The Coon-Sanders Orchestra

(originally posted July 2, 2005)

This week The Virtual Victrola features the Coon-Sanders Nighthawk Orchestra, one of the best and, sadly, one of today's least-known hot dance orchestras of the 1920's.

The orchestra was birthed from a musical partnership between drummer Carlton Coon and pianist-singer Joe Sanders, both Kansas City musicians.  The orchestra played its first engagement in 1919 and quickly became a top draw at local venues.

The orchestra got its first break in 1923 thanks to a novel idea at the time - broadcasting over WDAF radio in Kansas City.  The band's broadcast ran into the early hours of the morning, and consequently a "Nighthawks" fan club was established for the band.  A recording contract soon followed, with the band now billed as the "Coon-Sanders Nighthawks."

The band moved to Chicago in 1926 and settled at the Blackhawk Hotel.  They began a regular radio broadcast over powerful WGN and had a string of hit records.  The band also embarked on several national tours over the next few years, and their popularity grew to dizzying heights.  MCA, the nation's leading booking and management agency, gave them an unprecedented 15 year contract.  And the Auburn Automobile Company gave each of the members of the band an Auburn convertible coup, with Coon and Sanders each receiving a luxury-model Cord.

Money, bootleg liquor, and gangsters flooded the Blackhawk and numerous other Chicago venues like The Dells supper club during this time, and the mob bosses sought whatever means were at their disposal to keep things that way.  Here's an eye-opening tale that illustrates just how deep mob connections ran in the hotels and ballrooms of the day:

[Carleton Coon] often wore a large, prominent diamond ring.  One night, while driving home, Coonie was run off the road by a car with two gangsters inside, who forced him to turn off his car and ordered him to lie face down on the ground.  Coonie pleaded with the mobsters to just take his ring and his wallet and not kill him: "That way, you won't have a murder rap hanging over your heads."  The two hoods decided to spare Coonie's life, with the warning that if he ever talked about this, they'd find him and blow his head off.

Days later, Joe Sanders noticed that his partner's ring was missing.  Coonie was reluctant to talk, but finally told Joe the whole story.  Joe then made a couple of phone calls.  A few nights afterwards, a chauffeur strolled into the Blackhawk with a package. Inside was Coonie's ring and wallet, and a note reading, "The two boys who did this have been taken care of.  Hope to see you soon.  Your friend, AL CAPONE."

The band spent most of 1930 and 1931 on the road, resuming broadcasts from the Blackhawk during their time off from traveling. Even with the onset of the Great Depression, the Coon-Sanders orchestra continued to draw sellout crowds and guarantee top ratings for their radio broadcasts.  But the Depression brought a two-year halt to their Victor recording contract.  The band played for six months in New York during the winter of 1931-32 and during that time they recorded ten new sides for Victor.  They also appeared on their first true coast-to-coast radio broadcast, The Lucky Strike Dance Orchestra program, hosted by Walter Winchell.

But tragedy struck just as the band's popularity reached its zenith.  Carleton Coon suffered from an abscessed tooth, and waited too long to have it treated.  He died of complications resulting from blood poisoning in April 1932.  Unlike most "co-led" bands, the Coon-Sanders Orchestra was a truly co-operative unit, and Joe Sanders found it impossible to continue without Carleton Coon.  As key musicians left and crowds waned, he disbanded a year later. 

The three tunes that I have chosen, "Deep Henderson" (1926), "Here Comes My Ball and Chain" (1928) and "Got A Great Big Date With A Little Bitta Girl" (1929) were three of the band's biggest selling hits and perfectly illustrate the class, energy, and showmanship that this band exemplified.

The Old Masters Records has four CD's that contain the complete recorded output of this great group.  They are currently available from Amazon.com.  Volume 3 and Volume 4 are the best, highlighting the band at the peak of their popularity. The story about Al Capone is from the liner notes to Volume 4.

...

Download Coon-Sanders - Deep Henderson.mp3

Download Coon-Sanders - Here Comes My Ball And Chain.mp3

Download Coon-Sanders - Got A Great Big Date With A Little Bitta Girl.mp3

(originally posted July 2, 2005)

This week The Virtual Victrola features the Coon-Sanders Nighthawk Orchestra, one of the best and, sadly, one of today's least-known hot dance orchestras of the 1920's.

The orchestra was birthed from a musical partnership between drummer Carlton Coon and pianist-singer Joe Sanders, both Kansas City musicians.  The orchestra played its first engagement in 1919 and quickly became a top draw at local venues.

The orchestra got its first break in 1923 thanks to a novel idea at the time - broadcasting over WDAF radio in Kansas City.  The band's broadcast ran into the early hours of the morning, and consequently a "Nighthawks" fan club was established for the band.  A recording contract soon followed, with the band now billed as the "Coon-Sanders Nighthawks."

The band moved to Chicago in 1926 and settled at the Blackhawk Hotel.  They began a regular radio broadcast over powerful WGN and had a string of hit records.  The band also embarked on several national tours over the next few years, and their popularity grew to dizzying heights.  MCA, the nation's leading booking and management agency, gave them an unprecedented 15 year contract.  And the Auburn Automobile Company gave each of the members of the band an Auburn convertible coup, with Coon and Sanders each receiving a luxury-model Cord.

Money, bootleg liquor, and gangsters flooded the Blackhawk and numerous other Chicago venues like The Dells supper club during this time, and the mob bosses sought whatever means were at their disposal to keep things that way.  Here's an eye-opening tale that illustrates just how deep mob connections ran in the hotels and ballrooms of the day:

[Carleton Coon] often wore a large, prominent diamond ring.  One night, while driving home, Coonie was run off the road by a car with two gangsters inside, who forced him to turn off his car and ordered him to lie face down on the ground.  Coonie pleaded with the mobsters to just take his ring and his wallet and not kill him: "That way, you won't have a murder rap hanging over your heads."  The two hoods decided to spare Coonie's life, with the warning that if he ever talked about this, they'd find him and blow his head off.

Days later, Joe Sanders noticed that his partner's ring was missing.  Coonie was reluctant to talk, but finally told Joe the whole story.  Joe then made a couple of phone calls.  A few nights afterwards, a chauffeur strolled into the Blackhawk with a package. Inside was Coonie's ring and wallet, and a note reading, "The two boys who did this have been taken care of.  Hope to see you soon.  Your friend, AL CAPONE."

The band spent most of 1930 and 1931 on the road, resuming broadcasts from the Blackhawk during their time off from traveling. Even with the onset of the Great Depression, the Coon-Sanders orchestra continued to draw sellout crowds and guarantee top ratings for their radio broadcasts.  But the Depression brought a two-year halt to their Victor recording contract.  The band played for six months in New York during the winter of 1931-32 and during that time they recorded ten new sides for Victor.  They also appeared on their first true coast-to-coast radio broadcast, The Lucky Strike Dance Orchestra program, hosted by Walter Winchell.

But tragedy struck just as the band's popularity reached its zenith.  Carleton Coon suffered from an abscessed tooth, and waited too long to have it treated.  He died of complications resulting from blood poisoning in April 1932.  Unlike most "co-led" bands, the Coon-Sanders Orchestra was a truly co-operative unit, and Joe Sanders found it impossible to continue without Carleton Coon.  As key musicians left and crowds waned, he disbanded a year later. 

The three tunes that I have chosen, "Deep Henderson" (1926), "Here Comes My Ball and Chain" (1928) and "Got A Great Big Date With A Little Bitta Girl" (1929) were three of the band's biggest selling hits and perfectly illustrate the class, energy, and showmanship that this band exemplified.

The Old Masters Records has four CD's that contain the complete recorded output of this great group.  They are currently available from Amazon.com.  Volume 3 and Volume 4 are the best, highlighting the band at the peak of their popularity. The story about Al Capone is from the liner notes to Volume 4.

...

Download Coon-Sanders - Deep Henderson.mp3

Download Coon-Sanders - Here Comes My Ball And Chain.mp3

Download Coon-Sanders - Got A Great Big Date With A Little Bitta Girl.mp3