# Music by Genre > Jazz/Blues Variants, Bossa, Choro, Klezmer >  Dave Apollon... daveapollon.com

## Eryn Eubanks

Recently I tried to find information about mandolinist Dave Apollon on Facebook.  I couldn't find anything, so I decided to start a fan page for him there.  This eventually led me to launch an official website for him: daveapollon.com.

It is my hope that this one site will provide people with all the web information that is available about Dave Apollon... Information that I had to find piece by piece amongst 300+ webpages.

I thought you might be interested in this site.  Please spread the word, and visit http://www.daveapollon.com.

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## Malcolm G.

Welcome to the Cafe, Eryn!

You've done very well with your site.

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## Eryn Eubanks

Thanks for the welcome, and for the visiting the site, Malcolm!

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## Ed Goist

Eryn: You've done a great job on the website. Very well put together and quite informative. I look forward to perusing it more thoroughly and learning more about Apollon...
-Nice job.
BTW, I love the two point mandolin he's holding in the photo that's the cover for 'Gallery 1".

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## Eryn Eubanks

Hey, Fast Eddie!  I appreciate you visiting the site.  Glad you enjoyed it.  The mandolin you mentioned is a Lyon & Healy (style B).  Thanks for writing!

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## evanreilly

There are a lot of fans of Dave and his mandolins here at the 'Cafe.

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## AlanN

And some fans here even have a 'special connection' to DA.

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## Jordan Ramsey

Very nice job, Eryn! Thank you for bringing all of this information together in one place.

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## Eryn Eubanks

Evan, it's great to meet Dave's fans!  Thank you for the photo.  May I post it to website?  I'll gladly give you a photo credit.

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## Eryn Eubanks

AlanN, you've sparked my curiosity.  Do tell of the "special connection."

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## Eryn Eubanks

Thank you, Jordan!  Glad you enjoyed the website.

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## evanreilly

Eryn:
That is not my picture per se; so I suggest not posting it elsewhere.
I know nothing.......

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## Eryn Eubanks

We'll keep it under wraps, Evan.  Cool photo, though.

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## SternART

I know a guy who has a previously owned by Dave Apollon fingerboard......installed on his old Gibson.
He got it from the widow.

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## grassrootphilosopher

> And some fans here even have a 'special connection' to DA.


Talk about Evan...

Erin, if you haven´t done it yet, check out David Grisman etc.

Dave Appolon is a true master. The Acoustic Disc about him is a gem.

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## woodwizard

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRW7tfhimGQ
I beleive a cafe member might even own one of his mandolins...

Notes Good ...
Bill Monroe   :Smile:

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## Eryn Eubanks

I think it's neat that some folks actually own stuff that once belonged to Dave.  Very nice!  

I'm grateful for what David Grisman has done to make Apollon's music available to the public.  I can't tell you how many times I've played "The Man With The Mandolin" double-disc set.  I've listened to it so much, I've practically memorized some of Dave's dialogue.

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## evanreilly

There are a number of Apollon's mandolins in the hands of collectors, some prominent members of the 'Cafe crowd.
And the young Bill Monroe was a fan of Apollon's as well.

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## delsbrother

Hi, nice job on the site!

If you can find out anything more about his Filipino band I'd appreciate a PM, especially if there are any ties to California.

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## Eryn Eubanks

Hey, delsbrother... Thanks for checking out the website.  If I find out more about his Filipino band, I'll definitely post it.  I love to hear those guys play!  Lots of talent there.  Speaking of California, you know when Dave Apollon first made it to America in 1919, he arrived in San Francisco.  He had his heart set on New York, though, so that's where he headed, but he did move to Hollywood in 1954.  While there, his music even took on a "Hollywood sound" as you'll hear on his "Lots Of Love" LP from 1956.  You can find that recording on "The Man With The Mandolin" double CD set produced by Acoustic Disc.

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## evanreilly

Gotta love them Cossack outfits......

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## Eryn Eubanks

Evan, someone summed it up perfectly with one word... "Flamboyance."  I love it!

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## delsbrother

If you can track down any of their names or addresses, I can look up where they lived and if it still exists. I can look up Dave as well, if someone hasn't already done this (or you can; it's not particularly hard to do as the LA city directories are all online). 

Did he actually LIVE in SF in the teens?

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## MandoNicity

Just checked out your site, nice job and good luck!  btw, if not for the Dawg I doubt that many of us would know who Dave Apollon is.

JR

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## Eryn Eubanks

Thank you, JR!  Although it was my 74-year-old mandolin teacher, Henry Courtney, who first told me of Dave Apollon; the Dawg made the recordings available for me to purchase, and I am certainly grateful for that.

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## mandolirius

Hi Eryn - I also checked out the site and l agree with what's been said already. You've done a very nice job with it. Have you heard the Coral sessions? I only have "Travelin' Mandolin" on vinyl but do have all three on CD. I also have the Yazoo recording but I think most of that is also on "The Man With The Mandolin".

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## Eryn Eubanks

delsbrother... Dave passed away in 1972.  I haven't found much at all on his wife, Danzi Goodell, and nothing on his sons, Mike & Leo.  Same for his band(s).  I don't know any of their names.  It'd be great to learn about/track down the people in Dave's life.  From the articles I've read, it doesn't sound like Dave lived in San Francisco when he first arrived in America.

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## Eryn Eubanks

Hi, mandolirius!  Thanks for stopping by the site.  I've heard some songs from his Coral albums, and I love the sound that he was creating in the 1960s.  I wish someone would re-release those recordings on CD.  Maybe one day...

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## Eryn Eubanks

delsbrother... Turns out, I do know of one member of Dave's band.

According to the May 1936 issue of B.M.G. Magazine, Dave's band included a Hawaiian guitarist by the name of Harold Aloma.

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## evanreilly

Another pic; an album cover.
Different dress style; different mandolins.

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## evanreilly

Here is the larger pic of Apollon and Ed Wynn.
I'll scan the back soon.

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## Eryn Eubanks

Evan, thanks for posting the photos!

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## mandroid

Any archive of of the arraignments, music scores, etc. ,
 and that sort of info to share,
 with folks that seek to play the music?

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## Pete Martin

Very nice Eryn!  Thanks for doing this.

I found 3 Apollons LPs on Ebay over the years.  Keep your eyes open.

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## mandoisland

Hi Eryn,
The website you have created (and also the facebook site) is a great source about Dave Apollon. Thanks for your great work!
Michael

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## danb

Here's the Maurice Seymour photo

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## LaVonne

Well done!! Thanks.

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## Eryn Eubanks

mandroid... The only transcriptions I've seen of Dave's tunes are "Russian Rag," "St. Louis Blues," and "Stardust."  I hope that there is more out there.  I need to dig through my sheet music library and see if I have any Apollon tunes.  If anyone here has some sheet music, please send it our way!

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## Eryn Eubanks

Pete, thanks for visiting the website!  I've got Dave's albums on my wishlist, and I'll certainly be shopping around.

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## Eryn Eubanks

mandoisland... Thank you very much.  I appreciate you telling your followers about Dave's sites.  It's been good to meet you through Apollon's music.

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## Eryn Eubanks

danb... I love this photo of Dave!  Thanks for sharing it.

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## Eryn Eubanks

LaVonne... Thank You!

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## Jim Garber

Promo shot from my collection from the movie "Hot From Petrograd".

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## uncle ken

I see you have some of the pictures that I have posted here in the past in your gallery. I know three names from his bands. Sam Freeman, Joe Cafiero and Connie Caudillo who was a Filipino Boy band member. I can pick out Sam but not sure about the others. I have Sam's 29 fern that he bought from Dave.

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## Al Bergstein

Apollon is the alpha to a large  crowd of us, it seems to me. His influence on Big Mon is not totally clear, other than a hero to show a young man that he could make a good living at mandolin (G).  Jethro apparently met him later, and always admired his work. 

We tend to forget (at least I do) that all these guys lived in a very acoustic (meaning sound) age. It's almost hard to image that Big Mon wouldn't have heard of Apollon and seen his films for .5 or so (maybe in a double Saturday matinee, yes they used to run two movies for the price of one in the old days, they were still doing it when I was a kid in the 50s and 60s) in Kentucky at some point. Or maybe heard him on the radio, which penetrated almost everywhere back then. Likewise for Jethro, who was a working professional early in his life. Apollon being the Gibson "poster boy" for mandolin had to have some influence. I bet posters of him and his F5 were up in music stores selling instruments and sheet music in those days, even if kids like Monroe or Jethro only could window shop. 

A great player, really from what I can tell the first of the "modern era" in the US (meaning the 20th Century), and well worth serious study for any of us. (could there be someone else who predates him on mandolin doing serious work that survived? I know Grisman talked about a guy who used to dress up in a clown suit,like Opera, and play, but I think it was the same era as Dave and not earlier). 

 Good for you for doing this Eryn. Best of luck on your playing!

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## Nick Royal

The fellow in the clown suit was Bernardo de Pace; and there was a video of him playing at a recent Mandolin Symposium talk, I think it was shown last summer.  He was an amazing player. 
Nick Royal
Santa Cruz, CA

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## Eryn Eubanks

Hey, Jim.  Thanks for posting this "Hot From Petrograd" promo shot!

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## Eryn Eubanks

uncle ken... Thanks for the info on some of Dave's band members.  That '29 fern mandolin sounds like a prized possession.  Nice!

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## Eryn Eubanks

alb... Thank you for your post!  I agree... Apollon must have influenced many mandolin greats.  As I compiled my research for the website, I grew in my amazement of all that he had accomplished.  I think he was bigger than most people realize.  If you're doing successful performances at the largest theatre in New York, starring in some of the first talking picture shows that were ever made, and having your show held over for months at England's renowned Palladium because you're such a hit; then I'd say you're a star.

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## Eryn Eubanks

Regarding Bernardo de Pace and his influence upon Dave, this is the information that I compiled in the biography...

Possibly when Dave was in his pre-teen years (circa 1907-1910), a world renowned Italian mandolinist was touring Russia.  It's said that this Italian virtuoso was either Bernardo de Pace or Leopoldo Francia.  Dave sought this man out, and asked for help.  This mandolinist showed him how to hold the pick, and a number of other “tricks.”  By the time Dave was 14, he was playing well enough to organize his own ensemble to entertain in a Kiev movie theater.

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## delsbrother

Hi Eryn,

I did a cursory search of the LA City Directories and got a hit for 1956:

Apollon, Dave
1750 N Serrano Ave Apt 601

The building still stands today (you can Google it). The next time I'm up in the city I can swing by and take a photo. It's very near my Mom's place. From the satellite photo it looks to be quite a large building. It was built in 1929 and remodeled in '59. Not sure what condition it's in today - this part of town is now known as Los Feliz/Little Armenia, at the foot of the Hollywood Hills. It's within sight of Frank Lloyd Wright's Hollyhock House for you Architecture buffs.

The 1956 directory only lists names on six floors, and there are only 1-2 apartments listed per floor. Right now, the building is listed as having 55 bedrooms, 29 bathrooms, and 28 total units. Either the other residents in 1956 did not want their names and numbers listed, or the 1959 remodel seriously changed the layout of the place and Dave had a huge penthouse suite.

Don't know when I'll be up at the main Library again, but the next time I go I can do an actual search of the microfilm. That ususally can find things that slip through the web searches.

I wonder if Dave did any teaching while he lived here.

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## Eryn Eubanks

Nice work, delsbrother!  Do take a photo, and let us know if you find anything else.  Thanks!

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## delsbrother

Went into LA today for Father's Day, and I decided to make a quick stop off at Dave's place.. which didn't disappoint! I mean, c'mon, it's named after a chateau in Versailles! I'm trying to picture Dave's life there, in '50s Hollywood..

Le Trianon 1
Le Trianon 2

It has a beautiful little courtyard with a fountain out front (perfect for mando playing afternoons), but it was surrounded by a security gate, so I couldn't go in.  :Frown:  Looks like Dave is on the top floor. Nice digs!

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## Mike Bromley

> There are a lot of fans of Dave and his mandolins here at the 'Cafe.


You might be one of those, yup, uh-huh.  Could be.  I'm bettin'

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## uncle ken

Here are a couple of trade magazine ads, one from 1947 and a Gibson ad from the 60's. The Monkey Bar review was on the back of the Apollon ad from '47, I thought it was funny so I included it here. You might need to download the big one and zoom in to be able to read it.

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## jblanchard

Here's another personalized and autographed photo of Dave Apollon.  I have this photo in the archive of the Baltimore Mandolin Orchestra (Baltimore, Maryland).  "Gebby" is Conrad Gebelein, who founded the Baltimore Mandolin Orchestra in 1924.  

Jim Blanchard
Baltimore Mandolin Orchestra

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## evanreilly

And here is a copy of an autographed photo of Dave that was sold at the Bill Monroe Estate auction a few years back.
The photo was given to Bill Monroe.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php...&id=1404326957

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