The California Ramblers were an American jazz group that recorded hundreds of songs for many different record labels throughout the 1920s.[1] Four members of the band – Red Nichols, Jimmy Dorsey, Tommy Dorsey, and Adrian Rollini – went on to front big bands in later decades.[2]
The band was formed in 1921 by banjoist Ray Kitchenman.[3] Its members were from Ohio but chose the name California Ramblers.[4] The band was instantly successful and were one of the most prolific recording groups in the 1920s.[4]
In late 1924 the Ramblers signed a contract with Columbia Records and then, in conjunction with their manager Ed Kirkeby, agreed to waive all royalties to Columbia for the right to record for other companies under pseudonyms.[1] They recorded for nearly every independent label in the U.S., Canada, and the UK, using over 100 unique aliases, including The Golden Gate Orchestra, Varsity Eight, Stokers of Hades, and The Goofus Washboards.[5]
- ^ a b "The California Ramblers". nfo.net. Archived from the original on April 23, 2010. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
- ^ "Has Anybody Seen My Gal by California Ramblers". Songfacts.com. Retrieved 2016-07-15.
- ^ Gammond, Peter (1991). The Oxford Companion to Popular Music. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 97. ISBN 0-19-311323-6.
- ^ a b "Solid! -- the California Ramblers". Archived from the original on 2007-02-07. Retrieved 2007-03-06.
- ^ "List of pseudonyms". Parabrisas.com.