Tom Coakley & His Orchestra - Here Is My Heart (Here Is My Hand)

Tom Coakley was on the verge of national success when he left music, in 1936 to pursue a law career at the age of only 31, until his retirement in 1972. A 8 pc band that he formed with pianist Jackson Swales grew to 12 pc while Coakley and Swales attended the University of California. Although it was temporarily disbanded while Coakley attended Boalt Hall School of Law, the orchestra was reorganized to play at college dances and Yosemite State Park in 1929. Coakley and his orchestra reached out to a national audience following their appearance on Walter Winchell's radio show, Magic Carpet in 1933. They performed at the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood, for 3 months, before moving on to the Rose Room of the Palace Hotel in San Francisco. Following a national hotel ballroom tour, in 1935, they settled at the Hotel St. Francis in San Francisco. in April 1936, Coakley turned leadership of the orchestra over to Carl Ravazzo. This wonderful record was made in 1933, with an uncredited vocalist.