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Hello - There was a singing banjoist in the late twenties that went by the name of Banjo Buddy. I have two of the sides - Lila and Let's Misbehave. The audio for both is here https://archive.org/search.php?query=brunswick%203865 https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/mastertalent/detail/115294/Banjo_Buddy Brunswick E27338 10-in. 4/12/1928 Let’s misbehave Banjo Buddy Male vocal solo and banjo, with orchestra vocalist, instrumentalist, banjo Brunswick E24293-E24296 10-in. 8/24/1927 Miss Annabelle Lee Banjo Buddy Male vocal solo, with string quartet, banjo, and piano vocalist, instrumentalist, banjo, tenor vocal Brunswick E24297-E24299 10-in. 8/24/1927 Oh, Doris! Where do you live? Banjo Buddy Male vocal solo, with string quartet, banjo, and piano vocalist, instrumentalist, banjo, tenor vocal Brunswick E26853-E26854 10-in. 3/7/1928 Lila Banjo Buddy Male vocal solo and banjo, with orchestra vocalist, instrumentalist, banjo Brunswick E26855-E26856 10-in. 3/7/1928 Let’s misbehave Banjo Buddy ; Banjo Buddy Male vocal solo, with banjo and orchestra vocalist, instrumentalist, banjo Buddy Ebsen was asked if he was Banjo Buddy but he said no. Was Caleb around in the twenties? - Mickey Mickey Clark 710 Westminster Avenue West Penticton BC Canada 250-462-7881 V2A 1K8 http://mcproductions.ca 1-250-462-7881 -----Original Message----- From: Dave Radlauer Sent: Tuesday, October 26, 2021 6:04 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Seeking recordings- Big Band Story I’ll bet you will get a response on the many Facebook pages dedicated to Big Bands etc Or try digging deep into YouTube. Dave R On Tue, Oct 26, 2021 at 5:11 PM ANONYMOUS USER < [log in to unmask]> wrote: > I have been researching any and all institutions for recordings that were > made by my great-grandfather, Caleb O’Connor. He was a guitarist, banjo > player, arranger, and even a bandleader at one point in the early 1930s. > He > got his start at what he described as “connector places” in Connecticut, > such as the Ritz Ballroom in Bridgeport, CT and the Roger Sherman Ballroom > in New Haven. He was a native of New Haven. I’m not exactly sure what the > timeline is, but he claimed that he played with Mal Hallet and his > orchestra. I have not been able to find his name on any records, or > written > down elsewhere. He went by the nickname “Kay” O’Connor in those days. He > was also in a banjo duo with a friend named Bill White, who went on to > perform in Europe. I have not found anything on his friend Bill. He went > to > the University of Alabama with Bill White in 1930, and became very > involved > with music at that time. He was a member of the university Glee Club, > which > later promoted him and his friend’s banjo duo to travel and give concerts > throughout the Southern U.S. I have not found anything that may have been > recorded by the two while they were on the road. They called themselves in > concert the “Banjo Buddies”. A notable performance by them was for the > Miss > America Show of 1933, which was held at the Poli Palace theatre in > Bridgeport, CT. In 1932 or 1933, Caleb started his own band, which he > named > after himself: Kay’s Commander’s. They played at fraternity and sorority > gatherings, and some band members that went onto become famous musicians > were: Moe Zudicoff aka Buddy Morrow, Al Klink (played with Glenn Miller), > and Jerry Jerome (Glenn Miller and Benny Goodman). I cannot locate a > recording of this band. By the 1940s, Caleb was working in Hartford, CT at > either the Hotel Bond or the State Theatre, or both. At this time, about > 1941, Charlie Barnet came to play at the State Theatre, where he met Caleb > and apparently asked him to be his guitarist after his original player was > in a car accident. He was doing more arranging for bands at this time, and > according to a 1943 article, arranged the tune “Dark Forest” for the Buddy > James orchestra. I have searched, but cannot find a recording by ‘Buddy > James’ or of this song, by any band. The only other song I can name is > titled “Each Time I Close My Eyes”, which Caleb wrote before departing for > the Army in 1943. I have sought out a recording of this as well. His > musical activities after the war were less frequent, but he still was > arranging into the mid 1970s. He made one last arrangement for Middlebury > College in Vermont, before donating his music library, and who knows if > there were records…probably. > > I have searched audio archives, from the Library of Congress to Discogs, > and have contacted the University of Alabama, Middlebury College, etc. > Nothing. Unfortunately, all that music that got donated (and now lost) was > valuable to somebody, his grandson. Any help finding records is > appreciated, and if you have a relative that may have known Caleb, I’d > love > to hear their story. > -- cell and text# 510-717-5240 www.JAZZHOTBigstep.com