This is a rare piece of sheet music for the song “WANG-WANG BLUES” featured by PAUL WHITEMAN and his Ambassador Orchestra …..
Biography: PAUL WHITEMAN (
1890
— 1967)
was an
American bandleader, called the “King of Jazz
” for popularizing a musical style that helped to introduce jazz to mainstream audiences
during the 1920’s and 1930’s.
Whiteman, who was originally a violinist, conducted a 40-piece U.S. Navy band
in 1917–18 and then developed a hotel orchestra
in California, which he took to New York City
in
1920. He named his band the Ambassador Orchestra in 1920, presumably because he had been playing at the Ambassador Hotel in Atlantic City. From November 3rd, 1920, he started using “Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra.”
He hired the best white jazz players, but he allowed little room for improvisation in his arrangements and greatly simplified jazz rhythms. He was successful as a co-composer of popular songs during the 1920’s and led his orchestra in Broadway musicals.
Whiteman commissioned George Gershwin’s
Rhapsody in Blue
and conducted it’s premiere at Aeolian Hall, New York City, in 1924, with the composer as piano soloist. Whiteman also introduced the
Grand Canyon Suite
(1931) by Ferde Grofe,
who had arranged the
Rhapsody.
The
Rhapsody
became Whiteman’s theme, and he established the Whiteman Awards for compositions
in a “symphonic jazz” style. The 1930 film
King of Jazz
was the first of four in which his orchestra appeared. Whiteman was the host of several national radio programs during the 1930’s, wrote three books
, and recorded extensively. His popularity waned in the late 1940’s, but he came back as a television-series host in the 1950’s and occasionally led bands up to the time of his death. (Britannica) ….. CREDITS: Words by LEO WOOD; Music by GUS MUELLER, “BUSTER” JOHNSON and HENRY BUSSE
….. DETAILS: The six page piece of sheet music measures approx. 9 1/4″ X 12 1/8″ inches and is copyrighted 1921 by Leo Feist, Inc., New York City ….. CONDITION: (Please Note!) There is a seam split about two-thirds of the way up from the bottom edge, several small edge tears, light soiling and a name written on the front cover. Despite these flaws, this rare piece of sheet music will make a wonderful addition to the collection of any musical theatre aficionado or historian. This item will be carefully packaged in a protective sleeve and backed by stiff cardboard.