Jan Garber
| Jan Garber | |
|---|---|
Jan Garber, c. 1942
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Jacob Charles Garber |
| Born | November 5, 1894 |
| Died | October 5, 1977 Shreveport, Louisiana |
| Genres | Jazz, big band |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, bandleader |
| Instruments | Violin |
| Years active | 1920–1970s |
Jan Garber (born Jacob Charles Garber, November 5, 1894 – October 5, 1977) was an American jazz bandleader.
Garber was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. He had his own band by the time he was 21. He became known as "The Idol of the Airwaves" in his heyday of the 1920s and 1930s, playing jazz in the vein of contemporaries such as Guy Lombardo. Garber played violin with the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra after World War I and formed the Garber-Davis Orchestra with pianist Milton Davis from 1921–1924. After parting with Davis, he formed his own orchestra, playing both "sweet" and "hot" 1920s dance music. He was hit hard by the Great Depression, and in the 1930s, he refashioned his ensemble into a big band and recorded a string of successful records for Victor. During World War II, Garber began playing swing jazz, a rather unexpected turn; his arranger during this time was Gray Rains and his vocalist was Liz Tilton. The recording restrictions in America during the war eventually made his ensemble unfeasible, and he returned to "sweet" music after the war, continuing to lead ensembles until 1971. His last show was in Houston. Garber died in Shreveport, Louisiana in 1977 after having been ill for a length of time.
Called the "Idol of the Airwaves," Garber was active on radio in the 1920s and 1930s. The table below shows some of his broadcasting activities.
Garber also had a 15-minute, five-days-a-week radio program, the Jan Garber Show. It was distributed by Capitol Transcriptions. He appeared numerous times on the Burns and Allen radio show.
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