Hal Kemp and His Orchestra

Not to be confused with his opposite number: Cal Hemp — a much hepper cat.

James Hal Kemp (1904-1940) had one of the more popular bands of the “hot” and “sweet” phases of the jazz age. A native Alabaman, he played sax and clarinet and had already put together his first group when he was in high school. As a student at the University of North Carolina he assembled the Carolina Club Orchestra. When his band toured the UK, the Prince of Wales (the future Edward VIII) sat in with them, garnering enough publicity to put them on the map. Bunny Berrigan, Jack LeMaire, and Skinnay Ennis were among his musicians.

Kay Kyser took over his original Carolina band when Kemp moved up to the big leagues with a string of popular records in the ’30s, radio appearances, and even bits on movies like His College Chum (1929) with Eddie Peabody and the all-star Radio City Revels (1938). During the ’30 he adopted a ballroom style similar to Paul Whiteman, but that began to become passe when swing took over. He had not yet adjusted his sound to changing tastes when he was killed in a car accident in 1940 at age 36 — one of the reasons he may not be as well remembered as some of his contemporaries.

For more about show business historyconsult No Applause, Just Throw Money: The Book That Made Vaudeville Famous, And please stay tuned for my upcomingElectric Vaudeville: A Century of Radio and TV Variety.