Phonograph Monthly Review, Vol. 5, No. 11 (1931-08)

315 August 1931, VoL V, No* II DANCE Third Little Show T HE three big hits from Beatrice Lillie , s latest successes are out in a wide variety of perfor- mances. One of them is an original and di- verting novelty, a take-off on the rumba craze, writ- ten with brilliant effectiveness —When Yuba Plays his Tuba Down in Cuba. Amazingly, the best record of this vivacious and saucy jeu dispirit is not Buddy Campbell’s (Okeh 41507), nor Harry Reser’s (Brunswick 6137), nor the Knickerbockers’ (Co- lumbia 2483-D), but Rudy, yes Crooner, Vallee’s (Victor 22742). For once Rudy abandons his languid heart-to-heart style and sings out. Abetted by a dashing orchestral background he turns out a magnificent record. Victor also steals honors for the other two hits, You Forgot Your Gloves and Falling in Love. Waring’s Pennsylvanians (22706) are just a little bit too competent, deft, and ingenious for their competitors: Victor Young (Brunswick 6123), and Specht (Columbia 2472-D), although Young’s Falling in Love is given a richly symphonic per- formance. Band Wagon; Crazy Quilt High and Low and Dancing in the Dark, the hit songs from the “Band Wagon,” are played by Jacques Renard (Brunswick 6136), Ben Selvin (Co- lumbia 2473), and Waring's Pennsylvanians (Vic- tor 22708). Again the Pennsylvanians’ greater deft- ness, abetted by some exceedingly neat sotto-voce singing give them a slight edge, but Renard’s strong- voiced, vigorous High and Low, and Selvin’s beauti- fully balanced and songful Dancing in the Dark are likely to be preferred by many dancers. In the “Crazy Quilt” hits, I Found a Million Dollar Baby in a Five and Ten Cent Store and Sing a Little Jingle, the Pennsylvanians’ still cling to the lead as far as the latter song is concerned—largely due to the very clever arrangement, but the fine vigor and color of Specht’s playing of the former song (Co- lumbia 2482-D) should make it better liked for danc- ing, if not as stimulating to students of the niceties of jazz band scoring. Victor Young, aided by the Three Boswell Sisters (Brunswick 6128) also does very well with Sing a Little Jingle. Rumbas Fiesta, the popular American adaption of the rumba, is given an interesting performance by Ben Bernie (Brunswick 6107—coupled with an amusing Alpine Milkman), while Henry Busse (Victor 22678) and the California Ramblers (Columbia 2456-D offer better dance versions—if less humor- ous sketches. The Ramblers’ On a Night Made for You also employs rumba flavor to neat effect. The real thing is to be found on Victor 22685—Siboney and Maria My Own, played by Alfred Brito and his Siboney Orchestra in highly piquant rhythmic fashion, exotically colored and surely played. Vin- cet Lopez also plays Maria My Own (coupled with The Voodoo on Brunswick 6li2), but here the per- formances, while fine for dancing, are more conven- tional. Novelty The Alpine Milkman offers fine opportunities for humorous yodelers and devisers of comic or- chestral effects, and Ben Bernie makes the most of them in his performance on Brunswick 6107—al- ready mentioned). Jack Hylton with his crack British dance also does an amusing, if more re- strained job (Victor 22697) and couples it with a very dapperly scored and fine toned performance of another of the ubiquitous miniature martial tunes— this time, Soldier on the Shelf. Hylton also turns in a splendid bit of playing, symphonic, yet mildly hot, in Sitting on a Five-Barred Gate, and coupled to a less effective If You Can’t Sing Whistle (Vic- ton 22693). TONFILM HITS I RENE El SINGER, the cool-voiced star of “Zwei Herzen” and “Forsterchristel,” may now be heard in a fine recording of two charming songs from the latter film, recently shown in several American cities. Both the Mai-Lied and Echo-Lied are de- lightful and should find a wide public (Victor V-6122). The hit songs from Tauber’s successful film, “Der Grosse Tenor”—Ich bin ja so vergniigt and Ich sing’ dir ein Liebeslied, respectively a fox trot and tango, are given bright and vivacious perfor- mances by Dajos Bela’s orchestra on Columbia G-5238-F. Die Privatsekretaerm The leading songs are Mein Herz hab’ ich gefragt and Ich bin ja heut’ so gliieklich, a waltz and a fox trot, both fine swinging tunes played in exuber- ant fashion and excellent tone by Marek Weber on Victor V-6123, and sung in less polished but almost equally catchy style by Renate Muller on Colum- bia 5234-F. On Columbia G-5236-F Paul Abraham, the composer, leads his own orchestra in a fantastic, highly jazzed and infectious performance of another song from the same film—Ich hab’ ne alte Tante. A Severa Victor brings out six tunes from one of the first of the Portugese films, “A Severa,” music composed by De Freitas. The two sad songs on 33026 and the two gladder songs on 33027 are not of great general interest, but 33028 contains more stimulating fare: an attractive waltz played by the Orquesta Parisienne conducted by the composer, and a very strange chant for unaccompanied baritone, with melancholy choral responses. Miscellaneous Films Nicolas Amato does a fair job with Nous sommes seul from the superb French film, “Le Million,” but the disc’s value is marred by the accordion accom- paniments (Victor V-5525). Cueto and Moriche offer competent Spanish versions of the title song and You Too from “Zwei Herzen” (Victor 30484). The Mignone orchestra plays the lugubrious title waltz and a rather colorless tango, Guitarita, from an Italian film, “La Canzone dell’Amore.’ — Rufus