Clyde Doerr

Clyde Doerr

Alto and baritone saxophone player, Clyde Doerr, had been born in Kinderhook, Michigan, 24 June 1894. He studied violin by day at the King Conservatory in San Jose, CA, while cruising the watering holes by night, the latter convincing him that it was saxophone he ought pursue. After graduation he worked as a conductor but began his career in saxophone as a member of a combo at the Techau Tavern in San Francisco. Doerr joined the Art Hickman Orchestra in February of 1919 while it was booked at the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco, after which Hickman took his dance band to New York City to perform at the Biltmore Hotel. Doerr first recorded with Hickman's dance band that year. On 15 September of 1919 he was in Hickman's outfit for takes of 'Dance It Again With Me' (Columbia A2899) and 'Rose of Mandalay' (Columbia A2917). In the sample below he is indistinguishable alongside Bert Ralton, also on sax. Ralton played oboe and English horn as well as soprano and tenor sax.

'Rose of Mandalay'   Art Hickman Orchestra

Recorded 15 Sep 1919 in NYC   Columbia A2917

Composition: Herbert Claar

Doerr's first releases as a bandleader were in 1921 per 'Dapper Dan' (Victor 18831) and 'The Sheik' (Victor 18833). That was Paul Whiteman's Club Royal Orchestra with which Doerr performed at the time at the Grand Central Theatre in NYC. Doerr's career would consist largely of running hotel bands and recording in either his own name or as a sessions player. He would become popular within the industry, not so much with the general public. Though recording extensively either as a leader or backing sessions, the only title he placed on popularity charts (Billboard) was 'Suez' at #5 in January of 1923 [Tsort]. Doerr arrives during that gray period when what distinguishes popular ragtime from jazz is yet open to debate, that also in relation to what distinguishes popular dance bands from jazz bands due blending between the two, particularly as it was common for jazz musicians to populate dance bands which major venue was hotels doing big business on Saturday nights throughout the land. Hotel dance orchestras would later be called sweet bands. Doerr's operations were more along the line of hotel foxtrot, though he backed jazz bands and recorded numerous titles featuring saxophone solos. Their might be some jazz involved in 'Valse Hilda' and 'Saxanola' below if one view jazz as putting on extemporaneous fancy pants.

'Dapper Dan'   Clyde Doerr leading Paul Whiteman's Club Royal Orchestra

Recorded 2 Nov 1921 in NYC   Matrix B-25746 toward Victor 188319

Composition: Herbert Claar

'The Sheik (of Araby)'   Clyde Doerr leading Paul Whiteman's Club Royal Orchestra

Recorded 2 Nov 1921 in NYC   Matrix B-25747 toward Victor 188319

Composition: Ted Snyder

'I Wish I Knew'   Clyde Doerr & His Orchestra

Recorded 25 Aug 1922 in NYC   Victor 18947-B

Composition: Frank Anderson / Harry Bryant / Robert Spencer

'When the Leaves Come Tumbling Down'   Clyde Doerr & His Orchestra

Recorded 29 Aug 1922 in NYC   Matrix B-26740 toward Victor 18945 & HMV B 1457

Composition: Richard Howard

'Swanee Smiles'   Clyde Doerr & His Orchestra

Recorded 29 Aug 1922 in NYC   Matrix B-26741 toward Victor 18981 & HMV B 1520

Composition: Justin Ring

'Suez'   Clyde Doerr & His Orchestra

Recorded 31 Aug 1922 in NYC   Victor 18947-A & HMV B 1457   #5 Jan 1923

Composition: Ferde Grofé / Peter de Rose

'Valse Hilda'   Clyde Doerr

Recorded 6 Sep 1922 in NYC   Matrix B-26865 toward Victor 19028 & HMV B 1776

Composition: Clyde Doerr

'Saxanola'   Clyde Doerr

Recorded 6 Sep 1922 in NYC   Matrix B-26866 toward Victor 19028 & HMV B 1776

Composition: Clyde Doerr

Beginning in latter 1922 Doerr ran the house band at the Hotel Congress in Chicago for a couple of years. Returning to New York, he worked as a sessions musician until forming his briefly existing Saxophone Orchestra in latter 1925, soon losing "Saxophone" to become simply his Orchestra.

'You Can't Cry Over My Shoulder'   Clyde Doerr & His Orchestra

Recorded 31 March 1927 in NYC   Edison Diamond Disc 51989

Composition: Alex Marr / Will Mahoney / Bobby Heath

'What Do We Do On a Dew Dew Dewey Day'   Clyde Doerr & His Orchestra

Recorded 1 July 1927 in NYC   Edison Diamond Disc 52065

Composition: Al Sherman / Charles Tobias / Howard Johnson

'The Yale Blues'   Clyde Doerr & His Orchestra

Recorded 21 April 1928 in NYC   Edison Diamond Disc 52304

Music: Vivian Ellis   Lyrics: Collie Knox

Transitioning from the latter twenties into the thirties, Doerr apparently added writing background music for early sound films to his schedule. Running bands at hotels like the Biltmore or the Ritz in NYC along with recording in whatever capacity must have been lucrative, for he lost $50,000 due the stock market crash of 1929. Tom Lord traces Doerr to as late as 'One Little Quarrel' in 1931 with the High Hatters run by Leonard Joy. He likely appeared on later recordings unaccounted as a sessions player.

'One Little Quarrel'   The High Hatters led by Leonard Joy   Vocal: Frank Luther

Recorded 6 Nov 1931 in NYC   Victor 22873-B

Composition: Al Hoffman / Al Goodhart / Ed Nelson

In 1934 Doerr headed to the West coast to lead an NBC radio orchestra for a time before returning to NYC to teach saxophone, then spent several years to acquire a chiropractic degree and go into business. But that didn't shake for Doerr and he returned to California to live with his sister in San Jose in 1943. World War II was yet churning when he found work in Oakland for Schlage Lock as a tool and die maker where he kept for perhaps another quarter century(?) before retiring. He may yet have been with Schlage when he began selling real estate for Butterfield and Butterfield Realtors in Foster City circa 1969, he now living next door in San Mateo (south of San Francisco and southwest of Oakland across the Bay). Doerr had been retired from the music business above three decades before dying in obscurity on August 6, 1973, toward burial in Colma, California.