FERRANTE & TEICHER (ARTHUR FERRANTE) - AUTOGRAPHED SIGNED PHOTOGRAPH CO-SIGNED BY: PAUL DRAPER, LARRY ADLER - HFSID 296998

PAUL DRAPER, LARRY ADLER and ARTHUR FERRANTE
Photo of Draper dancing, accompanied by Adler on the harmonica. Popular pianist Ferrante performed with Draper and Adler for a time in the late 1940s.
Photograph signed: "Paul Draper", "Larry Adler", "Arthur Ferrante". B/w, 8x10. Photo shows the musical team of Paul Draper and Larry Adler performing. PAUL DRAPER (1909-1996), born in Italy, was a very popular tap dancer of the 1930s and 1940s, performing in nightclubs and other venues in New York, including Carnegie Hall. He introduced new dance techniques, in a unique style sometimes called ballet-tap. As a choreographer and teacher, he worked to secure tap's acceptance as a legitimate form of artistic dance. Draper married ballerina Heidi Vosseler in 1941. LARRY ADLER (1914-2001) was widely acknowledged as the world's best harmonica player and brought new credibility to the instrument. Starting humbly in vaudeville, Adler moved on to movie roles, beginning with Many Happy Returns (1934). He entertained troops during World War II. Adler performed works by Bach and Vivaldi and even inspired works to be written for his instrument by major composers. On his 80th birthday, Adler released an album of songs by George Gershwin. Draper and Adler formed a popular duo in 1940. In the 1950s, both were unfairly accused of being communists, and - though the "blacklist" was not as strong in New York as in Hollywood - performing opportunities diminished, and they moved to Europe for several years. ARTHUR FERRANTE (1921-2009) formed a piano duo with Louis Teicher in 1946. By the 1960s, Ferrante & Teicher were among America's best-selling instrumentalists. Their "easy listening" music included covers of many popular film themes. Draper, Adler and Ferrante performed together several times in the immediate post-World War II period, including an appearance in the Boston Celebrity Series 1945-1946 season. Toned at edges. Corners worn. Signatures lightly beaded but legible. Ink stamp and unknown stains on verso (no show through). Otherwise, fine condition.