In 2017, Gerhard Bauer, a long term collector and aficionado of syncopated dance music of the 1920s and 1930s founded an internet radio station, PhonotoneClassic, which would be dedicated to playing original 78 RPM records of this musical genre, restored by him to pristine quality. For the opening of the radio station, he thought that live music would be a good idea, so he looked for local musicians who would be able to play traditional jazz and syncopated dance music. 2017 was a lucky year, since a group of very talented musicians, lead by the pianist Kevin Hamby, joined this endeavor and the "Phonotone Quartet" was born.

 

After a very successful opening event of the internet radio station with this jazz quartet on New Year's Eve 2017, Gerhard Bauer thought that founding a large dance orchestra that was able to play the orginal dance orchestra arrangements of the 1920s and 1930s would be an additional admirable goal. With the help of Kevin Hamby and the other original members of the Phonotone Quartet, the almost impossible feat of putting together a 20 piece vintage dance orchestra was accomplished.

 

In the beginning, the orchestra met in Gerhard's living room, rehearsed for some initial performances, and interestingly, this initial gamble turned out to be a much loved and appreciated orchestra making a lot of people happy. The orchestra soon incorporated as a 501(c)(3) non for profit organization, quickly outgrew the living room rehearsal space and moved into a professional rehearsal and performance space.

 

Symphonia Phonotone, produced and managed by Gerhard Bauer, under the musical direction of Kevin Hamby, plays in exactly the same style as the the big dance orchestras of the 1920s and 1930s, faithfully bringing back syncopated dance music and early jazz, which was once the most popular music in the US, the UK and continental Europe. Everybody, young and old, danced to this kind of music, and now can dance again to the tunes of Symphonia Phonotone.

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The orginal "Phonotone Quartet" is still contained within the large orchestra, and has evolved to the "Phonotone Quartet and their Friends", now a six member group, plus vocalist. The Phonotone Quartet entertains our audience with traditional jazz tunes of the early 20th century.

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Symphonia Phonotone is comprised of some of the best musicians of Sacramento and the surrounding area. We pride ourselves in performing syncopated dance music in the authentic way it was meant to be played, and every time we perform, our audience is treated to an experience that has not been around in live music for the last 90 or more years.