This book is about the Six Brown Brothers, a musical act on the burlesque, vaudeville, minstrel, and Broadway stages (1911-33) that was once reputed to have initiated the “saxophone craze” of the 1910s and 1920s. Ontario-born circus musician Tom Brown (1881-1950), the group's leader, founded a saxophone quartet c.1906 within the Ringling Brothers' show that included two of his brothers, Verne (1887-1964) and Percy (1883-1918). By 1908, the quartet had become the Five Brown Brothers, also including brothers Alex (or Alec, 1882-1974) and Fred (1890-1949). Their brother William (1879-1945) joined ... More

This book is about the Six Brown Brothers, a musical act on the burlesque, vaudeville, minstrel, and Broadway stages (1911-33) that was once reputed to have initiated the “saxophone craze” of the 1910s and 1920s. Ontario-born circus musician Tom Brown (1881-1950), the group's leader, founded a saxophone quartet c.1906 within the Ringling Brothers' show that included two of his brothers, Verne (1887-1964) and Percy (1883-1918). By 1908, the quartet had become the Five Brown Brothers, also including brothers Alex (or Alec, 1882-1974) and Fred (1890-1949). Their brother William (1879-1945) joined later, as did many unrelated musicians. The act is placed in the context of the introduction of the saxophone into North American popular music. The early part of the saxophone craze is described and the act's role in it assessed. The shows in which they appeared are described. Tom's life is detailed, and those of the other brothers are sketched. A discography of their recordings for U-S Everlasting, Columbia, Victor, Emerson, and Vitaphone is incorporated, and the recordings are discussed.