Ben Bernie

about

Ben Bernie (Bernard Anzelevitz, May 30, 1891 – October 23, 1943) was an American jazz violinist and radio personality, often introduced as The Old Maestro. He was noted for his showmanship and memorable bits of snappy dialogue. Bernie was born in Bayonne, New Jersey. By the age of 15 he was teaching violin, but this experience apparently diminished his interest in the violin for a time. He returned to music doing vaudeville, appearing with Phil Baker as Baker and Bernie, but he met with little success until 1922 when he joined his first orchestra. Later, he had his own band, "The Lads," seen in the early DeForest Phonofilm sound short, Ben Bernie and All the Lads (1924–25), featuring pianist Oscar Levant. He toured with Maurice Chevalier and also toured in Europe. Bernie's orchestra recorded throughout the 1920s and 1930s; Vocalion (1922–25), Brunswick (1925–33), Columbia (1933), Decca (1936), and ARC (Vocalion and OKeh) (1939–40). In 1925 Ben Bernie and his orchestra did the first recording of Sweet Georgia Brown. Bernie was the co-composer of this jazz standard, which became the theme song of the Harlem Globetrotters. (His Vocalion and Brunswick records were always listed as Ben Bernie and His Orchestra; only his Columbia records used the moniker "Ben Bernie and All The Lads".) His musical variety radio shows through the 1930s, usually titled, Ben Bernie, The Old Maestro, were hugely successful, with ratings placing him among radio's top ten programs. He was heard on radi

top songs

albums

Presenting Ben Bernie

Best Recordings - Ben Bernie and His Orchestra

100 Roaring Classics Of The 1920s

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The Charleston

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The Naughty 1920s: Red Hot & Risque Songs of The Jazz Age, Vol. 1

There's Too Many Eyes

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The Great 1920s & Swingin' Gatsby 20s Classics - 100 Classic Speakeasy Jazz Hits from the Gatsby Inspired Roaring Twenties

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Remembering Duke Ellington

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The Great Gatsby

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Big Band Jazz Favorites

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Gentle Ben

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Speakeasy Music of the 1920's

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