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Vic Berton (1898-1951)

Vic Berton (1898-1951)The word child prodigy doesn’t even begin to describe Vic Berton (May 7, 1896 – December 26, 1951) who was playing drums in a Milwaukee pit orchestra at the age of seven. By age sixteen he was playing with the Milwaukee and Chicago Symphony Orchestras.

During the First World War Berton enlisted and played drums with John Philip Sousa’s Navy Band. After the war he returned to Chicago and played with several of the top dance bands in the area.

In 1922 he wrote the song, “Sobbin’ Blues” with Art Kassell with became the standard of hot bands of the 1920s. In 1924 he formed a friendship with Bix Beiderbecke and started managing and occasionally playing drums with the band that Bix was in at the time, the Wolverines. Berton moved to New York and played with Red Nichols and his Five Pennies, the Roger Wolfe Kahn Orchestra, and the Paul Whiteman Orchestra.

By the end of the decade Berton was considered the greatest of all Jazz drummers by many. He often played in commercial bands that paid him a top notch salary but didn’t showcase his talents as well as they might have.

Vic BertonHe moved to California in the late 1920s and formed his own band. The group had several successful recordings in the mid-1930s, like, “Taboo“, “I’ve Been Waiting All Winter“and “Dardanella“.

In 1930 Berton was busted for smoking a marijuana cigarette with Louis Armstrong and Frank Driggs in Culver City. Vic Berton worked at Paramount studios in the 1930’s and even returned to symphonic work in the 1940’s.

During World War II he worked as a musician with the Air Force and returned to being a studio musician for the movies after the war. He died in Hollywood in 1951 of lung cancer.

Remembering Bix, by Ralph Berton, Harper & Row, 1974

These records are quite good, especially the super hot “Devils Kitchen“.

TitleRecording DateRecording LocationCompany
A Smile Will Go A Long, Long Way2-1-1935New York, New YorkVocalion
2964
Brunswick
A-500557
Blue
(Clark / Leslie / Handman)
3-25-1935New York, New YorkVocalion
2974
Dardanella
(Felix Bernard / Johnny S. Black)
2-1-1935New York, New YorkVocalion
2915-A
Brunswick
A-500557
Devils Kitchen
(Will Hudson)
6-14-1935New York, New YorkColumbia
3074-D
Imitations Of You6-14-1935New York, New YorkColumbia
3092-D
In Blinky Winky Chinky Chinatown
Vocal Chorus by Chick Bullock

(William Jerome / John Schwartz)
3-25-1935New York, New YorkVocalion
2964
I’ve Been Waiting All Winter
(For A Summer Night Like This)

Vocal refrain by Chick Bullock

(Oakland / Drake / Mills)
6-14-1935New York, New YorkColumbia
3074-D
Jealous
(Little / Malie / Finch)
2-1-1935New York, New YorkVocalion
2915-B
Brunswick
A-500558
Lonesome And Sorry
Vocal Chorus by Chick Bullock
3-25-1935New York, New YorkVocalion
2944-B
Mary Lou
Vocal Chorus by Chick Bullock

(Lyman / Wagner / Robinson)
3-25-1935New York, New YorkVocalion
2944-A
Taboo
(Hudson / De Lange)
3-25-1935New York, New YorkVocalion
2974
Brunswick
A-500558
Two Rivers Flow Through Harlem6-14-1935New York, New YorkColumbia
3092-D

ArtistInstrument
Wally BarronTrombone
Benny BellTrumpet
Vic BertonDrums
Sterling BoseTrumpet
Irving BrodskyPiano
Chick BullockVocals
Darrell CalkerGuitar, Arranger
Spencer ClarkBass Saxophone
Joe ColonSaxophone
Marty DalePiano
Walt DorfusSaxophone
Vic d’ IppolitoTrumpet
Louis GarciaTrumpet
Arhie JarryTrumpet
Merrill KleinString Bass
Rube LernerSaxophone
Harry LevineTrumpet
Matty MatlockClarinet
Pee Wee RussellClarinet, Tenor Saxophone
Cal StumpString Bass
Sid TuckerClarinet

 

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