In 1923, a 16 year old teenager named Roger Wolfe Kahn (October 19, 1907 – July 12, 1962) bought the Arthur Lange Orchestra. He was able to do this because his father was Otto Kahn, a wealthy multi-millionaire banker, and he indulged his son’s passion for music.
The newspapers at the time got a big kick out of this story because Otto Kahn was a well known patron of the arts and chairman of the Metropolitan Opera’s board of directors. They found it humorous that he would stoop to fund a jazz band. But Roger Wolfe Kahn was a serious musician who could play eighteen different musical instruments.
After rehearsing his twelve piece band for a year in the music studio in the Kahn family mansion on 5th Avenue in New York the band made it’s debut at the Bohemian Cabaret in New York City in 1924. Roger conducted the band as well was playing saxophone and banjo. Kahn also released records under the name of Roger Wolfe Kahn and his Biltmore Orchestra.
Thanks to Bob Palmer for his help with this page.
| Title | Recording Date | Recording Location | Company |
| A Cup Of Coffee, A Sandwich And You (from Charlot’s Revue”) (Rose / Dubin / Meyer) | 12-15-1925 | New York, New York | Victor 19935-A |
| A Little Birdie Told Me So Vocal refrain by Johnny Marvin | 1-25-1927 | New York, New York | Victor 20493-A |
| A Room With A View (From the Musical Comedy “This Year of Grace”) (Noel Coward) | 11-28-1928 | New York, New York | Victor 21801-A |
| A Shine On Your Shoes (Introducing: Louisiana Hayride) (Dietz / Schwartz) | 11-9-1932 | New York, New York | Columbia 2722-D |
| Adorable (Tom Ford / Ray Wynburn) | 7-8-1926 | New York, New York | Victor 20106-B |
| All By My Ownsome (Al Dubin / Roger Wolfe Kahn) | 7-14-1927 | New York, New York | Victor 20828-B |
| Among My Souvenirs (Edgar Leslie / Horatio Nicholls) | 11-23-1927 | New York, New York | Victor 21084-A |
| An Old Guitar And An Old Refrain (A Song From Spain) Vocal refrain by Franklyn Baur (Kahn / Black / Moret) | 11-15-1927 | New York, New York | Victor 21078-B |
| Another Night Alone (Ted Koehler / Harold Arlen) | 8-5-1932 | New York, New York | Columbia 2697-D |
| Anything You Say (Walter Donaldson) | 9-7-1928 | New York, New York | Victor 21675 |
| At Peace With The World (waltz) (Irving Berlin) | 5-6-1926 | New York, New York | Victor 20045-A |
| Baby – Fox Trot Lullaby (from “Castles In The Air”) (Raymond Peck / Percy Wenrich) | 1-25-1926 | New York, New York | Victor 19942-B |
| Birdie (Eugene Herbert) | 3-10-1926 | New York, New York | Victor 19996 |
| Calling Vocal refrain by Franklyn Baur (Ernie Golden) | 5-12-1927 | New York, New York | Victor 20717-B |
| Cheer Up (Good Times Are Comin’) | 5-1930 | New York, New York | Brunswick 4826 |
| Clap Yo’ Hands (George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin) | 11-4-1926 | New York, New York | Victor 20327 |
| Cooking Breakfast For The One I Love From the Motion Picture “Be Yourself” (Rose / Tobias) | 2-1930 | New York, New York | Brunswick 4699 |
| Crazy Rhythm (From “Here’s Howe!”) (take 2) Vocal refrain by Franklyn Baur (Kahn / Caesar / Meyer) | 4-12-1928 | New York, New York | Victor 21368-B |
| Crazy Rhythm (From “Here’s Howe!”) (take 3) (Roger Wolfe Kahn / Caesar / Meyer) | 4-12-1928 | New York, New York | Victor 21368-B |
| Cross Your Heart (from the Musical Comedy “Queen High”) (De Sylva / Gensler) | 5-27-1926 | New York, New York | Victor 20071-B |
| Dance, Little Lady (From the Musical Comedy “This Year of Grace”) (Noel Coward) | 11-28-1928 | New York, New York | Victor 21801-B |
| Dark Night (Grey / Storhart / Cugat) | 5-1930 | New York, New York | Brunswick 4811 |
| Delilah (Billy Rose / Fred Fisher) | 1-11-1927 | New York, New York | Victor 20464-B |
| Do What You Do! (George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin / Gus Kahn) | 7-30-1929 | New York, New York | Brunswick 4479 |
| Don’t Ever Leave Me | 11-1929 | New York, New York | Brunswick 4614 |
| Exactly Like You Vocal refrain by Libby Holman (Dorothy Fields / Jimmy McHugh) | 3-5-1930 | New York, New York | Brunswick 4742 |
| Fit As A Fiddle (Hoffman / Goodhart / Freed) | 11-9-1932 | New York, New York | Columbia 2726-D |
| Following You Around | 1-11-1927 | New York, New York | Victor 20573 |
| Give Me The Sunshine (From “Keep Shufflin'”) (Con Conrad / Henry Creamer / James P. Johnson) | 3-14-1928 | New York, New York | Victor 21425-B |
| Great Day (Youmans / Eliscu / Rose) | 11-1929 | New York, New York | Brunswick 4600 |
| Heigh-Ho, Everybody, Heigh-Ho (Harry Woods) | 4-1929 | New York, New York | Brunswick 4374 |
| Here I Am (from “Sweet Adeline”) (Hammerstein 2nd / Kern) | 10-1929 | New York, New York | Brunswick 4583 |
| I Can’t Believe It’s True | 8-5-1932 | New York, New York | Columbia 2695-D |
| I Can’t Believe That You’re In Love With Me | 3-2-1927 | New York, New York | Victor 20573 |
| I’d Climb The Highest Mountain If I Knew I’d Find You (Lew Brown / Sidney Clare) | 5-6-1926 | New York, New York | Victor 20045-B |
| If You’re In Love You’ll Waltz (From RADIO picture “Rio Rita”) (Joseph McCarthy / Harry Tierney) | 3-2-1927 | New York, New York | Victor 20557-A |
| Imagination (From “Here’s Howe!”) Vocal refrain by Franklyn Baur (Joseph Meyer / Roger Wolfe Kahn) | 4-12-1928 | New York, New York | Victor 21368-A |
| In A Bamboo Garden (Walter Donaldson) | 9-7-1928 | New York, New York | Victor 21675 |
| Into My Heart From the Metro-Goldwyn-Meyer Production “In Gay Madrid” (Turk / Ahlert) | 5-1930 | New York, New York | Brunswick 4811 |
| It Don’t Mean A Thing (Duke Ellington / Irving Mills) | 11-9-1932 | New York, New York | Columbia 2722-D |
| Jersey Walk (Introducing “The Little White House”) From the Musical Play “Honeymoon Lane” (Eddie F. Dowling / James F. Hanley) | 9-24-1926 | New York, New York | Victor 20231-B |
| Just A Little Home For The Old Folks | 11-9-1932 | New York, New York | Columbia 2726-D |
| Just The Same (Donaldson / Burke) | 4-14-1927 | New York, New York | Victor 20634-B |
| Lantern Of Love (from “Castles In The Air”) (Raymond W. Peck / Percy Wenrich) | 1-25-1926 | New York, New York | Victor 19942-A |
| Lazy Day (Kahn / Kahn) | 5-4-1932 | New York, New York | Columbia 2653-D |
| Let A Smile Be Your Umbrella (On A Rainy Day) (Kahal / Wheeler / Fain) | 2-8-1928 | New York, New York | Victor 21233 |
| Liza (All The Clouds’ll Roll Away) | 7-30-1929 | New York, New York | Brunswick 4479 |
| Lonely Little Bluebird | 6-26-1928 | New York, New York | Victor 21510 |
| Looking For A Boy (from the Musical Comedy “Tip-Toes”) (George Gershwin / Ira George Gershwin) | 1-13-1926 | New York, New York | Victor 19939 |
| Montana Call From the M.G.M. Motion Picture “Montana Moon” (Gary / Stothart) | 3-1930 | New York, New York | Brunswick 4750 |
| Mountain Greenery (From the “Garrick Gaieties of 1926”) (Rogers / Hart) | 5-27-1926 | New York, New York | Victor 20071-A |
| My Silent Love (Sarese / Heyman) | 5-4-1932 | New York, New York | Columbia 2653-D |
| On The Sunny Side Of The Street (Dorothy Fields / Jimmy McHugh) | 3-1930 | New York, New York | Brunswick 4742 |
| One Summer Night | 4-28-1927 | New York, New York | Victor 20634 |
| Pretty Little Thing (Malie / Little) | 4-1-1929 | New York, New York | Victor 4374 |
| Raquel Miller Medley | 5-13-1926 | New York, New York | Victor 20066-B |
| Russian Lullaby (waltz) (Irving Berlin) | 4-14-1927 | New York, New York | Victor 20602 |
| Say “Yes” Today (Walter Donaldson) | 2-8-1928 | New York, New York | Victor 21507-B |
| Shady Lady | 2-21-1929 | New York, New York | Victor 21897 |
| Sheltered By The Stars, Cradled By The Moon (Waller / Young) | 8-5-1932 | New York, New York | Columbia 2697 |
| She’s A Great, Great Girl (take 1) (Harry Woods) | 3-14-1928 | New York, New York | Victor 21326 |
| She’s A Great, Great Girl (take 2) (Harry Woods) | 3-14-1928 | New York, New York | Victor LPV-528 |
| Somebody’s Lonely Vocal Chorus by Henry Burr (Benny Davis / Joe Gold) | 5-13-1926 | New York, New York | Victor 20059-A |
| Sometimes I’m Happy From the Musical Comedy “Hit The Deck” vocal refrain by Franklyn Baur (Irving Caesar / Vincent Youmans) | 4-14-1927 | New York, New York | Victor 20599-A |
| Song Of The Flame (From “Song of the Flame”) (Harbach / Hammerstein / Gershwin / Stothart) | 1-13-1926 | New York, New York | Victor 19935-B |
| South Wind | 5-12-1927 | New York, New York | Victor 20645 |
| Tell Me Tonight (Connor / Little) | 12-14-1926 | New York, New York | Victor 20398-A |
| Tell Me Why You Smile, Mona Lisa | 5-4-1932 | New York, New York | Columbia 2662-D |
| Tenderly Think Of Me | 12-14-1926 | New York, New York | Victor 20398-B |
| That’s A Good Girl | 9-24-1926 | New York, New York | Victor 20243-B |
| The Hours I Spent With You Vocal refrain by Franklyn Baur (Lewis / Young / Little) | 11-15-1927 | New York, New York | Victor 21078-A |
| The Moon Is Low | 3-1930 | New York, New York | Brunswick 4750 |
| The Tap-Tap (Rose / MacDonald / Greer) | 7-14-1927 | New York, New York | Victor 20827 |
| Then You’ve Never Been Blue | 9-1929 | New York, New York | Brunswick 4571 |
| There I Go Dreaming Again | 5-4-1932 | New York, New York | Columbia 2662 |
| Through! (How Can You Say We’re Through?) (McCarthy / Monaco) | 9-1929 | New York, New York | Brunswick 4571 |
| Ting-a-Ling, The Bells’ll Ring | 7-8-1926 | New York, New York | Victor 20116 |
| Tonight You Belong To Me Vocal refrain by Franklin Baur (Billy Rose / Lee David) | 11-24-1926 | New York, New York | Victor 20359-A |
| Twas Not So Long Ago From “Sweet Adeline” (Hammerstein II / Kern) | 9-1929 | New York, New York | Brunswick 4614 |
| We’ll Have A Kingdom (from the Musical Comedy “The Wild Rose”) Vocal refrain by Johnny Marvin (Harbach / Hammerstein / Friml) | 11-4-1926 | New York, New York | Victor 20338-B |
| When A Woman Loves A Man (Rose / Rainger) | 2-1930 | New York, New York | Brunswick 4699 |
| Where The Wild, Wild Flowers Grow (Mort Dixon / Harry Woods) | 5-12-1927 | New York, New York | Victor 20717-A |
| Why Was I Born ? (from “Sweet Adeline”) (Hammerstein 2nd / Kern) | 10-1929 | New York, New York | Brunswick 4583 |
| Without A Song (From “Great Day”) Rolfe / Elisa / Youmans) | 11-1929 | New York, New York | Brunswick 4600 |
| Wouldn’t You ? (Owen Murphy) | 11-24-1926 | New York, New York | Victor 20379 |
| Yankee Rose (Holden / Frankl) | 1-25-1927 | New York, New York | Victor 20466-A |
| You’re A Real Sweetheart (Irving Caesar / Cliff Friend) | 6-26-1928 | New York, New York | Victor 21510 |
| You’re The Only One For Me (From Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer picture “The Flying Fleet”) (Klages / Askt / Mendoza) | 2-21-1929 | New York, New York | Victor 21897 |
| You’ve Got Me In The Palm Of Your Hand | 8-5-1932 | New York, New York | Columbia 2695-D |
| Artist | Instrument |
| Leo Armand | Trombone |
| Owen Bartlett | Clarinet, Alto Saxophone |
| Franklyn Baur | Vocals |
| Vic Berton | Drums |
| Frank Bessinger | Vocals |
| Larry Binyon | Tenor Saxophone, Flute |
| Perry Botkin | Guitar |
| Arnold Brilhart | Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, Flute, Oboe |
| Irving Brodsky | Piano |
| Henry Burr | Vocals |
| Charlie Butterfield | Trombone |
| Arthur Campbell | Brass Bass, String Bass |
| Chuck Campbell | Trombone |
| Russ Carlson | Piano |
| Tony Colucci | Banjo, Guitar |
| Jimmy Dorsey | Clarinet, Alto Saxophone |
| John O. Egan | Trumpet |
| William C. Elkins Jubilee Singers | Vocals |
| Alfie Evans | Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone |
| Sibyl Sanderson Fagan | Whistling |
| Max Farley | Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone |
| Elmer Feldkamp | Vocals |
| Dudley Fosdick | Mellophone |
| Henry Garden | Vocals |
| Tony Gianelli | Trumpet |
| Tommy Gott | Trumpet |
| Ephraim Hannaford | Trombone |
| Libby Holman | Vocals |
| Billy Jones | Vocals |
| Roger Wolfe Kahn | Leader |
| The Kahn-a-Sirs | Vocals |
| Stan King | Drums |
| Manny Klein | Trumpet |
| Scrappy Lambert | Vocals |
| Eddie Lang | Banjo, Guitar |
| Ward Lay | String Bass |
| Burt Lorin | Vocals |
| Johnny Marvin | Ukulele, Vocals |
| Carl Mathieu | Vocals |
| Leo McConville | Trumpet |
| Miff Mole | Trombone |
| Chauncey Morehouse | Drums |
| Fred Morrow | Clarinet, Alto Saxophone |
| Frank Munn | Vocals |
| Dell Porter | Vocals |
| Joe Raymond | Violin |
| Gladys Rice | Vocals |
| Dick Robertson | Vocals |
| Domenic Romeo | Banjo, Guitar |
| Babe Russin | Tenor Saxophone |
| Jack Russin | Piano |
| Andy Russo | Trombone |
| Arthur Schutt | Piano |
| Elliot Shaw | Vocals |
| Artie Shaw | Clarinet, Alto Saxophone |
| Nat Shilkret | Celeste |
| Harold Sturr | Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone |
| Joe Tarto | String Bass |
| Jack Teagarden | Trombone |
| Joe Venuti | Violin |
| Ruby Weinstein | Trumpet |
| Henry Whiteman | Violin |
| Frank Zullo | Trumpet |
