Emil Coleman

Emil Coleman (June 19, 1892—January 26, 1965) was a Ukrainian-born society orchestra leader in the United States. An in-demand bandmaster in New York, he performed and led orchestras at many high-profile New York City restaurants and venues including Waldorf-Astoria, Montmartre Club, Versailles Club, The Trocadero, Central Park Casino, the Riviera, Plaza, St. Regis, and Hotel Pierre.

He was active from the early 1920s through the early 1960s.

Emil Coleman was born in Odesa, Russia (now Ukraine), on June 19, 1892. His father was a university instructor.

While studying languages at Saint Petersburg State Institute of Technology, he developed an interest in music, specifically the piano. He went to London to study piano at the Watford School of Music and won several scholarships, including the Silver Medal, the highest possible award for a foreigner. After completing his education, he spent the next few years playing in restaurants and beer gardens in London and Berlin, Germany.

While living in London, he married a Russian woman, Fanny, and the couple emigrated to the United States, setting in New York City. New York City, at the time, was home to many Eastern European immigrants who contributed greatly to defining the American popular music scene in the early 1900s.

Coleman thrived in the New York City music culture, and by 1913, he had begun to lead a band at the famous Bustanoby's Restaurant. His dance music was very popular with the patrons, and the restaurant created an exclusive "Domino" room for Coleman's band. He also performed twice weekly on the WJZ radio station. An engagement led him to move to Havana, Cuba, where he lived and worked until 1918.

After returning to New York in 1918, Coleman was the bandmaster at the Montmartre, a nightclub atop the Winter Garden Theatre in midtown Manhattan. His loyal New York fanbase from a few years back followed him here. He was at Montmartre until 1929, where he led one of the most popular dance bands in New York City. He developed the "medley" form of dance band repertoire that was emulated by many musicians who played at such venues.

Coleman began his recording career around the same time. In 1919, Coleman's Orchestra recorded "Peggy" for HMV (His Master's Voice Records). On the A-side was Beck's Orchestra's "On Miami Shore". The following year saw the release of "Patches" (written by Lee S. Roberts) and "Dardanella" (written by Felix Bernardand Johnny S. Black). Nathan Glantz played the saxophone on "Dardanella".

Working at the Montmartre, Emil Coleman & His Montmartre Orchestra released a few recordings for Vocalion Records in the early 1920s. In 1922, they released "Tomorrow", "Toot-Toot-Tootsie", "Deedle-Deedle-Dum" (written by Al Sherman, Irving Mills, Sam Coslow), "Blue Eyed Blues" (written by Billy Fazioli), and "On The Alamo" (written by Isham Jones).

Between 1923 and 1934, Coleman registered 12 hits on the national pop charts for Vocalion, Brunswick and Columbia. Two of the best performers were "When Your Heart's On Fire Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" (1933, vocals by Jerry Cooper) and "Little Man You've Had A Busy Day" (written by Al Hoffman, Mabel Wayne, Maurice Sigler) (1934).

After leaving the Montmartre, he worked at many venues, most notably at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel on Park Ave in New York, where he was a fixture for several years. In 1951, his band performed in the Terrace Room of the Hotel Statler. Coleman was at the St. Regis Hotel for the last three years of his career.

Coleman continued to record while working the NYC venues. In 1962, Emil Coleman and His Orchestra released a 12-track jazz/pop album Emil Coleman Lights Up The Plaza. Among the songs are "Who Cares" (originally by William Gaxton and Lois Moran); "Give Me The Simple Life" (originally by Rube Bloom and Harry Ruby); "Eso Es El Amor" (written by Pepe Iglesias); and "Ballin' The Jack" (written by Jim Burris with music by Chris Smith).

At one time, Coleman played in one of Hungarian-born American composer Sigmund Romberg's bands.

Coleman married his wife Fanny when he was living in London before moving to the United States.

They had one son, Harry (also known as "Emil Junior").

Coleman died after suffering a stroke on January 26, 1965, in New York. He was 72.