casa Loma Stomp," "No Name Jive" and "Maniac's Ball". Part of the reason for the band's decline is that other big bands included in their books hard-swinging numbers emulating the hot Casa Loma style. In the 1940s the band featured guitarist Herb Ellis, trumpeter Bobby Hackett and cornetist Red Nichols. Jazz historians are currently researching and writing articles and books about the orchestra.


Recording: Glen Gray's Casa Loma Orchestra & Vocal Trio- Talk Of The Town (Jerry Livingston, Al J. Neiburg and Marty Symes), Decca 1942

Thanks to YT friend: fromthesidelines, I can add this important detail about the recording. It's what he writes:
The "Casa Lomans" originally recorded this for Columbia in 1933- this was the "remake", recorded for Decca on January 15, 1942, with Kenny Sargent (again) delivering the vocal, with chorus.....

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Glen
• Gray
• Jean
• Goldkette
• American
• dance
• band
• jazz
• age
• swing
• era
• 78s
• nostalgy

[3investigators]

This recording is indeed from 1933 by the way. It's beautiful.

[fuzzbear6240]

240252, Great disc! Always love Casa Loma. Thanks.

YF, J.

[venimo]

Beautiful, indeed. Songs of this era seemed to convey the pathetic so well. It's hard to believe this was recorded in '42, it sounds like an arrangement from the '20s. This make me think of my mom and dad at a dance (it was their era). They don't make like this anymore.

[Shurre62]

anybody have a copy of Glen Gray doing "My heart tells me". #1 in 1944?

[kpasa111]

In the mid 1960's Kenny Sargent worked as a disk jockey in Dallas at radio station WRR. I used to call in, request songs and chat with him. Each of his shows included at least one tune by the Casa Loma Orchestra. Mr. Sargent was a man of infinite good will and cheerfulness.

[pierrerichard7777]

very nice tune here

[suzannegrits]

@19wurlitzer41 thank you so much for that comment..he had a beautiful voice..i only saw him once in my life. he was very quiet. i have lots of pictures though and his saxophone mouthpiece...

[johnohconnor2]

Great tune and video Tks

[19wurlitzer41]

Thats really great! Kenny's voice is one of my favorites of that era!

[jenzeppelin]

I am trying to find a clear copy of C Minor Sharp performed by the Casa Loma Orchestra... I have a fuzzy, distorted copy. I am looking for the one that was featured on the disc Live at Meadowbrook Ballroom. Anyone have it? Please post it! :)

[suzannegrits]

kenny sargent was my grandfather. he had such a wonderful.voice. i have a box of pictures i looked at yesterday.great pictures!