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Where the Pizza Organs Are Ln the West Part

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Where the Pizza Organs Are Ln the West Part ···••11••-· PARTI Story & Photos by Gary Konas The decade of the 1920s was a we'll touch upon several issues in­ created excitement and stimulated golden one, both for silent movies volving the pizza/pipes situation in business. Eventually the two part­ and for theatre pipe organs. Thou­ general. For simplicity we'll use the ners decided that they would each sands of organs were installed during word "pizza" while acknowledging take sole ownership of one location. that time to provide musical accom­ the fact that 10% of the restaurants Henningsen took Ye Olde Pizza paniment for the movies. Today, with pipe organs are not pizza par­ Joynt in San Lorenzo, an East Bay over half a century later, most of the lors at all. community south of Oakland. theatres have been razed for parking We pause to look briefly at the lots and other important new struc­ San Lorenzo, California: career of George Wright, whose tures, and any surviving organs have Where It All Began presence has been felt in nearly all had to look for new homes. Around Back in the dark ages of the areas of the modern theatre organ sixty of them (plus several others 1950s before there were pizza/ world. By 1960, George had released broken up for parts) now reside in pipes restaurants, there were pizza over a dozen albums under the Hi-Fi restaurants, mostly pizza parlors, parlors that provided other types of label. The popularity of these al­ from Alaska to Florida. Here they musical entertainment, for example bums helped to kindle renewed inter­ provide nightly entertainment for a "Straw Hat" type of rinky-tink est in the theatre pipe organ. Further customers much as they did when piano and banjo act. Two such evidence of this interest was the fact they were new. places in the San Francisco Bay area that thousands of people were turn­ In Part I of this article we'll trace were owned by a man named Carsten ing out to attend George's midnight the history of the first pipe organ­ Henningsen, along with a business concerts at the San Francisco Fox equipped pizza parlor. Next we'll partner. Fred Finn, who in 1966 be­ Theatre. In addition, the home (elec­ talk about several of the places that came nationally known along with tronic) organ market was beginning have sprung up in the West since his wife by starring in the TV variety to blossom at this time. These events then. In Part II we'll cover the places series Mickie Finn's, played in one of did not go unnoticed by Henningsen, located east of the Rockies. Then them. This live entertainment who began to consider the possibility Bill Langford can take much credit for the Pizza Joynt's continued success . The con ­ sole from San Francisco's Warfield Theatre. The Joynt is a relatively small structure . _ ...•-. of putting an organ into his Pizza sports a couple of interesting addi­ Let's start our journey across the Joynt. tions, namely a Tangley brass Bay from YOP J, where Bill Breuer All that remained was to find the calliope and a French celeste accor­ started the first "chain" of pizza/ right organ. After some shopping dion, along with a grand piano. pipe houses. From the first "Cap'ns around, an acquaintance of Henn­ After seventeen years, though, no Galley Pizza & Pipes" in Santa ingsen 's named Bob Denny, found a change has been made in the organ­ Clara, opened in 1968, the number 2/9 Wurlitzer, originally from the ist. It's still Bill Langford, an experi­ grew to seven as three more were State Theatre in Fresno, Calif. After enced entertainer with many stage opened in the Bay Area and three in it was purchased, the problem be­ shows and broadcasts under his belt. the state of Washington. The Cali­ came how to install it in the existing fornia quartet was sold this year, but YOP J. The building was not overly Beyond San Lorenzo no major changes are anticipated. large to begin with, and now a cham­ A lot of mozzarella has melted The organ now in the Santa Clara ber had to be built. This was done, since those early days, and much has Cap'ns Galley is a straight stoprail with no more room than necessary been done to make the pizza/pipes twelve ranker that's had an interest­ being given up to the chamber. The experience more entertaining and in­ ing history. It started out in the organ was installed in 1962, with formative for the listener. Win­ Wurlitzer showroom in New York Denny doing most of the work, and dowed chambers to make pipes, City in 1929. Ten years later it was re­ it was ready to start making music to often colorfully lighted, visible have installed as the official organ of the eat by. long been de rigueur. Today, glass New York World's Fair. After a few The historic first night was July shutters with superior sound control years in storage it went to the Long 25th, 1962, and Dave Quinlan was qualities are being developed to fur­ Beach, Calif., Municipal Auditori­ the organist. Dave stayed on for fif­ ther enhance visibility. Solid-state um, where it stayed until finding a teen months, after which time he left relays and/ or combination actions new home in this pizza parlor. in favor of a job closer to home. are being added to many organs to A few miles south, in Campbell, Finally it is time to introduce the give greater flexibility and dependa­ lives one of the truly famous theatre final protagonist of this story. The bility. One new invention that could organs: Buddy Cole's 3/26 Wurli­ year was 1963, and Bill Langford have far-reaching effects is the auto­ Morton. After Buddy's death in had recently come to the Bay Area matic rhythm unit now being in­ 1964 the organ was moved to the east from Phoenix. A local ATOS (then stalled on some organs. This device, coast and was subjected to poor stor­ A TOE) group asked Langford to which plays various rhythm patterns age conditions. In 1970 Bill Breuer play a Sunday morning concert for using the organ's drums and traps, rescued it, had it refurbished, and in­ them at the California Theatre in has the potential to make pipe organ stalled it in Campbell. In its present Santa Rosa which had a 2/7 Wurlit­ music more entertaining, provided setting it sounds different than it did zer. Since he had a job that kept him it's used wisely and skillfully. when Buddy was coaxing those won­ playing until 2 a.m., he didn't think We'll tour the West now, going derfully breathy sounds from it, but he could play a morning concert so from Phoenix to Fairbanks to look it's good to know that the instrument far from home. He suggested they at several of the more interesting in­ still exists. might find an available organ closer stallations. A word in advance to Now, going north on Highway to home. The program was moved to those who plan to visit any pipe­ 101, past Palo Alto, we exit at Red­ the Pizza Joynt. After hearing Lang­ equipped restaurant. As a general wood City to find yet another Cap'ns ford play, Henningsen asked him to rule you '11 find the organ is played Galley. The organ here is considered become the regular YOP J organist. nightly from around 6 to 10 p.m., by many, including some pros, to be After a little coaxing Bill accepted. and until 11 or later on Fridays and the finest to be found in any food es­ Soon the organ was expanded. A Saturdays. The information given tablishment. At 26 ranks it's far three-manual console from San below is subject to change, so if you from the largest, but its sound Francisco's Warfield Theatre was re­ want to hear a particular organist on possesses both beauty and power. stored and installed, along with four a certain night, it would be wise to The original 4/18 Wurlitzer nucleus more ranks of pipes. The organ now phone beforehand. came from the opulent Fifth Avenue Theatre in Seattle. much larger (capacity 400, high ceil­ Bfg Top Pizza in the Sacramento Continuing north towards San ing, two-level seating), with tables suburb of Carmichael. The organ Francisco, Cap'ns Galley No. 4 is in and chairs instead of picnic benches. that Fats Waller used to play on the the Serramonte shopping center in The organ now has a solid state re­ air late at night for WL W radio in Daly City. The building is the largest lay. Other prominent additions in­ Cincinnati has been considerably ex­ of the four. Seating is on two levels: a clude an ebony grand piano and ani­ panded to reach its present 3/ 18 lower level near the console and mated dancing puppets. Organists at (soon to be 22) status. In addition a chambers for those who want to be the present time are Rick De Rose new "computer" combination ac­ closer to the music, and an upper and Harvey Blanchard in Martinez, tion now being installed gives head level, for those who want to look with Ken Simmons and Aura Ed­ organist-technician Dave Moreno down on the console and be farther wards in Concord. and associate organist Jim Brown removed from the sound of the 3/22 A 75-mile drive northeast to Sac­ twice as many pistons to work with.
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