Once hailed as "The Toast Of New England", Edwin J. McEnelly first organized his band in Milford, Massachusetts in 1902. In the years that followed, McEnelly’s "Singing" Orchestra became a local favorite and traveled throughout New England. By 1917, the band was playing regularly at Riverside Park, an early amusement park in Springfield, Massachusetts. In the early 1920s, McEnelly’s Orchestra broadcast regularly over radio station WBZ and frequently competed in "battles of the bands" with other popular dance bands usually emerging victorious. In 1925, a young Frankie Carle joined the band as pianist, along with Waino Kauppi, a Finnish immigrant and former child prodigy on the cornet. Between 1925 and 1929, McEnelly’s Orchestra recorded twenty-one sides for Victor Records. With the onset of the Great Depression, McEnelly’s recording career ended, but he continued to lead his band until failing health forced him to retire in 1942. In his later years, McEnelly worked as a violin teacher and piano tuner until his death in 1958 at the age of 79. McEnelly was skilled on many instruments and played violin in his orchestra. He was also famous for his yodeling, an example of which can be heard in his recording of "Sleep Baby Sleep".

If you would like to order a Rivermont CD of Edwin J. McEnelly's Orchestra - Complete Recordings in Chronological Order - 1925-1929 you can do so directly from Rivermont Records. The CD includes a 20-page booklet with a more detailed history of the band, a full discography with notes on each recording, and over a dozen rare photos.

Thanks to Bob Palmer for his help with this page.