Phonograph Monthly Review, Vol. 4, No. 9 (1930-06)

320 The Phonograph Monthly Review June, 1930 POPULAR Band Columbia 50203-D (D12, $1.25) Bizet: Carmen—Entr’- actes to Acts III and IV, played by the Band of the Garde Republicaine. The French band at its best is quite unbeatable. The performance here of the familiar Carmen excerpts com- pares very favorably with the best orchestral versions. The playing is spirited and well balanced, and distinguished by characteristic Gallic color and gay grace. Victor (International list) 36006 (D12, $1.25) Verdi (arr. Creatore): Masked Ball—Selections, played by Creatore’s Band. For the first record side the playing is less animated and the recording less vigorous than in Creatore’s best discs, but after the break the performance takes on new life and works up very energetically, with some characteristic solos by Creatore’s first desk men. Light Orchestral Victor (International list) V-50021 (D12, $1.25) Maen- necks-Dostal: Around the World with the Graf Zeppelin— Grand Potpourri, played by Marek Weber’s Orchestra. Marek has been visiting American movie cathedrals or else lending an intent ear to American sound films. The ’‘Grand Potpourri” is a characteristic movie intermezzo, a medley of national airs, airplane and storm effects, etc., de- picting the Zeppelin’s recent world tour. He does this sort of thing extremely well, overlooking no opportunity. The disk is popular in Germany and should find favor here as well. Victor (German list) V-56047 (D12, $1.25) Achtung! Ach- tung! wir senden Tanzmusik!—Potpourri of Popular Songs (arr. Dostal), played by Marek Weber’s Orchestra. Another neat medley of the type Weber handles so skill- fully. Seductive melodies in waltz rhythms for violin solo, molto espressivo, and jazzy dance music in American con- cert jazz style are effectively combined. The vocal choruses are done better than most choristers do them in this coun- try—even the late and unlamented Sonny Boy. Columbia (German list) G-59069-F (D12, $1.25) Fetras: Moonlight on the Alster, and Fucik: Ideal Dream, waltzes, played by Dajos Bela’s Orchestra. I believe that both waltzes were originally issued under the Odeon label. Both are charming pieces, not quite in the Strauss class, but with undeniable attractiveness of their own—well brought out in Dajos Bela’s graceful, smoothly turned, and well recorded performances. Brunswick 407 (D10, 75c) Clarinet Polka and Tinker Polka, played by John Wilfahrt’s German Orchestra. Neat, gay German polka performances done with goqd spirit and tone. Salon Orchestras Columbia 2180-D (D10, 75c) Yradier (arr. Mantovani): La Paloma, played by Mantovani and his Hotel Metropole Orchestra; Leopold: Hungaria, played by Zygfryd and his Gypsy Orchestra. A clever coupling of mildly exotic salon performances. The Hungaria is a Csardas with a languorous slow section, featuring a sweet violin solo, and a rapid friska. La Palo- ma is given a restrained, graceful performance, and both sides arc smoothly recorded. Victor 22324 (D10, 75c) Jacobs-Bond: I Love You Truly, and Openshaw: Love Sends a Little Gift of Roses, played by the Victor Novelty Orchestra conducted by Rosario Bourdon. Mr. Bourdon is careful not to lose himself even in these ultra-sweet bon-bons. The orchestrations are ingenious, and while the playing is necessarily bland, it is enlivened with more animation and firmness than is common with salon disks of this type. Movie Songsters John Boles has an admirable recording voice that has not yet appeared to its best advantage on disks, But his Song of the Dawn, handled with restraint and yet ample vigor, indicates what he can do at his best. The tune is a big one and the performance here has one or two mom- ents that are actually thrilling. The coupling, It Happened in Monterey (also from “King of Jazz”) is in quiet, narra- tive style, smoothly done, but less striking (Victor 22372). Boles is also heard on Victor 22373 in hits from his own film, “Captain of the Guard” (For You and You Alone), done in earnest, resonant style, and free from the softness of fibre that weakens so many performances of songs of this type. Victor lists two new releases by Maurice Cheva- lier that testify anew to the Frenchman’s skill in trans- mitting his delightful personality onto shellac as well as celluloid. On 22405 are his from “Big Pond”—a catchy Livin’ in the Sunlight and a more sentimental You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me. “Paramount on Parade” hits are featured on 22378: Sweepin’ the Clouds Away is good, but All I Want is Just One better suited to Chevalier’s style, and he makes much of it. Columbia brings out a disk of “Buddy” Rogers (2183-D) on which he does animated, unmannered versions of I’d Like to Be a Bee in Your Boudoir and My Future Just Passed, in which the voice is considerably more attractive than the songs. Brunswick film stars are Lawrence Gray and Harry Richman. The former is rather matter-of- factly lyrical in Leave It That Way and The Whole Darned Thing’s For^ You (4775), while the latter is as expansive as ever in Sunny Side of the Street, coupled with a ver- sion of Exactly Like You that is considerably more blithe- some than the others I have heard (4747). Tickling the Piano Keys Paul Estabrook comes out under the Brunswick label with pleasantly innocuous solos of To My Mamy and Put- tin’ on the Ritz (4800), and for Okeh Seegar Ellis is likewise unsensational. but on the whole more interesting in his own Sentimental Blues and Prairie Blues (45436)— a little more rhythmic ingenuity would add to his perform- ances. Jimmy Johnson sounds like his old self in the big moments of his own Jingles and You’ve Got to be Modern- istic (Brunswick 4762). There is some deft handling of repetitive phrases and tumbling effects, but there are also moments of less startling filling-in work. Victor pianists are “Fats” Waller and Bennie Paine combining talents in easy-going rhapsodies on the St. Louis Blues and After You’ve Gone (22371)—the breaks into double time are neat- ly handled. And the Movie Organ Eddie Dunstedter is the most ambitious, releasing a coup- ling of some seasonal appeal—the wedding marches from Mid-Summer Night’s Dream and Lohengrin, both done in the best style of a movie organist accompanying a filmed bridal scene (Brunswick 4793). Lew White calls in marim- ba, vibraphone and guitar to his aid for bland performances of Under a Texas Moon and It Happened in Monterey (Brunswick 4781) ; while the Jesse Crawfords offer a point- ed contrast in material with a robust—although unusually slow—version of the ubiquitous Stein Song, and an ex- tremely languid and nostalgic reading of the Song of the Islands (Victor 22394). Male Ensembles The Revelers take first place with two doubles from Vic- tor—22401 and 22382. The former is a sure success: a vigorous Singing a Vagabond Song coupled with an ex- ceedingly clever vocalization of the satirical martial tune, Strike Up the Band. The words get over well, which is no small praise. The other disk offers a virtuoso but well subdued treatment of that clever piece, Woman in a Shoe, plus a more luscious, heart-touching Cottage for Sale. For Columbia Buddy Morgan and his Veterans do a lot of horse- play in sprightly repartee and song on the topics Some Other Girl in Some Other Port (sailor’s holiday, it goes without saying), and La, La, Mama, or life in Gay Paree (2182-D). Theme Sangs and Heart Ballads Victor’s best is Grace Hayes making a very welcome re- turn to disks with a splendid version of I Like to Do Things for You (with a command of boop-a-doop work that puts most of her rivals to shame), and a more lyrical My Lover, both done in excellent voice (22388). Consider- ably behind this fine disk is Helen Kane’s Thank Your Father and I’d Go Barefoot All Winter (22397)—character- istic examples of her familiar baby talk and vocal side slips. The deft, quick ending of the latter song is effective. Okeh features Seegar Ellis, and his Moon is Low and Montana Call ’ is well worthy of its special label: simple, unoffensively intimate singing, neatly accompanied and re-