Dol Dauber

Adolf Dauber (known also as Dol, Doli or Dolfi Dauber) (born 27 July 1894 – died 15 September 1950) was a jazz violinist, bandleader, composer and music arranger of Jewish origin, who was active in the first half of the 20th century in Central Europe, mainly in Austria, Czechoslovakia and Germany. During his career, he collaborated with international jazz personalities, led numerous orchestras and ensembles, and created music for several films.

Biography Dauber was born to a musical family in Vyzhnytsia (Wijnitz), Bukovina, Ukraine (then Austria-Hungary). He started his musical education at the age of 4, under the mentorship of his older sister, Clara. While still in his childhood, his sister arranged an audience with Carl Flesch, a violin virtuoso and teacher at the Bucharest Conservatory. His talent impressed Flesch and Dauber joined his class as the youngest pupil to be accepted.

In 1911, Flesh recommended him to the renowned Czech violinist and teacher, Otakar Ševčík. The performances were noted particularly for inventive and modern arrangements of classical repertoire, operetta melodies and waltzes. For this label he recorded hundreds of songs over the course of the next 15 years. The basic cast of the orchestra included: five violins, viola, violoncello, double bass, flute, two trumpets, trombone, harp, piano and harmonium, however, the recordings marked as "jazz", "jazz-symphonic" or "dance" usually used different instrumentation: violin, double bass, banjo, two trumpets, three saxophones, trombone, accordion, euphonium and drums.

The information about Dauber's life in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia is not clear. According to the testimony of the Czech composer and journalist Jiří Voldán, he spent a part of the war hidden by "good people". Allegedly, he had to pay for the shelter with his instrument, a Guarneri violin, a gift from the Queen Carmen Sylva.