| Genres: |
Big Band & Swing
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Jazz
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| Descriptive "tags": |
jazz • swing • big band • casa loma orchestra • early jazz • swing jazz • best finds pandora • spotify • the vitamin b12 • moje standards
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| Decades Active: |
1970s
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1980s
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1990s
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| Links online: |
Wikipedia
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Biography
Canadian tycoon Sir Henry Pellatt had delusions of grandeur similar to those exhibited by William Randolph Hearst. Pellatt’s equivalent to Hearst’s castle at San Simeon was Casa Loma, a house he built near Toronto. In 1929 a group of musicians, originally controlled by contractor Jean Goldkette and working as the Orange Blossoms, mainly in Canada, decided to strike out on their own. Forming a co-operative band under the nominal leadership of alto saxophonist Glen Gray, the musicians decided to adopt the name of Pellatt’s folly and soon showed the musical world that their venture was based upon firm foundations. In its heyday the band was regarded by black and other white musicians as one of the hottest around. The Casa Lomans featured several good musicians, including Sonny Dunham and Clarence Hutchenrider, and also a very popular singer, Kenny Sargent. Musically, the band’s key-man was guitarist Gene Gifford, whose excellent arrangements...
Read the Full Biography of Casa Loma Orchestra
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