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The Sym-Phony Band Photo Gallery
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Another in the Series: Baseball’s Characters and Eccentrics

Let’s Remember the Brooklyn Dodgers’ “Sym-Phony” Band!

“Sometimes the band sounds like a herd of elephants with whooping cough,” -Murray Schumach. New York Times, 1947

Our recent post about the Mets’ “Sign Man” got me thinking about other baseball notable eccentrics from days gone by. I didn’t have to think long before the Brooklyn “Sym-Phony” band came to my mind.

What exactly was it about the game we all love that it was able to inspire such unique creations? Of course, we weren’t around to actually hear them play their unique renditions of ditties and start-up chants. The above quote provides us with an apt description of the cacophony of sounds that emanated from their crude, often homemade, instruments.

While not putting out music that would make anyone forget Toscanini or the New York Philharmonic, Brooklyn’s beloved little ensemble was a staple of Ebbets Field from 1937 until the Bums departed for greener pastures in 1957. From their original home in Section 8 behind the Dodgers’ dugout, affectionately known as the “loco” section,  the wacky little band eventually ventured out and soon could be found parading around the environs of Ebbets Field – even walking atop the dugouts – serenading fans and players alike with their folky, off-key repertoire of familiar songs. Visiting players were not off-limits for their good-natured musical taunts, and they even had some special tunes saved for the umpires.

In the featured photo, we see Dodger players Spider Jorgensen and Bobby Bragan along with original band members Jerry Martin, snare drum, Brother Lou Soriano, trombone, Phil Caravalle, trumpet, Paddy Palma, base drum, JoJo Delio, cymbals,  from 1947.

It all began rather spontaneously with a local Brooklynite named Carmine “Shorty” Laurice. A wielder by trade, Shorty was a loyal Dodger fan who for years could be found bouncing around in his seat behind the Dodgers’ dugout. An Ebbets Field fixture, Shorty was easily spotted with his silk hat, frock coat, and orange pantaloons. He was also in constant motion, usually doing his characteristic jitterbug.

Spoken in pure Brooklynese, here’s Shorty’s version of how the band came into existence:

“Back in ’37 I’m sittin’ in my seat at Ebbets Field — the same seat I got for twenty-eight years, Section 8, Row 12, on the aisle — and I’m whistlin’ through my megaphone likes I always do, when I runs into this other guy, a drummer. And that’s the beginin’ of the band. It don’t take much to start things up in that Section 8 at the ball park, you know. Pretty soon I got myself a band.”

One thing led to another, and soon a few other guys from some of the nearby blue-collar Brooklyn neighborhoods like Williamsburg and Greenpoint heard about what Shorty was up to and wanted to get in. They were soon sneaking instruments into the park—and making a lot of loud noises.

Much to their surprise, in a weird but entertaining sort of way (something that could only happen at Ebbets Field), they discovered that the fan response was positive. While half expecting to get thrown out of the park, they decided to keep their little comic “schtick” going. And, from this rather inauspicious beginning, the band was born. 

Member Danny Wilson recounted the early days of the band:

“That first year, Dodgers management did not want us at the ballpark. They felt we were a nuisance, but the players and the fans loved us, so we had to sneak into the ballpark. One guy paid the admission fee and lowered a rope over the side of the stadium, and we tied our instruments to the rope and had them hoisted up. Then we ran into the stands and started playing.”

Originally simply called the “Brooklyn Dodgers Band,”  they were soon christened by radio broadcast legend Red Barber with the witty but appropriate sobriquet, “Sym-PHONY.” And, sure enough, in typical Brooklyn fashion, the name caught on. 

Rob Edelman wrote in his SABR essay:

“Away from Ebbets Field, the Sym-Phony members, who changed across the years, toiled as truck drivers, clerks, and city workers of various stripes…Their instruments included everything from snare drums, bass drums, and metal containers posing as drums to cymbals, bugles, trumpets, trombones, and washboards employed as noisemakers.”

Besides Shorty Laurice, six other musicians made up the most recognizable members of the band in its early years: Drummer “Brother” Lou Soriano, a driver for the military on Governor’s Island; truck driver Phil Mason on trumpet; subway maintenance man and clarinetist Bob Sharkey; beer distributor and bass drummer Patsy Palma; paper cutter and trombonist Pete Norman; beer distributor Jo Jo Delio on the cymbals; and the little grocer—all forty pounds of him— bass drummer Patsy Palma, who Laurice would toss around like a rag doll in routines. 

Eventually, ten “musicians” made up the band, with guys rotating in-and-out to accommodate the time of games and day or night work schedules. After Branch Rickey took over the Dodgers, he soon realized the popularity of the band and granted the members free admission and special seating in Section 8. 

The umpires were an easy target for the band. Whenever the “men in blue” made their appearance on the field, the band had a special song saved just for them. Not all the umpires were amused, as umpire Beans Readon recalled from 1949:

 “The Brooklyn Sym-Phony used to be the worst for us — they would always play ‘The Three Blind Mice’ when we’d walk out on the field. And that would eat up a feller like umpire Babe Pinelli. I said to the Babe to just ignore ’em, and he did and they stopped after a while. The fans like you to growl back at ’em.”

Over time, the band became an institution for the Brooklyn fans. The team even held a “Shorty Laurice Day” on August 21, 1948 to honor the wacky band’s founder.  Tragically, Shorty passed away at age 43 the following November after complications from ulcer surgery. On Opening Day the next spring, the Dodgers honored his memory by dedicating a plaque on his seat in Section 8.

Hundreds of Brooklynites attended Shorty’s funeral, with an outpouring of affection for someone who had meant so much to them and their beloved team. Attendees included Brooklyn fans, Dodger players, and front office personnel, including Roy Campanella, Jackie Robinson, and owner Walter O’Malley. Leadership then passed on to another of the band’s originals, drummer Lou Soriano.

The band continued to evolve into the 1950s with new, second-generation members joining to replace those who had passed on. As popular as ever, it now included Lou Soriano’s son Armand, and even a high-school student named William “Cally” Califano on tenor sax.

The end came in 1957 when the heart of Brooklyn was cut out. Fans bid a sad farewell to their beloved Dodgers as they set sail for Los Angeles. The move also sounded the death toll for this original Brooklyn institution as a ball park attraction.

Over the years, the band stayed together and was in demand for appearances at parades, store openings, banquets, and Old-Timers’ games. One-by-one members passed away until, in 2015, Newsday reported that the last surviving member of the band had died: 87-year-old Armand Suriano.

In 2007, at a reunion on the 50th anniversary of the Dodgers’ move to Los Angles, Jackie Robinson’s widow, Rachel Robinson, recalled the Sym-Phony band with affection:

“The Sym-Phony was one of the things people loved about Ebbets Field. They provided a kind of special character and loving warmth that few other ballparks had, so I’d recognize them anywhere.”

So let’s shine our nostalgic baseball spotlight on one of the game’s most unique and beloved creations, something that we’ll never see the like of again:

Brooklyn’s “Sym-Phony” Band!