Ambrose Orchestra

A popular traditional and swing big band during its time, the British Ambrose Orchestra has in time become a stopping point for musical travelers interested in the madcap, exotic big band world of cartoon composers such as Raymond Scott. One of several European bands that were influenced by Scott's music, the Ambrose Orchestra recorded prolifically in the 20's and 30's, with most of the group's material available on intelligently organized CD reissues. The group was formed by Bert Ambrose, a violinist and arranger who first came to prominence as the music director at the Club de Vingt in New York from 1917 to 1920, and at Clover Gardens in 1922. He began recording for Columbia in 1923 with the first versions of an orchestra under his own leadership. This relationship continued through the end of the decade, followed by recording contracts for the orchestra with labels such as Brunswick, Gramophone and the fledgling Decca, which began releasing sides by the group once the star American clarinetist Danny Polo had joined the reed section. Ambrose extended his musical director's influence to London's Embassy Hotel, where his baton waved merrily 1920 to 1926, and then on to the Mayfair Hotel from 1927 to 1933. At this point his band began attracting American musicians, while Ambrose himself developed into a celebrity in Britain through his regular appearances on a BBC radio series. When the network began remote broadcasts from the Mayfair ballroom the following summer, the band emerged as one of the most popular in all of Britain. It was known as a versatile big band which handled many styles including rhumbas, sentimental ballads and straight-ahead big band swing. In the 30's Ambrose bounced back and forth between the previously mentioned hotels, and by the latter part of...