Arno Lewitsch

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Arno Lewitsch (* 1900 in Russia , † 1970 in the United States) was a German-American jazz violinist and band leader . Lewitsch was considered the first German violinist to attempt hot intonation.

Live and act

Arno Lewitsch played in Berlin homokord studio bands such as the Picadilly Four (" Swanee ") from the early 1920s . From 1923 he took part in recordings in studio line-ups in the Lindström studios on Schlesische Strasse. In April / May 1924, Lewitsch's only recordings were made in three recording sessions under his own name for Parlophone , including the titles "I've Got a Cross-Eyed Papa", " I'm Goin 'South " and " Linger Awhile ". May have been Eric Borchard involved in the recordings.

From autumn 1924 he recorded with the orchestra of Julian Fuhs for homokord (soloist in “Love also needs a bit of music”) and Odeon ; from 1925 Lewitsch took part in most of the recordings of the Béla Dajos orchestra as first violinist. At the time, however, this was a pure studio formation. When it became a "real" orchestra on stage and in concerts, Lewitsch was an integral part of the Bela Band. In 1927 he was involved in recording Mitja Nikisch with his symphonic jazz orchestra (Parlophone). In 1929 he played with Theo Mackeben (including " Makin 'Whoopee ", " Lover, Come Back to Me ", Ultraphon). The last recordings were made at the end of April 1930 with Béla Dajos. In the field of jazz he was involved in 66 recording sessions between 1921 and 1930. He also played around 1930 in Felix Lehmann's orchestra , the Fred Bird Rhythmicans , which were occasionally heard on the radio.

After the National Socialists came to power in 1933, he left Germany and followed Bela Dajos to the Netherlands. In early 1939, Lewitsch was band leader ( Arno Lewitsch Ensemble ) at Radio Hilversum ; in May 1939 he emigrated to the United States, where he died in 1970. Lewitsch is possibly identical to Arno Levitch, who has been working in the USA since the 1940s. a. Eartha Kitt accompanied.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Heinz Geuen: From the time opera to Broadway Opera: Kurt Weill and the idea of musical theater . Edition Argus. 1997, p. 55
  2. ^ A b Horst Heinz Lange: Jazz in Germany : the German jazz chronicle until 1960. 1996, p. 29.
  3. ↑ A Berlin studio formation with Sascha Dickstein (from left) and / or Arno Lewitsch (from left), Fred Ross (p), Hans Savage (bj) or Michel "Mike" Ortuso (bj) and Erich Giese; see. Tom Lord: Jazz Discography
  4. ↑ a b c Tom Lord The Jazz Discography (online, accessed January 31, 2016)
  5. ↑ Other possible musicians include Wilbur Curtz (tp), Bernhard Mutzelburg (tb), Charlie Vidal (cl, as) (or Eric Borchard, cl, as) Wolf Gradis (as), Walter Lindemann (p), Michel "Mike "Ortuso (bj) and Charlie Hersdorf (dr). See Tom Lord: Jazz discography
  6. ↑ a b c d portrait at gramophone records
  7. ↑ Horst H. Lange, Jazz in Deutschland, pp. 46–47, 54
  8. ↑ Arno Levitch at Allmusic (English)
personal data
SURNAME Lewitsch, Arno
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German-American jazz and entertainment musician
DATE OF BIRTH 1900
PLACE OF BIRTH Russia
DATE OF DEATH 1970
Place of death United States