Ben Bernie
Benjamin Anzelwitz, known professionally as Ben Bernie (May 30, 1891 – October 23, 1943), was an American jazz violinist, bandleader, and radio personality, often introduced as "The Old Maestro". He was noted for his showmanship and memorable bits of snappy dialogue, being part of the first generation of "stars" of American popular music, alongside other artists such as Paul Whiteman (a fellow violinist and bandleader), Ted Lewis and Al Jolson. |
Birth and Death Data: Born Bayonne, Died October 23, 1943 (Hollywood)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1918 - 1942
Roles Represented in DAHR: leader, composer, songwriter, vocalist, violin, speaker, lyricist, conductor, director
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 326-331 of 331 records)
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vocalion | 14075-14077 | 10-in. | 12/23/1924 | Why couldn’t it be poor little me? | Ben Bernie Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | leader | |
| Vocalion | 14082-14084 | 10-in. | 12/27/1924 | I’ll see you in my dreams | Ben Bernie Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | leader | |
| Decca | 69642 | 10-in. | 8/15/1941 | Li'l Abner | Ben Bernie Orchestra | vocalist | ||
| ARC | 11025 | 10-in. | 11/27/1931 | Who's your little who-zis? | Eton Boys ; Vic Irwin Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal ensemble | composer | |
| ARC | 19743 | 10-in. | 8/24/1936 | Sweet Georgia Brown | Jack Pierce and his Cowboys | Novelty string band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
| Columbia (U.K.) | WL2510 | 10-in. | 10/22/1930 | Pretty little baby | Josephine Baker | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | composer |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Bernie, Ben," accessed December 11, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/108895.
Bernie, Ben. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 11, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/108895.
"Bernie, Ben." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 11 December 2025.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Bernie, Ben, 1891-1943 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no89019116
Wikidata: Ben Bernie - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q816444
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/74036823
MusicBrainz: Ben Bernie - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/468d424c-76a6-4c1f-95ff-8adb8f3c0123
Fast: http://id.worldcat.org/fast/261293 - http://id.worldcat.org/fast/261293
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