Gene Kardos
Eugene Kardos (June 12, 1899 – July 27, 1980) was the leader of a jazz and dance orchestra in the 1930s. He recorded for Victor in 1931–32 and then recorded for ARC's labels (Perfect, Melotone, Banner, Oriole, Romeo, Vocalion etc.) through 1938. Born in Yorkville, New York, of Hungarian heritage, Kardos learned to play the violin and saxophone and worked in vaudeville pit orchestras until organizing his first band around 1930. A New York territory band, its usual home base was the Gloria Palast, a German-American ballroom and café on East 86th Street in the Yorkville neighborhood. Due to the location of AFM Local 802 headquarters nearby, many music professionals caught Kardos's band. Among his musicians were Hymie Schertzer (sax), Vic Schoen (trumpet, arranger), Joel Shaw (piano), and Bernie Green (arranger-composer). There were a sizable group of Kardos recordings issued on Crown under Shaw's name and various ARC recordings under names such as Gene's Merrymakers, Art Kahn, and Bob Causer. From the mid-1930s, Kardos' style changed more to a hotel dance band style. Dick Robertson and Bea Wain were vocalists on many of his recordings. Disbanding in 1939, Kardos married and took employment with the postal service in New York City by day, while leading a small café-style band evenings at Zimmerman's Hungaria, a popular restaurant in Yorkville. His run there continued into the 1950s. |
Birth and Death Data: Born June 12, 1899 (New York City), Died August 27, 1980 (New York City)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1931 - 1932
Roles Represented in DAHR: director, violin, saxophone, vocalist, songwriter
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 51-65 of 65 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | ESHQ-72878 | 8-in. | 6/13/1932 | When the lights are soft and low | The New Yorkers Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | director | |
Victor | ESHQ-72879 | 8-in. | 6/13/1932 | Every little bit of me loves every little bit of you | The New Yorkers Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | director | |
Victor | ESHQ-72880 | 8-in. | 6/13/1932 | My silent love | Gloria Palace Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | director | |
Victor | ESHQ-72881 | 8-in. | 6/13/1932 | Banking on the weather | The New Yorkers Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | director | |
Victor | BSHQ-72882 | 10-in. | 6/13/1932 | Banking on the weather | Pennsylvania Collegians | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | director | |
Victor | ESHQ-72883 | 8-in. | 6/13/1932 | I'm so alone with the crowd | Gloria Palace Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | director | |
Victor | BSHQ-72884 | 10-in. | 6/13/1932 | In a shanty in old Shanty Town | Pennsylvania Collegians | Jazz/dance band | director | |
Victor | ESHQ-72885 | 8-in. | 6/13/1932 | Having a good time, wish you were here | The New Yorkers Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | director | |
Victor | ESHQ-72886 | 8-in. | 6/13/1932 | I got the potatoes, I got the tomatoes, but someone else has got my gal | Rex Blaine and his Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | director | |
Victor | BSHQ-73162 | 10-in. | 8/4/1932 | Jazz rondo | Dickson's Harlem Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | director | |
Victor | BSHQ-73163 | 10-in. | 8/4/1932 | In a little blue canoe with you | Eliot Everett Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | director | |
Victor | BSHQ-73164 | 10-in. | 8/4/1932 | Sheltered by the stars | Gene Kardos Orchestra ; Dick Robertson | Jazz/dance band (take 3); with male vocal solo (takes 1 and 2) | director | |
Victor | BSHQ-73165 | 10-in. | 8/4/1932 | Sing (It's good for you) | Gene Kardos Orchestra ; Dick Robertson | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | director | |
Victor | BSHQ-73166 | 10-in. | 8/4/1932 | This is the chorus of a song | Village Barn Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and vocal chorus | director | |
Victor | BSHQ-73167 | 10-in. | 8/4/1932 | San | Gene Kardos Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | director |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Kardos, Gene," accessed November 24, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/109625.
Kardos, Gene. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 24, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/109625.
"Kardos, Gene." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 24 November 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Kardos, Gene - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no93019423
Wikidata: Gene Kardos - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1909013
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