Jimmy (aka Jimmie) Joy (né Monte Maloney) was born in 1912 and died in 1962. Formed in the mid-20s in Texas, the Jimmy Joy Orchestra took its name after its leader’s association with the Joyland Park in Galveston, Texas, where many of their early concerts took place. Maloney later changed his name to Jimmy Joy by deed poll in Kansas City in 1929. His orchestra, which included sidemen Gilbert O’Shaughnessy, Hollis Bradt, Jack Brown, Rex Preis, Lynn Harrell, Clyde Austin, Johnny Cole, Dick Hammell, Amos Ayalisa, Norman Smith, Matty Matlock, Orville Andrews, Ernie Mathias, Al King, Oscar Reed, Elmer Nordgreen and Oscar Miller, was originally formed on campus at the University of Texas. They would find receptive audiences at a variety of Midwest and southern locales, including the Muehlbach, the Peabody, the Baker and Adolphus hotels. Led by Joy himself on saxophone, the group’s entertaining stage show was geared directly to the needs of evening dancers, and proved perennially popular. Their theme song was ‘Shine On, Harvest Moon’, with records released on OKeh, Brunswick and Decca Records. Joy was something of a showman, delighting audiences with his ability to play two clarinets at the same time (an idea borrowed from Wilbur Sweatman) and to sing the blues when the occasion demanded. He remained active as a band leader through the 40s and 50s, though by then he was not as prolific. This acoustically recorded side was waxed in 1925. The tune featured in this video was composed by John Stepan Zamecnik. Although obviously of Czech descent, this composer and conductor was born in the USA, which is why his name is not spelled '[Jan] Štěpán Zámečník'. He is best known for the "photoplay music" he composed for use during silent films by pianists, organists, and orchestras. Zamecnik used many pseudonyms, including Dorothy Lee, Lionel Baxter, R.L. (Robert) Creighton, Arturo de Castro, "Josh and Ted", J. (Jane) Hathaway, Kathryn Hawthorne, Roberta Hudson, Ioane Kawelo, J. Edgar Lowell, Jules Reynard, F. (Frederick) Van Norman, Hal Vinton and Grant Wellesley. Zamecnik studied at the Prague Conservatory of Music under Antonín Dvořák in the mid-1890s, completing his classes there in 1897.In 1899 Zamecnik finally returned to the United States. While living in Cleveland, where he worked as a violinist and composer, he also played in the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra as a violinist under Victor Herbert. In 1907, Zamecnik became music director of the newly constructed Hippodrome Theater in Cleveland, Ohio. When the Hippodrome commenced with the screening of silent films, Zamecnik began to compose music scores for them. They were published by Samuel Fox, whose company was the first to publish original film scores in the USA. Fox published the Zamecnik composed Sam Fox Moving Picture Music volumes, consisting of incidental music and leitmotifs such as "Mysterious Burglar Music", intended for when a burglar is on screen.
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