Nat Gonella

Nat Gonella

Source: Library of Congress

Folks in America were oblivious to the existence of bandleader and vocalist, Nat Gonella, but in England his came to be a huge name. Of Gonella's long catalogue of releases, the vast majority were by his own bands, though during his earlier career he had also worked with such as Roy Fox, Lew Stone, Ray Starita, The Blue Mountaineers and Ray Noble.

Born on 7 March 1908 in London, Gonella's first professional engagement was playing trumpet with a pit orchestra, the Busby Boys Band, in 1924. He quit that outfit in 1928 to work for the Louisville Band, then joined Billy Cotton's orchestra in 1929, with which he issued his first recordings the following year from a session on August 14 for the Regal label: 'The Rhythm Man', 'Sittin' on a Rainbow' and 'I've Gotta Have You'. His marriage to Betty in 1930 would last to 1936.

'That Rhythm Man'   Billy Cotton and His Band

Recorded 14 Aug 1930 in London toward Regal MR157

Trumpet: Sid Buckman / Nat Gonella   Trombone: Joe Ferrie

Clarinet / sax: Mick Burberry / Ronnie Coulbertson / Jimmy Shankland

Alto sax / violin: Sid Lipton   Piano: Clem Bernard

Guitar / banjo: Les Casey   Tuba / bass: Joe White   Drums: Donald Whitelaw

Vocal trio: Sid Buckman / Nat Gonella / Joe Ferrie

Composition: Fats Waller / Harry Brooks / Andy Razaf

'You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me'   Billy Cotton and His Band

Recorded 4 Sep 1930 in London toward Columbia DC-2016

Trumpet: Sid Buckman / Nat Gonella   Trombone: Joe Ferrie

Clarinet / sax: Mick Burberry / Ronnie Coulbertson / Jimmy Shankland

Alto sax / violin: Sid Lipton   Piano: Clem Bernard

Guitar / banjo: Les Casey   Tuba / bass: Joe White   Drums: Donald Whitelaw

Vocal: Nat Gonella

Composition: Sammy Fain / Pierre Norman / Irving Kahal

'Tell Me, Are You from Georgia?'   Roy Fox and His Band

Recorded 18 August 1931 at the Monseigneur Restaurant in London   Decca F-2451

Vocals: Al Bowlly / Nat Gonella

Composition: Noel Gay / Joe Gilbert

'It Ain't No Fault of Mine'   Roy Fox and His Band

June 1932   Film by British Pathe

Pianio: Lew Stone    Guitar: Al Bowlly   Vocal: / Nat Gonella

Composition: Joe Davis / Spencer Williams 1929

Gonella was heavy into Louis Armstrong whom he had a chance to meet when Armstrong visited London in July of 1932. Gonella's first titles as a leader arrived on September 14 with 'I Can't Believe that You're in Love with Me' and 'I Heard' released as Nat Gonella and His Trumpet.

'When You're Smiling'   Nat Gonella and His Trumpet

Recorded 15 Nov 1932 in London toward Decca F-3292

Trumpet: Nat Gonella / Alfie Noakes   Trombone: Joe Ferrie

Clarinet / sax: Jim Easton / Ernest Ritte

Tenor sax / violin: Harry Berly   Piano: Eddie Carroll

Guitar: Al Bowlly   String bass: Tiny Winters   Drums: Bill Harty

Vocal: Nat Gonella

Composition: Larry Shay / Mark Fisher / Joe Goodwin

In 1933 Gonella published 'Modern Style Trumpet Playing'. 'Georgia on My Mind' (Hoagy Carmichael) was issued with 'Sweet Sue, Just You' (Victor Young) in the summer of 1934. Due the popularity of his band's performances of Carmichael's tune, Gonella named his band the Georgians. The first configuration of that ensemble had recorded 'Don't Let Your Love Go Wrong' and 'Moon Glow' in November of 1934: Albert Torrance and George Evans (alto sax), Don Barrigo (tenor sax), Harold Hood (piano), Arthur Baker (guitar), Will Hemmings (bass) and Bob Dryden (drums).

'Georgia on My Mind'   Nat Gonella and His Trumpet

Recorded 15 May 1934 in London

Take 2 of 2 issued on 'And The Bands Played On' Decca DDV5001/2

(Take 1 issued on Decca F-3992)

Trumpet: Nat Gonella   Piano: Eddie Carroll

Piano / accordion: Monia Liter   Violin: Brian Lawrance

String bass: Harry Wilson   Drums: Bob Dryden

Vocal: Nat Gonella

Composition: Hoagy Carmichael / Stuart Gorrell 1930

'Troublesome Trumpet'   Nat Gonella and His Trumpet

Recorded 2 July 1934 in London   Decca F-5108

Trumpet: Nat Gonella   Tenor sax: Don Barrigo

Piano: Harold Hood   Accordion: Frank Gregori   Violin: Brian Lawrance

String bass: Harry Wilson   Drums: Bob Dryden

Vocal: Nat Gonella

Composition: Michael Carr

'I Can't Dance, I Got Ants in My Pants'   Nat Gonella and His Trumpet

Recorded 26 Oct 1934 in London   Decca F-5322

Trumpet: Nat Gonella   Alto sax: Albert Torrance / George Evans

Tenor sax: Don Barrigo

Piano: Harold Hood   Guitar: Arthur Baker

String bass: Will Hemmings   Drums: Bob Dryden

Vocal: Nat Gonella

Composition: Charlie Gaines / Clarence Williams

'Moon Glow'   Nat Gonella and His Georgians

Recorded 2 Nov 1934 in London   Parlophone R-1983

Trumpet: Nat Gonella   Alto sax: Albert Torrance / George Evans

Tenor sax: Don Barrigo

Piano: Harold Hood   Guitar: Arthur Baker

String bass: Will Hemmings   Drums: Bob Dryden

Vocal: Nat Gonella

Composition: Irving Mills / Edgar De Lange / Will Hudson

'Sensation'   Nat Gonella and His Georgians

Session unknown for Odeon OF 5006 dated 1935 by Jan van den Belt

(11 Sep 1935 in London for Parlophone F-226 - identical?)

Composition: Irving Mills / Edgar De Lange / Will Hudson

It was 1938 when Gonella visited New York City with his girlfriend, vocalist, Stella Moya, whom he had met in 1936. While there he visited with Armstrong a second time as well as Billie Holiday. In January of 1939 he held a couple sessions with the John Kirby Orchestra, one with Buster Bailey at clarinet for titles released on Parlophone, another a jam session at the Hickory House with trumpeter, Harry James.

Gonella was touring with Moya and his Georgians on the Continent when World War II commenced in September of 1939, making it dangerous, between evading Italian bombs and German torpedoes, to return to England. Gonella married Moya around the time that he formed his larger ensemble, the New Georgians, toward titles like 'I Haven't Time to Be a Billionaire' and 'No, Mama, No' gone down in August 1940.

'Hot Dogs'   Nat Gonella and His New Georgians

Recorded 24 Sep 1940 in London   Matrix CA-18146-1   Columbia FB 2503

Trumpet: Nat Gonella / Jack Wallace / C. Oughton   Trombone: Miff King

Clarinet / sax: Jock Middleton / Jack Bonser / Joe Moore / Mickey Seidman

Piano: Norman Stenfalt   Guitar: Roy Dexter

String bass: Will Hemmings   Drums: Johnny Roland

Vocal: Nat Gonella

'Juanita'   Nat Gonella and His New Georgians

Recorded 24 Sep 1940 in London   Matrix CA-18147-1   Columbia FB 2503

Trumpet: Nat Gonella / Jack Wallace / C. Oughton   Trombone: Miff King

Clarinet / sax: Jock Middleton / Jack Bonser / Joe Moore / Mickey Seidman

Piano: Norman Stenfalt   Guitar: Roy Dexter

String bass: Will Hemmings   Drums: Johnny Roland

Vocal: Nat Gonella

Gonella was recruited into the British Army as of July 1941 to become a member of Stars in Battledress, a British Armed Forces entertainment organization, later that year. He was then transferred to the band of the Tank Corps to perform in Africa, Sicily and Italy into 1945, after which service he put the Georgians back together, then married a third time in 1946, now to Dorothy.

'Let Him Go, Let Him Tarry'   Nat Gonella and His Georgians

Recorded 20 July 1945 in London   Decca F-8552

Trumpet: Nat Gonella / Monty Montgomery / Leon Steinberg

Trombone: Frank Osborne   Clarinet / alto sax: Jack Forbes / Ken Lumb

Tenor sax: Dennis Cracknell / Chris Curtis

Piano: Jack Penn   String bass: Bert Howard   Drums: Dave Fullerton

Vocal: Nat Gonella

'Georgia on My Mind'   From the album 'The Nat Gonella Story'

Album recorded 1/6/7 Feb 1961   EMI NTS146

Trumpet: Nat Gonella / Stan Roderick   Trombone: Jock Bain

Trombone: Frank Osborne   Clarinet / alto sax: Jack Forbes / Ken Lumb

Tenor sax: Dennis Cracknell / Chris Curtis

Piano: Jack Penn   String bass: Bert Howard   Drums: Dave Fullerton

Vocal: Nat Gonella

'Oh Monah'   Nat Gonella w the Ted Easton Jazzband   Television   1975

Drums: Ted Easton   Composition: Ted Weems / Joe Washburne

'Oh Monah'   Nat Gonella w the Ted Easton Jazzband   Television   1975

Drums: Ted Easton   Composition: Ted Weems / Joe Washburne

'We Wish You a Merry Christmas'

Nat Gonella w the Ted Easton Jazzband   Television   1975

Drums: Ted Easton   Composition: Galaxy / Amy King / Wikipedia

'Nagasaki'   Nat Gonella w Digby Fairweather's New Georgians   Television   1984

Composition: Mort Dixon / Harry Warren 1933

Gonella published his autobiography, 'Georgia On My Mind: The Nat Gonella Story', in 1985. Tom Lord's discography lists Gonella's final commercial recordings per the Concorde Club in Southampton on February 8, 1998, with titles like 'Shine' and 'Stormy Weather' released on Avid CD AMSC634. The author at My Gosport (England) has him making a final recording of 'When I Kiss the World Goodbye' in May of 1998, probably private since so obscure that My Gosport is the only place that mentions it. Gonella died three months later on 6 August of 1998 leaving a legacy of nearly seventy years of recordings [obit].

Sources & References for Nat Gonella:

All Music

My Gosport (England / Malcolm Dent)

VF History (notes)

Wikipedia

Audio of Gonella: Internet Archive   YouTube

British Dance Bands: Rivals of Gonella:

Bert Ambrose born Poland:

Spike Hughes born England:

HMR Project   Wikipedia