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 1-25 of 65 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | ABRC-69922 | 10-in. | 6/10/1931 | Jig time | Gene Kardos Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and vocal chorus | director | |
Victor | ABRC-69923 | 10-in. | 6/10/1931 | Left my gal in the mountains | Gloria Palace Orchestra ; Gene Kardos | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | director | |
Victor | ABRC-69924 | 10-in. | 6/10/1931 | Georgia on my mind | Gene and his Glorians ; Gene Kardos | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | director | |
Victor | ABRC-69925 | 10-in. | 6/10/1931 | Lazy river | Gloria Palace Orchestra ; Gene Kardos | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | director | |
Victor | BRC-70187 | 10-in. | 8/27/1931 | Waiting for the moon | Gene Kardos Orchestra ; Dick Robertson | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | director | |
Victor | BRC-70188 | 10-in. | 8/27/1931 | Red-headed baby | Gene Kardos Orchestra ; Dick Robertson | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | director | |
Victor | BRC-70189 | 10-in. | 8/27/1931 | Mean music | Gene Kardos Orchestra ; Dick Robertson | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | director | |
Victor | BRC-70190 | 10-in. | 8/27/1931 | China Boy | Gene Kardos Orchestra ; Dick Robertson | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | director | |
Victor | BRC-70904 | 10-in. | 10/23/1931 | A hot dog, a blanket and you | Gene Kardos Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and vocal chorus | director | |
Victor | BRC-70905 | 10-in. | 10/23/1931 | Sweet violets | Gene Kardos Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | director | |
Victor | BRC-70906 | 10-in. | 10/23/1931 | Peter and Paul | Gene Kardos Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and vocal chorus | director | |
Victor | BRC-70907 | 10-in. | 10/23/1931 | What are you thinkin' about, baby? | Gene Kardos Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | director | |
Victor | BRC-70908 | 10-in. | 10/23/1931 | You've got to sell it | Gene Kardos Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and vocal chorus | songwriter, vocalist, director | |
Victor | BRC-70950 | 10-in. | 11/13/1931 | Freddy the freshman | Gene Kardos Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | director | |
Victor | BRC-70951 | 10-in. | 11/13/1931 | (Potatoes are cheaper, tomatoes are cheaper) Now's the time to fall in love | Gene Kardos Orchestra ; Dick Robertson | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | director | |
Victor | BRC-70952 | 10-in. | 11/13/1931 | Down on the farm (They all ask for you) | Gene Kardos Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet | vocalist, director | |
Victor | BRC-70987 | 10-in. | 12/18/1931 | Tell-tales | Gene Kardos Orchestra ; Dick Robertson | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, violin, director | |
Victor | BRC-70989 | 10-in. | 12/18/1931 | Sweet violets | Bob Dickson | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, violin, director | |
Victor | BRC-70990 | 10-in. | 12/18/1931 | I forgot to buy the license | Bob Dickson | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | director, instrumentalist, violin | |
Victor | BRC-70991 | 10-in. | 12/18/1931 | Business in "F" | Gene Kardos Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and male vocal chorus | instrumentalist, violin, vocalist | |
Victor | BRC-70992 | 10-in. | 12/18/1931 | Corn-fed Cal | Gene Kardos Orchestra ; Joel Shaw | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, violin, director | |
Victor | BRC-71232 | 10-in. | 1/15/1932 | The new twenty-one years | Dick Robertson | Male vocal solo, with instrumental quartet | instrumentalist, violin, director | |
Victor | BRC-71233 | 10-in. | 1/15/1932 | Fifty years repentin' | Dick Robertson | Male vocal solo, with instrumental quartet | director, instrumentalist, violin | |
Victor | BRC-71234 | 10-in. | 1/15/1932 | Waiting | Dick Robertson | Male vocal solo, with instrumental quartet | director, instrumentalist, violin | |
Victor | BRC-71235 | 10-in. | 1/15/1932 | My Carolina home | Dick Robertson | Male vocal solo, with instrumental quartet | director, instrumentalist, violin |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Kardos, Gene," accessed September 4, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/109625.
Kardos, Gene. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved September 4, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/109625.
"Kardos, Gene." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 4 September 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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