BOB CHESTER AND HIS ORCHESTRA - MENU SIGNED CO-SIGNED BY: BOB CHESTER, BETTY BRADLEY, PAUL "RED" GEIL, BILL DARNELL, LIONEL PROUTING, BOB BASS, JOHN REYNOLDS, AL MASTREN, HERB SPITALNY, LOUIS MUCCI, HANK WAYLAND - HFSID 225533

BOB CHESTER AND HIS ORCHESTRA: BOB CHESTER, BETTY BRADLEY, BILL DARNELL, LIONEL PROUTING, BOB BASS, JOHN REYNOLDS, AL MASTREN, HERB SPITALNY, PAUL "RED" GEIL, LOUIS MUCCI, HANK WAYLAND
1941 menu signed by big band leader Bob Chester, two of his singers (Betty Bradley and Bill Darnell) and eight of his sidemen in pencil.
Menu signed "Bob Chester", "Al Mastren", "Sincere Wishes,/Bill Darnell", "John Reynolds", "Betty Bradley", "Herb Spitalny", "Bob Bass - Drums", "Paul Red Geil - Tpt", "Louis Mucci - Tpt", "lionel prouting piano" and "Hank Wayland - Bass", all in pencil. 2 pages, 7¾x4¼ closed, 8½x7¾ open, signed on verso of menu. Typed menu fromMcCormack's Restaurant, dated Oct. 7, 1941. This menu is signed by big band leader BOB CHESTER and by a number of members of his orcehstra, including singers BETTY BRADLEY and BILL DARNELL and sidemen likepianist LIONEL PROUTING, drummer BOB BASS, trombonists JOHN REYNOLDS, AL MASTREN and HERB SPITALNY, trumpeters PAUL GEIL and LOUIS MUCCI anddouble bassist HANK WAYLAND. BOB CHESTER(1908-1977, born in Detroit, Michigan) came from a wealthy car family; his step-father was head of General Motors' Fisher Body Works. But Chester chose a music career instead. He started out as a saxophonist for such bandleaders as Irving Aaronston, Ben Bernie and Ben Pollack before starting his first band in 1939. This band had an unoriginal Glenn Miller sound, though, and quickly folded. He founded another one that same year, with direction by Tommy Dorsey and arrangements by David Rose. It wasn't the most famous outfit of its kind, but Chester's band developed a reputation for its quality music and sidemen, like trumpeters Alec Fila and Conrad Gozzo, saxophonists Herbie Steward and Peanuts Hucko, trombonist Bill Harris and singers Bob Haymes, Gene Howard, Betty Bradley and Dolores O'Neill. The market moved away from the big band sound in the mid-1940s, though, forcing Chester's band out of business. He later got a job as a disc jockey in Detroit and leading a few other bands, including a Dixieland band, before quitting the music business altogether and entering the auto industry. Lightly toned, soiled and creased. Signatures are lightly smudged but legible. Irregular bottom edge. Folded three times horizontally and once vertically, comes folded once. Otherwise in fine condition.