The following essays attempt to outline a history of the instrumental ensemble performance of popular music in the United States to 1940 and the various European developments that preceded and directly affected it. I believe they represent the first chronicle with this focus and as such they make no pretense of comprehensiveness or even of total accuracy but merely present a number of facts, topics, and opinions which I encourage others to examine, expand, contemplate, and correct. In them it has been my privilege to set down the names of many fine musicians whose work merits further listening and study. 

There has been a good amount of research into the history of wind and dance bands, early sound recording and silent film music. I know of several interesting young people working to increase our knowledge and understanding of salon and light music, theatre and stock orchestration. We as yet have relatively little information about the music of vaudeville and the first generation of radio arrangers mentioned here, but sufficient archives exist to keep scholars and enthusiasts busy for some time. 

Dick O’Connor, July 2003.

part 12 (last installment)