Paul Ash

Paul Ash (born February 11, 1891 in Germany , † July 13, 1958 in New York City ) was an American violinist , pianist , composer and big band leader in the field of jazz and popular music . It was called The Rajah Of Rhythm .

Life

Paul Ash was the son of German immigrants who came to the United States during his early childhood; he then grew up in Milwaukee . Before the First World War he played as a violinist in vaudeville troupes and in 1910 he had his first own formation. After serving in the war, Ash worked for a while in San Francisco , with Paul Whiteman , among others , and then founded a dance band in Springfield, Illinois , which eventually became one of the most popular orchestras in the Chicago area in the mid-1920s. The first recordings were made in 1923; Band vocalists at this time were Milton Watson and the young Martha Raye . Some of the Ash orchestra's 1926 recordings were released under the pseudonyms Denza Dance Band and Raymond Dance Band .

In the late 1920s, Ash shifted his band's activities to appearances in the major movie theaters; so the Ash band had a longer engagement in Chicago's Oriental Theater, and then went to New York, where they performed at the Paramount Theater . During this engagement, the hitherto unknown singer Helen Kane joined the band and enjoyed great success in Paramount, which marked the beginning of her career. After their return to Chicago in 1933 they played at the world exhibition there. Ash eventually returned to New York, where he served as musical director at the Paramount theaters in Manhattan and Brooklyn . From late 1936 to 1945 he then led a band at the Roxy Theater.

The Paul Ash Orchestra - like the Paul Whiteman Orchestra - had a symphonic claim in its arrangements (Sweet Someone). In the amplifierless theaters they could also play with a very loud and full sound. Many later known musicians and entertainers played with Ash's orchestras such as u. a. Benny Goodman , Danny Polo , Tony Parenti , Glenn Miller (1928) or Red Norvo . Paul Ash recorded with his band between 1926 and 1933 for the Brunswick and Columbia labels . Ash later retired from the music business and died in New York in 1958.

Paul Ash worked on several songs for his orchestra as a songwriter; like (I've Grown So Lonely) Thinking of You and That's Why I Love You, for which Walter Donaldson wrote the music; Ash's other tracks were What Do We Care if It's One O'Clock, Just Once Again and Who's Your Sweetheart.

Discographic notes

Paul Ash & His Orchestra: Hot Dance Music from the Roaring 20s (Vintage Music, 1923-28)

Web links

swell

James L. Collier: Benny Goodman. King of Swing . Heyne, Munich 1997, ISBN 3-453-12540-1 .
Leo Walker: The Big Band Almanac . Ward Ritchie Press, Pasadena CA 1978, ISBN 0-378-01991-0 .

personal data
SURNAME	Ash, Paul
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American musician, big band leader and composer
DATE OF BIRTH	February 11, 1891
PLACE OF BIRTH	Germany
DATE OF DEATH	July 13, 1958
Place of death	New York City