Gene Gifford
Encyclopedia
H. Eugene "Gene" Gifford was an American jazz banjoist, guitarist, and arranger.
Gifford was raised in Memphis, Tennessee
, and played banjo in high school; following this he played in territory band
s, including Watson's Bell Hops and the bands of Bob Foster
and Lloyd Williams
. He formed his own group to tour Texas
, and then switched to guitar to play with Blue Steele and Henry Cato's Vanities Orchestra in 1928.
In 1929 he arranged for Jean Goldkette
, and that same year he joined the Casa Loma Orchestra
, where he became the group's chief arranger. He played guitar and banjo in the ensemble but quit in 1933 to concentrate on arrangements for the group. He remained with Casa Loma until 1939 when he was bought out of his contract due to alcohol related infractions of the bands strict rules, but returned to play with them in 1948-49. He worked as a freelance arranger in the 1940s and did much work arranging for radio. In the 1950s and 1960s he went into semiretirement from music, working in radio engineering.
Gifford led only one session as a bandleader, which yielded four tunes for Victor Records in 1935.
Gifford was raised in Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, and played banjo in high school; following this he played in territory band
Territory band
Territory bands were dance bands that crisscrossed specific regions of the United States from the 1920s through the 1960s. Beginning in the 1920s, the bands typically had 8 to 12 musicians. These bands typically played one-nighters, 6 or 7 nights a week at venues like VFW halls, Elks Lodges,...
s, including Watson's Bell Hops and the bands of Bob Foster
Bob Foster
Bob Foster is a native of Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA whom many boxing critics consider to be one of the greatest Light Heavyweight world champions in history...
and Lloyd Williams
Lloyd Williams
Lloyd W. Williams was an officer in the United States Marine Corps who served and died in World War I.A famous saying is attributed to Captain Williams, who was serving as a company commander in the 5th Marines...
. He formed his own group to tour Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, and then switched to guitar to play with Blue Steele and Henry Cato's Vanities Orchestra in 1928.
In 1929 he arranged for Jean Goldkette
Jean Goldkette
John Jean Goldkette was a jazz pianist and bandleader born in Patras, Greece. Goldkette spent his childhood in Greece and Russia, and emigrated to the United States in 1911....
, and that same year he joined the Casa Loma Orchestra
Casa Loma Orchestra
The Casa Loma Orchestra was a popular American dance band active from 1927 to 1963. From 1929 until the rapid multiplication in the number of swing bands from 1935 on, the Casa Loma Orchestra was one of the top North American dance bands...
, where he became the group's chief arranger. He played guitar and banjo in the ensemble but quit in 1933 to concentrate on arrangements for the group. He remained with Casa Loma until 1939 when he was bought out of his contract due to alcohol related infractions of the bands strict rules, but returned to play with them in 1948-49. He worked as a freelance arranger in the 1940s and did much work arranging for radio. In the 1950s and 1960s he went into semiretirement from music, working in radio engineering.
Gifford led only one session as a bandleader, which yielded four tunes for Victor Records in 1935.