Jan Garber

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Jan Garber (November 5, 1894, Indianapolis, Indiana - October 5, 1977, Shreveport, Louisiana) was an American jazz bandleader.

Garber was known as "The Idol of the Airwaves" in his heyday of the 1920's and '30s, playing jazz in the vein of contemporaries such as Paul Whiteman and Guy Lombardo. Garber played violin with the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra after World War I and formed the Garber-Davis Orchestra with pianist Milton Davis from 1921-1924. After parting with Davis, he formed his own orchestra, playing both "sweet" and "hot" '20s dance music. He was hit hard by the Great Depression, and in the 1930s, he refashioned his ensemble into a big band and recorded a string of successful records for Victor. During World War II, Garber began playing swing jazz, a rather unexpected turn; his arranger during this time was Gray Rains and his vocalist was Liz Tilton. The recording restrictions in America during the war eventually made his ensemble unfeasible, and he returned to "sweet" music after the war, continuing to lead ensembles nearly up until the time of his death in 1977.

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