Born: February 25, 1930, Spanish Harlem, New York City
Active years (recording): 1949 - present
Label Association: Nor-Ikes, Carlee Records, Modern Harmonics

Born in Spanish Harlem in 1930, Souren Baronian grew up in a vibrant atmosphere hearing the Latin music of his neighborhood and the Armenian music of his community. The Jazz sounds of the 1940s were also crucial in his early musical formation. He was most influenced by the legendary Lester Young, a master of the saxophone and the clarinet whom Billie Holiday called “Prez.” Inspired by Prez, teenager Souren dedicated his life to music. 

Souren grew up in a family active in the community, with his father assuming a leadership role as a member of the Armenian Democratic League of America. Helen and Mesrob Baronian were married in the village of Nbshi in Palu and had their first child Margaret there. In 1909 Mesrob traveled to the United States without his wife and infant daughter. Due to the Armenian Genocide the family was separated for two decades until Mesrob discovered that Helen and Margaret were in an Armenian refugee camp in Syria. The family was reunited in New York City and soon after welcomed two sons Harry (born in 1928) and Souren.

Sometime around 1947, New York City oudist Charles “Chick” Ganimian approached Souren Baronian about forming a band. The group called themselves the Nor-Ikes (New Dawn) and they entered the recording studios in late 1949 with the following line up: Souren Baronian on reeds, Chick Ganimian on oud, Aram Davidian on drums, and Ed Malkasian on saxophone. The first song they recorded delivered a fresh new sound, fusing the musical inspirations of the lead musicians. The song was a reinterpretation of an Armenian folk song, “Khun Dzorin Dzar [Khundzori Dzar]” (The Apple Tree). Utilizing the 10/8 time signature, the Nor-Ikes displayed a unique musical hybrid of Armenian and Jazz styles. 

After his military service, Souren would return to New York and the Nor-Ikes would record an additional 10 songs on 78 rpm discs. Accompanying this post are three songs from the Nor-Ikes’ 1949-1952 recording sessions. The first one is the above mentioned “Khun Dzorin Dzar.” The second is a “Govand”  highlighting Souren Baronian’s virtuosity and playfulness in a long-improvised solo. The third tune is “Sheg Mazer Ov [Shek Mazerov] (With Red Hair)” and we invite the listeners to compare this version with other popular versions in the Armenian- American community. The song was originally written, performed, and recorded by Hovsep Shamlian in New Jersey in 1927 (song no. 4.) A little over 20 years later, the song became an Armenian-American music standard through recordings by the Nor-Ikes, Vosbikian Band, Yerchanig Orchestra, Aramite Band, Hollywood Oriental Orchestra and, even, Ross Bagdasarian. 

Through his journey, Souren Baronian became a trailblazer in Armenian-American Jazz and folk music. Currently in his early 90s, Souren has recently released a 3 LP compilation of his early works while also performing in and around the New York area. 

A special thanks to the SJS Charitable Trust for their generous support of our work to digitize and share our collection of 78 rpm records.