Lew Stone
b. Louis Stone, 28 June 1898, London, England, d. 13 February 1969, London, England. A self-taught musician, Stone developed into a first-class pianist and arranger, and led one of the leading dance bands of the '30s. His book, HARMONY AND ORCHESTRATION FOR THE MODERN DANCE BAND, became the standard work for 20 years. In 1925, Stone played piano for the London Aeolian Band, and worked for Bert Ralton shortly before Ralton's death on an African safari. From 1927-31 he was a freelance arranger for many name bands including Ambroseand Jack Payne, before joining Roy Fox at the Monseigneur Restaurant in London's Piccadilly. When Fox left in 1932, Stone took over and formed his own band from a nucleus of Fox personnel, including Joe Ferrie and Lew Davis (trombones), Joe Crossman and Ernest Ritte (saxophones), Nat Gonella and Alfie Noakes (trumpets), Bill Harty (drums), Tiny Winters (bass), and vocalist Al Bowlly. Ferrie, Gonella and Winters also sang regularly with the band. They broadcast regularly on Tuesday nights, introduced by the band's theme, Oh Susannah, and throughout the '30s recorded a selection of ‘hot’ titles including White Jazz/Blue Jazz, Tiger Rag, Milenbourg Joys, Call Of The Freaks, comedy numbers such as Annie Doesn't Live Here Any More, and, most significantly, sentimental ballads of the day sung by Al Bowlly. Bowlly stayed with Stone until 1934, and contributed some of what is regarded as his best work on songs such as I'll Never Be The Same, Just Let Me Look At You, What A Little Moonlight Can Do, Easy Come, Easy Go, How Could We Be Wrong? and With My Eyes Wide Open I'm Dreaming. He also sang on Stone's only US hit, Isle Of Capri, and returned to the band for a spell in the late '30s. Besides playing clubs such as the Hollywood Restaurant and the Café De Paris in between provincial theatre tours, Stone was the musical director for British and Dominion Films, and worked on over 40 movies including Goodnight Vienna with Jack Buchanan, BITTER SWEET and THE LITTLE DAMOZEL both starring Anna Neagle and featuring the Stone Band. He also worked as musical director for several West End shows such as Rodgers And Hart's On Your Toes, as well as HIDE AND SEEK and Under Your Hat, both starring Cicely Courtneidge. During World War II, Stone led several small groups including the Novatones and the Stonecrackers as well as his big band which he used for touring dancehalls, military camps and variety theatres. From 1947-49, he led the theatre orchestra for Irving Berlin's big hit, Annie Get Your Gun, at the London Coliseum. During the '50s he continued to play top clubs such as the Pigalle and Oddenino's besides appearing at big Mecca ballrooms in Scotland and the north of England. In 1959 he disbanded the orchestra and assembled a sextet for broadcasting, which he led until 1967, although he devoted most of his time in the '60s to the agency Lew Stone Entertainment Service. Unlike many of the successful bandleaders who came to prominence in the '30s Stone was not a showman and never sought the limelight. Today he is remembered as one of the most skilful, innovative and imaginative arrangers of his era.