Harry Kandel

[1] Harry was born Chaim Kandel (חיים קאַנדעל)[2] sometime around 1885; on some immigration documents he gave his birthdate as September 21, 1883[3] or March 28, 1884.

[6] In a number of census and immigration documents Kandel listed his birthplace as Russia[7][8][9] or more specifically Kovel, Volyn Oblast (now located in Ukraine).

[10] He studied clarinet at the Odessa Conservatory and briefly served in a Russian army band before emigrating to New York City in October 1904.

[1][4][2] Upon arriving in the United States, Kandel became a working musician on the popular Keith Vaudeville Circuit with the Great Lafayette Band, then appeared on Buffalo Bill's Wild West show.

[5] He also got into business, opening the People's Talking Machine Company on South Street, a store which sold records, sheet music and Piano rolls.

[5] He became one of the well-known names in the genre alongside his contemporaries Naftule Brandwein, Max Leibowitz and Dave Tarras.

[16][8] Years later Kandel's wife's obituary remembered him not as a musician but as a "pioneer electrical appliance dealer".

In 2010 the Judaica Sound Archives at Florida Atlantic University also reissued a number of his tracks in CD form: The Kandel Orchestra.