
Bert Burns established a dance orchestra,
The Jubilee Four, probably sometime in
1918 or 1919 in Winnipeg. It's not clear
exactly when the group was first formed or
how long it lasted but Bert was the
founder and pianist. The band performed at
parties organized by the Owl Club and at a
variety of other venues in the early
1920s. The group’s business card included
the statement "Prices Arranged" so it was
intended that they be paid for playing.
Bert's tastes in popular music in those
days included Zez Confrey, Roy Bargy and
other ragtime or early jazz pianists whose
compositions were issued as sheet music.
Like many young people in those days
before the age of radio, Bert was an
enthusiastic collector of sheet music. At
this time he did not even own a gramophone
but his buddies likely did.
Bert's address book for 1921 lists several
musicians who may have been performers in
the band on various gigs. They included
Pete Couture, violin, Stewart Holly,
saxophone, Phil Thomas, cornet and banjo,
and two drummers, H. Morrison and Jimmy
Farquer. The group's schedule for the
first three months of 1921 included
appearances at the Strollers' Club Party,
Tuxedo Hospital, the Owl Club, Morrow
Hall, Travellers' Hall, the Cabbage Patch,
and at the Sir Isaac Brock and Linwood
Schools. They also played at St. Jean
Baptiste, just south of Winnipeg, an
engagement that Pete and his brother Emile
Couture were probably instrumental in
securing.
The appointment book contains notes for
songs and stage patter that Bert wrote
down for the group to use. Some examples:
An Opener:
"We'll
fill your hearts with glee
With
song, duet and chorus too
We'll
do our best for you
We
hope you'll like our little show
There's
music fast and music slow
At
any rate, when we are through
We
trust you'll not be feeling blue."
And a Closer:
"We
hope you've liked our little show
We've
done our best to make it go
We're
closing now to have a dance
We
hope you'll take a chance.
There's
lots of little girlies here
Who
dance and jazz with cheer.
So
hustle up a look around
Until
a partner you have found."
Sources:
- The group’s business card,
1920
- Albert Daniel Burns
appointment book, including numerous
entries and 16 business cards for The
Jubilee Four. Winnipeg, Manitoba,
1921.
- Articles on Zez Confrey
and Roy Bargy on the free encyclopedia
Wikipedia: http:// en.wikipedia.org.
Compiled by Barrie Burns from Kanata,
Ontario
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