Dan Gregory's Orchestra / Jack Chapman & His Drake Hotel Orchestra - Victor 19519 (1924)

Just ran across this 78 in the garage and didn't recognize either orchestra. (Don't read too much into that.)

Besides a wikipedia entry, I also found a blog dedicated to Dan Gregory and his sidemen.

From wikipedia…

Dan Gregory was an American pianist and bandleader, mainly working in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania from the 1920s through the 1940s. However, the band also appeared in New York City during the early 1920s.

According to Ken Frew, the son of Kenneth "Kenny" Frew (1902-1986), a later member of Gregory’s orchestra, the band’s New York residence was the Crystal Palace at 66th and Broadway. During its New York years Gregory’s band made a handful of records, first for lesser labels such as Oriole, Puritan, Grey Gull and Cameo but also two sides for the major label Victor (Me And The Boy Friend and Then You'll Know That You’re In Love issued on Victor 19519 and 19554 respectively). One of the members of Gregory’s orchestra during its New York tenure was multi-instrumentalist Andy Sannella, though it is not known whether he appeared on any of the bands recordings.

Gregory finally (according to Frew) decided to get "rid of his high-priced men" and move back to Harrisburg and organize a new band which went on working through the following two decades. The band however also travelled to venues outside its home town and among other places it played at the Bertrand Island amusement park, where it appeared (as "Dan Gregory’s Famous Dance Orchestra") with comedian Clem ”Fat” Gority in 1934.

According to Ken Frew, Gregory's outfit toured 29 states and Canada, ports that included Richmond, Chicago, St Louis, Miami, Detroit, Boston, Toronto, New York and Gregory later, apart from leading his own band, "went on to manage Tony Pastor’s Orchestra and helped discover Rosemary Clooney".

Recently the nephew of Ray Ripani, Gregory’s tenor saxophone player during the late 1930s and early 1940s, has put up a website devoted to Dan Gregory and his orchestra (see "external links" below), gathering information and documents about the band.

Known personnel as per Rust: Dan Gregory p, dir / Norman Weiner t / George Stell tb.

Recorded in New York on November 20, 1924.

Found just a little bit of info on Jack Chapman & His Drake Hotel Orchestra.

From the Red Hot Jazz website...

Jack Chapman lead the band at the Drake Hotel which was located at 140 East Walton Place in Chicago. Chapman's band was also the "official orchestra" for Chicago radio station, WDAP.

Known personnel: Clark Meyers as / Raymond Davis vn, v / Jack Chapman p, ldr.

Recorded in Chicago on November 8, 1924.