HallOfFame-JackRaymond

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" height=62 BGCOLOR="#BBBBBB" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000066" FACE="Times New Roman" ><B>The Balalaika and Domra Association of America</B></FONT><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000066" FACE="Times New Roman" ><B> </B></FONT><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#FFFFCC" FACE="Times New Roman" ><B>  </B></FONT><B>  |    </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#003333" FACE="Arial" ><B> </B></FONT><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Balalaika and Domra Association of A"><FONT COLOR="#003333"><B>Home</B></FONT></A></div> <div> <B>RETURN TO   </B><A HREF="bdaa_study_tours_84.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="THE BDAA HALL OF FAME "><FONT COLOR="#000066"><B>BDAA Hall of Fame</B></FONT></A><A HREF="bdaa_study_tours_84.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="THE BDAA HALL OF FAME "><FONT COLOR="#000066"><B>  </B></FONT></A><B> </B></div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=418 BGCOLOR="#EEEEEE" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I><B>The BDAA Hall of Fame ~ Jack Raymond</B></I></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="10" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="686" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" BGCOLOR=#0000BF > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 725 ><NOBR><div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="10" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="651" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" BGCOLOR=#EEEEEE > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 693 WIDTH="629"><div> <B>JACK RAYMOND - 1988</B></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="5e70c290.jpg" border=0 width="268" height="297" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="9" VSPACE="0">     During the course of any concert year the New York Balalaika and Domra Society rehearsed diligently their old and new music.  On many occasions, Jack Raymond was asked "How does it sound?," or "Is this the way you remember this song?" in addition to his other valued opinions on music.  He was the senior mentor of the Society.  He was the "professor" for all new students wanting to learn the basics of balalaika and domra playing.  He never turned away from anyone who wanted musical help or information.   His strong right-hand attack and faultless timing on the alto balalaika was a solid foundation for the orchestra.</div> <bR> <div>      Jack was born in Riga, Latvia where he also obtained his musical education on violin.  At his peak as a violinist, he played for theater productions.  At that time of his life (age13) he also played the alto domra for the League of Culture, a folk instrument orchestra which he later directed.  He emigrated to the United States as a young man shortly after the First World War.  His love of music and familiarity among other émigrés who were balalaika and domra players led him to start playing the domra again. </div> <bR> <div>       His popularity and musical ability made him active in every well-known balalaika ensemble such as Biljo, Kiriloff, Kovac and others.  He played the old vaudeville circuit, appeared on well known radio programs and also is recorded on the Victor, Columbia, Brunswick and other labels.  His immense popularity among Russian émigrés led him to instructing and directing youth orchestras such as the Cook Street Orchestra in Brooklyn, Yonkers Balalaika Orchestra, South River Balalaika Orchestra in New Jersey, and other groups.</div> <bR> <div>      Interested in wanting to preserve ethnic folk music, he joined Alexander Ivanov, the renowned conductor and arranger, and Simeon Tsibulski in forming the Russian Music Company, a division of Four Continents Book Corporation.  This company specialized in supplying and creating authentic folk instruments as well as the seven string Russian guitar.  They were also responsible for creating a huge library of Russian vocal music, orchestra scores and individual instrumental music and even copyrighted and printed their own music.  With Ivanov's entrance into background music for films and Tsibulski retiring, Jack Raymond became the surviving owner of the business that he held for many years.</div> <bR> <div>      Jack was a familiar figure in all the Russian nightclubs that existed many years ago.  Her played at the Old Russian Bear, New Russian bear, The Yar and The Balalaika, to name a few.  He also toured with the renowned actress Eva LeGallienne and other 'name' personalities including basso Ivan Rebroff.  While on tour in his early days, he was a fellow musician with the late Serge Larionoff who later went on to great popularity as director of the Detroit Balalaika Orchestra. </div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> .</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>