Radio Digest (June 1932-Mar 1933)

25 Victor Herbert and John Philip Sousa. I had the honor and pleasure of meeting him several times during the summer of 1931, while playing at the Pennsylvania Roof. He brought me several songs which he hoped to be outstanding. In writing ONE DAY IN MAY with Sam Lewis, who is also one of Tin Pan Alley's finest lyric writers, Bob has written in the vein of his own day, a song which borders on the semi-classic type of composition, yet enough up-to-date that the bands of today will enjoy playing it. When he wrote "Beautiful Ohio," he kept in mind the beautiful melody of "Just A Song At Twilight," which he intended to have played as a counter melody to "Beautiful Ohio." Louis Bernstein be number with their tempo. In other words, about 55 seconds to the chorus. ZULLABY OF THE LEAVES. By a ' new name, and for a big hit of unusual thought, the work of a girl, whose last name would lead one to conclude that she is Russian — Miss Bernice Petkere, she is evidently going to continue to supply the firm of Irving Berlin, Inc. with melodies to which probably Joe Young, whom I have discussed so often in these articles, will do the lyrics. Whether Joe deserves credit for the title, or whether the young lady brought him the melody and the suggestion for the title, as so often is the case, I do not know. All I do know is that they have written a song which, after the rendition of it on our program of last Thursday brought an unusually fine number of comments. you will hear it. We take about one minute and five seconds in the playing of the chorus, and it was really delightful to play and sing. /LfASQUERADE. Some of you may ^*-* recall "Two Little Blue Little Eyes," which was brought to me in a rough, unborn state by two young college boys, Paul Francis Webster and John Jacob Loeb, which we subsequently worked on, played, and brought to Leo Feist. Since that time the boys have been working with Rocco Vocco in a completion of some of their brilliant ideas. Rocco has a great admiration for their talents and the boys have free rein up at Feist. This is one of their most ambitious efforts, and it borders more on the classic than it does on the naive popular type of tune; at least, there is nothing "corny" or tawdry about it. The thought is just a little difficult to get from the song, "Alt, I keet ze hand, Madam," (or jomething like that) sayi M. Vallee to Irene Sordini. "Ooh la! la!" says the. lieves that was one of the reasons for the popularity of "Beautiful Ohio." In the writing of this song he has done the same thing once again, and the arrangement as we are going to use it, will feature either trumpet or trombone playing the melody of "Just A Song At Twilight" against the melody of ONE DAY IN MAY. The song itself is full of tenderness and vague unhappiness as it recalls a lonely heart and a lonely soul. It is a beautiful thing and really better as a ballad than as a dance number. Dance bands should not play it, however, too slowly or too fast. I am sure that the Lombardos will give it just the right treatment, as they dote on this type of The chorus is very much in a minor vein, as the lyrics go on to say "Cradle me where southern skies can watch me with a million eyes, Oh send me to sleep, Lullaby of the leaves." The middle part is unusually different, with a great number of notes crowded into one measure, and only by putting some of them in triplet form can they all be cramped in, and yet come out rhythmically correct. And the song through the trees seems to be "Ooh!" At least, that is Joe Young's feeling of the way it sounds, and the pine melody which caresses the shore again is "Ooh!" But why try to spoil the song for you? Listen for it on your radio; I am sure though one gathers it deals with a masquerade ball in the evening, with the lovers' moon and happiness as long as the ball goes on, with unhappiness after the midnight shadows fall. The boys have done exceptionally well with such a daring idea; in fact, I was agreeably surprised to find that Irene Bordoni was studying it in preparation for a future Fleischmann program at the same time we were rehearsing it, and consequently presented it on the Thursday we rehearsed it. The song puts me in mind of a composition by Frank W. McKee.