Swinging London: Ambrose & Sam Browne: The Show Is Over,1934

„BERT" AMBROSE (Benjamin Baruch Ambrose) was born in the East End of London, the son of a wool merchant. He was playing the violin at a very young age. At the age of 15 he was taken to America by an aunt and soon after he was playing his first professional job on violin for Emil Coleman at Reisenweber's restaurant in New York, later playing in a big band at the Palais Royal, backing the floor show. When the bandleader was taken ill, Ambrose took over the role and did so well, that he was asked to form his own 15-piece band at $50 a week. He was only 20 at the time. He was visiting his sick mother in London in 1922 when he was asked by the owner of the Embassy Club to form a 7-piece band to play there, for £360 a week. This was a huge amount of money at the time. Almost immediately, the club was bought by restaurenteur, Luigi, who became a business associate of Ambrose.

During this period Ambrose made his first recordings: 12 sides for Columbia. The members of the band at the time included Arthur Aaronson and Rupert Dixon on alto and tenor saxes respectively; Max Raderman (brother of Lou Raderman, the violinist and Harry Raderman, trombonist, all Americans) on piano; Harry Edelson, banjo, Julius Nussbaum, tuba and American Eddie Gross-Bart on drums The following year, Ambrose - who went back to the US - took a job at New York's Clover Gardens for $200 a night. Luigi was frantic and spent the next twelve months sending a stream of cables to Ambrose, imploring him to return. In desperation, Luigi enlisted the help of the Prince of Wales who sent the following cable:- "The Embassy needs you. Come back - Edward". This did the trick and Ambrose returned in 1925, remaining at the club until 1927, when he jumped at the chance of directing the band at the newly-opened May Fair Hotel, which included broadcasting in the contract.

The job at the May Fair brought him great fame. His band was an Anglo-American and included top-notch musicians who could play in many different styles, sight-read and improvise at will. It is not surprising that many were used by some record company's musical directors to form the core of their studio bands. John & Bert Firman (Zonophone) and Jay Wilbur (Dominion and Imperial) being just two examples.
In June 1933, Ambrose returned to the Embassy Club for nearly three years, before setting off on a variety tour of the country in January 1936. Again, America tried to tempt him with a personal salary of £600 a week, but failed and Ambrose returned to the May Fair in September 1936. He bought Ciro's Club in partnership with fellow American violinist and bandleader, Jack Harris, and the two bandleaders played there alternately in 1937. However, they disagreed over who should play when, and the partnership broke up, with Ambrose moving to the Cafe de Paris until war broke out, when he resumed touring.

He returned to the May Fair for a short spell, before retiring in August 1940, being fed up with air raids, and resting at a farm in Hertfordshire which he had bought. He continued to record with his orchestra on Decca until 1947, the musicians he used still being the best around. On Saturday, June 11th, 1971, Ambrose collapsed at Yorkshire Television Studios and he died of a haemorrhage that night
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SAM BROWNE, born in London, became one of the most popular British dance band vocalists of the 1930's. He is particularly remembered singing with Ambrose and his Orchestra, at the Mayfair Hotel and Embassy Club, with whom he made many recordings from 1930 to 1942.
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Recording:
Ambrose with His Orch., voc. Sam Browne - The Show Is Over (Coslow/Dubin/Conrad), Decca 1934