[78-L] A Backward Glantz

[Harold Aherne]

The entry for Nathan Glantz in the Big Band Database gives his birth year as "ca. 1860", which I found surprising--that would make him 8 years older than Charles Prince and 17 years older than Billy Murray. Obviously it isn't impossible that he was in his 60s when he made his dance band recordings, it's just a little unexpected.
 
I did some research on my own, starting with the census records of 1900 and 1910. In the latter census I found whom I believe to be the gentlemen who made all those peppy sides between 1921 and 1931. He was a musician, age 31, who immigrated in 1904. He was 41 in the 1920 census, which allows us to narrow the window of his birth between April 1878 and January 1879. His wife's name was Rebecca, and by 1930 they had 3 daughters and 2 sons, ages 10 to 23. 
 
On 19 April 1922 he appeared over WJZ on an broadcast called "Party Night", organised by Okeh. Fred Hager played several dance tunes, followed by standard selections from Okeh's vocal roster. Glantz was on hand for a saxophone solo of "Step Along". He continued to make regular broadcasts throughout the 20s. I haven't heard an enormous number of his records, but those I've listened to have always been enjoyable and well-arranged.
 
-Harold