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- Bert Firman, geboren als Herbert Feuermann, auch Herbert Feuerman (* 3. Februar 1906 in London; † 9. April 1999 ebenda) war ein britischer Bandleader und Geiger. Firmans Mutter kam aus Polen, sein Vater aus Österreich-Ungarn, nach England eingewandert Ende der 1880er-Jahre. Sein Vater und seine drei älteren Brüder waren ebenfalls Musiker. Firman lernte früh Violine und studierte mit einem Stipendium an der Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. Noch als Jugendlicher vermittelte ihm sein Vater Jobs als Musiker in Theatern und Hotels; 1921 spielte er einen Zigeunergeiger im Musical Sally im Winter Garden Theatre in der Drury Lane. Das Engagement dauerte zwei Jahre. Während dieser Zeit nahm er den Namen Firman an. Danach spielte er im Midnight Follies Orchestra im Metropole Hotel und wurde mit nur 16 Jahren nach Ausfall seines Vorgängers dessen Bandleader. 1925 wurde er musikalischer Leiter bei Zonophone Records (einem Unter-Label von His Master’s Voice, er war dort bis August 1928, sein Nachfolger war sein Bruder John Firman) und spielte zahlreiche Aufnahmen mit eigener Band ein. Er wurde Leiter der Band im Gordon Hotel und nahm neben Zonophone auch für Homochord auf. In England war er in den 1920er-Jahren sehr erfolgreich, wobei er nicht nur eine, sondern mehrere Bands hatte, die unter anderem in Theaterproduktionen, im Devonshire Restaurant (1927) und Carlton Hotel spielten. Neben seiner Bigband hatte er auch kleinere Gruppen, so die Rhythm Eight (in denen unter anderem , Sylvester Ahola, Arthur Lally, Frank Guarente, Max Goldberg, Danny Polo und spielten). 1929 erhielt er einen Sechsmonats-Vertrag als Gastdirigent des NBC-Orchesters in den USA und war in dieser Zeit auch Studiomusiker in Hollywood. Nach der Rückkehr nach London gründete er eine Band, die im Ciro’s und dann ab 1932 im Les Ambassadeurs Restaurant in Paris viele Jahre spielte. Ihr gehörten der Pianist Sam Costa und der Saxophonist an. Er war mit seiner Band auch in Ostende und Monte Carlo. 1937 kehrte er nach London zurück, wo er bis 1939 eine neue Band im London Casino leitete. Er war in dieser Zeit auch regelmäßig bei BBC und Radio Luxembourg zu hören. Ende 1939 hatte er eine Band im Café de Paris in London. Im Zweiten Weltkrieg war er ab 1940 in der britischen Truppenbetreuung (Stars in Battledress) im Mittleren Osten und Europa und gab dort auch Solo-Violinkonzerte. Nach dem Krieg gründete er eine neue Band in London, als die BBC von ihm die Teilnahme an Vorspielen verlangte, war er verärgert und ging stattdessen nach Paris, wo er im Bagatelle Club spielte. Dort spielten zeitweise auch Django Reinhardt und Stéphane Grappelli. Nachdem der Club verkauft wurde, zog er sich ganz aus dem Musikgeschäft zurück und arbeitete an der Londoner Metallhandels-Börse. 1976 ging er in den Ruhestand. (de)
- Bert Firman (born Herbert Feuerman; 3 February 1906 – 9 April 1999) was an English bandleader of the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s. He was born in London. His mother was of Polish stock and his father was a professional musician who had settled in Britain from Austria-Hungary in the late 1880s. His three elder brothers were also musicians. He took up the violin at an early age and won a scholarship to the Guildhall School of Music. Firman’s first job, at the age of thirteen, was at the Playhouse Theatre, London, where he was part of a quintet playing entr'acte music. A year later his father negotiated a position for him in the orchestra at the Victoria Hotel in Northumberland Avenue. After only three months in this job he secured the part of Sascha, a gypsy violinist in the musical Sally at the Winter Garden Theatre, Drury Lane. The production opened on 10 September 1921, running for 383 performances. During this run, at the suggestion of the producer, George Grossmith Jr., Feuerman changed his name to Bert Firman, apparently so as to make it easier to bill in lights outside the theatre. When the run of Sally finished, Firman got a job as a violinist with the Midnight Follies Orchestra at the Metropole Hotel. Shortly after beginning this job, the current bandleader was indisposed, and Firman was offered the job. He was then only sixteen, and he would thereafter claim to have been the youngest bandleader in the world. In 1924, Firman became musical director for Zonophone Records (a subsidiary of His Master’s Voice) and in the following five years recorded over 750 sides for them. Throughout the 1920s Firman continued to lead his band from success to success, including a season in variety at the Alhambra Theatre, Leicester Square and the Coliseum Theatre, whilst still also directing the Midnight Follies and then later, bands at the Devonshire Restaurant and the Carlton Hotel. As well as recording with his band, Firman also produced many recordings with a smaller group called The Rhythmic Eight. The group included such prominent musicians as Sylvester Ahola, Chelsea Quealey, Frank Guarente, Arthur Lally, Danny Polo, Max Goldberg and Jack Jackson. In 1929 Firman was given a six-month contract to be a guest conductor at N.B.C., becoming the first British bandleader to broadcast in America. He then spent some time in Hollywood adding music to a large number of silent films. Firman then formed a band in London, which he took to Les Ambassadeurs restaurant in Paris. The band included Sam Costa, a young pianist who would later become a singer and actor, as well as Freddy Gardner, a talented British saxophonist. He spent several years in France before returning to London in 1937 to form another band. During this period he broadcast regularly for the B.B.C., and had several series on Radio Luxembourg. At the outbreak of war Firman moved to the Cafe de Paris with a band that included Ivor Mairants and George Melachrino. However, after a dispute with the management he walked out. He then joined up with the South Staffordshire Regiment. After completing his training he went to Egypt, Syria, Palestine and Persia, with Stars in Battledress, an organization dedicated to entertaining the troops. Later the party moved to Europe and crossed the Rhine with the British troops. After the war Firman was set to lead a band in London again, but was annoyed at being asked to audition for the B.B.C. He therefore went to lead a band in Paris again, where he formed a band at the Bagatelle Club. The band, which included Stephane Grappelli and Django Reinhardt, was to be his last. Firman finally retired from band leading, partly because the age of the big bands was coming to an end. He withdrew entirely from the music business, working on the London Metal Exchange until he opted for full retirement in 1976. He died on 9 April 1999. (en)
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