In 1927, the Royal Canadians relocated to Chicago, where they soon began to broadcast on radio. The band quickly developed its characteristic sound: smooth, sweet, and mellow. Another of the band's trademarks was the multisong medley—a device Lombardo originated so that he could fit into his set all the requests he received. In 1929, the band changed its base to New York's Roosevelt Hotel, where it performed regularly—and was heard nationally on radio—until 1963.
The Canadians also began to...