Nat Gonella Dixieland Jazz Big Band Leader Antique Hand Signed Photo

PFAS199 Antique circa 1930s hand signed 5.5" x 3.5" photo of Nat Gonella which has been personally signed by the historic band leader where his signature rests perfectly just to the right of his shoulder below his portrait - Has a fairly small indenture impression fault approx one inch to upper right corner with a very small similar place above (1cm) otherwise this is mint and the signing is undedicated too - From an extensive antique jazz and big band autograph collection - Please see all my others items at my store.

Nathaniel Charles Gonella was an English jazz trumpeter, bandleader, vocalist, and mellophonist. He founded the big band The Georgians, during the British dance band era. After a short spell as a furrier's apprentice, his professional career began in 1924 when he joined Archie Pitt's Busby Boy's Band, a small pit orchestra and touring review band. During his four years with the band, he discovered the music of Louis Armstrong and dixieland jazz. He transcribed Armstrong's solos and learned them by heart. Beginning in 1928, Gonella spent a year in Bob Bryden's Louisville Band before working with Archie Alexander and Billy Cotton.

He played briefly with Roy Fox in 1931 and remained in the band when Lew Stone, Fox's former pianist, took over leadership the following year.In 1933 Gonella published Modern Style Trumpet Playing A Comprehensive Course. He made uncredited appearances with Lew Stone and Al Bowlly in the films Bitter Sweet and The King's Cup.

Gonella's reputation grew when he formed The Georgians in 1935. The band took its name from a popular version of the song "Georgia on My Mind" that he recorded for Lew Stone in 1932 and which became the trumpeter's signature tune. The Georgians began as a band within Stone's shows before setting up as an independent unit. He became a headline act on the variety circuit before the outbreak of World War II.He joined the army in 1941, and was recruited into the Stars in Battledress campaign, touring allied camps in Europe and North Africa. In February 1945 he played in RTR band for troops at an army camp near Bournemouth, either Bovington or Lulworth. [unpublished diary John Robson Edwards] Whilst in Europe and North Africa Gonella served as the personal servant or "batman" to Major Alexander Karet .He reformed his band after the war, but the economic and musical climate was changing rapidly at that time. He flirted briefly with bebop, acknowledged that it was not for him, and returned to the variety stage during the 1950s, touring with the likes of the comedian Max Miller

On 22nd February 1960 he featured on the UK television show This Is Your Life,  an appearance which later inspired an album The Nat Gonella Story, modelled on Louis Armstrong's A Musical Autobiography. He also appeared on the BBC radio programme Desert Island Discs in August 1966.All of this attention re-established Gonella, at least until the advent of The Beatles brought the trad jazz boom to a halt. He moved to Lancashire in 1962, and toured regularly on the Northern club circuit until his alleged retirement on his 65th birthday, on 7 March 1973