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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZAPOLLON, Dave(b Kiev, Russia, 23 Feb 1898; d Las Vegas, 30 May '72) Virtuoso mandolinist who became a role model for later mandolinists such as David Grisman, Andy Statman, Tim Ware etc. Travelling through Asia he reached San Francisco '19, worked in vaudeville and revues incl. Mae West's Ginger Box Review '23: she recalled him fondly and humorously in her autobiography Goodness Has Nothing To Do With It. Recorded '32 for Brunswick; around '35 as Dave and his Apollonians made probably the first jazz mandolin recording, a private cover of Jerome Kern's 'Who'. Signed to Decca '40, an album of 78s was called Dave Apollon -- The Man With The Mandolin '41. Cut Modern Gypsy Melodies for Manor '46; gypsy music had been a love of his to which he often returned (he jammed with Django Reinhardt during Reinhardt's tour with Duke Ellington that year). Lots Of Love '56 on his own Romance label used lush string arrangements. He moved to Las Vegas '58, signed to Coral '61 and released albums with the word 'mandolin' in the title: The Magic Of The Mandolin, Travelin' Mandolin etc. His health began to fail; at his request his first mandolin was cremated with him. The Yazoo compilation Dave Apollon Mandolin Virtuoso '80 was compiled by David Grisman, collects his virtuosity and powers of invention; two tracks also on Yazoo's earlier String Ragtime: To Do This You Got To Know How. Two-CD The Man With The Mandolin -- Complete Recordings 1930--56 '97 on Acoustic Disc was not complete, leaving out the saccharine, but a good survey; the notes quote Grisman, who says that mandolin virtuoso Jethro Burns (see Homer and Jethro) named Apollon as the greatest of all. |