Sylvester Ahola

Sylvester Ahola (May 24, 1902 – February 13, 1995), a.k.a. Hooley, was a classic jazz trumpeter and cornetist born in Gloucester, Massachusetts. His parents, Sophia and John Ahola, were born in Finland. He became most popular in England rather than the United States, and he first began performing with Frank Ward and His Orchestra. In 1925 he started playing with Paul Specht and His Orchestra, with whom he did a two-month-long tour of England that following year. For the next couple of years he performed with bands like The California Ramblers and Adrian Rollini and his band.

In 1927 he moved to England and landed a job playing with the Savoy Orpheans and then gigged with Bert Firman and Bert Ambrose. The British Musicians' Union, unhappy to see a foreigner land so many jobs and attain so much success, effectively prohibited him from playing with anyone other than Bert Ambrose. This forced him to eventually leave in 1931 and return to New York City, where he never again achieved the level of success he had enjoyed during his time in England.

Birth and Death Data: Born May 24, 1902 (Gloucester), Died February 13, 1995 (Massachusetts)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1926

Roles Represented in DAHR: trumpet, leader

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Edison 11378 10-in. 12/17/1926 Looking at the world through rose-colored glasses Ethel Stanley Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet, leader  
Edison 11379 10-in. 12/17/1926 My baby's back (Cock-a-doodle, I'm off my noodle) Ethel Stanley Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet, leader  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Ahola, Sylvester," accessed April 24, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106877.

Ahola, Sylvester. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 24, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106877.

"Ahola, Sylvester." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 24 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106877

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