Ben POLLACK born 1903 in Chicago to a family in the fur business. He was a talented drummer and a bandleader, active from 1926 (Ben Pollack and His Californians) thru 1930s (Ben Pollack and His Park Central Orch., Ben Pollack and His Orchestra, Ben Pollack And His Pick-A-Rib Boys). He had an excellent ear for the music as well as for the future luminaires and his bands always included such personae in the Word of jazz as Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Harry James,, Mugsy Spanier, Jack Teagarden,, Frank Teschemacher or Bud Freeman. From the Dixieland style, that he favoured, leading bands in New Orleans, Chicago, and Los Angeles, Ben Pollack in 1930s became the leader of the swing band working with then unknown Harry James and Freddie Slack, as well as trumpeter Shorty Sherock, clarinetist Irving Fazola, and saxophonist Dave Matthews . In the early 1930s Pollack fell in love with vocalist Doris Robbins, and the two eventually married. As he began to concentrate more and more on her career and less on the orchestra his musicians became disgruntled. In 1940s Ben Pollack was a director of the touring band behind music/comedy star Chico Marx - though he may have had an all-star line-up he was unable to keep most of them for very long. In 1971 he died , hanging himself in his flat in Palm Springs, California.
Recording: Ben Pollack & His Park Central Orchestra, voc. Scrappy Lambert - On With the Dance! (Monaco /Leslie / Dubin), Victor 1929
