| One of the legendary vlrtuosi or the xylophone during its Golden Age (circa 1915-1935) was HARRY BREUER. Variously referred to as the Heifetz or Casals of the xylophone, vlbes or marimba, Harry Breuer (it's spelled like the chair but pronounced like the yeast) was a Child of the Century --born in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn, NY on October 24, 1901. He started out as a violinist, but at the age of 13, confined to bed by a protracted illness, he was glven a small xylophone by hls father and that was it for the violin. In the next few years Harry taught himself mallet technlques by endlessly replaylng the recordlngs of George Hamilton Green. Impressed by the lad's determlnation, hls father upgraded the instrument to a large Deagan 3 1/2 octave model, and it was with it that Harry made his public debut at the old New York Academy of Music (bllled as "The Boy Wonder"). This won him an extended engagement at Palisades Park, which led to over a decade as pit percussionist in presentation houses on the Keith, Proctor and Poli circuits and d. IUD Plcture Palaces like the Strand In Brooklyn and the Roxy In New York. [Parenthetically, it was at the Strand that he met the girl who became --and still is --hls wife, a little ballerina named Marian, but better known as "Twinkletoes"! From pit percussionist at the Roxy he rose to soloist there and at its magnificent new rival, the Radio Clty Music Hall, backed by the orchestras of Erno Rapee, Gustav .Haenschen, Howard Barlow, Frank Black and Paul Whlteman (with whom later he would perform Gershwin's American in Paris at Carnegie Hall, and made records with the Yerkes Jazzarimba Orchestra for Columbia. |  |
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In 1921 Harry made hls debut in the infant medium of radio. He appeared with Harry Horlick's A&P Gypsies, the Cliquot Club Eskimos and other bands of note in those palmy days, and in 1927, as part of the famous "Roxy's Gang- ("Radio's First Great Entertainment Success"), was heard every Monday evenlng on the new NBC "Coast-to-Coast" Network. He was on the earliest programs of "The Lucky Strike Hit Parade" and "American Album of Famlliar MusIc," and on the "Let's Dance" show in 1935 where Benny Goodman introduced Swing to the world. From the late 'Thlrties through the early 'Forties Harry was a staff musician at the Brooklyn studios of Warner Brothers and Fox, and made a number of shorts and "Soundies- jukebox movles that were immensely popular at Servlce Bars and Canteens during the War. After that he was hlred as house percussionist at the NBC Studios in Rockefeller Center, where he was to remaln for more than three decades, making the transition into televlsion by playing for Shari Lewls and Howdy Doody in the day time and Steve Allen, Jack Paar and Johnny Carson at night. Now we have to back up a bit. Early in hls career Harry had studied harmony with Paul Yortin; later, between shows at Radio City Music Hall, he got pointers in composition from conductor Erno Rapee In 1926 he embarked upon a prolific career as composer with the publication of a series of rags. Since then he has added to his ASCAP credits some of the best mallet music of our time, and in the 1950's recorded four major albums for Audio Fidelity. Mallet Magic; Mallet Mischief; The Happy Sound of Ragtime; and Percussive Vaudeville. For some years Harry was a consultant to the Carroll Musical Instrument Service, preparing mallet solos for publication, while freelancing on "jlngle sessions In recordlng studios around New York City In 1960 he was inducted into the highly selective Percusslon Arts Soclety Hall of Fame (That year the only other honoree was Edgard Varese). But not one to rest on hls laurels, Harry continued to em- brace the future. He was one of the first composers and interpreters of the new electronic music, with commerclals for French TV and, at the grand age of 86, after almost seven decades of professional muslc-making, Harry entertained no thought of retlrement. Indeed, the very concept puzzled him. Why would anyone leave what he loves doing whlle he can still do it? A modest, unassuming man, Who wore his fame as lightly as his years, Harry would I expect be embarrassed to hear his life's work described as the embodiment of Mozart's dictum, that music should first and foremost bring joy. But it is, Harry; and it does. Thank you, Harry Breuer. And may your vlbes increase. --Herbert Hartig (originally written October 1987) |
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RADIO RECORDINGS: two examples of Breuer-led groups on 16" transcription discs. |  |
| Partial Discography (From The Xylotopia Archives) |
| 78rpm Recordings |
| LEW WHITE Organ & Xylophone Brunswick "Wedding Of The Painted Doll"/"You Were Meant For Me" |
| LEW WHITE Organ & Xylophone Brunswick "Peter & The Wolf" |
| FRANK LUTHER Decca Album Set "Raggedy Ann Sunny Songs" |
| 33 1/3rpm LPs |
| HARRY BREUER QUINTET Audio Fidelity "Mallet Magic" |
| HARRY BREUER QUINTET Audio Fidelity "Mallet Mischief Vol.2" |
| HARRY BREUER QUINTET Audio Fidelity "The Happy Sound Of Ragtime Vol.3" |
| HARRY BREUER, SAMMY HERMAN, et al Audio Fidelity "Percussive Vaudeville" ('60) |
| MILTON KAYE & HARRY BREUER Camden CAS 726 Organ & Chimes Play Christmas Carols ( '62) |
| JIMMY SMITH Verve LP "Peter & The Wolf" ('66) |
| PROFESSOR AITCHBEE Audio Fidelity "What This Country Needs..." (repackage of "Percussive Vaudeville) ('74) |
| THE NEW HARRY BREUER TRIO "Mallets In Wonderland" ('87) |
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TWO SIDES OF THE SAME DISC: an example of the children's records that Breuer participated in recording. |  |
| Arguably Breuer's best-known work. The cover photo has been featured on the cover of Research Magazine's "Strange Music." |  |
If anyone knows the whereabouts of the cover's "Party Girl", please let us know! (For the purpose of a possible interview, of course). |
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