Joseph Frankel

American klezmer bandleader

Joseph Frankel

Lieutenant Joseph Frankel (1882–1956) was an American klezmer musician, clarinetist and military band bandleader of the early 20th century.

## Biography

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### Early life

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Frankel was born in Kyiv, Kiev Governorate, Russian Empire, on October 19, 1882.[1][2] He began learning music at age five.[3] He entered the Kiev Conservatory in 1896, graduating with honours in 1899.[3][1] After graduating, he became bandleader for the 150th infantry unit of the Imperial Russian army.[3]

### Music career

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In 1904, Frankel toured the United States as the head of the Russian 14th regiment military band.[3] He decided to settle in the New York area, and married his wife Ida in 1905.[4][5]

At the outbreak of the First World War he was on tour in South America with a Russian orchestra.[3] He decided to become an American citizen and enlisted in the U.S. Army, becoming bandmaster of the 1st Field Artillery Regiment in New York City.[6]

His main recorded output took place during the period immediately after the First World War. During the period of 1919 to 1921 he recorded a series of klezmer music recordings for Columbia Records.[7] Some of these recordings incorporated elements of popular American music, with titles such as Yiddelach Shimmy Tantz (1919) or Yiddishe Blues (1919).

In the 1920s Frankel relocated to Philadelphia, where he directed a number of orchestras, not only the band of the 108th Field Artillery Regiment, the Municipal Band of Philadelphia, and the Hahnemann College orchestra.[1][8] He apparently resigned his military commission in 1926.[9] In 1928 Frankel volunteered his time as a bandleader to train a 25-person band at the National Farm School.[8] In the 1930s, with funding from the Works Progress Administration, Frankel put together a 90-person orchestra.[10]

Frankel died while visiting Boston on July 12, 1956.[11]

## References

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1. ^ a b c "U.S., Select Military Registers, 1862-1985 for Joseph Frankel. National Guard, 1927". Ancestry Library. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
2. ^ "Joseph Frankel in the U.S., Official National Guard Register, 1925". Ancestry Library. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
3. ^ a b c d e Sapoznik, Henry (1999). Klezmer! : Jewish music from Old World to our world. New York: Schirmer Books. pp. 93–4\. ISBN 9780028645742.
4. ^ "Joseph Frankel. United States Census, 1910". FamilySearch. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
5. ^ "Joseph Frankel. United States Census, 1930". FamilySearch. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
6. ^ "U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 for Joseph Frankel". Ancestry Library. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
7. ^ "Lt. Joseph Frankel's Orchestra - Discography of American Historical Recordings". Discography of American Historical Recordings.
8. ^ a b "Farm school to organize band". The Sentinel. March 2, 1928.
9. ^ "Joseph Frankel in the New York, U.S., Military Service Cards, 1816-1979". Ancestry Library. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
10. ^ "B'nai B'rith Sponsors Mass Good Will Philadelphia Fete". The American Jewish World. October 2, 1936.
11. ^ "Joseph Frankel. United States, GenealogyBank Historical Newspaper Obituaries, 1815-2011". FamilySearch. Retrieved December 13, 2020.

## External links

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* Joseph Frankel handwritten music scores in the Library of Congress collection
* Lt. Joseph Frankel Orchestra recordings in the Florida Atlantic University Judaica collection
* Lt. Joseph Frankel's Orchestra recordings list at the Discography of American Historical Recordings