Reuben Bloom (April 24, 1902 – March 30, 1976) was a Jewish American multi-faceted entertainer, and in addition to being a songwriter, pianist, arranger, band leader, recording artist, vocalist, and writer (he wrote several books on piano method).

He was born and died in New York City.

During his career, he worked with many well-known performers, including Bix Beiderbecke, Joe Venuti, Ruth Etting, and Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey. He collaborated with a wide number of lyricists, including Johnny Mercer, Ted Koehler, and Mitchell Parish.

During the 20s he wrote many novelty piano solos which are still well regarded today. He recorded for the Aeolian Company's Duo-Art reproducing piano system various titles including his "Spring Fever". His first hit came in 1927 with "Soliloquy"; his last was "Here's to My Lady" in 1952, which he wrote with Johnny Mercer. Bloom formed and led a number of bands during his career, such as Rube Bloom and His Bayou Boys (which consisted of 3 records made over 3 sessions in 1930 and are considered 6 of the hottest recordings made in the first days of the depression. It was an all-star studio group containing Benny Goodman, Adrian Rollini, Tommy Dorsey and Manny Klein). At other times, he played with other bands; an example of this side of his career can be found in his work with Bix Beiderbecke and Frankie Trumbauer in the Sioux City Six, as well as his frequent work with Joe Venuti's Blue Four.

"The Man" is a slang phrase that may refer to the government or to some other authority in a position of power. In addition to this derogatory connotation, it may also serve as a term of respect and praise.

The phrase "the Man is keeping me down" is commonly used to describe oppression. The phrase "stick it to the Man" encourages resistance to authority, and essentially means "fight back" or "resist", either openly or via sabotage.

The earliest recorded use^{[citation needed]} of the term "the Man" in the American sense dates back to a letter written by a young Alexander Hamilton in September 1772, when he was 15. In a letter to his father James Hamilton, published in the Royal Dutch-American Gazette, he described the response of the Dutch governor of St. Croix to a hurricane that raked that island on August 31, 1772. "Our General has issued several very salutary and humane regulations and both in his publick and private measures, has shewn himself the Man." ^{[dubious – discuss]} In the Southern U.S. states, the phrase came to be applied to any man or any group in a position of authority, or to authority in the abstract. From about the 1950s the phrase was also an underworld code word for police, the warden of a prison or other law enforcement or penal authorities.

Federico "Fred" Elizalde (December 12, 1907 – January 16, 1979) was a Philippines-born Spanish classical and jazz pianist, composer, conductor, and bandleader influential in the British dance band era.

Elizalde was born in Manila, Philippines. His wealthy family owned several plantations in the Philippines. At the age of only seven he entered the Madrid Royal Conservatory, winning the first prize in piano at age 14. He then studied at St. Joseph's College, London and went to study law at Stanford University in the 1920s. His musical interests prevailed and he left the university. He took composition lessons under Ernst Bloch at Stanford, and gave up law temporarily for music, leaving the school in 1926. He then embarked on a career as a jazz bandleader, leading the Stanford University Band at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles while he studied composition. He recorded with the Cinderella Roof Orchestra in 1926, then returned to England, where he entered Cambridge University in the autumn as a law student. This lasted only a year; soon after reaching England, Elizalde formed a new band, the Quinquaginta Band, which became highly successful and influential on the development of British jazz music in the late 1920s.

Carroll Gibbons (January 4, 1903 - May 10, 1954) was an American-born musician, bandleader and composer who made his career primarily in England during the British dance band era.

He was born and raised in Clinton, Massachusetts. In his late teens he travelled to London to study at the Royal Academy of Music. In 1924 he returned to London with the brassless Boston Orchestra for an engagement at the Savoy Hotel in the Strand. He liked Britain so much that he settled there and later became the co-leader (with Howie Jacobs) of the Savoy Orpheans and the bandleader of the New MayFair Orchestra, which recorded for the Gramophone Company on the HMV label. In 1929 Gibbons appeared in the British film Splinters (as Carroll Gibbons and His Masters Voice Orchestra).

Gibbons made occasional return trips to the United States but settled permanently in England, though he did spend a couple of years (1930–1931) in Hollywood, where he worked as a staff composer for MGM films. He took exclusive leadership of the Savoy Hotel Orpheans, which recorded hundreds of popular songs (many of which were sung by Anne Lenner) between June 1932 and his death in 1954.

Peter Mintun is a well-known pianist, who is an authority on American popular songs and films, produced between both World Wars.

Peter Mintun was born in Berkeley, California into a musical family. He spent his early years performing in the San Francisco area. He now lives and performs in Manhattan.

Mr. Mintun continues to travel doing recitals and concerts across the country, performing at different places, like Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco, the Greenbrier Hotel in West Virginia and many other venues. He has released 4 CDs.

In addition to performing music of the great American songwriters and lyricists of the period, Peter Mintun serves as a consultant for research into popular music of the 1920s, '30s and '40s. His extensive knowledge, and talent for writing, have made him a favorite among record labels re-issuing classic material.