Blu Tones band

The Blu Tones were a revered band for many years.  Unfortunately they recorded only one record.  (see “Blu Tones Romanian Dances” on this site).  Because they played for many years, there were many musicians that were members at one time or another.  The band started playing in 1940 and continued until 1998 with various musicians alternating in and out as older members retired or died.

According to Carl Angelo and Paul Novachcoff, the musicians that played with the band included the following:

Boris Moharemoff on fluegelhorn, valve trombone and trumpet, Paul Novachcoff on trumpet, tenor saxophone, and clarinet, Charlie Vlad on clarinet, tenor and alto saxophone, Cal Bandy on bass, George Mehailoff on drums, Eddie Shupert on accordion, Ted Vlad on saxophone and clarinet, Bill James on clarinet, alto & tenor saxophone, Sam James on valve trombone, John Nicoloff on drums, Eino (Hoppy) Haapala on tenor saxophone and clarinet, Naum (Kris) Angelo on clarinet, Carl Angelo on trumpet and fluegelhorn, Rob Kondoff on fluegelhorn and trumpet, and George Rochette on drums.

Boris Moharemoff died in 1976, Charles and Ted Vlad in the 1980s, George Mehailoff in 1990, Naum Angelo in 1992, Bill James in 2010, and Eino Haapala in 2009 (all years are approximate).  All were great musicians, but the driving forces after Boris Moharemoff and Naum Angelo died were Paul Novachcoff, George Mehailoff, Eddie Shupert, and Bill James.  Of the older members, only Paul Novachcoff and Eddie Schupert are alive.  Rob Kondoff is currently one of the driving forces of the Off Beats (see “Off Beats” on this site).

Except for the Vlad brothers who were Romanian, and Eino Haapala who was Finnish, all the rest were Macedonian or Bulgarian