Phil Spitalny

Phil Spitalny is one of those popular bandleaders of the 1920s and '30s whose fame didn't survive him. Born in Russia, he was brought to the United States as a boy, and by the '20s, was fronting his own band. Among his other successful records from the '20s were "Jackass Blues" and "I Want to Meander in the Meadow," credited to Phil Spitalny's Music. Spitalny later distinguished himself from virtually all of the competition with a gimmick that worked: leading orchestras made up entirely of women, billed as Phil Spitalny & His All-Girl Orchestra. They were a good outfit, able...