Fort Ripley and the Gangsters of Kalamazoo

Click to play: Historic Reproduction: “Oodles of Pep” (1917)

Fischer’s Jazz Orchestra

Boasting several of Kalamazoo’s best musicians, including James H. “Jazz” Johnstone on the tenor banjo; Bert Reeves, the “Australian violinist;” and “Memphis Davis,” a “sensational jazz drummer;” Fischer’s Jazz Orchestra was the star of the show in 1918 when the Elite Theater put on its Big Jazz Novelty night in November. The band went on to achieve great success with Burton Fischer’s own compositions, and interpretations of others’, including “Tropical Blues” (written by Edward Schroeder of Battle Creek) and “Wabash Blues,” both widely heard on records by the likes of Joseph Samuels and Isham Jones.

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Historic Recording: “Livery Stable Blues” (1917)

Original Dixieland ‘Jass’ Band

From as early as March 1917, ads by the Cable-Nelson Piano Co. began appearing in the Kalamazoo Gazette blazon with the new term, “jazz.” On March 7th, the Victor Talking Machine Company released “Livery Stable Blues” backed with “Dixie Jass Band One-Step” by the Original Dixieland ‘Jass’ (Jazz) Band, commonly regarded as the first jazz record ever.

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Play the track: A Toast to All the Girls

“I am not a radical opponent of rag-time.”

Charles L. Fischer

In 1901, Charles Fischer had only just begun to earn his reputation as one of the community’s most respected musical forces, ever. Fischer’s orchestras would dominate the popular music scene in Michigan and across the nation for more than five decades. It’s not surprising then that even at this early stage, Fischer’s insight was clear, if not profound. “Rag-time is gradually disappearing of its own volition,” stated Fischer in a self-assured tone, “so I consider this talk about abolishing it as useless. I have noticed in the music coming out this year that good marches are much more numerous and rough and rugged rag-time songs are scarcer.”

Clearly, Fischer saw ragtime as a mere step in an evolutionary process, which we now know was true. “I am not a radical opponent of rag-time,” stated Fischer. “I think most of it is crude and too choppy for real beauty, but it hasn’t degraded musical tastes to any great extent. It had a ring and a rhythm that struck home and the people liked it. They’ll soon get over it, in fact are getting over it and rag-time will make way for a better music. But let the orchestra leaders unite and refuse to play it, and it will only give new life to the fad. Better let well enough alone.”

“A Toast To All the Girls”
by Burton E. Fischer, 1909

Johns Hopkins University

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