Roaring 20s: Irving Berlin's "Always" - Bert Ralton & His Havana Band, 1926

Bert Ralton & His Havana Band – Always (I’ll Be Loving You) Waltz (I.Berlin), Columbia 1926 England

NOTE: The Savoy Hotel in London was the original home for both the Savoy Havana Band (1921-27) and the Savoy Orpheans. The Savoy Havana Band was formed by the fabulous American saxophonist Bert Ralton in 1921. Originally there were six players including Ralton. It was later increased to ten players. And the leadership was taken over by the violinist Reginald Batten. The Savoy Orpheans was conducted by the pianist Carroll Gibbons and they were active as far as through the 1930s. The music of each of these bands fit the mainstream of American jazz of the 1920s and is often more advanced than the other orchestras heard in Europe during the decade. Both bands were contracted at the Savoy Hotel, London under one management by Wilfred de Mornys. Unfortunately when his arrangement with the Savoy Hotel company ended on 31 December 1927, the Savoy Havana Band ceased their contract and went on tour, In 1927, when the band was performing in Salisbury, Rhodesia, during a hunting picnic party, Bert Ralton was accidentally shot in the right leg and he was bleeding badly. Whilst waiting for the ambulance to arrive, Ralton asked for a ukulele and sang Irving Berlin’s “I’ll be loving you / Always…” to console those in the party who were witnesses to the accident, especially several young ladies who were weeping. Unfortunately, the wound proved to be deadly. After Ralton’s death, his orchestra disbanded.