Paul Whiteman Orchestra, "The King of
Jazz"
Theme Song: "Rhapsody in Blue"
Here's a photograph that Paul Whiteman, sent to his
newest 'crooner' - Bing Crosby, - whose picture is shown below in the 'Rhythm
Boys' Photo. Another interesting photo is one of the early Whiteman Bands, with still another of his 1919 Band,--how very young he looks, - holding his
violin. The next photo shows Whiteman with future bandleader Bob Crosby, and a few of
the men who would later be a part of Bob Crosby's Bob Cats. L-R: Bob Zurke, Bob Haggart, Eddie Miller, Ray Beauduc, Paule
Whiteman, and Bob Crosby. Listen now to that 1919 Whiteman orchestra playing "I Never Knew", recorded Dec. 12, 1920, and
digitally re-engineered by Mr. Verne Buland.
Whiteman's orchestra
figured greatly in one of the very earliest "Talkies", the Universal
Pictures release entitled "King Of Jazz". Watch now this excerpt of
the Whiteman band playing a George Gershwin work that the band originally
debuted in New York city in the late 1920s. "Rhapsody
In Blue" This clip opens with a fantasy
"clarinet solo" dance by Jacques Cartier, and then the Russell
Markert Girls. Dance enthusiasts will also enjoy the opening "Voodoo"
dance sequence Another interest is the Piano work of Roy Bargy, one of
Whiteman's principal arrangers.
Paul's father, Wilberforce Whiteman, was the Superintendent for Musical
Education in the Denver Public School system. As such, he was responsible
for developing the musical talents of a great many other youngsters, including
Jimmy Lunceford and many others. In 1918, Paul formed his own first band for a
venue in San Francisco, but later became most
active in the Los Angeles
area. When, in 1920, his band began their Victor recordings, and this August
19, 1920 recording (here digitally re-engineered) of "Japanese Sandman" helped to make his fame
National. In 1923, a musical instrument company named him 'King of Jazz' as
part of a promotional event, and this sobriquet would remain with Whiteman
forever. This is a curious fact for even though his band never ever played
"Jazz", he did often employ some of the very best Jazzmen of the day,
including the legendary Bix Beiderbecke on cornet. Here (digitally
re-engineered) is Whiteman's 1923 orchestra playing "I'll Build A Stairway to Paradise", a George
Gershwin tune, with the lyric by B. G. DeSylva, and Arthur Francis. ('Arthur Francis' was a name that George
Gershwin's brother Ira used in his early days.) The popularity of his recorded
music (arranged by Ferde Grofe) endures to this day, and probably always will
endure.
For more information and soundtracks on Paul Whiteman check out these sites:
http://www.redhotjazz.com/pwo.html
http://archives.williams.edu/pwc/pwc1.php
