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 Drawn from the archives of renowned, German historian Rainer Lotz, the accompanying images provide an unparalleled glimpse into American musician Michael Danzi’s career throughout the media and entertainment community of early, twentieth-century Berlin. Furthermore, included in this first exhibition of its kind, and as told to Lotz himself, Danzi’s personal accounts have been drawn from the book “Danzi: American Musician in Germany,” the only detailed history of his remarkable life. In the opening account of his memoirs, Danzi states “I was born in New York City on September 1, 1898. My family had left Italy in 1892 and my father, Domenico Danzi, was only twenty-two when he first stepped-off the boat in New York.” In the accompanying photo, a now twenty-seven year old Michael Danzi can be seen in a charming pose from the time of his early performances with the dance orchestra of German-born musician and bandleader Alex Hyde.
Just two-years prior, Danzi and Alex Hyde had met in New York, where their relationship would eventually bring him to Berlin, as a member of Hyde’s newly-formed, American dance orchestra. In describing the orchestra’s preparation for Europe, Danzi stated “On Monday, November 11, 1924, at six in the evening, a motley crew of musicians, from New Hampshire, Rhode Island, New Jersey, and New York, assembled at Loew’s State Theatre annex, where Alex Hyde, with his usual vain self-assurance, had called a quick rehearsal: simply to size-up the boys as to musical ability, personality, appearance and behavior. He was satisfied with the outcome and said that, by the time we got to Germany, the band would be in tip-top shape. I said good-bye to my family and friends, and Wednesday, November 11, at noon, we were on our way to Europe."
Recalling his earliest travels with the Alex Hyde Orchestra, Danzi stated “The headline in Variety read ‘Good-bye Broadway, Hello Germany - Alex Hyde and his Romance of Rhythm Orchestra!’ The personnel was Alex Hyde (leader, violin); Walter Kallander (alto saxophone, clarinet); Sam Dunkel (tenor saxophone, clarinet); Mickey Diamond (trumpet); Byron Hooper (trumpet); Michael Polzer (trombone); Steve Kretzchmer (piano); Charles Herstoff (drums); Max Rosen (tuba); Michael Danzi (banjo); Al Roth (dancer); and Bobby Greene, who was the band boy, valet, and librarian.”
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In the accompanying photo with the Hyde orchestra, in 1925 Berlin, Danzi can be seen in an on-screen performance as part of the landmark, silent film “Variété,” directed by E. A. Dupont, produced by Erich Pommer, cinematography by Karl Freund, music by Ernö Rappée, and starring Emil Jannings, Lya de Putti, Kurt Gerron, Warwick Ward, Paul Rehkopf, Maly Delschaft, Georg John, and Charles Lincoln. Renowned for its numerous, technical breakthroughs, Variété is particularly known for the striking, cinematic advances of Freund (Metropolis, Dracula, Pride and Prejudice). At times, Freund’s camera is even set on a trapeze, photographing the actor’s expressions as they swing.
When recalling the time of his performance in the film, Danzi stated “Around the middle of May, we appeared in the silent movie Variété, which starred Emil Jannings, Lya de Putti, and the American, Warwick Ward. This was the first of dozens of movies I was to appear in. The studio, located near Bahnhof Zoo, was later the Café Berlin. From June 15, we played for an Elite-Abend fashion show at the Luna Palais in Berlin’s Luna Park, and for dancing from nine until gone midnight, a job that lasted until July 14. We did other jobs as well. On June 16, we were at the Esplanade Hotel, near Potsdamer Platz, for Jack Dempsey. This two-hour, afternoon job did not interfere with our regular work. That evening, Dempsey put on an exhibition bout at the Luna Park, with a German boxer.”
On May 25th of that same year, American bandleader Sam Wooding’s Orchestra also premiered at the Admirals-Palast in Berlin. In addition to becoming one of the most significant events in all of Germany’s long, jazz history, it would be Sam Wooding’s musical revue that would plant the seed for a sixteen-year-old Berliner named Alfred Lion to establish a lifelong passion for American music, and then later move to New York to create one of the most respected jazz record labels in the world (Blue Note Records).
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Seen here with the Erich Borchard Band, Danzi had first met Borchard in the German port-city of Hamburg, shortly after arriving by ship from America. When describing the circumstances of their initial meeting, Danzi recalled “The voyage (across the Atlantic) was a smooth one; unusually calm for November. When we sailed up the Elbe in Hamburg we could see many beautiful houses along the riverbanks, with green lawns and patches of sandy beaches down to the waterfront, a rare sight compared to the clutter of the New York piers. Our landing pier was a simple docking platform. Within fifteen minutes we had been inspected by customs officers, and at six we took a taxi to a hotel, for we were free until midnight, when we had to catch the midnight train to Munich.”
He went on to describe, “ I saw a cellar cabaret, and went in. I had a few drinks, and then was introduced to Erich Borchard, the bandleader, and an English saxophone player named Billy Bartholomew. I went to the hotel, collected my banjo, returned to the cellar and sat in with the band. We played from memory. Billy Bartholomew was so enthusiastic over my chords and my single string solos that he said “By Jove, you really send me,” a twenties exclamation of pure delight! We parted good friends; I took the night train and arrived in Munich about eight-hours later.”
During this period in history, following their introduction of the stable Rentenmark currency, Germany is emerging from a paralyzing inflation, and American musician Michael Danzi arrives at a time when the German people are entering a new era of economic stability, technical progress, and landmark artistic achievement. Tragically occurring in parallel with these developments is the totalitarian ideology of Austrian-born Adolf Hitler, whose failed attempt to overthrow the German government, in 1923, would briefly find him in a Bavarian prison (thirty miles west of Munich), during which time he would draft his vision for Germany's future under the Nazi regime, “Mein Kampf” (My Struggle).
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