TheWhangdoodle Entertainers, sometimes referred to as theWhangdoodle Trio,Whangdoodle Quartet,Whangdoodle Quintet,Whangdoodle Orchestra, andWhangdoodle Ensemble[a] was an Americanjazz andragtime band formed inSeattle, Washington. They routinely performed throughout the Seattle area from approximately 1907 to 1925.
The Entertainers (trio, quartet, quintet, orchestra, or ensemble)
Although members of the group rotated, along with the name[1][2] of the group, the manager was "Ace" Brooks of Seattle, Washington.[1]
The first mention of the Whangdoodle Four occurs in a newspaper announcement inThe Seattle Republican at the end of 1907.[3] A brief 1909 article in theFreeman: An Illustrated Colored Newspaper lists the members of the Whangdoodle Trio asP. G. Lowery, first mandolin; F.R. Brooks, manager, second mandolin; J.P. Faulkner, tenor, cello; F.E. Lowry, baritone, harp, guitar; and H.E. Mables, bass.[4]
A photo of the Whangdoodle Entertainers, from The Freeman newspaper, 1914, lists the members as C.A. Hughes, H.T. Hollie, F.D. Waldron, F.R. Brooks, and Coddy J. Jones.[5] The Whangdoodle Entertainers performedragtime,string band music, and jazz.[6]
An advertisement from The Seattle Star, July 9, 1920, advertising an excursion featuring music from "Brooke's Whangdoodle Entertainers and Jazz Orchestra".
F.R., Frank "Ace" Brooks: Popular musician, vocalist, and comedian who toured the country. Manager of the Whangdoodle Entertainers.[7][8][1] Before forming the Whangdoodlers, Brooks performed with the Sherrah Quartette[9] which was part of a circus sideshow in 1900 and 1901 under P.G. Lowery's management.[10] A note in the February 16, 1901 edition of The Freeman states, "F.R. Brooks, better known as the "Easy going ace," keeps the house in a continuous uproar all the time he is on the stage. He is naturally one of the funniest comedians in the business."[11]
Coddy (Coty) J. Jones
P. G. Lowery: A touring musician, entrepreneur, and band leader, who was referred to as, "The world's greatest colored cornet soloist."[12]
C.A. Hughes
H.T. Hollie
J.P. Faulkner
F.E. Lowry
H.E. Mables
Frank D. Waldron: (1890-1955) A jazz cornetist, alto saxophonist, trumpeter, composer, bandleader, and music teacher who lived in Seattle, Washington.[13]
^Variations onWhangdoodle used in the press includedWhang Doodle,Wang Doodle,Wangdoodle, andWhangdoodlers. Modern sources sometimes misspell this asWang Doodle.
^"Advertisement: Pantages Theater".The Oregonian. August 26, 1908.
^"Personal and Social".The Seattle Republican. Vol. XIV, no. 31. Seattle, WA. December 27, 1907. p. 8.ISSN2157-3271.OCLC942694229. RetrievedMarch 3, 2021 – via Chronicling America « Library of Congress.
^"The Stage, F.R. (Ace) Brooks".The Freeman. December 25, 1909.
^"Whangdoodle Ensemble, Seattle".The Freeman. January 3, 1914.
^Armbruster, Kurt (2011).Before Seattle Rocked: A City and Its Music. Seattle: University of Washington Press. pp. 69–71.ISBN978-0-295-99113-9.
^"Chicago".The Freeman: An Illustrated Colored Newspaper. July 20, 1901.
^Abbott, Lynn (2007).Ragged but right : black traveling shows, "coon songs," and the dark pathway to blues and jazz. Doug Seroff (1st ed.). Jackson.ISBN978-1-60473-148-4.OCLC226379028.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^"Notes from W.I. Swain's Original Nashville Students".The Freeman. February 16, 1901.
