Josh Duffee and His Orchestra

JOSH DUFFEE AND HIS ORCHESTRA Davenport, IowaJosh Duffee and His Orchestra was first formed in the summer of 2001, when he was only 21 years old. Josh was interested in performing the music of Gene Krupa, and he had located some stock arrangements that the Krupa Orchestra had performed in the 1940’s. So, on June 30th, 2001, Josh Duffee and His Orchestra performed their very first show at the Moline Community Centre. Josh was expecting around 100 people to show up, but, to Josh’s surprise, over 500 jazz fans and dancers showed up to have a great time and to support live music in the Quad Cities.Josh’s main interest in jazz stretched back before 1940’s big band jazz; his interest was in jazz from the 1910’s, 20’s, and early 1930’s. There were very few small groups performing this early jazz music in and around Davenport, so, Josh sized his group down to a 1920’s dance orchestra size, and contacted Vince Giordano to see about getting some stock arrangements from the 1920’s for his library. With the help from Vince, Josh’s library increased with many great songs from the 20’s, but Josh was still missing that sound and style from the 20’s that he was looking for in his group.The music groups under the Jean Goldkette name were the groups that Josh was studying to pick up that sound and style from the 20’s. There was also a great connection between the Goldkette Orchestra and Josh’s Orchestra. That connection – Bix Beiderbecke. Bix performed in the Jean Goldkette Victor Recording Band for a short period in 1924, and then again in 1926-27. Josh’s group is located out of Davenport, Iowa, Bix’s hometown. Now, what are the odds of a Goldkette-style orchestra being formed in Bix’s hometown some 70 years later? Well, none of this would have happened if it weren’t for the marvelous talents of a musician, educator and transcriber by the name of Frank Van Nus from the Netherlands.In 2002, Josh met Frank Van Nus over the internet on the Bix Discussion Group website, headed up by Albert Haim. Josh was looking for any Goldkette stock arrangements or original charts that may have still been floating around, and Frank caught eye of that particular message. He wrote back to Josh and said that he didn’t have any charts, but he could help by transcribing out the songs like they were performed over 70 years ago. Josh liked that idea, and the first three that Frank sent Josh were Idolizing, I’m Gonna Meet My Sweetie Now and Clementine. These arrangements were note-for-note like the original recordings back in the 20’s, and Josh was amazed at how well Frank did with each chart. The Jean Goldkette Orchestra sound was the sound that Josh was looking for with his group, so he and Frank have been working together for 3 years now to bring the music of Goldkette back to life. Josh considers Frank to be the modern day “Bill Challis,” and Josh himself has been given the nickname “Goldkette” by the surviving members of the Goldkette family.Both Josh and Frank have been awarded the Jean Goldkette Award of Excellence by the Jean Goldkette Foundation, which was given to them by Alann Krivor, President and grand-nephew of the great Jean Goldkette. You can visit their website at www.jeangoldkettefoundation.org. Josh is also a historian on Jean Goldkette, and is currently doing research on the life of Jean Goldkette, and on his orchestras from 1922-1929.Josh Duffee and His Orchestra have recorded two cd’s within the last four years. Their debut recording was titled “A Tribute to Jean Goldkette and His Orchestra,” and this was released in July of 2003. Their second cd was released in July of 2005, and it’s titled “Half A World Away.” Both of these recordings were out in time for the Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Jazz Festival, where the orchestra has been a featured local group for the past 4 years straight. Josh’s group was the first local band in over 30 years to perform on the main stage during the festival, and this wouldn’t have been possible if it weren’t for the help of Rich Johnson, Music Director for the Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Society. Josh’s group has been a band and crowd favorite every year, bringing music lovers the original music of Jean Goldkette and Bix Beiderbecke.