Chaim "Efim" Schachmeister (1894 in Kiev, presently Ukraine- 1944 in Buenos Aires, Argentina) was a German violinist and dance band leader. On records, he also used the pseudonyms Sascha Elmo and Joan Florescu. Already before the First World War, he studied from 1910 till 1913 at Sternschen Conservatory in Berlin, and around 1915, he played in Berlin at the Popescu Gypsy band. In 1923 he became a bandleader, toured in Germany during 1924, and in April of 1925 he obtained a contract at Hotel Excelsior in Berlin. This was followed by several other assignments. This is also the period when for the first time he appeared in the Gramophone record catalogs, being honored with the title "King of all Dance Band Violinists" Gradually, his style evoluated from a salon orchestra towards ragtime and eventually real jazz. He temporarily hired great jazzmen such as Dutch trumpeter Louis de Vries, Belgian trombonist Henri van den Bossche, banjo player Michael "Mike" Danzi and pianist Adam Gelbtrunk. He played violin in the gypsy-like manner, but in "black" selections he was also able to deliver a great blues sound. Nobody played W. C. Handy's Saint Louis Blues like he did, in a unique blues style influenced by Gypsy and Jewish music. However, as early as 1933 it was all over. Being a Jew and a jazz musician, Schachmeister was considered persona non grata for both aspects of his personality. Like his fellow countrymen Leo Golzmann Leon (aka Dajos Béla) Baskind and Samuel (aka Sam Baskini) he went to Latin America. He died in 1944, aged only 50. As for this fantastic record, it was made in 1927.
