Howard Lanin was the third most prominent figure in the family of musicians (see my info for the clip with Sam Lanin's Orchestra). His brother Sam was a major bandleader and director of the 1920s and early '30s, responsible for the enormous number of recordings and broadcasts. Lester was also the famed dance-band leader from the 1930s through the 1990s.
Howard was born in Philadelphia in 1898 to an immigrant Russian Jewish family, whose members (including father and grandfather) were brimming over with musical ability. By 1909 he entered music professionally, as a drummer in the orchestra at the Crystal Palace movie theater. He organized his first dance band of his own at 17 and spent the next 72 years leading bands. He remained based in Philadelphia for most of his career - unlike Sam and Lester, who moved to New York City. He recorded with various groups of his own, including the Benjamin Franklin Hotel Orchestra - and played dances, shows, and conventions for decades. He died in 1991 at age 93.
Recording: Howard Lanin and His Orchestra, v. Frank Harris - Black Bottom, Victor 1926
