Phonograph Monthly Review, Vol. 5, No. 9 (1931-06)

June 1931, VoL V, No* 9 275 stuff into I Surrender and Walkin’ My Baby Back Home, al- though the former has a touch of his individual pathos, and the latter is done in easy, jaunty style. The remaining hot discs include Victor 22660, New Kinda Blues in an interesting arrangement by Paul Howard’s Sere- nades doing some entrancing quiet wa-wa work, and Bennie Moten’s restrained version of As Long as I Love You; and 22662, Crazy ’Bout My Baby and Smile, Darnya, Smile by Snooqs and his Memphis Stompers; —fair routine work. Also Columbia 14599-D, the New Orleans Wild Cats in a furious, coarse Wild Cats on Parade, and a more neatly turned Harlem Baby; and 2449-D, Cornin’ and Goin’ and Hot and Anxious in fair to middling performances by the Baltimore Bell Hops. White Hot The Casa Loma band, long one of Okeh’s star organizations, now appears for the first time under a Brunswick label, turn- ing in characteristic work in a breakneck paced White Jazz and a deft and spirited reading of Waller’s I’m Crazy ’Bout My Baby (6092), the best of the dance versions and inferior only to Waller’s inimitable own pianoing. Wayne King enters the hot lists, after forging to the front of the ballroom dance lists in the last few months, and does a pretty piece of playing in Goofus and Chloe (Victor 22600); the former contains some exhilarating jiggy fiddle work, and the latter is an interesting experiment to duplicate the best qualities of Chloe. TONFILM HITS Robert Stolz hits T HE inevitable Zwei Herzen is out again in a highly stolid version by Jahrl’s Novelty Quintet, coupled with a very slightly more vivacious Auch Du from the same film (Col- umbia 12146-F). The latter is a grand tune, deserving better treatment, as indeed it received from the Dobbri orchestra in last month’s Columbia lists. This latter orchestra now plays Adieu mein kleiner Gardeoffizier from Stolz’ “Das Lied ist aus” (coupled with Mein Schatz ist ein Matrose, on Columbia G-5222-F); and Marek Weber plays the same march-song, plus Wenn das Wortchen “Wenn’ night war’ from the same film (Victor V-6119). Both do well with the march-song ; 4 Weber’s version is more brilliant and better contrasted, but the Dobbri disc has the better vocal chorus. The “If” song, done so catchily by Dajos Bela last month, is equalled by the no less bright apd danceable performance of Weber. The Dobbri Matrose song is likewise infectiously jaunty, rich in jazz and brilliant effects, (note the piano), giving both discs starred rating. Wien du Stadt der Lieder Hans May’s music to “Wen du Stadt der Lieder” is rep- resented by the title song and Ja, dort im Liebhardstal, sung by Erik Wir on Victor V-6120, and Ohne dich kann ich nicht leben and Ich hab’ kein Auto, ich hab’ kein Rittergut, the former sung by Siegfried Arno and the latter played by Marek Weber with Austin Egen singing the chorus (Victor V-6118). Wirl sings dulcet, somewhat pretentious versions of his melodious hits to sauve accompaniments conducted by Clemens Schmalstich. Arno contrives to get vastly more per- sonality into Ohne Dich (curiously reminiscent of the war- time K-K-K-Katy), but Marek Weber’s side is the best of the four, a gloriously vivacious performance of a rousing tune adorned by Egen’s invariably effective singing. Ein Burschenlied aus Heidelberg May is also the composer of the music for this UFA-film. The title song and Komm herunter Roselinde are done by the Dobbri orchestra (Columbia G-5227-F), in good sturdy fashion for the march and sauver style for the tango. A male quartet sings characteristically Teutonic chorusses. Ein Madel von der Reeperbahn The Columbia Tanz-OrChester plays Mach’ Licht and Du bist fur mich das Marchen einer Nacht (Columbia 522-3F) with a good swing, featuring a very realistically recorded vo- cal chorus and some brilliant accordion work in the former piece. The latter boasts some good sonority and an even more attractive tune. Miscellaneous Dajos Bela plays the title song from “Du Blonde Wirtin vom Rhein” (Columbia G-5204-F) in good rousing fashion (instead this exactly the same performance pressed on Col- umbia G-5225-F last month?). The coupling this time is Im Rolandsbogan sung by Hans Clemens in pretentious, big- voiced fashion. Likewise so-so is the coupling of “Wunder- bar” hits in brisk accordion versions by George Sellers (Vic- tor V-70). Outside the Tonfilm grouping there is various German jazz played by the Sonora Band (Du hast do blaue Augen wie die blaue Adria—Columbia 5207-Fj, Marek Weber (0 Fraulein Grete and Schenk’ mir eine Tafel Schokolade—Victor V-6114), and Dajos Bela (Bein Fraulein Lisbeth im Parterre and O Cara Mia—Columbia G-5228-F; Im Rosengarten von Sans- souci and Brauchest du nicht eien Freund?—Columbia G- 5206-F; Der weise Marabu and Susie blast das Saxophon— Columbia G-5208-F. The sonora number is very peppily but roughly played; Weber’s performances and material are decidedly routine; Dajos Bela on the contrary provides a well balanced group of tuneful pieces well delivered. Exception should be made in the case of Im Rosengarten with its elab- orate chimes, bird-twitters, and unfelicitous “effects.” THE SAXOPHONE S AMERICAN DEBUT Eustach Strasser T HE saxophone’s intriguing of the American public was begun as early as the Nineties, by none other than the Boston Symphony Orchestra under the conductorship of the ascetic Artur Nikisch. The recently issued history of the Boston Symphony (reviewed on page 279 of this issue) ignores the episodes, but it is entitled to mention as something of a historical landmark. When Mr. Nikisch conducted Bizet’s UArlesienne suite on January 5, 1893, the strange voice of the saxophone sounded for the first time in public in America. The late Eustach Strasser, then clarinet soloist of the orchestra and highly es- teemed by Gericke and Nikishch as a virtuoso on that instru- ment, was the saxophonist for the occasion. Nikisch had in- sisted that the alto saxophone specified in Bizet’s score must be used. None was to be had from any of the American musi- cal supply houses. An order was sent to Paris, but when the instrument arrived, it was found to be unplayable, apparently damaged in transit. There was no time to get another. But nothing daunted, Mr. Strasser, who had developed a consid- erable knack for his own clarinet repairs, volunteered to put the saxophone to rights. He not only did so, but mastered the strange instrument in time for the concert, in which his saxo- phone passages were singled out as high lights by the critics.