Biography
Philmore Wellington Ohman entered the world bearing a name whose abbreviated form later echoed a startled exclamation, prompting an early truncation well before any prospect of staging a Fillmore engagement under that banner could arise. A gifted keyboardist, he shared leadership of the Arden-Ohman Orchestra with Victor Arden; the ensemble operated simultaneously as an upscale society dance unit and an industrious recording outfit that placed numerous sides on the charts throughout the 1920s and 1930s, among them the enduring “I Love a Parade.”
Beginning in 1925 the pair spent a decade supplying piano accompaniment from theater pits for an array of long-running Broadway productions, committing primarily show-music repertory to disc; much of this material later appeared on inexpensive ten-cent pressings marketed as dimestore dance records. While still in high school Ohman pursued formal musical training, prompting instructors to urge his parents to finance European study—an expense the household could not meet. Instead he received two years of tutelage from a neighborhood pipe-organ specialist.
In 1915 he took employment as a piano salesman in New York City; several years afterward he joined a piano-roll firm, where he first encountered Arden. The two musicians discovered a common outlook on repertoire, interpretive approach, and future undertakings. Ohman subsequently arranged and composed for both concert and popular vocalists, securing in 1922 the piano chair with Paul Whiteman’s orchestra. That association lasted twelve months before he and Arden withdrew from other commitments to concentrate exclusively on their partnership.
They launched the duo with club engagements along 52nd Street. Their initial joint session yielded flamboyant piano duets such as “Dance of the Demon,” “Raga Muffin,” and “Canadian Capers,” the last of these constituting the sole recorded instance of Mounties “getting their Ohman.” Nineteen twenty-four proved pivotal when the pair was engaged for the new Broadway production Lady Be Good, which became a major success; Tip Toes and Spring Is Here soon followed.
Widespread recognition ultimately stemmed from radio work that began with incidental music underscoring commercials for toothpaste, perfume, and watches, as well as news bulletins, and evolved by the close of the decade into a program devoted to the Arden-Ohman Orchestra. Among the singers Ohman supported during this era was Frank Luther. Although the collaborators briefly fronted separate ensembles, they reunited for a 1935 Brunswick release.
After relocating to Hollywood, Ohman turned to film scoring, songwriting, and preparing performers slated to depict pianists on screen. Among his own compositions the most readily located remains “Lost,” featuring lyrics by Johnny Mercer. He continued contributing to motion pictures and radio broadcasts into the 1950s.
Beginning in 1925 the pair spent a decade supplying piano accompaniment from theater pits for an array of long-running Broadway productions, committing primarily show-music repertory to disc; much of this material later appeared on inexpensive ten-cent pressings marketed as dimestore dance records. While still in high school Ohman pursued formal musical training, prompting instructors to urge his parents to finance European study—an expense the household could not meet. Instead he received two years of tutelage from a neighborhood pipe-organ specialist.
In 1915 he took employment as a piano salesman in New York City; several years afterward he joined a piano-roll firm, where he first encountered Arden. The two musicians discovered a common outlook on repertoire, interpretive approach, and future undertakings. Ohman subsequently arranged and composed for both concert and popular vocalists, securing in 1922 the piano chair with Paul Whiteman’s orchestra. That association lasted twelve months before he and Arden withdrew from other commitments to concentrate exclusively on their partnership.
They launched the duo with club engagements along 52nd Street. Their initial joint session yielded flamboyant piano duets such as “Dance of the Demon,” “Raga Muffin,” and “Canadian Capers,” the last of these constituting the sole recorded instance of Mounties “getting their Ohman.” Nineteen twenty-four proved pivotal when the pair was engaged for the new Broadway production Lady Be Good, which became a major success; Tip Toes and Spring Is Here soon followed.
Widespread recognition ultimately stemmed from radio work that began with incidental music underscoring commercials for toothpaste, perfume, and watches, as well as news bulletins, and evolved by the close of the decade into a program devoted to the Arden-Ohman Orchestra. Among the singers Ohman supported during this era was Frank Luther. Although the collaborators briefly fronted separate ensembles, they reunited for a 1935 Brunswick release.
After relocating to Hollywood, Ohman turned to film scoring, songwriting, and preparing performers slated to depict pianists on screen. Among his own compositions the most readily located remains “Lost,” featuring lyrics by Johnny Mercer. He continued contributing to motion pictures and radio broadcasts into the 1950s.
Albums
Singles