Biography
Joseph Samuels, who played clarinet and baritone saxophone, participated in multiple recording groups, one of which was the Synco Jazz Band. From January 1919 onward this ensemble cut a sequence of jazz and jazz-inflected sides for Arrow, Arto, Columbia, Empire, Grey Gull, Homochord, Operaphone, Pathe Actuelle, and Perfect. The same masters also appeared under numerous alternate names, among them the Alabama Jazz Band, the Astoria Orchestra, the Great Western Serenaders, Joseph Samuels & His Orchestra, the Novelty Dance Orchestra, and the Regent Dance Orchestra. Besides Samuels, the only confirmed personnel were cornetist Jules Levy, Jr., trombonist Ephraim Hannaford, and pianist Larry Briers. The drummer remains unidentified, although Herman Berkin is a plausible candidate. Banjoists who appeared on sessions between 1921 and 1923 have likewise never been named. Nathan Glantz is thought to have contributed occasional alto saxophone. In 1924 and again in 1926 the lineup expanded to include tuba, soprano saxophone, and piano-accordion. The band’s repertoire frequently showed unusual ambition. During 1919 it recorded “Everybody Shimmies Now,” “The Alcoholic Blues,” “At the Jazz Band Ball,” and “Beale Street Blues.” In 1920 it selected “Bluin’ the Blues,” described as arguably the most savory melody ever to emerge from the Original Dixieland Jazz Band. The 1921 sessions yielded “Sweet Mama,” “The Satanic Blues,” and, most memorably, Luckey Roberts’ “Railroad Blues.” The following year the group issued “Chicago,” “The State Street Blues,” and “Hot Lips,” while 1923 brought “House of David Blues,” “Red Hot!,” and “Do-Doodle-Oom,” placing the Synco Jazz Band in loose competition with Fletcher Henderson. Its most jazz-oriented 1924 titles were “The West Indies Blues,” “Nobody Knows What a Red Headed Mama Can Do,” “The Blues Have Got Me,” “Oh! Mabel,” and “I Ain’t Got Nobody To Love.” Three final sides appeared in 1926, the most notable being “Bell Hoppin’ Blues.” A double-CD survey of this short-lived yet historically positioned ensemble, situated somewhere between the Original Dixieland Jazz Band and the New Orleans Rhythm Kings, remains a clear desideratum.