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

322 The Phonograph Monthly Review June, 1930 Novelty For those who like their dance music sauced with humor there are some uncommonly fetching novelty dance disks out this month. First mention goes to the inimitable. Ted Lewis who mates a catchy performance of Dinah with a camp meeting version of Lonesome Road. Needless to say, Ted is the officiating preacher and his song service is a delight from beginning to the final proclamation that the meeting come to a “discontinuation” (Columbia 2181 - D). For Brunswick the Six Jumping Jacks poke rhythmic fun at the mail order houses in an amusing Send For Our Free Booklet, coupled with a lively tribute to Dan the Elevator Man (4759). The Victor laugh-provoker is Bernie Cummins’ vigorous nautical piece, Minnie the Mermaid, doubled with a richly sonorous You Will Come Back to Me (22355). The Okeh novelty disk is far from laughable —quite the reverse. It is a macabrely fantastic funeral march in dance time—Poor Richard—an extraordinary mor- ceau. The coupling is a roughly vigorous Down Georgia Way, with some good piano work. The orchestra is that of Jack Purvis (8782). Thrillers One of the dance hits of the month seems to be the melodramatic recital of the hair-lifting exploits of Mys- terious Mose, indentified by his wierd and awesome whistle. The most elaborate treatment is that by the Radio All Star Novelty Orchestra for Brunswick, coupled with Tom Ger- un’s bumptious horse play and good hot performance of Atta Boy! (4775). Rube Bloom’s Columbia version has been mentioned before, and Victor also has a good one by Ted Weems, doubled with a lively Slappin’ the Bass with much virtuoso bull fiddling on 22411. “King of Jazz” Hits The “King of Jazz” selections come thick and fast. Whitman himself adds to his previous two disks Ragamuf- fin Romeo, a gay scherzo that loses momentum in the baby talk chorus, and a lusty performance of I Like to Do Things for You (Columbia 2170-D). Victor offers the two big hits—Song of the Dawn and It Happened in Monterey in George Olsen’s readings, smooth and flowing, rather more subdued than most (22370), and Leo Reisman’s coup- ling of Happy Feet and I Like to Do Things For You (22- 398)—the percussive effects in the former are striking, but for the rest the playing is a trifle colorless for this fine orchestra. The two big hits come under the Brunswick label lyrical versions by Earl Burtnett (4756). See also the fine song by the Grace Hayes for Victor.) “The Big Pond” The two hits from this show, Livin’ in the Sunlight Lov- in’ in the Moonlight and You Brought Me a New Kind of Love, are out in a wide variety of versions, beginning with Chevalier’s own song performances and going on to sev- eral dance editions. Paul Whitman does them in genial, songful style (Columbia 2171-D) ; Ed Loyd rather colorless- ly (Okeh 41407) ; while Ben Bernie’s treatment, while not startling, is a little more original (Brunswick 4767). Southern Style Paul Tremaine does vibrant, vari-colored and highly danceable versions of Sarah Lee and Sighin’ for the Moon (Victor V-40230). The Ipana Troubadors essay the South- ern flavoring with happy results in their Whipporwill, coupled with a more forceful version of Blue Is the Night than one usually hears (Columbia 2174-D). George Lee’s Novelty Singing Orchestra does an easy going performance of Won’t You Come Over to My House, with Julia Lee singing, a la Sophie Tucker, He’s Tall and Dark and Hand- some (Brunswick 4761). While for Okeh “Sugar” Hall is strangely subdued in Waltz of the Hills and In Old Ten- nessee, embroidered with yodel and accordion work (Okeh 45439). Miscellaneous (First Choice) From the very considerable group remaining the follow- ing should b*e picked out for praise. Victor: the High Hat- ters do neat unaffected performances of It Must Be You waltz and the Free and Easy (22404), strenuous perform- ances of Leave It That Way and Dust (22362), and dul- set yet swinging versions (with a fine throbbing bass) of You’re the Sweetest Girl This Side of Heaven and Like a Dream (22400). Gus Amheim does some very clever work with broken yet highly danceable rhythms in All I Want Is Just One and Dancing to Save Your Sole—both lively performances with strong dark orchestral tone ((22384). Arden and Ohman offer a sturdy, well stressed Dancing the Devil Away and a choppier I Love You so Much (22383). Okeh: Jack Pettis’ orchestra couples a sprightly Fresh- man Hop with a Sweetest Melody that is blander, but en- livened by striking rhapsodic solos (41411), and the Caro- lina Club does a very neat revival of Can’t You Hear Me Callin’ Caroline?, doubled with Dr. Eugene Ormandy’s mild The Verdict is Life—a sequel to My Fate Rests in Your Hands (41408). Columbia: Guy Lombardo is a smooth and skillful as ever in You’re the Sweetest Girl and Rolling Down the River, the former with a pleasant Irish lilt and the latter with some of the famous “Baby’s” catchiness (2188). The Columbia Photo-Players do attractive performances of My Future Just Passed and I’m in the Market for You—good tunes unpretentiously treated (2187-D), and again in Leave It That Way and the Whole Darned Thing’s For You (2177-D). Brunswick: Red Nichols exhibits his best carefree step- ping out style in Rose of Washington Square (some out- standing solo work!), and a sadder, but still good and hot, Who Cares? (4778). The Colonial Club doubles a peppy All Alone Monday with a slower but very neatly Wherever You Are (4777). Slatz Randall does some very sprightly infec- tious playing in Skirts and a boastful I’m Ding Dong Daddy (4779) ; Earl Burtnett offers scherzando versions of Court- ing Time and Eleven Thirty Saturday Night (4754). And Tom Clines delivers an output of no less than three disks (4749, 4769, and 4772). all easy going, smooth performances (So Sympathetic, Free and Easy, For You, etc., etc.). The Hot Masters Louis Armstrong’s current Okeh release (41415) may not rank with his meisterwerke, but it is a characteristic example of his superb playing and hoarse vocalization. The pieces are My Sweet, done with great fervor, a less eccentric, but very fetching I Can’t Believe That You’re In Love With Me. Clarence Williams puts his Washboard Band through its paces in a loping Worn Out Blues and a slower, less constrained Whip Me With Plenty of Love (Okeh 8790)—the piano and washboard work is decidedly note- worthy. Victor’s hot lists feature Jelly-Roll Morton’s Fussy Mabel and Pontchatrain on V-38125, and King Oliver’s I Must Have It and You’re Just My Type on V-38124, but these have not yet reached me for review. For Brunswick the Jungle Band can be heard on three double-sided disks, the fine Double Check Stomp mentioned earlier; Maori (a Samoan dance!) and Admiration on 4776; Sweet Mama and When You’re Smiling on 4760. For the most part the playing is much more conventional than was Ellington’s wont a year or two ago. There are still may flashes, how- ever, in both the arrangements and the playing that are characteristic of Ellington and that serve to make even his minor records noteworthy. Rufus FOREIGN International. Brunswick’s Clarinet and Tinker polkas, the Columbia waltzes played by Dajos Bela’s orchestra, and the Victor Creatore, Marek Weber, and Zenatello records are all reviewed elsewhere under the proper classification. In addition, Columbia issues a Jolly Time Polka and Always Together Waltz by the Colonial orchestra (12129-F), hits from the “Hollywood Review” by Padilla’s Guatemala Marimba Serenaders (12127-F), and banjo solos of the In- vitation to the Dance Polka and Eternal Love M'azurka played by Frank Fazio (12128-F). The remaining Victor international is V-41, a peppy coupling of the International Novelty orchestra’s Original Greek Blues and Basil Fo- meen’s Oh Baby, catchy jazz performances with an exotic flavor. Bohemian. The only releases are folksongs and dances from Columbia (G-157-8-F). Cajun (Acadian-French). Most important is the Juliette Gaultier disk in the Victor Educational List No. 8 (see special review). The regular Victor Cajun supplement lists four popular instrumental records with singing—violin, ac- cordion, etc. (22364-7).