Willie Creager was a prolific dance band leader in the 1920s who recorded for Gennett, Pathé-Perfect, and Plaza Music Company labels such as Banner, Regal, Domino, Oriole, and Jewel.
In the October 1926 issue of Variety, Willie Creager had placed an ad billing himself as a “Guest Conductor Extraordinary for the Picture Houses” and offering a “unique attraction” of comedy, novelty, and entertainment.
The Keller sisters (Nan and Taddy) handle vocal harmonies with sibling Frank Lynch. Fun fact: Taddy later married bandleader Jack Pettis.
The records on the Herschel Gold Seal label were pressed by Gennett for Harry Bernstein’s Northwestern Phonograph Supply Company based in St. Paul & Minneapolis – as the label indicates. Bernstein owned ten record stores in the twin cities and sold a LOT of Gennett titles. Gennett created this private label for Bernstein. But this very short-lived label only issued 21 releases in total.
Second fun fact: according to Kurt Gegenhuber, Harry Bernstein grew up in Des Moines, Iowa.
Recorded at Herbert Berliner’s Recording Labs in New York’s Hilton Building located at 69 West 90th Street on October 19, 1926.
Released as Herschel Gold Seal 2012.
Also released as Gennett 3404, Challenge 15182, Challenge 210, Herwin 55002, Silvertone 3841, Canadian Starr 23083, and British Vocalion X-9939.
Credits:
Keller Sisters and Lynch – vocals
Willie Creager – director, arranger
Earl Oliver – trumpet
Red Nichols – cornet
Chuck Campbell – trombone
Nathan Glantz – alto sax, soprano sax, clarinet, bass clarinet)
Larry Abbott – clarinet, alto sax, soprano sax, oboe
Herman “Hymie” Wolfson – clarinet, tenor sax, soprano sax
Kel Murray, Ben Poberesky – violin
Phil Romano ? – piano
Harry Reser – banjo
Hank Stern – tuba
Ken Whitmer – drums, sound effects
Sources:
“Keller Sisters and Lynch: Vocalists of the 1920’s & 1930’s”
http://www.jazzage1920s.com/kellersisters/kellersisters.php
Kurt Gegenhuber “Music, Moonshine, and Mahjong”
http://www.zeek.net/709music/
Credits from Javier Soria Laso
You can hear the flip side of this disc, “Half a Moon (Is Better Than No Moon)” at:
https://youtu.be/rCXvIOid5F8
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