The Ramblers Dance Orchestra - Decca Stomp

In 1926, Theo Uden Masman joined The Resonance Seven and changed its name to 'The Original Ramblers Dance Orchestra'. The band debuted in The Hague on September 1, 1926. After succesfully touring Holland and Germany, further engagements abroad (Denmark, Germany and Switzerland) followed and from summer 1932 onwards the band played seven consecutive years at the Casino Hamdorff, a popular resort in Laren (near Amsterdam). In 1935 the band accompanied Coleman Hawkins and other well known artists. Because of their versatility they (anonymously) accompanied a wide variety of Dutch artists on records. The band was expanded to eleven in 1937. A dark page in the band's history was when its two Jewish members were forced to leave the band in 1941. Several times the band was reprimanded by the authorities for playing jazz-inflected music but always managed to avoid getting into any serious trouble and the band continued recording and touring Holland and Belgium throughout the war. With Fud Candrix and Jean Omer, two of the principal Belgian bigbands, frequently away in Germany, The Ramblers became very popular in Belgium indeed. The orchestra enjoyed undiminished popularity until the early Fifties. However, towards the end of the decade popular enthusiasm gradually deminished and although its Thirtieth Anniversary in 1956 was celebrated in style, recording sessions and live performances became rare. Masman, after having suffered a stroke, was no longer the strong leader he had once been and when VARA Radio decided to break up the band in 1964, Masman, disappointed, could not help but give in. A year later he died. In the early 1970s The Ramblers were again brought to life (with many of the original members) and they resumed recording and touring. The band still exists today and holds the record as the longest-lived jazz band of the world. This fantastic record was made in 1933.