State

Jan Garber If ‘s. surprising Imw many iiiusirul g«uiiiisrs of loilay ohlnintMl llioir slnrl b.v sillcuitliug f hr I nivrrsil у of !\orlh Carolina. Elrrr's au- ollier one that you ran ailil lo (he list of successful arlists. By HOYT McAFKK IT SKKMS til i ini' that someone should conn» forth with a slogan which would rend : “(in to tin* I'tii* versify of North Carolina ami he» . ie a famous band leader.*’ On the face of it. that institution ap|*ars to stand without peer as tin* birthplace of ««r- ehestras «lestiued to attaiu national success. •Inn (larher, for instnnee. was horn in lndinn»|H»lis, Indiana, but the Tar I (<•«•1 State occupies a very special spot in his memory and esteem. He attended college at the Tnivcrsity of North Carolina and it was during his student days there that he felt a nudge to organize n band. Л Rapid-growing Personality 11 is idea was a small spark at lirst. Swiftly, however, it was whipped into a spreading Наше by the rah-rah spirit that ran rampart back in those days. ■hi had swept the country by storm. It possessed the aspiring little maestro. It . . . him impatient for action. In short order, therefore, (larls-r coiled his fingers round a baton and commenced waving it over a molest four-piece aggregation. K«d-hot jazz poured forth, doyous, excited merry¬ makers filled dance НоОГЯ. lured by the -tirring new Garlier rhythms, lie and his boys really went to town. They garnered their share of engagements, and built up a substantial following. Thu.*, at the I'niversity of North ( 'arolina, Garlier launched his musical ship on the stormy seas of jazz. It was not until many years afterward that he changed the course and pace of his vessel and dropped anchor in the hiir!~>r «if soft and sweet melodic* for which he's known t<. ХВГ radio listeners t«*lay. What hap]H-ncd t*i him during that interval What influenced him to desert snappy jawt and em¬ brace dreamy refrains? Let’- look at his record. Music coursed in Jan's blood when he shook North Carolina dust from his feet. It wn* his «letermination to pursue it further when lie enrolled at ( ’omits Conservatory in Philadelphia, lie blossomed into a concert violinist. 1 1 is proficiency earned him a place with the Philadelphia .Symphony or¬ chestra. Then the World War broke «Hit. At an Auburn. Alabama, training camp, Jan (larher presided over a hand. After the restoration of peace lie. as leader of a llircc-piecc ensemble*, played a Washington, I>. C\, engage¬ ment. Thereafter the break* came his wav. He secured more and better musicians, was engaged to provide music on hold programs, and landed other encouraging contracts. The Florida Boom lie had advanced sufficiently, ill fact, to join the trek to Florida when boom times flooded that Southern slate several years ago. lie reasoned that as long as big money was liciug made, that there would lie generous •pendent out for a fling. People Would seek gaiety and pleasure and mu*ieal entertainment. It was Garber’s aim. in short, to share in the harvest of Flor¬ ida gold. He did all right for himself, too. 1 1 is first year at Coral Gable- -<• pleased the niulingcuicnt and patr«HI* that lie was readily signed f*«r four more seasons. All the while he was promoting his standing and fame as an orchestra conductor. Gay. carefree crowds likc«l his clowning. And they spent countless nights dancing to his snappy jazz. On the strength "f his <-on-i*tently g* ии| work in Fhirida. Garber had ••— tal dished a national reputation for himself in the musical world. lie deemed the moment favorable to shove off on a swing around the vaudeville circuit, lie hit the high spot*, for his services were in demand at the lies! places. And everywhere he went, be it noted, he gave the customers what they wanted — tunc* in jazz-time tempo. Tirelessly, down through the year*. Jan has striven to improve and strengthen his hand. Once, si t u road¬ house near Cleveland. Ohio, III- heard ten Canadian* plav in a fashion most gratifying to him. 1 1 •• proffered them lierths in his outfit. Their direc¬ tor. little Fred Large (hi* name is Large, Inn he's little), a |lM-|Ninnder. accepted on In-half of all of them. An unflagging spirit of enthusiasm ami a determination to Is- guided hv public moods of the day hove borne Garber along the road of achii-vcuicnt. Once tin- public pul**- registered a liking for melodious and dreamy song*, the spirited Jan served up that hranil of music. He still dm-* a fact with which XliC radio listeners are familiar. His direction «if his orchestra carries u (Continurd on /«ijf tixlern )