ENOCH LIGHT

Enoch Light began as a light classical violinist, performing in the US and Europe. After a near-fatal car accident in 1940 and World War II interrupted his classical career, he organized his own dance band, "The Light Brigade," and worked in clubs and hotels around the Northeast, including the Grill Room of the Hotel Taft. It was a conservative band, what was known as a "sweet band," specializing in music for middle-aged dancers. He recorded with this band for RCA and Columbia. He broke up the band toward the end of the 1940s and went into management, working for several record companies before becoming president of Waldorf Music Hall Records in 1954. He founded his own label, Grand Award, in 1956 and had several successes with Dixieland and honky-tonk piano albums by such anonymous groups as the "Charleston City All-Stars" and "Knuckles O'Toole" (aka Dick Hyman). Grand Award featured some of read more...