Vic Berton
Vic Berton (born Victor Cohen; May 7, 1896 – December 26, 1951) was an American jazz drummer. Berton was born, Victor Cohen, in Chicago, Illinois, United States. His father was a violinist and began his son on string instruments around age five. He was hired as a percussionist at the Alhambra Theater in Milwaukee in 1903 when he was only seven years old. By age 16, he was playing with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. While serving in World War I he played drums for John Philip Sousa's Navy band. Early in the 1920s, Berton played in Chicago bands, including those of Art Kahn, Paul Beise, and Arnold Johnson. He led his own ensemble as well, which played at the Merry Gardens club. In 1924, he became the manager of The Wolverines, and occasionally played alongside Bix Beiderbecke in the ensemble. Later in the decade, he played with Roger Wolfe Kahn, Don Voorhees, and Red Nichols, and worked extensively as a session musician. In 1927, he played with Paul Whiteman, and then moved to Los Angeles later that year. In Los Angeles, Berton played with Abe Lyman and recorded in studios for film soundtracks. He served as director of Paramount Films's music division for a time, and worked in the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. In the 1940s, he worked as a percussionist in the studios for 20th Century Fox. He died in Hollywood from lung cancer. Berton's brother, Ralph Berton, also became a jazz drummer, in addition to his writings on jazz. |
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= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 26-39 of 39 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Brunswick | E6655-E6657 | 10-in. | 10/13/1927 | Sobbin’ blues | Dixie Syncopators ; King Oliver | Jazz/dance band | songwriter | |
Brunswick | E6810-E6811 | 10-in. | 11/18/1927 | Sobbin’ blues | Dixie Syncopators ; King Oliver | Jazz/dance band | songwriter | |
Brunswick | 1Ch-3Ch | 10-in. | 1/16/1924 | Sobbin’ blues | Oriole Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
Brunswick | Ch65-Ch67 | 10-in. | 2/22/1924 | Blue evening blues | Isham Jones Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
Brunswick | Ch88-Ch91 | 10-in. | 2/26/1924 | That lullaby strain | Oriole Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
Edison | 9710 | 10-in. | 9/15/1924 | Blue evening blues | Million Dollar Pier Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
Decca | DLA 270 | 10-in. | 11/20/1935 | When Hollywood goes black and tan | Cleo Brown | instrumentalist, drums | ||
Decca | DLA 271 | 10-in. | 11/20/1935 | When | Cleo Brown | instrumentalist, drums | ||
Decca | DLA 272 | 10-in. | 11/20/1935 | You're my fever | Cleo Brown | instrumentalist, drums | ||
Decca | DLA 273 | 10-in. | 11/20/1935 | Breakin' in a pair of shoes | Cleo Brown | instrumentalist, drums | ||
Decca | DLA 337 | 10-in. | 4/4/1936 | Latch on | Cleo Brown | instrumentalist, drums | ||
Decca | DLA 338 | 10-in. | 4/4/1936 | Slow poke | Cleo Brown | instrumentalist, drums | ||
Decca | DLA 339 | 10-in. | 4/4/1936 | Love in the first degree | Cleo Brown | instrumentalist, drums | ||
Decca | DLA 340 | 10-in. | 4/4/1936 | My gal mezzanine | Cleo Brown | instrumentalist, drums |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Berton, Vic," accessed November 22, 2024, https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/111079.
Berton, Vic. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 22, 2024, from https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/111079.
"Berton, Vic." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 22 November 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Vic Berton
Discogs: Vic Berton
Allmusic: Vic Berton
Grove: Vic Berton
IMDb: Vic Berton
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Berton, Vic, 1896-1951 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no98087358
Wikidata: Vic Berton - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1478466
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/29723122
MusicBrainz: Vic Berton - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/786e4b41-21b6-4819-b6e3-5e6644a99b98
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