Leonard Stanley “Doc” Ryker
Doc Ryker is one of only two musicians (the other was Howdy Quicksell) who was with the legendary Jean Goldkette Orchestra from its inception in 1922 until it was disbanded in 1927. During these years, Doc played with several famous jazz and dance band musicians such as Steve Brown, Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey, Eddie Lang, Bill Rank, Frank Trumbauer, Joe Venuti, and, last but not least, Bix Beiderbecke. I venture to guess that, if I were to ask any Bixophile for a list of the three most important Bix recordings of all times, the majority would include “Singin’ the Blues”, “I’m Coming Virginia”, and “Clementine” in their lists. It turns out that Doc Ryker played with Bix in each one of these seminal recordings.
Thus, Doc Ryker should be viewed, if only for historical reasons, as an important jazz musician when it comes to the subject of Bixology and jazz and dance bands from the 1920’s. But he was much more than that. By all accounts, Doc Ryker was an accomplished musician who played excellent lead alto saxophone; a perceptive man who defined, succinctly and accurately, Bix’s style as “sweet-hot”; a principled individual who did not compromise his artistic integrity: “We were strictly a musician’s band,” Doc Ryker told writer Amy Lee in 1940. “We played the way we wanted to, and didn’t care whether the people liked it or not. The boys just couldn’t – and wouldn’t – play hokum.” (Richard M. Sudhalter, “Lost Chords: White Musicians and Their Contribution to Jazz, 1915-1945, Oxford University Press, 1999, p. 317).
I was very fortunate to have met Grace “Rickey” Bauchelle, the daughter of Doc Ryker, and her husband, Don Bauchelle, at the 1999 Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Jazz Festival in Davenport, Iowa. Rickey and Don have been very gracious and generous: they have shared with me a lot of the material and documentation that Norma Ryker, Doc’s wife and Rickey’s mother, had kept as part of the family’s precious possessions. I, in turn, and with their permission, am pleased to share with the readers of the Bixography web site some of the material Rickey and Don kindly gave me.
Transcription (verbatim) of a Five Page Document Hand Written by Norma Ryker in the 1970s.
“Doc” Ryker
“Doc” was born (on February 3, 1898, editor’s addition) at Manville, Indiana, a suburb of Madison, Indiana, and “Rykers Ridge” on the Ohio River. Parents were Herbert H. and Ida Jones Ryker. They moved to Indianapolis in “Doc’s” early school years, and he attended # 57 grade school, Manual Training High School, Butler University, and was admitted to Phi Delta Theta Fraternity. Shortly after W. W, I was declared, he enlisted and left College.
His outfit was soon sent to Fort Shelby at Hattiesburg, Miss. where he was made Company Bugler, as he had studied cornet for a year in Indianapolis. At that time a new instrument had entered the scene in Indianapolis when the Six Brown Brothers came to town, the first time “Doc” had seen or heard a saxophone, and he was fascinated and wanted one. His folks sent him one shortly after he arrived at Camp Shelby.
As Company Bugler, he was allowed from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. to practice bugling. He used to take his sax and bugle and go far from Camp to practice, putting his book up in a small scrub oak tree, and teaching himself how to play saxophone. Some of the other boys in Camp could play instruments and they soon were playing music for jobs in Hattiesburg and for officers parties. By the time their Company was shipped overseas, (one year) they had greatly improved and were considered pretty fair musicians.Upon his return from France, he soon received a call from Cliff Wagoner, (drums) “who lived near me in Indianapolis, and had been in my Company in the Army, to try out for a small dance band job, which I got” says “Doc”. “Cliff’s brother Fred, Everett Hughes, Ernie Karch, and Russ Holler were also in that band. We harmonized together, and it went quite well.”
His first steady job was at Crystal Theater with Tade Dolan, then later on he went to Isis Theater with Glen and Ruby Jones for a while.
He decided to study Chiropractic at Ross College in Fort Wayne, Indiana and met John Watt who had an orchestra there. He soon was playing club jobs, while going to school. It was there that he first played with Howdy Quicksell. After his course was over, he went to Chicago and took a medical review course, then took the State Board of Medicine Examination (which lasted three days) and got a license to practice in Illinois. He never followed up on this, as music was too lucrative. This is where he got the name “Doc” from the musicians he played with.
“I went back to Indianapolis to see the folks”, “Doc”, said, “and got a call for a job at the Canoe Club. They needed a banjo player so I called Howdy Quicksell.”
“Doc” went on a job in Louisville, Ky. with Horace Waters for a while, then received a call from Jean Goldkette in Detroit. Howdy Quicksell had recommended him for saxophone after he had met Charlie Horvath, Goldkette’s right-hand man. They were forming a new band to be called the Jean Goldkette Orchestra. He got the job and was with the band from the beginning until it disbanded in 1927 – Sept. 18th at Roseland Ballroom in New York City.
Paul Whiteman was offering some of the men a job in his band. Adrian Rollini was getting a band together for a job in the New Yorker Hotel, and George Gershwin invited “Doc” to join the group he was assembling for a new musical show “Funny Face” featuring Fred and Adele Astaire that was to open in a new theater, named the Alvin on Broadway soon. It ran over a year, but Adele wanted to leave to marry an English Lord, so it closed, and Fred went to L.A. to make movies.
Jean Goldkette had several other groups of musicians under his banner, so when Frank Trumbauer came to Detroit in the early spring of 1926, Jean took him on, as he had booked a summer job at Hudson Lake Casino, Indiana, 20 miles from South Bend. He also had a Casino at Island Lake for that same summer, where the Victor Goldkette orchestra had played the previous year (1925). Jean decided to divide up the Victor Goldkette Band and augment each half with some of Frank Trumbauer’s men, and therefore keep both groups working all summer. The group that Bix was in, was composed of:
- Frank Trumbauer, sax;
- Dee Orr, drums;
- Dan Gaebe, bass;
- Pee Wee Russell, tenor sax and clarinets;
- Sonny Lee, trombone.
The Goldkette men were:
- “Doc” Ryker, sax and baritone;
- Freddie Farrar, trumpet;
- Itzy Riskin, piano;
- Frank DiPrima, banjo.
The band went over well, and everyone liked Bix. He was easy to get along with, and always had girls that liked him. The married couples had a cottage to live in, but the single fellows all lived in one cottage across from the Blue Lantern Ballroom, next to the hotel, where you had to take your showers @ 25c each, as there were no real bath facilities in the cottages. As Pee Wee and Bix were not too anxious to keep clean, some of the boys got them out on the lake and dumped them in, so they got a bath. Bix took it all in good stead, the only time he seemed to get annoyed was if anyone told him he played like Red Nichols. He thought Red was a pretty mechanical player, but he liked him personally. He really liked everybody.
Edith Horvath (Charlie’s wife) and I used to try to clean up the boys’ cottage, as they left all the sour milk and cartons, tin cans, and leftovers, and all debris left all over and it was a mess. A funny thing happened to Edith one day when she had poured into a large wash basin, all the sour milk and garbage, intending to take it outside to dump it, when she slipped on the porch and went down into all the mess. Fortunately, she wasn’t hurt, but she ruined a woolen bathrobe she had on over her clothes as it was so cold that day.
Sundays were the day that the musicians from Chicago would come out to hear the band especially Bix, and once a very young man in his teens came by the name of Benny Goodman. Six or seven years later he was in N. Y. and played a job in New Brunswick, N. J. for Tommy Dorsey who hired Doc for it also, and Buddy Freeman. We lived in the same apartment building in Jackson Heights, Long Island, at that time with Tommy. Tommy hadn’t started his own band yet but was playing at radio stations and booking jobs on the side. He had arranged for us to move into the same Apt. Bldg. as he and Toots lived in, in Jackson Hts. when we decided to move out of N. Y. hotels.
Doc worked at the Astor Hotel for a year, also at several favorite nightspots including the Palais D’Or, Hollywood Restaurant, several Schubert shows, and fronted his own band for a year at the Corso Restaurant in Yorkville. He also taught saxophone, until his pupils were drafted in W. W. II. Then he retired from the music business.During the war years, he worked at the Sperry Gyroscope Co. on Long Island for 23 years. Sperry had many recreation club features for employees and we joined a dance club and learned all the latest dances, especially the Latin dances.
Since retirement in 1965, from Sperry, we have enjoyed teaching dancing here in Florida where we now live, and also our trips out to Davenport each year to honor Bix. We were present at the first memorialin 1971 (it was fabulous) before the B. B. M. S. of Davenport was formed and have continued each year in order to support it.
“Doc” and I met on a double date, with Howdy Quicksell and his date at the Graystone in Detroit. We’ll celebrate our 52nd Anniversary on April 14, 1978. Swimming, dancing, and travel are our hobbies.
Additional, Complementary Information.
In 1921, Jean Goldkette was musical director for the Detroit Athletic Club. He directed a semi-classical group during the week and had a small dance band for weekends. But Jean wanted to have a large dance band (a la Whiteman) under his own name, and in 1922 his chance came up: he and his friend Charles Horvath were asked to run the Graystone Ballroom and they took the opportunity to organize a large dance band. In 1923, the owners of the Graystone could not pay the band and turned over the ballroom to Jean who remodeled it and hired additional musicians to make the band into the “greatest hot white band” in the country. The following year, the Goldkette band started its fabulous recording career with the Victor Company.
A “Swing Magazine” issue of 1939, details how Jean built his orchestra. In the Spring of 1922, Howdy Quicksell went to Detroit where there were rumors of good jobs to be found with a band for a new ballroom. Howdy went to an audition where he met Charles Horvath who, in addition to playing drums, was the manager of the new band. Howdy suggested to Horvath that he get in touch with Doc Ryker, a good prospect as an alto saxman. Both Howdy and Doc were selected for the new band. The band continued evolving and adding players in 1923 and 1924. Doc Ryker suggested Bill Rank, a fellow musician from Indianapolis. Thus started the legendary Jean Goldkette orchestra, which eventually would include Bix and Tram.
Chronological Discography
Includes only recordings that were issued.
- March 27, 1924, Detroit, MI, Jean Goldkette and His Orchestra
In The Evening
Where The Lazy Daisies Grow
It’s The Blues
Eileen
- March 28, 1924, Detroit, MI, with Jean Goldkette and His Orchestra
Fox Trot Classique
Cover Me Up With Sunshine of Virginia
- November 24, 1924, Detroit, MI, with Jean Goldkette and His Orchestra
I Didn’t Know (with Bix)
I Want To See My Tennessee
Remember - November 25, 1924, Detroit, MI, with Jean Goldkette and His Orchestra
Play Me Slow
Honest And Truly
What’s The Use of Dreaming?
Adoration (with Bix)
- January 28, 1926, New York, NY, with Jean Goldkette and His Orchestra
After I Say I’m Sorry
Dinah
- February 3, 1926, New York, NY, with Jean Goldkette and His Orchestra
Behind the Clouds
Drifting Apart
- February 4, 1926, New York, NY, with Jean Goldkette and His Orchestra
Sorry and Blue
- April 22, 1926, Camden, NJ, with Jean Goldkette and His Orchestra
Roses
- April 23, 1926, Camden, NJ, with Jean Goldkette and His Orchestra
Gimme A Little Kiss, Will Ya? Huh?
From here on, unless specified otherwise, all recordings include Bix
- October 12, 1926, New York, NY, with Jean Goldkette and His Orchestra
Idolizing
Hush-A-Bye
- October 15, 1926, New York, NY, with Jean Goldkette and His Orchestra
I’d Rather Be the Girl In Your Arms
Sunday
Cover Me Up With Sunshine
- January 28, 1927, New York, NY, with Jean Goldkette and His Orchestra
Proud Of A Baby Like You
I’m Looking Over a Four-Leaf Clover
- January 31, 1927, New York, NY, with Jean Goldkette and His Orchestra
I’m Gonna Meet My Sweetie Now
Proud Of A Baby Like You
- February 1, 1927, New York, NY, with Jean Goldkette and His Orchestra
Look At The World And Smile
My Pretty Girl
- February 3, 1927, New York, NY, with Jean Goldkette and His Orchestra
Sunny Disposish
A Lane In Spain
- February 4, 1927, New York, NY, with Frankie Trumbauer and His Orchestra
Clarinet Marmalade
Singin’ The Blues
- May 6, 1927, Camden, NJ, with Jean Goldkette and His Orchestra
Slow River
- May 9, 1927, New York, NY, with Frankie Trumbauer and His Orchestra
Ostrich Walk
Riverboat Shuffle
- May 13, 1927, New York, NY, with Frankie Trumbauer and His Orchestra
I’m Coming Virginia
Way Down Yonder In New Orleans
- May 16, 1927, Camden, NJ, with Jean Goldkette and His Orchestra
In My Merry Oldsmobile (no Bix)
- May 23, 1927, Camden, NJ, with Jean Goldkette and His Orchestra
In My Merry Oldsmobile
August 25, 1927, New York, NY, with Frankie Trumbauer and His Orchestra
Three Blind Mice
Blue River
There’s A Cradle In Caroline
- September 15, 1927, New York, NY, with Jean Goldkette and His Orchestra
Blue River
Clementine
- September 16, 1927, New York, NY, with Joe Herlihy and His Orchestra
Bye-Bye, Pretty Baby (no Bix)
Rolling Around in Roses (no Bix)
According to Brian Rust, the musicians in Joe Herlihy’s orchestra are James Hanson, Fuzzy Farrar, Bill Rank, Don Murray, Doc Ryker, Frank Trumbauer, Itzy Riskin, Howdy Quicksell, Steve Brown Chauncey Morehouse, basically the Jean Goldkette orchestra. It is noteworthy that these records are not listed in the complete Trumbauer discography in “Tram: The Frank Trumbauer Story” by Philip R. Evans and Larry F. Kiner with William Trumbauer.
Selected Correspondence
I am including correspondence with Brigitte Berman and a letter from Jean Goldkette. The letter from Ms. Berman is important in that it shows the detailed approach she took in the conception and execution of the documentary about Bix. The answer from Norma and Doc Ryker is illustrative of the insights that Doc had into the personality and musicianship of the great Bix Beiderbecke.
The letter from Jean Goldkette is important not only as a historical document but also because it shows Jean’s deep concern for how the Band (Jean uses a capital B to refer to his Victor recording band) is doing in its Eastern tour. The other lesson from Jean’s letter is that he must have had a lot of confidence in Doc’s judgment and trusted Doc as a responsible and dutiful individual.
Letter From Brigitte Berman
Toronto, Ontario, March 7, 1979
Dear Mr. Ryker,
Please allow me to introduce myself to you: I am a freelance documentary filmmaker, working at the present time for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Over the last year and a half, I have been researching a documentary on the life and music of Bix Beiderbecke. However, the documentary on Bix is not being made for the CBC, rather it is a pet project of mine, a labor of love so to speak, which I have been working on on my own time, and up until now it has been funded entirely by myself. It is just that I feel that this film ought to be done before it’s too late and while enough musicians and friends of Bix from the old days are still alive and can participate in the making of the film. An accurate film record needs to be put together in order to keep alive the spirit of the early jazz days and its many important contributors. So here I am, attempting to do just that.
Over the past year, I have contacted and visited with most of the people whose appearance in the film and whose contributions to the documentary are of vital importance, people like Bill Challis, Bix’s sister Mary Louise Shoemaker, Izzy Friedman, Paul Mertz, Esten Spurrier, and many, many others. All of those whom I have contacted so far are willing and eager to cooperate and are as excited by the project as I am. Without all their help, I certainly could not have proceeded as far as I already have.
As you can well imagine, the circle of people and musicians who spanned Bix’s life and career is getting smaller with each coming year and it will continue to become increasingly difficult to accurately reconstruct the story of this important musician. I realize that we are talking about something that happened a very long time ago and that it can be difficult to recall some of those days, but any help at all, like your own personal comments regarding Bix, and bits and pieces of information and insight, would be most valuable to this project and will be very much appreciated.
Please allow me to tell you a little bit more about the film: it was hearing Bix Beiderbecke’s music that first inspired me to make a documentary on Bix, especially when I then also realized that no documentary film record was available on this great musician.
This is the kind of documentary which is very dear to me, -preserving events, people and places from the past and doing it accurately. The film will be a historical tribute and will primarily include the first-hand reminiscences of a group of people who spanned Bix Beiderbecke’s musical career and personal life from early childhood to his death.
I would appreciate it very much indeed if you could find the time to send me some of your own comments about Bix, both as a person and as a musician. Also, I realize that your wife knew Bix too, perhaps she might be able to add a few comments?
Could you describe to me the days with the Goldkette band, how Bix struck you then, what you noticed most about him, and any particular anecdotes that you remember?
- When did you first meet Bix and hear his music?
- How would you describe his playing?
- What do you personally think was so special about Bix?
- How did the other musicians treat Bix?
- Did they seem to idolize him, if they did, how was Bix affected by that?
You spent the summer of 1926 at Hudson Lake, living in a cottage near where Bix was rooming with Pee Wee Russell.
- What do you remember of those days?
- Our comments regarding this summer are especially important because you are the only person left who can talk about those days. How did the audience like the music that was being played?
- It has been said that Bix played his best that summer. Is that true?
I know this means reaching back a long way, but please Mr. Ryker, anything at all that you could comment on, I would greatly appreciate.
- When was the last time you saw Bix?
- What do you remember most about him?
- If you were to describe Bix, the person, to someone to really wanted to understand what Bix was like, how would you describe him?
I have read just about everything that has been written about Bix, both in book form and in numerous articles and I know that several of your comments are included in the book “Bix, Man and Legend”, but would it be possible for you to tell me in your own words what you remember? You see, a person is seen in different ways by many people, and in order to have a fuller understanding of the whole picture, it is important to collect the various comments of many different people. So please, may I ask you to try and remember back those many years? Also, should anything else spring to mind that I have not touched on in this letter, would you please be so kind as to include it in your comments?
I thank you very much for your patience and I sincerely hope that you will be able to help me with this endeavor.
I look very much forward to hearing from you and remain,
With Kindest Regards,
(signed) Brigitte Berman
Answer from Norma Ryker (At this time, Doc Ryker could not see well and his wife Norma did the writing for him), transcribed by Rickey Bauchelle.
Doc recalls Bix coming to the Graystone to hear the band in October 1925 and sat in with the band for a few sets. He could not read music but he filled in beautifully and all the boys were impressed with him.
He was shy but friendly and very humble. He had a good sense of humor and Doc says he would jokingly say ” I ain’t got much technique but I’ve got a lousy tone”. He always got a laugh and he’d would come out with cracks like that often. The whole Goldkette band was the same way, very good-humored and all got along very well. It was later on after he had joined Frank Tumbauer’s group, that Frank’s group joined the Jean Goldkette orchestra and played at Hudson Lake, Indiana the summer of 1926. Bix always played well not only at Hudson Lake. His problem was he drank too much, but it never seemed to harm his playing. Several of the single fellows drank also, but we did not get into that, so our contact with Bix was mostly at rehearsal, jam sessions, and on stage.
The last time we saw Bix was the last night at Roseland when the band broke up on September 18, 1927. After the summer at Hudson Lake, Bix and Frankie Trumbauer stayed with Goldkette and played all winter long at the Graystone with the band (the Island Lake group had returned also). Some of those fellows knew Bix from when they had played around Chicago.
Rickey writes: I believe from this point on, Norma is actually quoting from Doc.
Bix couldn’t read but he could fake – he could always find another note. No matter how many notes were played he’d always find one that somebody else did not have. He had an uncanny ear. Funny thing – when we came to New York to make Victor records most of the NY bands were using two trumpets, not knowing the reason for Goldkette’s three trumpets (Bix couldn’t read). Many of the NY bands added a third trumpet.
The same thing happened with Steve Brown on string bass, everyone was using tubas up till then. Steve was really a marvel on his bass. No one could slap it like he did. When he moved it upstage to play, the dancers stopped to watch.
What struck me most about Bix was his sweet-hot style. Although he played hot it was his beautiful tone, everything sounded so sweet, although it was never schmaltzy or anything. I liked the harmony he would play. Very often when he’d take a chorus I’d be listening so intently that I’d almost forget to come in. He was way ahead of all of us in the things he was playing. He had a love of concert music such as Debussy, Ravel, and Eastwood Lane, and when in Detroit would go on Sundays to hear the Detroit Symphony and had established quite a friendship with the concertmaster there.
Letter From Jean Goldkette
JEAN GOLDKETTE
ORCHESTRAS AND ATTRACTIONS
Exclusive Victor Record Artists
DETROITSeptember
27th
1926Doc Ryker,
c/o Victor Recording Orch.,
EnrouteDear Doc:
Hope my letter reaches you and all the boys in the best of health. I heard some great reports about the Band. Is that all true? Have you enough arrangements? Also, does the Band make enough arrangements? And is the Band rehearsing enough to ensure success on Broadway. I wish you would write me a letter, Doc, and tell me everything – how the Band is coming along and any suggestions you may have.
Did you receive the arrangement on “Cubist” by Griselle, as well as four or five orchestrations on Blues by the Melrose Brothers such as African Capers, Maple Leaf, etc? Please advise whether you received the same, also your opinion on same as I must write to each of these people our exact reaction on these numbers. Handwritten addition: also on Phil Wing’s arrangements.
The Graystone is going over great. Plenty of inquiries as to when the Band is coming back. Remember, Doc, going to New York again and recording means that the Band has to be 100%, so I am extremely anxious to hear from you by return mail to know exactly the condition of the Band, what’s being done, and what is necessary to be done immediately to assure success in the East.
I saw your wife a couple of times here. She looked wonderful.
Not much news from me except I am working hard all the time. Looks like we are going to have a big season. Opening the new Hotel Savoy October the second. Also the D.A.C.
Trusting that I shall hear from you real soon and with kindest regards to you as well as the boys, I am
Most sincerely yours
(Signed) Jean Pres
Jean Goldkette orchestras
and Attractions, Inc.
JJG/b
I am very grateful to Rickey (Doc Ryker’s daughter) and Don Bauchelle for their generosity in providing me with copies of the material posted herein.
Links to Images Related to “Doc” Ryker
Copy of “Doc” Ryker’s contract with Jean Goldkette.
Page 5 of Norma Ryker’s handwritten document.
