Merle Evans

Merle Slease Evans (December 26, 1891 – December 31, 1987) was a cornet player and circus band conductor who conducted the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus for fifty years. He was known as the "Toscanini of the Big Top." Evans was inducted into the American Bandmasters Association in 1947 and the International Circus Hall of Fame in 1975.

Birth and Death Data: Born December 26, 1894 (Columbus), Died December 31, 1987 (Sarasota)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1930 - 1956

Roles Represented in DAHR: conductor, director

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company	Matrix No.	Size	First Recording Date	Title	Primary Performer	Description	Role
Victor	BVE-62430	10-in.	5/25/1930	Colossus of Columbia	Merle Evans ; Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Band	Band	director
Victor	BVE-62431	10-in.	5/25/1930	Pageantry	Merle Evans ; Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Band	Band, with calliope	director
Victor	BVE-62432	10-in.	5/25/1930	Entry of the gladiators	Merle Evans ; Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Band	Band, with calliope	director
Victor	BVE-62433	10-in.	5/25/1930	Gentry's triumphal march	Merle Evans ; Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Band	Band	director
Victor	BVE-62434	10-in.	5/25/1930	Circus echoes (Galop)	Merle Evans ; Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Band	Band	director
Victor	BVE-62435	10-in.	5/25/1930	Old Glory triumphal march	Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Band	Band, with calliope	director
Decca	84305		4/16/1953	Barnum and Baileys favorite (Grand entry)	Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus Band		conductor
Decca	84306		4/16/1953	Le père de la victoire (The liberty horses) (Father of victory march)	Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus Band		conductor
Decca	84307		4/16/1953	Gentry's triumphal march (The elephants)	Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus Band		conductor
Decca	84308		4/16/1953	Kentucky sunrise ; Prince of Decorah galop (The clowns)	Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus Band		conductor
Decca	84360		4/22/1953	The purple carnival (The wild animal act)	Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus Band		conductor
Decca	84361		4/23/1953	Tropic to tropic (High wire)	Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus Band		conductor
Decca	84362		4/22/1953	Wedding of the winds ; Trombone blues (Aerialists)	Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus Band		conductor
Decca	84363		4/23/1953	Bravura (The jugglers)	Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus Band		conductor
Decca	100706		10/5/1956	Quality plus (Seals	Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus Band		conductor
Decca	100707		10/5/1956	Caravan club (march) (Performing bears)	Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus Band		conductor
Decca	100708		10/5/1956	The Southerner (march) (Bareback riders)	Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus Band		conductor
Decca	100709		10/5/1956	Entry of the gladiators (The acrobats)	Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus Band		conductor
Decca	100710		10/5/1956	Battle royal march (Grand finale)	Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus Band		conductor
Decca	100711		10/5/1956	Royal bridesmaids march (Trapeze)	Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus Band		conductor

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Evans, Merle," accessed November 22, 2024, https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/106367.

Evans, Merle. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 22, 2024, from https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/106367.

"Evans, Merle." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 22 November 2024.