Gus Haenschen (1889–1980) was once a highly prominent figure in popular music with his name-recognition reinforced by regular newspaper advertisements and occasional articles. From 1919 until 1951, he had a flourishing career as conductor and music director in the record and radio industries, recording and hiring for radio appearances some of the top popular stars. After retirement, though, his fame barely survived the passing of decades as his renown faded. He didn’t disappear entirely, though. He’s discussed in David Wondrich’s 2003 book Stomp and Swerve: American Music Gets Hot (1843–1924) and included on the coordinated Archeophone CD of the same title with his 1916 performance of Sunset Medley.i
Outside the circle of specialists and others interested in the transition between ragtime and jazz, he still remained little-known until 2020, with the release of a CD dedicated to him: The Missing Link: How Gus Haenschen Got Us from Joplin to Jazz and Shaped the Music Business (Archeophone 6011). This CD consists of twenty-four recordings made between 1916–1924, and a recorded discussion in 1975 between Haenschen and popular song lyricist Irving Caesar, along with Haenschen’s brief piano demonstration. It was compiled by Colin Hancock who, in an accompanying 32-page booklet, summarizes Haenschen’s career—concentrating on his earlier years—and persuasively shows his
