Development of the Marimba Ensemble in North America During the 1930s

By David P. Eyler

T
HE GROWTH IN POPULARITY AND Company built marimba-xylophones with New York City night spot known as the
usage of the marimba during the ranges of three to six octaves. MacCallum Flotilla Restaurant.8
early twentieth century gave notes: “The period from about 1910 to Another source of contribution to the
impetus to the development of the 1920 was the most glorious for marimba growth of the marimba ensemble was ra-
marimba ensemble in North America dur- manufacture. At that time the finest were dio. Experimentation in radio broadcast-
ing the 1930s. The marimba was intro- made though they lacked the refinements ing had begun as early as 1910, when Lee
duced to the United States by touring en- of tuning introduced later.”6 DeForest produced a program starring
sembles from Guatemala and Mexico per- Two other important companies in- Enrico Caruso from the Metropolitan Op-
forming the music of their native country, volved in the manufacture of bar-percus- era House in New York City. However, it
transcriptions of orchestral and piano sion instruments at this time were the was not until November 2, 1920, when
works, plus original compositions and ar- Mayland and U. G. Leedy Manufacturing station KDKA of Pittsburgh broadcast a
rangements of popular music from the Companies. The latter produced its first combination of election returns inter-
United States. Like the xylophone, the ma- chromatic resonatorless xylophone in spersed with recordings, that radio
rimba also became popular as a vaudeville 1895, and made instruments with resona- broadcasting began on a large scale,
instrument, in part, because “it attracted tors beginning about 1905. bringing a tremendous variety of enter-
to it entertainers who realized its visual Instruments of the marimba-type be- tainment into the American home. 9 Be-
rather than its musical possibilities.”1 came increasingly popular and gained cause of the radio’s increasing popularity,
Noted author Frank MacCallum states recognition as production by these manu- it actually contributed to a decline in the
that “about 1910 marimbas were first facturers grew. Around 1922, the Majestic phonograph industry. Sales of sheet mu-
made in the United States.” 2 The J. C. Marimba Band, Music Lovers’ Marimba sic, which had previously been a big busi-
Deagan Company in Chicago produced Orchestra, and Nathan Glantz and his ness, dropped as music broadcasting
the nabimba, their version of the Central Marimba Band (Hollywood Marimba “replaced the piano as home entertain-
American marimba, between 1910 and Band) produced recordings, while a year ment.”10
1918. Concerning the construction of that later, the Joseph Samuels’ Xylophone Eventually, three principal networks
marimba, Gordon Peters states the fol- Novelty Orchestra, Joseph Knecht’s evolved in the United States: NBC, CBS
lowing: Dance Orchestra, and the Azuley Blanco and ABC. During the 1920s and ’30s, ma-
These first American instruments Marimba Band also became popular. By rimba and xylophone players performed
had tapered metal resonators in 1925, the list of marimba ensembles per- on radio both as soloists accompanied by
which [an] animal membrane had forming on record and stage was lengthy. the station orchestra or dance band, and
been mounted. They had an adjust- It was during this period that the first in xylophone and marimba ensembles
able mechanism that held the mem- group of prominent United States playing the popular music of the day.
brane and permitted compensation marimbists appeared: During the latter part of the 1920s,
for humidity effect. These humidity Red Norvo with his orchestra cen- Harry Breuer was one of the most popu-
fluctuations, however, were greater tered around his marimba provided lar xylophone artists to appear on the air.
than anticipated, and only fifty mod- some of the most thrilling jazz of the In 1927, he played lead xylophone in a
els were built.3 1930s. The Green brothers, William marimba band broadcasting via NBC ra-
Hope Stoddard is of the opinion that Dorn, Eddy Rubsam, Sam Herman, dio and under the direction of David
the marimba’s popularity was given im- and Harry Breuer in the East, and Grupp. The marimbists in this group in-
petus at the 1915 World’s Fair in San Ralph Smith and Dillon Ober in Chi- cluded Eddie Rubsam, Irving Farberman
Francisco. 4 This is where the Hurtado cago helped to bring the instrument and Billy Paulson. 11 The programs usu-
Brothers Royal Marimba Band of Guate- into prominence.7 ally consisted of light concert pieces, nov-
mala performed for an extended engage- About 1924 another marimbist became elty piano numbers such as Felix Arndt’s
ment and increased the popularity of the important as leader and namesake of the (1889-1918) “Nola” (1913), as well as
marimba greatly (for more on the Harry Breuer Trio. Harry Breuer made popular dance tunes. In that same year,
Hurtado Brothers, see Percussive Notes, his debut in 1921 in New York City. He, Breuer performed on the “Roxy and his
February 1993, pp. 48-54). From this along with Joe Green and William (Billy) Gang” radio program, broadcast coast-to-
point forward, the marimba and xylo- Dorn, was a featured marimbist with the coast over the NBC network each Monday
phone jockeyed for a position of favor Yerkes Jazzarimba Orchestra. A fourth evening. This program, known as “Radio’s
among performers and entertainers alike. marimbist, Eddie Rubsam (Billy Dorn’s First Great Entertainment Success,”
This conflict between the xylophone and cousin), was later added along with originated from the Roxy Theatre and
marimba resulted in a “compromise in- strings, three saxophones and a rhythm featured the Roxy vocal and instrumental
strument called the ‘marimba-xylophone’ section consisting of piano, tuba, drums soloists, who appeared regularly at the
in which…the lower register…was tuned and banjo, for the orchestra’s perfor- Roxy Theatre, together with the Roxy
in octaves like a marimba; the upper mances on Columbia Records and club Theatre Symphony Orchestra conducted
register…tuned in fifths like a xylo- dates in the New York City area. The by Erno Rapee. 12 Later, when the Radio
phone.”5 name of the group was changed to the City Music Hall opened, the Roxy’s Gang
Between 1915 and 1920, the Deagan Flotilla Orchestra for an engagement in a programs were presented every Sunday

66 PERCUSSIVE NOTES • FEBRUARY 1996

PERCUSSIVE NOTES • FEBRUARY 1996 67
morning from the Music Hall broadcast which one of the leading ladies, Carol (1937) and Jimmy McHugh’s (1894-1969)
studio, also on the NBC network. Channing, dances on top of a marimba “On the Sunny Side of the Street” (1930).
During 1927, 1928 and 1929, Harry pretending to “tap” out a melody on the At one point, Kehoe, known as the ma-
Breuer and Sammy Herman were fea- bars. rimba king of the eastern seaboard, was
tured as a xylophone duo with B.A. Rulfe By the 1930s, marimba bands had asked to evaluate the reason for the
and the Lucky Strike Hit Parade Orches- gained in popularity as evidenced by band’s great success and popularity. He
tra on NBC. Sammy Herman was a mem- their frequent appearances at state fairs, replied, “It’s smart, good-looking girls,
ber of the NBC staff for many years play- dance and club engagements, conven- who can play real good music and, at the
ing for scores of major radio programs tions, and in radio, television and vaude- same time, display good figures and bare
including Abe Lyman’s “Waltz Time” with ville shows. The marimba band formed legs.”18 The band was eventually “driven
Frank Munn, Paul Whiteman’s “The Old and directed by J. Reginald Kehoe of off” the circuit with the increasingly high
Gold Hour,” and the “Manhattan Merry- Reading, Pennsylvania, typifies the many cost of travel and the advent of rock ’n’
Go-Round,” on whose theme he was fea- groups that flourished during this period. roll music. The group’s final performance
tured. George Hamilton Green was also Beginning his teaching career in 1920, was given in April of 1962.
very active in performing on numerous Reg Kehoe organized his first “all-girl” By the mid-1930s, hosts of other en-
radio programs in the New York City marimba band in 1930. Teaching each of sembles of the same type were in exist-
area. Harry Breuer directed a marimba the women to play the marimba, Kehoe ence throughout the United States. The
quartet that was featured on CBS radio gradually developed a complete show rou- variety show became extremely popular
broadcasts around 1930 and 1931. These tine that combined singing, dancing, ac- during this time. The Royal Collegians
programs would always consist of popular robatics, skits and performances on the Marimba Band of Milwaukee, Wisconsin,
dance tunes. accordion. His wife, dancer Fern Henry directed by Damon H. Shook, was formed
Latin-American music was also popu- Kehoe, directed all of the dance routines in 1930. The versatility of this ensemble,
lar, as evidenced by the broadcasts of and participated as a member of the band typical of many such vaudeville novelty
Celso Hurtado and his Marimba Typica throughout its thirty-two year history. marimba bands, is evidenced by the fol-
Band. The group performed over as many Reg Kehoe and His Marimba Queens lowing statement:
as twenty-eight stations during Sunday became one the most popular groups from That the marimba band is one of
morning programs in 1934. 13 Jose Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, giving the most popular musical ensembles
Bethancourt, nephew of Jousis more than 4,000 performances during its today, both because it is a deviation
Bethancourt (a famous marimbist in thirty-two year existence while “appear- from the conventional and because of
Guatemala and then later in New York ing in such places as the Steel Pier and its all-embracing appeal, is proved by
City), became staff musician at the Na- the [Hamid’s] Million Dollar Pier at At- the sensation that the Royal Colle-
tional Broadcasting Company facilities in lantic City and at scores of fairs.”15 Com- gians Marimba Band creates wher-
Chicago. He inspired many North Ameri- mencing on August 13, 1938 with the ever it plays. Made up of high school
can marimbists through his teaching and “Taneytown Fair” in Carroll County, and college students who were
performances as a featured soloist. Maryland, the band began performing on taught and are directed by Damon H.
Bethancourt’s repertoire centered around the state-fair circuit, which eventually Shook, every member plays saxo-
transcriptions of violin, piano and orches- led them from Maine to Florida and later phone and at least one other instru-
tral music. to the Midwest. In addition to these and ment with the result that the organi-
Before the advent of “talking” pictures, numerous local engagements, the band zation besides being a marimba band
instrumentalists, including xylophonists performed on Broadway with Jackie is a saxophone band and a dance
and marimbists, were employed to accom- Gleason, made two extended tours of band as well, and plays concert, ra-
pany silent films. In 1926, a marimba western Canada, played for various radio dio, theatre, and dance engagements
band appeared in La Fiesta, one of the programs and appeared on programs the year around. [This] band is made
first Vitaphone Prologues by Warner with such names as Benny Goodman, up of twelve instrumentalists who
Brothers that introduced sound to the Paul Whiteman and the Dorsey Broth- live in Milwaukee and vicinity and
public.14 In the film Tropic Holiday, copy- ers.16 uses four solo xylophones, three ac-
righted by Paramount Pictures on July The first recordings of Kehoe’s band companying mellorimbas [sic], three
22, 1938, the San Cristobal Marimba were glass records made in October of obbligato marimbas, one Monarch
Band played most of the musical score. 1941 from an engagement at WBT Radio bass marimba, and one Grand ma-
Reg Kehoe and his all-girl marimba band in Charlotte, North Carolina. 17 These re- rimba—all Leedys. Organized five
were used in movies (titled “movie cordings included some of the most popu- years ago and is steadily gaining in
shorts”) that were shown to United lar numbers from the group’s repertoire, popularity with ever-increasing de-
States troops in Europe during the Sec- such as William “Count” Basie’s (1901-84) mands for its services.19
ond World War. “One O’Clock Jump” (1938), Cole Porter’s Jack Kurkowski’s Xylophone Band of
In recent movies about the 1920s and (1891-1964) “Begin the Beguine” (1935), Richmond, Indiana, was formed in 1933.
’30s, marimbas and xylophones are in- Vincent Youmans’ (1898-1946) “Tea for This thirteen-member ensemble, also
cluded. One example is the Universal- Two” (1924), Lester Lee’s (1905-56) known as Jack’s Xylophone Band, in-
Ross Hunter Pictures’ movie entitled “Pennsylvania Polka” (1932), Larry cluded boys and girls between the ages of
Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967), in Clinton’s (1909-85) “Study in Brown” eleven and eighteen. Each member

68 PERCUSSIVE NOTES • FEBRUARY 1996

doubled on some other instrument or par- marimba popularity, but never has dents receiving instruction at one time.
ticipated in a specialty act. The group, any instrument experienced a The Salt Lake City Marimba Symphony
which was taught and directed by swifter and more dramatic rise in was formed, sponsored by Mr. H.B.
Kurkowski, performed in vaudeville popularity… marimba sales to deal- Summerhays, and included thirty-one
shows, chautauquas, state fairs, on radio, ers by one manufacturer alone have marimbists who performed for the local
and for convention engagements for increased 318 percent in the past six community on public concerts and radio
about eight years, and were constantly in years—and the sales curve is still go- broadcasts.
demand.20 ing up. Startling too, is the fact that In Wheeling, West Virginia, the C.A.
Arlene Stouder and Her Marimba there were no temporary “dips” in House Company had twelve children
Band originated in Bremen, Indiana, a this curve in any of the past half- from ages five to nine enrolled in its
town which is just south of South Bend. dozen years of economic depression children’s marimba ensemble, while the
This band, popular in 1939 and 1940, and recession setbacks. Each year Kansas City Toy Symphony included sev-
played numerous radio, dance, and club showed a startling increase in sales enty-five “tiny tots” in its group, many of
engagements in Northern Indiana. over the year preceding it.21 them playing marimbas. The latter en-
The manufacture of marimbas and In many instances, purchasing an in- semble performed four concerts at the
their sales in local music stores tremen- strument from a local dealer entitled the Golden Gate International Exposition in
dously increased during this same time, buyer to free lessons by a qualified in- San Francisco during June of 1939, the
prompting the need for private instruc- structor. As part of this “lesson-plan sell- same period that the Hurtado Brothers
tion and resulting in the formation of ma- ing promotion,” marimba ensembles were Royal Marimba Band of Guatemala was
rimba ensembles. The popularity of the also initiated. A prime example was the performing there. 22 In the small town of
marimba in 1940 is evidenced by the fol- Summerhays Music Company of Salt Elyria, Ohio, Wagner’s Music Store had
lowing: Lake City, Utah. Beginning their ma- an eleven-member ensemble consisting of
It would have surprised no one if rimba sales in 1938, the company sold students of all ages, while the Jenkins
the decline of vaudeville had been ac- seventy-eight instruments the following Music Company stores in Oklahoma City
companied by a similar decline in year with as many as thirty marimba stu- and Bartlesville, Oklahoma, had notable

Mike Balter Mallets

PERCUSSIVE NOTES • FEBRUARY 1996 69

 11
success with young-member groups di- Vida Chenoweth, Burton Lynn Jackson Billy Paulson, a very fine marimbist,
rected by Ray Smith and Ruth Bourquin, and Jack Conner, continued to concertize was the xylophone soloist with the
respectively. Charles Watts, with the on the marimba. Meanwhile the next Arthur Pryor Band in the late 1920s
Charles E. Wells Company of Denver, generation of performers was training at and early 1930s. During the 1940s
Colorado, organized and directed both a college campuses across the country like and ’50s, he was very active in New
junior and senior marimba orchestra se- the Eastman School (Rochester) and York as a studio musician playing on
lected from pupils enrolled in the Wells Northwestern University (Chicago). The top radio programs, such as the Tele-
studio. tradition continues as these students— phone Hour, and on early television
Eastern Pennsylvania was a hotbed of such as Gordon Stout and Leigh Howard programs such as the Hit Parade and
marimba activity during this same pe- Stevens, among others—have become the Kate Smith Show, among others.
12
riod. Participants in ensembles from teachers of a new generation of marimba Jeffrey E. Bush, “Interview with
Allentown, York, Lancaster and Lebanon soloists and ensemble performers. Harry Breuer,” Percussive Notes, Vol.
played a major role in the Musser ma- 18, No. 3 (Spring-Summer 1980), pp.
rimba movement during the 1930s. END NOTES 52-53.
1 13
James Betz, a marimba teacher in Allen- Vida Chenoweth, “The Marimba Comes “Marimba Typica Band; Throbbing
town, organized marimba and xylophone into its Own,” Music Journal, Vol. 15 Latin-American Music,” Radio Stars
ensembles of as many as fifty performers (May-June 1957), p. 12. Magazine (April 1934), p. 70.
2 14
at once. Frank K. MacCallum, The Book of the John Kobal, Rita Hayworth (New
Other notable ensembles included the Marimba (New York: Harper & Row, York: W.W. Norton & Co., 1977), p. 34.
15
Drum Shop Marimba Band in Phoenix, 1969), p. 31. “Reg Kehoe, Marimba King, Dead at
3
Arizona, founded in 1931, and the Gordon B. Peters, The Drummer, Man: A 76,” Intelligencer Journal, 11 Febru-
Wichita Marimba Band, which began the Treatise on Percussion, rev. ed. ary 1978, Lancaster, Pa., p. 2.
16
following year. Smaller ensembles, such (Wilmette, IL.: Kemper-Peters Publica- Jack Brubaker, “Marimba Reunion,”
as the Rosewood Marimba Trio in Balti- tions, 1975), p. 153. New Era, 16 April 1982, Lancaster,
4
more, Maryland (1938), and the Dutton Hope Stoddard, “Xylophone, Marimba, Pa., p. 18.
17
Marimba Trio, organized around 1940 Glockenspiel, Vibe,” International Mu- “Marimba Vets Recall ‘Old Days’,”
and based in Chicago, were numerous sician, Vol. 51 (October 1952), p. 25. Sunday News, 25 April 1982,
5
throughout the United States. John Richard Raush, “Four-Mallet Tech- Lancaster, Pa., sec. A, p. 4.
18
Large-scale stage productions were nique and its Use in Selected Examples “Final Curtain-Call for Moose Jaw’s
also common at this time, and the ma- of Training and Performance Litera- Big Evening Grandstand Perfor-
rimba played an important role in them. ture For Solo Marimba” (DMA treatise, mance,” Moose Jaw Times-Herald, 10
In Washington, D.C., the Homer L. Kitt University of Texas, May 1977), p. 101. July 1943, Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan,
Company, in cooperation with Charles The tuning of the overtones, either by p. 1.
19
Newton (the Deagan eastern sales repre- fifths or octaves, is the main difference “Royal Collegians Marimba Band,”
sentative) and the Earle Theatre, spon- between xylophones and marimbas. Leedy Drum Topics, Vol. 1, No. 25
6
sored a marimba and dance revue in con- MacCallum, Book of the Marimba, p. 31. (December 1935), p. 24.
7 20
junction with the world premiere of the Stoddard, “Xylophone, Marimba, Glock- “Jack’s Xylophone Band,” Leedy Drum
film, Mr. Smith Goes To Washington. For enspiel, Vibe,” p. 25. Topics, Vol. 1, No. 27 (January 1939),
8
this 1939 production: Personal letter from Harry Breuer, p. 6.
21
…the Kitt Company rented sixteen Brightwaters, New York, March 9, “No Sales Ceiling in Sight! Dealers
marimbas to the theatre and, in a 1982. Everywhere Are Converting ‘Hot’ Ma-
9
few weeks, taught the theatre’s per- A milestone in radio broadcasting took rimba Opportunities into Added
manent line of chorus girls a ma- place in 1916 when David Sarnoff, then Profits,” Piano Trade Magazine (April
rimba routine which brought enthu- a contracts manager to the American 1940), p. 20. The J.C. Deagan Com-
siastic applause from the audience. Marconi Company, “recommended that pany placed an advertisement on the
The resultant publicity, worth thou- transmitting stations be built for the same page suggesting that dealers
sands, created so much interest in purpose of broadcasting speech and turn their sales efforts to the ma-
the marimba, and convinced so many music and that ‘a radio music box’ rimba and other mallet-played instru-
people that anyone can learn to play should be manufactured for general ments because “one dealer in a mod-
in a short time, that the Kitt store sale.” Kenneth Reginald Sturley, erate-sized western city…stepped up
quickly sold the sixteen marimbas “Golden Age of Broadcasting,” Encyclo- [marimba] sales from $120 to $5,600
which had been rented to the Earle pedia Britannica, 30 vols (Chicago: En- in a single year.”
22
Theatre for the show, and then or- cyclopedia Britannica Inc., 1982), p. For more information on the Hurtado
dered more and kept right on selling 427. With his miraculous idea, Sarnoff Brothers please see David P. Eyler,
them.23 succeeded in making the radio a house- “The Hurtado Brothers’ Royal Ma-
With the decline of vaudeville and tour- hold utility. Marion Klamkin, Old rimba Band of Guatemala,” Percus-
ing stage shows, those who had studied Sheet Music (New York: Hawthorne sive Notes, Vol. 31, No. 3 (February
and performed in the early xylophone Books, Inc., 1975), p. 124. 1993), pp. 48-54.
10 23
bands and marimba ensembles, such as Ibid. Ibid, p. 22. PN

70 PERCUSSIVE NOTES • FEBRUARY 1996

 Dr. David P. Eyler
is Director of Percus-
sion Studies at
Concordia College,
Moorhead State Uni-
versity and North
Dakota State Uni-
versity, where he di-
rects the Tri-College
Percussion Ensemble and Marimba Choir.
He earned his degrees from Louisiana
State University, Ohio State University
and Frostburg State University. Eyler is
Timpanist of the Fargo-Moorhead Sym-
phony Orchestra and has been Principal
Percussionist of the Baton Rouge Sym-
phony Orchestra. Eyler ’s compositions
and arrangements are published by
Ludwig Music, Music For Percussion,
PerMus Publication and Pioneer Percus-
sion, and his articles have appeared in
The Instrumentalist, Percussive Notes,
and The Percussionist.

PERCUSSIVE NOTES • FEBRUARY 1996 71