Abe Schwartz
1881–1963
Romanian-born violinist, composer, and Columbia Records' Jewish-music bandleader — the man whose studio orchestras put early American klezmer (כּלי־זמר) on record.
was born near Bucharest in 1881 and emigrated to New York in 1899. A dance-band violinist and leader in the city's Jewish circles, he was hired by Columbia Records around 1917 to organize ethnic-music sessions and scout Jewish talent — a role that made him the de facto architect of the recorded klezmer repertoire. His orchestras (under many names) cut hundreds of sides, including the 1918 “Der shtiler bulgar,” and his discoveries included , who can be heard in his bands before striking out on his own. Because Schwartz often skipped written arrangements and trusted his players to know what to do, his records preserve the vernacular, spontaneous sound of the immigrant bands.