© 2014-2026 A. G. Kozak
“Ambrose’s Jubilee Cavalcade” continues on side two with Elsie Carlisle singing Irving Berlin’s “What’ll I Do?” There are also other songs of the ’20s and ’30s sung by Sam Browne and the Rhythm Sisters.
On March 7, 1935, Ambrose and His Orchestra celebrated the twenty-fifth year of the reign of King George V with selections of songs popular since his accession to the throne. The first side of “Ambrose’s Jubilee Cavalcade,” which covers the years 1910-1923, features Elsie Carlisle singing “Lady Friend” (about a minute into the recording). Sam Browne and the Rhythm Sisters can also be heard in this recording.
Ray (Renato) Starita, an Italian-American, along with his brothers Al and Rudy (and the less well-known Julio) were influential in British dance band music in the 1920s and early 1930s. Ray, a saxophonist and clarinetist, led the Piccadilly Revels Band and the Ambassadors’ Band.
John Wright has compiled some interesting historical data regarding the Starita family, drawing on the accounts of their children, and he provides a unique photo gallery of Ray Starita‘s career in England and later life in the United States.
Elsie Carlisle made a number of noteworthy recordings with Ray Starita and His Ambassadors’ Band in 1932, including “Let That Be a Lesson to You,” “I Heard,” and Noël Coward’s “Mad About the Boy.”
