Oakland Banjo Band, Davis, Glenn, Oakland Banjo Band (Oakland, Calif.), Olesen, Donna, Cole, Hadley, Stevenson, Jim, Keenan, Hal, Henson, Phil, Olesen, Don, McKown, Velma, Aitchison, Harold, Backus, Terri, Beatty, John, Burns, Sally, Cleary, Clarence, Cravy, Richard, Crockett, David, de Sousa, Robert, Ward, Roy, Oakland Banjo Band, Davis, Glenn, Oakland Banjo Band (Oakland, Calif.), Olesen, Donna, Cole, Hadley, Stevenson, Jim, Keenan, Hal, Henson, Phil, Olesen, Don, McKown, Velma, Aitchison, Harold, Backus, Terri, Beatty, John, Burns, Sally, Cleary, Clarence, Cravy, Richard, Crockett, David, de Sousa, Robert, and Ward, Roy
The Oakland Banjo Band, a local nonprofit founded in August 1964, was comprised of a diverse group of musicians including attorneys, dentists, a supermarket manager, realtors, prison guards, doctors, and even a deputy sheriff. The popular band played for lodges, social clubs, hospitals, shopping centers, and at many other venues., SSLC 8966-A Glenn Davis, Director Donna Olesen, Co-leader and Featured Vocalist First Recording by the Oakland Banjo Band – June 10, 1966 SIDE ONE 1. Any Time 2. Bye Bye Blues and Cuddle UP a. Little Closer 3. Bye Bye Blackbird 4. Sweet Georgia Brown 5. Who’s Sorry Now 6. It’s a Sin to Tell a Lie SIDE TWO 7. Linger Awhile 8. Ain’t She Sweet 9. Are You from Dixie 10. Goodbye My Coney Island Baby 11. Wabash Blues 12. Yes Sir, That’s My Baby Now Recorded at Sierra Sound laboratories, 1741 Alcatraz Ave., Berkeley, California. Recording Engineers: Robert de Sousa and Roy Ward The Oakland Banjo Band was organized with seven members on August 14, 1964, and held weekly rehearsals for the first three months in a local piano studio. The Band gained members steadily, and in December, 1964, moved to hold its rehearsals in alarge private dining room at the Straw Hat Pizza Parlor in San Pablo, California, and presently plays there in a large private room each Thursday evening from 8:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. On June 21, 1965, the OAKLAND BANJO BAND was incorporated, and qualified as a California non-profit corporation. Since its inception, more than 110 members have joined the Band. At each rehearsal we have three singers, electric bass guitar, standard electric guitar, stringed bass, bongos, glockenspiel, eight tenor banjos playing single string lead, about fifteen plectrum banjos playing full melody in chords and approximately fifteen plectrum and tenor banjos playing chord accompaniment. We use five microphones and a 40 watt amplifier with three 12” speakers We play more than 450 standard and popular tunes from the 1890’s to 1966. The Band members include eight women, three attorneys, two dentists and three psychiatrists, two doctors, a guard from San Quentin, a deputy sheriff from Napa, the Sales manager for one of the largest bread baking companies in the area, realtors, insurance men, the owner of two large supermarkets, and men and women from every types of business and occupa, California Revealed