HISTORY OF SYRACUSE MUSIC - CHAPTER 5 - JIMMY CAVALLO, ALAN FREED & EARLY 50'S

The roots of rock & roll are mainly found in rhythm and blues music. Many early record companies had found  a more convenient name for their blues releases, "race" music, Through by the late 40's this expression became embarrassing and more alternatives included "ebony" and "sepia." Finally in June 1949, Billboard Magazine changed its terminology to "Rhythm and Blues."

The end of the Second World War brought Syracusan Jimmy Cavallo to North Carolina where he continued his musical career. The deep south at this time was still segregated, but whites like Cavallo still ventured into many black clubs to listen to the black man play the blues. What he heard were songs by Roy Brown, Wynonie Harris, Ruth Brown and Paul "Hucklebuck" Williams. Within the next few months Jiimmy participated in a number of jam session with many of the South's rhythm & blues greats, In 1949, Cavallo returned to Syracuse  and discovered the city offered colored floor shows featuring "Sax" Hunter at Frankie & Johnny's and dancing to the big band of Eddie Williamson and others playing old-style hotel room jazz. So Jimmy Cavallo formed his own quartet, and they played`their first job at Sorrentos. This was Syracuse's first taste of "Rhythm & Blues," unheard of up until this time. What was this new music? Cavallo the innovator described it as "blues with a shuffle and back beat that featured a honking style saxophone and was great to dance to." Jimmy played music totally new to Syracuse ears like "Good Rockin' Tonight", "Red Top", "Fanny Brown", "Honky Tonk", "Drinkin' Wine Spodee-O-Dee", and "Night Train".

Cavallo and his rhythmic honking horn literally captured Syracuse's younger generation. The band included "Diz" Utley who had followed Jimmy from North Carolina and played tenor sax. This dual sax sound became most prevalent in the rock scene of the 1950s. The others members included Sam Barone (bass), Al Antinallo (drums) and Mike Palusa (piano). Club owners literally fought to have Cavallo's band play in their clubs. Overflowing crowds followed the band where ever they played, whether it be at Sorentos, P.L.A.V. , Clover Club, Memory Lane, Andre's Tic Toc Club or DeCastros at Sylvan Beach. His popularity spread to Syracuse, Colgate and Cornell Universities. Everyone was dancing the Jitterbug and forming endless circles while Jimmy played his horn on top of bars and on tables.

Cavallo and his band, now known as the House Rockers released two 45 rpm singles recording's for Auburn's BSD Record label in 1951. The first being "I Got Eyes For You" and the second the old R&B standard "Rock The Joint," Jimmy's travels led him to Wildwood, New Jersey where county singer Bill Haley head his arrangement of "Rock The Joint." Haley took the Cavallo style and recorded his own version of the song with his band the Saddlemen (later changed to The Comets). The word of this new sound spread quickly and the House Rockers were in constant demand.  Even teens tried storming into adult clubs to hear the sound with the new beat.

Local police in Endicott, NY had to close a club as 12 & 13 year olds  flocked to hear Jimmy sing "Don't Let Your Ding Dong Drag In The Dirt." As the House Rockers toured the state Alan Freed was hired by New York City radio station WINS for $25,000 to play his new Rock & Roll music nightly. Young people followed Alan Freed and his new sound as he continued to air the original black recordings as opposed to the white cover versions played by the coconservative rival stations. His impact was dynamic, within a short period even juke-box operators began programing these so called Rock n" Roll records everywhere.

No year of our time to date opened with a more musically momentous event than 1955. Alan Frred staged his first Rock & Roll dance at New York's St. Nicholas Arena. A sold out crowd heard The Clovers, Drifters, Fat Domino, Harptones, Moonglows and other. This first great rock concert out-grossed any jazz concert ever staged in New York. New York teens in the Big Apple found they could also harmmomize and put feeling to their music and came to Alan Frred looking for instant stardom.

During an engagement in Kingston, NY, Jimmy Cavallo and his House Rockets (now consisting of George Horton, Pete Procopio, Tony Leonardi & Dave D'Imperio) jumped at the chance to audition for Freed's right hand man Jack Hooke. Following that audition the band was rushed to meet Freed and with his influence signed a recording contract with Coral Records. Coral released five Cavello singles (note the name change from Cavallo) they include- "Soda Shoppe Rock", Ooh, Wee", "Cherry Pie", "Yo Yo Baby" and the theme for Alan Freed's second rock move (but third released) "Rock, Rock, Rock." Jimmy Cavello & the House Rockers performed as well as appeared as actors in the film. Following the films release the House Rockers became one of the first white bands to play New York's famed Apollo Theater (Cavello claimed even before Buddy Holly). Jimmy also appeared on Alan Freed's daily television show and was added to Freed's 2nd Anniversary live stage show at the Brooklyn Paramount Theater. He shared the stage with such rock greats as Fat Domino, Chuck Berry, The Moonglows, Frankie Lymon & Teenagers, Everly Brothers and The Flamingos to name a few. Then it was off to Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Washington, D.C. and finally to Philadelphia for an appearance on American Bandstand with ex-Syracusan Dick Clark.

HISTORY OF SYRACUSE MUSIC - CHAPTER 4 - FIRST RADIO & TV BROADCAST

September 15, 1922- the day Syracuse heard its first radio broadcast. Clive Meredith named his station WMAC and was located over the Clark Music Building in the 400 block of South Salina Street in downtown Syracuse. The 250 watt station was then moved to the Fernwood Estate in Cazenovia as their first broadcast consisted of Melville Clark (founder of Clark Music) playing the harp and piano.

November 19, 1924, Samuel Woolworth moved his 100 watt transmitter from his home to the Onondaga Hotel and WFBL Radio was born, It was this early broadcast from WFBL that put Syracuse on the radio map as many thousands listened to the first days' broadcast. As air time increased, stations looked for new programming to fill its daily needs. The most popular were local talent shows aired daily. Auditions were held and most of the contestants made their mark on these early radio listeners. Other music was also popular and easy to obtain as live broadcasts were aired from many downtown hotels and restaurants. One of these early announcers was Bill Lundigan who later located to Hollywood to become a motion picture and television star.

WFBL also featured many other classic programs around their live broadcasts. The Lone Ranger, Jack Armstrong, Amos & Andy and Buck Rogers kept Syracusans glued to their dial top follow their continuing adventures.

In 1928- WMAC changed its call letters to WSYR and moved their studio to the Hotel Syracuse. They also featured local talent, among them Gordon McCrea with the Williamson  Orchestra, Rev. Norman Vincent Peale and composer Chester Babcock and singer Ralph Harris. Harris and Babcock called their program "Scribble and Sing." Harris would sing many songs written by Chester who later changed his name professionally to Jimmy Van Heusen. A name he borrowed from a shirt sign that overlooked the downtown WSYR studio.

Jimmy, a ex-Central High student was only 14 when he landed his first announcing position at WSYR. It was WSYR's audience that first heard the Van Heusen classic song "Imagination." Jimmy Van Heusen , if you're not already aware of his career upon his departure from Syracuse, has written a mere 120+ songs that have been recorded by Frank Sinatra and a  hundred more by Bing Crosby. How about hits like High Hopes, All The Way, Love and Marriage, Call Me Irresponsible and Swingin' On A Star.

In 1932, WSYR was sold to Harry S. Wilder and moved its studio into the Kemper Building. WSYR Radio of the late 30's now featured the big band sound of Glen Miller, Bob Crosby, Benny Goodman as well as the widely acclaimed news program "Vadeboncouer and the News." Curly Vadeboncouer had joined WSYR staff in 1939 and upon Harry Wilder's resignation became president of Syracuse's all-time most popular station.

Not much changed in music in the 1940's. But many musicians were spinning off from their old bands to form new ones of their own. Such a musician was Jack Kreisher. Jack had left Williamson's Parisians by 1945 to form his own seven piece group. The Jack Kreisher Orchestra a so called society tenor band and was the first to play their own arrangements of the pop music of the day. Jack with many years of professional experience behind him, constantly updated the band's material to keep pace with the crowds were dancing to. His band expanded to as many as twelve members on such special occasions as the Syracuse Fireman's Ball. Kreisher always looked upon the younger members for new ideas to keep the band on top, whether it be in the 50's, 60's or 70's.

Kreisher, Kamels and Williamson didn't have the dance population cornered. Many other bands played to SRO crowds in a host of Syracuse night spots. Dick Kowell, Dick Martin, Bill Davidson, Mario & Lou DeSantis, Morris Brothers, Johnny Latone, Hal Schwartz and Tony Riposo all had popular bands and steady work.

 1949 was a more than important year for broadcasting and popular music. Victor (RCA) introduced its first three-speed phonograph and the 45 RPM seven inch single record, Columbia countered with a 33 1/3 speed long playing disc, and the whole year found the days of the 78 numbered.

Television came on the scene around this period (1948) in Upstate New York. First WHEN Channel 8 and by 1950, WSYR TV-3  had entered the picture. WSYR would play a large part in promoting Syracuse music during that period.

WSYR Radio carried the NBC Network programs of the day, Your Hit Parade, Don McNeil's Breakfast Club and soap operas. Plus local programs by Deacon Doubleday, Ed Murphy and Elliot Grove. The stations format featured middle of the road pop music aired both on AM & FM. WSYR's newest addition was Jim Deline, who had left WFBL in 1949. Deline showcased local talent live daily via radio and television from WSYR's  new studio located at 1030 James Street. His orchestra consisted of prominent local musicians- Sox Tiffault, Jimmy Hogan, Carl Mano, Myron LeVee, Claude Bortel, Herb Fetrinelli, Sid Wilcox, Kenny Drum, Randy Miller (later Norm Coleman) plus many others through the years.. The band was a direct copy of Ted Heath's Swingin' Dance Band of the 30's & 40's. Vocalist appearing with the band included Dick Workman, June Gardner, Gayle Huber, Patti Hammond and Eileen Wainer along with special guests the Bigtree Sisters (Norma, Jean and Sandy). The ever popular Jim Deline  TV Show would continue until Jim's death in 1963. Then Denny Sullivan and Floyd Ottoway carried on the program in the Deline tradition until its end in 1970.

HISTORY OF SYRACUSE MUSIC - CHAPTER 3 - THE EARLY YEARS & BIG BANDS

In the early 1900's the most important source of new songs were vaudeville and music halls.. Soon vaudeville was replaced by live musical stage shows. By the mid 1930's orchestra dance bands dominated the best sellers list.

In Syracuse, in the 20's Eddie Williamson launched a musical career that would span over 50 years. Eddie and his band "The Parisians" traveled to Europe in a contest sponsored by Atwater Kent Radio Corp. They returned to Europe many times trhereafter as the house band of the Cunard Ship Lines. Eddie's eleven piece orchestra featuring Judge Orman Gale on trombone, traveled to Russia, France (Paris), Norway and South America and ended up in the Hollywood Hills

By the early 30's a young high school student began singing steadily with the Williamson Orchestra. He name Gordon McCrea and he became a national singing and motion picture star. The band enjoyed playing overflow crowds every Saturday evening at Drumblins Country Club. Following his opening number of Stardust, many prominent musicians played with the Williamson Orchestra including Lou DeSantis, Richard Gale, Will Alger ( later with the Salt City Six), Ray Owens (Jimmy Dorsey Band) and Jack Kreisher. Eddie Williamson continued his music into the 70's, he was a true innovator in the Syracuse Big Band Sound.

Another noted band of the 1930-40's was Johnny Kamels Caravan, with members all capable of making it into the big time, and eventually most of them did. Lou Mucci joined Paul Whiteman & Glen Miller's Orchestra and Gino "Guy" Bono played with Ted Floribo. But leader Johnny Kamels stayed around town, choosing to forgo the bus tours and countless nights on the road to stay in Syracuse and jam local clubs to their rafters.

Towards the end of the 1930's another name reached national recognition. Michael Andrew "Peanuts" Hucko. Hucko for most of his professional music life, became a man of quite special distinction. racking up credits in an astonishing variety of settings.

Born in Syracuse April 7, 1918, he first rose to national attention with the Will Bradley Orchestra in the fall of 1939. Peanuts was in and out of a few other big bands before entering World War II where he was a member of Glen Miller's Air Force Orchestra. Discharged in 1945, he worked briefly with Benny Goodman and Ray McKinley and then moved into jazz more seriously. Next radio shows with Jack Teagarden and three years at Eddie Condon's.

During the early 1950's, "Peanuts" spent most of his time doing staff work at either CBS or ABC in New York City. He was been a featured soloist virtually throughout his career. He has sat in may saxophone sections, but almost always doubled on clarinet. Hucko rejoined Teagarden again touring Europe in 1957 just before earning his most prestigious association as a member of Louis Armstrong's All-Star. It was his years with "Satch" that he began to establish himself as a star of world dimensions. A recording he made in Tokyo (1960), with Shoji Suzuki's Rhythm Aces became one of Japan's All-Time best selling jazz albums.

"Peanuts" Hucko later recorded with the Roman New Orleans Rhythm Kings as well as making other over sea's trips, several returns to Condon's, appearances at the Newport Jazz Festival, visits to Dick Gibson's jazz parties in Colorado, and membership in what eventually became know as the World's Greatest Jazzland.

The 1970's began with two years as a featured soloist on Lawrence Welk weekly television show. Peanuts in 1974, fronted the Glen Miller band for eight frantic months. At that time he hired Syracuse vocalist Dan Elliott (Monterays) and toured Japan and thought out Canada. "Peanuts" was also seen playing Syracuse's  Dinkler Motel in the early 1980's.'

HISTORY OF SYRACUSE MUSIC - CHAPTER 2 - WOLF SANDMAN SERENADE & DICK CLARK

In the early 1950's Syracuse was rich in non-rock entertainment. Country and Western music was extremely popular in Upstate New York. WOLF & WNDR Radio aired special programs to accommodate its large following. The most popular was WOLF Radio's Sandman Serenade aired daily from 10 PM to 2 AM. This program used listeners' requests to determine the popularity of the music played. The songs were played in order, from the most popular to least liked. This was the show that attracted the most young listeners, along with WOLF Buckaroos aired earlier in the day. WOLF was owned by T. Sherman Marshall a radio pioneer who was the first in the United States to transcribe singing commercials. Today almost all commercials are recorded in this fashion.

Programing at WOLF was handled by Ham Woodle. Mr. Woodle back in 1950. made what was one of the greatest decisions in the history of rock radio. He hired Dick Clark, then a senior at Syracuse University. This was Dick Clark's first professional job in broadcasting, which would later lead him to national prominence via American Bandstand.

Born Richard Wagstaff Clark on November 30, 1929 in Mt. Vernon, New York. He attended A.B. Davis High School where he was elected Senior Class President. One evening Dick's parents took him to see a live radio broadcast of the Jimmy Durante- Garry Moore Show. Young Clark's imagination was instantly ignited by the exciting aura of that evening. He knew then that he wanted a career in the broadcasting. In 1947, Dick enrolled at Syracuse University. From the moment he arrived at S.U. his favorite haunt was "Radio House"," a three-studio student run radio station on campus. Clark was soon running the school's station WAER-FM. During his first year on Piety Hill he lived in a dorm and the next year he joined and resided at Delta Kappa Epsilon Fraternity.

It was in his senior year that he called WOLF owner T. Sherman Marshall for his first job interview. An audition was arranged with program-director Ham Woodle. Clark's first opportunity was working weekends and within a month, Dick had a full time position. He hosted the WOLF Buckaroo's which featured Eddy Arnold, Marty Robbins, Gene Autry and other popular county music stars.

Dick soon learned through Ham Woodle something that Todd Storz (known as the father of the pop radio format) would discover years later by taking requests, via the phone on WOLF's Sandman Serenade, that the same forty or fifty songs were repeatedly asked for. Storz turned the same observation into what was to become Top 40 format that dominated radio through the sixties. Dick Clark stayed at WOLF during morning, midday and evening shows earning one dollar an hour until July 1951. It was then that he secured an announcing position at Utica's WRUN Radio, a station then owned by his father.

He only stayed there a short time and then joined WKTV Utica's only television station. He changed his name to Dick Clay, doing newscasts and hosting a country music show as "Cactus Dick and the Santa Fe Riders." In six short months he joined Philadelphia's WFIL TV where he soon became the host of "Bandstand" (replacing Bob Horn). The rest is history- TV, radio, movies, and his live stage shows know as the "Dick Clark Caravan of Stars."

Few remember Dick Clark's WOLF broadcasts, but all remember Syracuse's most popular listened to program of the fifties WOLF's Sandman Serenade. Former WOLF Sandmen include Jack Morse (Channel 5 & 9) and Lou O'Donald known as "Mr Trolley" on Channel 5's longest running children's show "The Magic Toy Show." The Sandman Serenade lasted until WOLF was sold to Irv Broadcasting in 1957.

Across town WNDR was known basically as a sports station (Chiefs Baseball & Syracuse Nationals Basketball), but it aired country music. Wayne Schram and his Ozark Mountain Boys graced the early morning hours daily. Schram also hosted the Hillbilly Talent Show on WHEN TV (then on Channel 8), which helped boost his popularity. Wayne was booked continuously at dances, parties and concerts. He shared the stage with such stars as Johnny Cash, Hank Williams and Roy Acuff. The Ozark Mountain Boys recorded many songs at Syracuse's Dufford Studio with none reaching national recognition. The group met more success appearing in three motion pictures as well as performing live on WWVA Radio ((home of the Grand Old Opry) in Wheeling, West Virginia. Wayne Schram owned and operated the Ozark Inn in nearby Delfi Fall, NY for over 25 years. It became known as the crossroads of country music in Upstate New York.

Embellishing the WNDR airwaves with Schram was a stream of country music from Ken Demaree, Bob Ehle, Bob Hart (the Night Herder) and Mr. Sunshine (Carl Swanson). Swanson shared the airtime with remote broadcasts of local Syracuse sports. Schram and Mr. Sunshine were the first to showcase the legendary Bigtree Sisters (Norma, Jean & Sandy) and local pop singer Jennie Lee Lambert.

WSYR Radio also responded to the country music market. Thousand woke up every morning for over two decades to the rustic " Deacon Doubleday" lived from the "Wired Woodshed."

If the names of Dick Clark, Wayne Schram, Deacon Doubleday and Mr. Sunshine didn't fill you complete diet of country music, then look a bit to the south to Cortland, NY and WKRT Radio. WKRT featured the dean of country music announcers Tex Roe. Tex graced the airwaves from 1947 through 1982. His musical background features appearances with Buck Owens, Ernest Tubb, Boots Randolph, Eddy Arnold and "Little" Jimmy Dickens to name just a few.

Tex Roe's career started in his hometown of Oswego, NY  In 1941, Tex was serving a stint at Paris Island in the services of Uncle Sam.  There with southern musicians Tex started his first band. This southern association led him to appear with Butterball Page the lead guitarist for Ernest Tubb's band. At the Wars end Tex Roe relocated to Cortland where he joined the WKRT Radio Trailblazers. By 1949, he had his own Syracuse television show "Andy's Bar" on WHEN TV-8. That show featured Tex's own band the Bar-O-Range Boys a seven piece band with double fiddle.. The late 1960's found Tex on Wheeling WWVA's Star Maker Radio Program. The show would elevate Tex Roe to a new plateau. He was now a national act appearing with Ernest Tubb on powerful Nashville station WSM Radio. Tex recorded many singles the last in 1968, with Glen Campbell and ex-Elvis Presley drummer D.J. Fontana.

HISTORY OF SYRACUSE MUSIC - CHAPTER ONE - A LOOK BACK TO THE 1950'S

Syracuse, New York circa 1950. A typical Syracuse teenager returns home from Grant Junior High and flicks on his radio. Turning from one end to the other, he hears WSYR with the Jim Deline Band playing Perry Como, he them goes to WNDR, Mr Sunshine (Carl Swanson) playing Hank Williams. Turning to WFBL, he hears the Arthur Godfrey Show, and then moving on to WAGE (later changed to WHEN) he hears Eddie Fisher. As a last resort, he dials to WOLF 1490 AM...the Sandman Serenade request show. He kind of digs the sound, but finally turns his radio off in disgust, silently thinking how a city with 12,000 teenagers could be toe tapping to the most languid, non danceable, dull ditties ever imaginable.

Syracuse circa 1950 was a middle sized industrial city of 220,000 people. Nearly 40% were employed by New Process Gear, Carrier, Crouse Hinds and other industrial factories. The average wage earner took home about $2,700 a year. It was a city with a rich historical background, and the music heard in high schools and jukeboxes were described as "healthy, clean and white." An apt description considering that the only music listed in any historical accounts of the city was the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra.

Syracuse didn't realize at the time, but a so called underground music scene was also happening. While white music was being dominated by love ballads, black music was undergoing phenomenal changes. The old country blues, raw and ragged, had been increasingly replaced by "Big City Blues." Electric guitars, tenor sax and bass created more noise and more excitement. The beat came in and somewhere along the line the new style became known as rhythm and blues ('R&B'').

It was good-time danceable music and somehow it began to filter through to the white teenagers and they loved it. In 1951, the owner of Cleveland Ohio's largest record store, Lou Mantz informed popular Disc Jockey Alan Freed of the R &B songs, which were becoming increasingly popular. Based on this information. Freed (a white DJ) decided to feature "R&B' on his program. To avoid, in Freed's words the "racial stigma" of the old classification, Freed decided to give this music a new name, Rock n' Roll. Within a few months Alan Freed promoted his first Rock n' Roll show at the Cleveland Arena to a turn away racially mixed crowd of 30,000. These shows featured black artists, but drew a predominately white audience.

Sales of R&B records doubled in the next year. It was evident that this music was starting to become the music of a much larger segment of young people.

Right through the early 50's white owned radio stations persisted in keeping R&B records off the airwaves. Black hits songs such as "Sincerely" (The Moonglows) and "Ain't That A Shame" (Fats Domino) were usually covered for the white market by artists like the McGuire Sisters, Pat Boone and others. White pop and R&B were still miles apart, but there was also throughout the South a large market for County & Western Music. Each of these three styles had its own "Hit Parade "of popular songs, and were the ingredients that made Rock happen. Together they produced a major craze in America. But there was even more to it than that, it was upheaval of the whole adult middle class lifestyle.

What finally turned "Rock n" Roll" into a musical and social revolution? Basically, the teens of the 50"s were looking for an identity. They had no music, no clothes, no club that were exclusively theirs. They lived a life that was merely an extension of their parents, a life that was becoming increasing affluent.  Foremost, it all came down to the fact that the teenagers now had money and nothing to do with it. With this money, life became easier and predictably teens bought just about anything put on the market, from motorcycles to hair cream. Most of all they bought music.

In 1954, R&B songs appeared on the populat "Hit Parade" for the first time. The large record companies had no idea what the teenagers really wanted, and most of the R&B hits were still being covered by their white pop artits. It wasn't long before the smaller independent labels struck gold with black artist as Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Bo Diddley and various "doo wop" groups.

Then a little known county & western singer named Bill Haley recorded the song "Rock Around The Clock" for Decca Records in 1954. Within twelve months it became a tremendous hit all over the world, and remained on the Billboard Pop Music Chart for over a year. Rock n' Roll was here to stay! Among other places it found a home in Syracuse, New York.

FIRST ELF ALBUM ISSUED AS A VINYL PICTURE DISC.

Niji Entertainment has just issued the first ELF album ("Elf" ) as a 12 inch heavy  vinyl picture disc limited to 2,500 copies. This very collectible album features David "Rock" Feinstein (guitar), Mickey Lee Soule (piano), Gary Driscoll (drums) and Ronnie James Dio (bass & vocals). Get one soon as they won't last long,  Mine arrived today December 13 (#940 of 2,500) .......its great

DON BARBER & THE DUKES - 50th Anniversary Video of "I'll Be Blue" hits UTUBE

Fifty  years after it was first recorded (1961) at Syracuse's Riposo Studio  Don Barber and The Dukes have re-recorded their classic song "I'll Be Blue." You can now  view a special  50th anniversary video on utube. It includes historic photos of the band as well as the new and original vinyl versions of the song. Band members include- Don Barber, Dave Blatchley, Skip Seyerle and Bob Story.

Watching the video I noticed the band played at Cortland's Hollywood Restaurant back on New Years Eve- December 31, 1961. The Hollywood is currently owned by David "Rock" Feinstein recently inducted into the SAMMY's Hall of Fame.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJaM3LMzGK8&feature=youtube_gdata