Smith Ballew (real name Sykes Ballew) (1902-1984) was an American actor, singer, and orchestra leader. Starting in the late 1920s he became one of the most recognizable vocalists on hundreds of dance band and jazz records (during this time, Ballew along with Scrappy Lambert, Dick Robertson, and Chick Bullock were the most prolific vocalists), and in the early 1930s had his own band. Bert Lown (1903-1962) was a violinist and orchestra leader. He began as a sideman playing the violin in Fred Hamm's band, and in the 1920s and 1930s he led a series of jazz-oriented dance bands (the most famous being the Biltmore Hotel Orchestra). He composed the standard "Bye Bye Blues" and he also wrote some other songs. By the mid-1930s he quit leading the orchestras, becoming a booking agent and manager. This great record was made in 1930.
