[78-L] Request information on Bohumir Kryl - cornetist

[David Lewis]

Philip,

Here is what Dan Reed posted. Reposting it gives me the chance to add that I found the entries about the Kryl 45 rpm label in SONIC.

Bohumir Kryl was among the greatest cornet soloists of his era, easily fitting in with Herbert L. 
Clarke, Walter F. Smith and Albert Bode. Born in Horice, Bohemia 5/2/1875 the son of stone mason and 
sculptor, he indeed learned this craft. He ran away with a circus at age 11 and performed as an 
acrobat and trapeze artist. It was during this time he took up the cornet and after only two weeks he 
was playing in the street parades common when the circus first arrived in town. After a serious 
accident he left the circus to come to America. Ever the industrious one, he played violin and cornet 
with the ship's orchestra to pay for his passage.

He headed West to Indianapolis where family friends had settled and he did sculpt the form of Ben 
Hur as well as working on the Soldiers' and Saliors' Monument in Indianapolis. At this time he was 
also playing with the When Clothing Company Band as solo cornet.

He played with the Sousa Band from 1894 through 1898, first as an assistant to Albert Bode, then 
Walter F. Smith eventually he became the solo cornetist. He left Sousa's Band for TP Brooke's 
Chicago Marine Band for two year, then on to the Duss Band at Madison Square Garden. in 1902 he 
accepted the solo cornet chair on the Innes Band. His first experience was to play two solo's per 
concert on a four month transcontinental tour (over 150 not including encores!).

He formed his own band and toured with them extensively. He recorded for a phenomenal number of 
companies including Victor, Edison, Zonophone, Pathe, Berliner and Norcross. As an example of his 
playing ability I would invite you to listen to Edison 2 minute 8253 (Carnival of Venice). Here in 
a brief two period he spans the range of pedal C to double high C (four octaves) and exhibits all 
the double and triple tongue fireworks of his contemporaries. He was extremely popular and hence 
his recordings are easy to find.

After a kurfuffle with the American Federation of Musicians he ceased all musical activity.

He died in Wilmington, NY 9/71961.

Best Regards,
Dan Reed


Uncle Dave Lewis
uncledavelewis at hotmail.com