During this time [1923], we never missed going every Sunday to the Vendome Theatre to hear the orchestra of Erskine Tate. It was the pit orchestra of the Vendome Theatre. Erskine was an absolutely extraordinary leader. He directed symphonic works like Toscanini would, and I'm convinced that if he had wanted to leave Chicago for New York, he would have rapidly acquired world-wide recognition.

Tate's orchestra not only accompanied acts, but played its own selections, going from classical music to jazz. He had collected the best musicians and was able to interpret to perfection any kind of music. I remember when we saw the oboist, all of us young kids couldn't keep from laughing, but when we realized how he interpreted the classical works we considered him from that time on with the greatest respect. His name was Fernandez.