Dan A. Russo

Dan Russo (Chicago, 13 October 1885 — Hollywood, 5 September 1956) was an American violinist, songwriter, and big band leader during the 1920s and 1930s.

Russo assembled his first orchestra in Chicago at the beginning of the 1920s, which had an engagement at the Oriole Terrace in Detroit. This group was conducted together with the pianist Ted Fiorito, and became known under the name of the Oriole Orchestra, also performing at the Chicago Edgewater Beach Hotel. These performances were also broadcast on the radio in 1924. In 1926 they opened an engagement at the Aragon Ballroom. The orchestra consisted of three saxophonists, two trumpets, a trombone, a piano, a tuba, a banjo, drums, and Russo on the violin. Russo's orchestra was a well-known territory band in Chicago and the Midwest; Some recordings were made for the labels Columbia and Brunswick under the band names The Oriole Terrace Orchestra and Russo & Fiorito's Oriole Orchestra. In 1927, Fiorito and Russo parted, and each continued his own band; Russo took over the old band name for recordings until 1932.

Dan Russo also worked on the song "Toot, Toot, Tootsie (Goo' Bye!)", which he wrote with Gus Kahn and Ernie Erdman. It was played by Al Jolson & the Vitaphone Orchestra and was used on the soundtrack of Woody Allen's Bullets over Broadway (1994).

Birth and Death Data: Born Chicago (city and county seat of Cook County, and largest city in State of Illinois, United States of America), Died 1956 (Hollywood (neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, United States) )

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1920 - 1949

Roles Represented in DAHR: leader, composer, violin, songwriter, lyricist

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

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 53 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor B-26872 10-in. 9/13/1922 Toot, Toot, Tootsie! (Goo'bye) Roy Bargy ; Benson Orchestra of Chicago Jazz/dance band composer  
Victor B-27357 10-in. 12/28/1922 Toot, Toot, Tootsie (goo' bye) American Quartet Male vocal quartet, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-27371 10-in. 1/4/1923 Toot, Toot, Tootsie (goo' bye) Billy Murray ; Ed Smalle Male vocal duet, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-29822 10-in. 4/1/1924 My dream moon Benson Orchestra of Chicago ; Don Bestor Jazz/dance band composer  
Victor B-29827 10-in. 4/2/1924 Back in Hackensack, New Jersey Benson Orchestra of Chicago ; Don Bestor Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor B-31153 10-in. 11/9/1924 Moonlight and you Coon-Sanders Original Nighthawk Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet composer  
Victor BVE-34043 10-in. 12/18/1925 Lantern of love Russo and Fiorito's Oriole Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader  
Victor BVE-34044 10-in. 12/18/1925 That certain party Russo and Fiorito's Oriole Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal chorus leader  
Victor BVE-34045 10-in. 12/18/1925 I 'wanna' go where you go, do what you do, then I'll be happy Russo and Fiorito's Oriole Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader  
Victor BVE-34046 10-in. 12/18/1925 Kentucky's way of sayin' good-mornin' Russo and Fiorito's Oriole Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader  
Victor BVE-34051 10-in. 12/19/1925 I wish't I was in Peoria Russo and Fiorito's Oriole Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal chorus leader  
Victor BVE-34052 10-in. 12/19/1925 Somebody's eyes Russo and Fiorito's Oriole Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer, leader  
Victor BVE-34053 10-in. 12/19/1925 We will meet again in Normandy Russo and Fiorito's Oriole Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader  
Victor BVE-34590 10-in. 3/4/1926 I don't believe it, but say it again Russo and Fiorito's Oriole Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, violin, leader  
Victor BVE-34591 10-in. 3/4/1926 Sweet southern breeze Russo and Fiorito's Oriole Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, violin, leader  
Victor BVE-34592 10-in. 3/4/1926 Let's talk about my sweetie Russo and Fiorito's Oriole Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, violin, leader  
Victor BVE-35055 10-in. 3/12/1926 Nothing else to do but sit around and think about you Russo and Fiorito's Oriole Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, violin, leader  
Victor BVE-36253 10-in. 9/27/1926 The joker Russo and Fiorito's Oriole Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader  
Victor BVE-36254 10-in. 9/27/1926 Meadow lark Russo and Fiorito's Oriole Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with whistling leader  
Victor BVE-36292 10-in. 9/23/1926 Trying to forget Russo and Fiorito's Oriole Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Victor BVE-36430 10-in. 9/29/1926 Beside a garden wall Russo and Fiorito's Oriole Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader  
Victor D9VB-0679 10-in. 7/15/1949 Toot toot tootsie goodbye Tony Martin ; Skip Martin Orchestra Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble songwriter  
Columbia 80478 10-in. 8/15/1922 Toot, toot, Tootsie! (Goo'bye) Frank Westphal Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer  
Columbia 80532 10-in. 9/9/1922 Toot, Toot, Tootsie! (Goo'bye) Al Jolson Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 141404 10-in. 12/17/1925 Somebody's eyes Manhattan Dance Makers Jazz/dance band composer  
(Results 1-25 of 53 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Russo, Dan A.," accessed December 24, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/111149.

Russo, Dan A.. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 24, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/111149.

"Russo, Dan A.." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 24 December 2025.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/111149

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