The John Schneider Orchestra originated around the piano in the bandleader's Walker's Point flat. At first it was just a lark, with Schneider and his friend David Carroll entertaining guests at their weekly dinner party with songs from the 1930s and '40s, especially from the Harold Arlen songbook. One of the regular dinner guests, Larry Krueger, had just opened a new bar and restaurant, Café Mélange, off the lobby of the historic Hotel Wisconsin in Downtown Milwaukee.
One thing led to another. By spring of 1989 Schneider and Carroll were entertaining the public each week at Krueger's café, a lounge that in the '30s had been a swanky nightclub with live dance bands. To call a duo an orchestra was to dream, but the reality came soon enough as musicians turned up at shows, instruments in hand, ready to play and to commit themselves to the band. Two of the earliest recruits, tenor saxophonist Rip Tenor and singer Claire Morkin, remain in the John Schneider Orchestra today and are heard on the band's debut CD, Mélange. The album's name alludes to Krueger's café, home to a retro-contemporary scene that flourished until 1997, when Café Mélange closed. The Schneider Orchestra was one of the nightclub's anchors.
Five of the album's 12 songs were written by Harold Arlen, whose most remembered number was featured in the classic film The Wizard of Oz. "Over the Rainbow" perfectly captures the writer's melancholy optimism and is a good representative for the Schneider repertoire. The album's remaining songs come from the golden pens of Arlen's contemporaries, Hoagy Carmichael, Cole Porter and Richard Rogers. Mélange is a summation of the Schneider Orchestra's 20-year history and a statement that they are still performing, viable as ever.
Prior to the Orchestra, Schneider was known for his work in theater. In his earliest days at Café Mélange he was still a better actor than a singer. But Schneider's range expanded rapidly, guided by his empathy for the material and encouraged by the company of fine musicians. Over the years a great deal of talent passed through the band, including Violent Femmes drummer Victor DeLorenzo. Currently, the Orchestra consists of drummer Kim Zick, bassist Tom McGirr and pianist Connie Grauer, who produced Mélange. The vocals are divided between Schneider and dulcet-voiced Morkin, in duets and alone with the band.
For the past four years, the Schneider Orchestra has performed monthly at O'Donoghue's in Elm Grove. "A lot of the old fans from Café Mélange come out to see us there, and new fans, too," Schneider says. "These are not schlocky renditions of the songs. And yet, despite our seriousness, we have a good time with the material."
Twenty years ago the John Schneider Orchestra could have been described as young people performing old music, the songs of their parents' era. Time has passed, generations have come and aged, and the Orchestra continues to find young listeners. "Many 20-year-olds know this music," Schneider explains. "They are eclectic. It's postmodern to not categorize music as many people once did. To them, they are just good songs."
The CD release party for Mélange is scheduled for Friday, June 12, at O'Donoghue's, 13225 Watertown Plank Road. To purchase a copy of Mélange, send a check for $15, payable to Kim Zick, to P.O. Box 71211, Milwaukee, WI 53211.
