Tag: celebs

A vintage promotional calling card, stamped Dec. 15, 1939, for Hal Leonard’s Triple Tongueing Trumpet Trio Featuring “The Carnival of Venice”.

The story of Hal Leonard’s Triple Tongueing Trumpet Trio can be found here and here, but the skinny is this: The Edstrom boys, Harold and Everett Leonard, of Winona, Minnesota, were afraid to name the band after themselves using the family name for fear of Dad’s reaction.

[T]hey feared he would feel shame that his family name was spelled out in glittering letters night by night in dance halls all across the land. The boys contrived a name — Harold’s nickname and Ev’s middle name — the Hal Leonard Band.

A day came when the big white bus turned onto McMillan Street at Worthington and came to a stop in front of the Edstrom house. Dad came out to see the wonder, and he was awed. He had one question: “Why don’t you call it the Edstrom Band?”

No one, however, feared use of “tonguing”.

Everett went on to organize Hal Leonard Music, which would become the largest sheet music publisher in the world.

This vintage postcard-sized promotional piece is for sale at Exit 55 Antiques, for just $4. (You can call them — We’re not the one’s who own it; or it wouldn’t be for sale.)