Jean Goldkette

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Jean Goldkette was a pianist and bandleader who left his mark on jazz in the 1920s mainly as an entrepreneur. His birthplace is not entirely certain: Valenciennes or Patras. He grew up in Greece and Russia, studied piano at the Moscow conservatoire and emigrated to the United States in 1911. In Detroit he rented a dance hall, formed an orchestra of his own and built up a business that booked about twenty orchestras and owned many dance halls. He himself mostly did not play.

Music and breakthrough

His best-known group was the Victor Recording Orchestra, which made recordings from 1924 to 1929. The chief arranger was Bill Challis, and the line-up included, among others, Bix Beiderbecke, Hoagy Carmichael, Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey and the guitarist Eddie Lang. The orchestra sounded like a tightly rehearsed dance band with room for soloists. In a battle of the bands it is even said to have beaten the orchestra of Fletcher Henderson. Rex Stewart, who played with Henderson, called it the best dance band of its time.

Influence

In 1927 Goldkette lost his best players to Paul Whiteman, because he could no longer pay their salaries. In the 1930s he went bankrupt and worked as a booking agent and classical pianist. Even so, his influence remained great. He helped McKinney's Cotton Pickers and the orchestra of Glen Gray, later known as the Casa Loma Orchestra, get started. His bands formed a link between early jazz and the swing era of the big dance orchestras.

Listening

In School of Rock

The chapters, maps and magazine stories of School of Rock are currently available in Dutch only.

• After Hours: Session 1^NL Reader