The Harmonica, sometimes called the mouth organ, is an instrument with a unique sound. While it is not mainstream, some harmonica tunes have become iconic in their own right, such as the Ennio Morricone’s harmonica track in “Once a Time in the West” or in Britain, the theme tune of “Last of the Summer Wine”.
Arguments rage over the ‘best’ harmonica players of all time;
from obscure but gifted specialist blues/jazz players to those who have made
the most famous use of the instrument such as Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder and John Lennon. Of the latter three
musicians stood out in the British public consciousness…… and were Jewish. They
were Max Geldray, Larry Adler, and Harry Pitch, a Dutchman, an American, and a
Brit.
To avoid them becoming part of the Forgotten History of the Jews, we need to refresh our memories and remind ourselves of the impact that they made in Britain during their careers, so here they are……
The youngest of them was Max Geldray. Born in 1916, he had
grown up in Amsterdam. Early to learn music, by the time he was 18 was part of
the burgeoning Dutch Jazz scene. He did try his hand at running his own band, but
failed to gain success so in 1937 joined the Jewish Bandleader, Ray Ventura ,
in Paris. A good career move, he was in the middle of some of the ‘hottest’
Jazz in Europe, and formed a close friendship and musical partnership with jazz
guitarist Django Reinhardt.
In 1940, to escape the Nazis, he fled to Britain and joined
the Royal Netherlands Motorized Infantry Brigade (princess Irene Brigade) with
which served in the war until he was injured in Normandy in 1944.
Notwithstanding his wartime duties, he continued to play
harmonica, occasionally for the BBC in programmes such as Workers Playtime, and
notably at Windsor Castle for Princess Elizabeth. However, the war was
devastating for max. After it, he returned to Amsterdam to find out that both
his parents and his sister had been murdered by the Nazis. After a short period
in Paris with Ray Ventura, he returned to the UK in 1947.
In 1951, he was asked to provide musical interludes and the
play-out music for a new comedy show, called the Goon Show. It would take him
from variety and dance halls to national prominence.
The show started Harry Secombe, Peter Sellers, Spike
Milligan, and Michael Bentine, and caught the national imagination, ending with
an audience of 7 million per week. It has been described as “a vague plot
interspersed by two musical performances”. One of those performances was
Geldray, who would often use the opportunity to play a little jazz number.
While Geldrays part might have been minor he was an integral
part of the Goon Show, affectionately being called “Conk” because of the size
of his proboscis. As with Ray Ellington, he was the subject of gags, some being
slightly racist (“waving money under his nose”), others just being affectionate
“don’t worry, it keeps the rain off your tie!”. When the BBC threated to ‘pull’
Gedray, Peter Sellers threatened to walk out. His name became synonymous with
the show, so much so that when he passed away in 2004, one article described
him as the last of the Goons. Unsurprisingly his autobiography was called “Goon
with the Wind”
His acting was the butt of many jokes, as can be seen in
this clip, supplied by Goons archivist Nick Reeve
Grytpype-Thynne: Why has your conk forsaken its place in safety behind your
harmonica?
Geldray: The Mona Lisa has been stolen, boy. […] It's been
stolen by a short, fat man.
Grytpype-Thynne: Neddie with the Mona Lisa, gad!
Geldray: By golly, I swear I'll get it back. Til then, my
conk will never rest. Farewell, boys, farewell.
[Orchestra: Ta-da]
Greenslade: He was very good you know, very good. He's never
done any acting before you know.
Seagoon: Now we know why mate.
(from ‘The Mountain Eaters’, Series 9 Episode 5, broadcast 1
December 1958)
It has been argued that Geldray never became recognised as a
virtuoso in his own right because of his association with comedy, but a friend
of his, Graham Stark, said in Geldray’s obituary in the Independent that it was
more likely that he just wanted to do his own music, notably jazz, and not
follow popular trends.
After the Goons finished in 1960, he moved to the USA where
he lived for the next 40 years, seemingly becoming a Christian Scientist, but
to the end playing the music he loved, Jazz.
These books are available from Amazon:
Kosher Foxtrot
Jews and the Sea
The Definitive Guide to Jewish Miscellany and Trivia
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