Orchestras in Willimantic - Part 2 by Pete Zizka 9-2-2023 |
Under the leadership of Gaylord “Mattie” Mattison,
a new band was organized from the remnants of the former “Peerless
Orchestra” and an experiment with “Friday Night Club” dances was
started. The band seized upon a name suggested by trombonist “Sy” Sypher
and took on the name “Mattie and all the Lads”. In a short time, this
new Willimantic group caught on and became so popular that, even with
all the members holding day jobs, it would still play at four or five
engagements per week. One of the band’s first jobs was to play at the
opening of Lebanon’s Beaumont Highway in July, 1935. In those days,
Saturday night was the only night for dances and activities. But in
Willimantic, the new Friday night dance idea proved to be extremely
popular. In 1932, the premier Willimantic “dance spot” was the
“Al-Pierre Tabarin” on Valley Street. It was owned by Pierre Laramee and
Al Piche and had been the logtime home for the old Peerless Orchestra.
For years, the “Tab” had been highly profitable for the musicians but
during Depression times, the music industry had been hard hit. Still,
the ”Tab” and the Peerless struggled as crowds thinned out. Finally,
however, the Peerless folded and the “Tab” closed.
But now the new band, “Mattie and all the Lads” came up with an
idea. They needed a rehearsal space and decided that it would be the
soon-to-reopen “Tab”. Orchestra and Band rehearsals normally attracted a
good number of people and so band members hit upon an idea. Onlookers
would be charged a small admission fee. This idea caught on and
attendance increased to a degree that greatly exceeded the band’s
expectations and “The Friday Night Club” was born. The band and the club
appealed strongly to a new generation of Willimantic and Eastern
Connecticut area folks. Week after week, the “Tab” was filled to
capacity. Crowds were so large that eventually three policemen were
necessary to manage the crowds and traffic flow on narrow Valley Street.
(Of course there were a few troublemakers here and there but they were
quickly weeded out.) The “Friday Night
Dance Club” had earned a sterling reputation and people flocked there.
Now, other local musicians asked to be allowed to “sit in” and so the
audience often had the opportunity to hear the musical talents of
several different musicians. Interestingly, high school age children
would attend earlier in the evening. It was said that they were, “full
of fun and the enthusiasm of youth… their loyalty is a factor in the
band’s popularity.
The band then recruited singer Lester Foster whom
many people today will remember from the days when he worked for his
father who ran the M. Foster and Sons Fruit and Produce business. It was
said of “Les” that, “he puts a lot of feeling into a smooth number, lots
of pep into a swing tune”. Other Willimantic talent in the Mattie and
the Lads included Jimmie Day, bass; Roderick Cote, sax; Ray Beller, sax;
Thomas Gordon, sax; Del Dion, guitar; Ray Sypher, trombone; Ralph
Williams, trumpet; Eddie Brown, trombone; Leo Dion, drums; Jasper
Woodward and “Brownie” Sledjeski. Except for “Mattie” Mattison who was
from Columbia, all the band members were from Willimantic and had day
jobs in town. And because of all the local contacts, the band played at
almost all local civic and social functions. It also played regularly at
the Lakeside Casino in Coventry, Wildwood Park in Danielson and the
Hilltop Casino in Norwich. As mentioned last week, the band was so
popular it would sometimes be booked four or five days a week. This had
a downside. Oftentimes the band had bookings in other venues on Friday
nights and so other bands would have to fill in at the “Tab”. But most
people wanted the Mattison band and attendance dropped. Then the ’38
hurricane ripped the “Tab’s” roof off and the band had to establish a
temporary location at the Polish National Home. In 1939, attendance at
the band’s home spot, the “Tab”, continued to drop off very quickly.
Weekly crowds of 400-500 dwindled to 200. It was probably due to
changing times and the fact that many more activities were being offered
to area folks on Friday nights. Dancing had also lost popularity among
the younger crowd that used to frequent the dances. And so, by 1940, the
Mattison Orchestra was no longer playing at the “Tab”. Other bands
stepped in for a while but the Friday Night dances at the “Tab” were not
the same and soon came to an end.
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