The Midway Gardens Orchestra was a jazz group active in the

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

area of the United States during 1923. The band was led by

Elmer Schoebel Elmer Schoebel (September 8, 1896 – December 14, 1970) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger. Early life He was born in East St. Louis, Illinois, United States. Career Schoebel played along to silent films in Champaign, Illinoi ...

and played at Chicago's

Midway Gardens Midway Gardens (opened in 1914, demolished in 1929) was a 360,000 square feet indoor/outdoor entertainment facility in the Hyde Park neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago. It was designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright, who also collaborated ...

. The group recorded under various names, and as a result their recordings are difficult to find. The group's members included banjoist Lou Black.

Discography

Selected recordings include: *As the Original Memphis Melody Boys: ''There's No Gal Like My Gal'', 1923,

Gennett Gennett Records () was an American record company and label in Richmond, Indiana, United States, which flourished in the 1920s and produced the Gennett, Starr, Champion, Superior, and Van Speaking labels. The company also produced some Supertone, ...

*As the Original Memphis Melody Boys: ''Blue Grass Blues'', 1923, Gennett *As the Chicago Blues Dance Orchestra: ''House of David Blues'', 1923, Columbia

References

{{reflist Big bands Musical groups established in 1923