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HALL KEMP ~ JAZZ BAND LEADER ~ AUTOGRAPHED PHOTOGRAPH (BACK) - 1933

$ 34.32

Availability: 34 in stock
  • Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
  • Size: 3 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches
  • Original/Reproduction: Original

    Description

    Scarce early original vintage photographic post card AUTOGRAPHED by famous band leader Hal Kemp on back of card (see scan).
    This photograph shows Hal Kemp (at the microphone) during a recording session. Front inscription reads, “To My Pennzoil Friends - Hal Kemp”.
    Hal Kemp was a jazz alto saxophonist, clarinetist, bandleader, composer, and arranger. He was born in Marion, Alabama, and died in Madera, California, following an auto accident. His major recordings were "Got A Date With An Angel", "Heart Of Stone", "Lamplight", "The Music Goes 'Round And Around", "You're The Top", "Bolero", "Gloomy Sunday", "Lullaby Of Broadway", and many others.
    Hal's band was based in New York City, and included Trotter, Dowell, and Ennis, and a few years later trumpeters Bunny Berigan and Jack Purvis joined the group. The sound was 1920s collegiate jazz. Kemp once again toured Europe in the summer of 1930. This band recorded regularly for Brunswick, English Duophone, Okeh and Melotone Records.
    In 1932, during the height of the Depression, Kemp decided to lead the band in a new direction, changing the orchestra's style to that of a dance band (often mistakenly referred to as "sweet"), using muted triple-tonguing trumpets, clarinets playing low sustained notes in unison through large megaphones (an early version of the echo chamber effect), and a double-octave piano.
    One of the main reasons for the band's success was arranger John Scott Trotter. Singer Skinnay Ennis had difficulty sustaining notes, so Trotter came up with the idea of filling in these gaps with muted trumpets playing staccato triplets. This gave the band a unique sound, which Johnny Mercer jokingly referred to as sounding like a "typewriter". The saxes often played very complex extremely difficult passages, which won them the praise of fellow musicians. Vocalists with the band during the 1930s included Ennis, Dowell, Bob Allen, Deane Janis, Maxine Gray, Judy Starr, Nan Wynn, and Janet Blair. During the 1930s, Kemp recorded for Brunswick, Vocalion and RCA Victor Records. Hal's band was one of the most popular bands in the 1930s, and was often featured performing on the radio, in shows such as "The Lucky Strike Magic Carpet Show" (1932, NBC), "Midnight Flyers" (1932-1933, NBC), "Pennzoil Parade of Melodies" (1933, CBS) where this photograph was taken.
    On December 19, 1940, while driving from Los Angeles to a booking in San Francisco, his car collided head-on with a truck. Kemp broke a leg and several ribs, one of which punctured a lung. He developed pneumonia while in the hospital and died two days later.
    Kemp's band introduced or promoted numerous popular songs, including "Got a Date With an Angel", "Lamplight", "Heart of Stone", "There's a Small Hotel" and "Three Little Fishies" (written by the band's saxophonist, Saxie Dowell). Art Jarrett took on leadership of Kemp's orchestra in 1941.
    Photo Post Card measures 3 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches and is in very good condition except for a number of light vertical surface cracks in the coating and thumb tack holes at the upper corners (see scan). There are no tears or creases and the image is very sharp.  Back has Hal Kemp’s autograph.
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