sax, 1893-1940 US, Detroit
Musician of Pop and Jazz
A.k.a. Rudolph Cornelius Wiedoeft
American Saxophonist, helped bring the saxophone into popularity in the early 20th century. (January 3, 1893 - February 18, 1940). Born in Detroit to a large family of musicians, Wiedoeft began playing with his family orchestra, first on violin, then on clarinet. After moving to New York, he discovered the saxophone, which was still a relatively obscure instrument. Shortly thereafter, he began the long series of recordings with the Edison company which lead to his world-wide fame. He would go on to make more than 300 recordings for Edison and other labels until his death. Some of his original compositions were hits in their day, notably Valse Erica, Valse Llewellyn ( Valse Llewellyn / My Waikiki Mermaid, Saxema, Saxophobia, and Sax-o-Phun. His chief instrument was the C melody saxophone, a variety which was immensely popular in the 1910s and 20s. His style was noted for very rapid runs of well articulated notes in between long lush legato phrases in a ragtime influenced style. Wiedoeft employed several 'sound effects,' such as slap tonguing, "laughing" (altering/bending the pitch of the note), and "chock tones" alongside his very distinguishable vibrato. He remained a very popular entertainer into the 1920s and performed regularly on radio, but his style faded in popularity in the U.S. with the onset of the Great Depression. In the early 1930s he toured Europe, where his music was still appreciated, and briefly worked in Rudy Vallee's band. From the mid-1930s on, he essentially stopped playing and was involved in several mining investments that, unfortunately, proved unsuccessful. Rudy and his wife Mary had a difficult relationship partially due to difficulties in maintaining their flamboyant lifestyle and alcohol abuse. On March 24, 1937, he was nearly killed when Mrs. Wiedoeft stabbed him with a butcher knife in a domestic dispute about money. The couple reconciled, and in the same year Rudy made his last radio appearance on the Phil Spitalny Radio Show. He died in Flushing, New York in 1940 from cirrhosis of the liver.
Track list and 30sec audio provided by
Title | Artist | Year | Type |
---|---|---|---|
Kreisler Of The Saxophone | Rudy Wiedoeft | 1997 | Compil. |
La Golondrina / Rubenola | Rudy Wiedoeft | 1928 | Album |
Marilyn / Saxema | Rudy Wiedoeft | 1928 | Album |
Song Of The Volga Boatmen / La Paloma | Rudy Wiedoeft | 1927 | Album |
Melody / Song Of The Boatmen | Rudy Wiedoeft | 1927 | Album |
Sax-o-phun / Valse Mazanetta | Rudy Wiedoeft | 1926 | Album |
Mélodie / Mazaneta | Rudy Wiedoeft | 1925 | Album |
Song Of Love / Saxema | Rudy Wiedoeft | 1925 | Album |
la Cinquantaine / Vanity | Rudy Wiedoeft, Frank Banta | 1925 | Album |
I Miss My Swiss / Valse Vanité | Paul Whiteman And His Orchestra / Rudy Wiedoeft | 1925 | Album |
Kiss Me Again / Valse Manzanetta | Rudy Wiedoeft, Frank Banta | 1925 | Album |
Saxema / Souvenir | Rudy Wiedoeft With Frank Banta | 1924 | Album |
Valse Vanite / Saxarella | Rudy Wiedoeft | 1924 | Single |
Souvenir / Saxarella | Rudy Wiedoeft | 1923 | Album |
Narcissus / Valse Vanity | Rudy Wiedoeft | 1923 | Album |
Saxema / Return Of Spring Waltz | Rudy Wiedoeft | 1922 | Single |
Pyramids / Valse Yvonne | Pietro Capodiferro / Rudy Wiedoeft | 1922 | Album |
Where The River Shannon Flows / Velma - Capriccio | Bohumir Kryl / Rudy Wiedoeft | 1921 | Single |
Saxophobia / Humoresque | Rudy Wiedoeft / George Hamilton Green | 1921 | Album |
Valse Erica / Saxophobia | Rudy Wiedoeft | 1921 | Album |
Saxema / Valse Erica | Rudy Wiedoeft | 1920 | Album |
Oh, By Jingo / Saxophone Blues | Al Bernard, Rudy Wiedoeft | 1920 | Album |
My Cairo Love / Saxophopia | All Star Trio / Rudy Wiedoeft | 1920 | Album |
Lewellyn / Erica | Rudy Wiedoeft | 1920 | Album |
The Moonlight Waltz / My Desert Love | Rudy Wiedoeft & George Hamilton Green | 1919 | Album |
Lonesome Road / I've Got My Captain Working For Me Now | Rudy Wiedoeft / Rudy Wiedoeft's Palace Trio | 1919 | Album |
Saxophobia / Valse Erica | Rudy Wiedoeft | 1919 | Album |
Saxophone Sobs / New York Blues | Rudy Wiedoeft / Pietro Frosini | 1918 | Single |
Valse Llewellyn / My Waikiki Mermaid | Rudy Wiedoeft / Waikiki Hawaiian Orchestra | 1918 | Single |
Light As A Feather / Valse "Erica" | John F. Burckhardt / Rudy Wiedoeft | 1917 | Single |
Valse Erica / Silver Threads Among The Gold | Rudy Wiedoeft | Album | |
Valse Erica / Saxophobia | Rudy Wiedoeft | Album | |
Valse Mazanetta / Minuet | Rudy Wiedoeft, Oscar Levant | Album | |
Gloria / Adorable | Rudy Wiedoeft | Album | |
Llewellyn Waltz / Marche Indienne | Rudy Wiedoeft | Album | |
Llewellyn Waltz / Souvenir | Rudy Wiedoeft | Album | |
Saxophobia / Souvenir of Switzerland | Rudy Wiedoeft / Pietro Capodiferro | Album | |
Narcissus / Valse Vanité | Wiedoeft Saxophone Sextet / Rudy Wiedoeft | Album | |
Sax-O-Phun / La Cinquantaine | Rudy Wiedoeft | Album | |
Vanité / Honolulu March | Rudy Wiedoeft / Ferera And Franchini | Album |
Rudy Wiedoeft's Californians Pop and Jazz |
Rudy Wiedoeft's Palace Trio Jazz and Pop |