The record changer (Mar 1945-Feb 1946)

Feb. 14. Benny Goodman's quintette left the 7 Lively Arts show. Se.veral groups auditioned for spot in show but none chosen at this time... Bill Stegmayer's group replaced at Kelly's Jan. 31st by Lem Johnson's band formerly at the place in Greenwich Village. Eddie South 's and Vivian Gary's trio are added attractions. Bon Bon of Jan Savitt fame does the vocals, and Vicki Zimmers plays her brand of boogie. At the Plaza Club in New Orleans, Leon Prima fronts a band consisting of Leon, trumpet; Julian Laine, trombone; Fazola, clarinet; Charlie Dukes, drums; Bunny Franks, bass; Pete Lauderman, piano. From all reports this is a good band to hear. Lauderman works days at SearsRoebuck, and Fazola at the studios. The last Condon concert at Carnegie Hall, Jan. 20th, indicated that a sharp operator was directing the program. The U.S. Army Photo Corps had a group of men taking soundies as the concert proceeded. As I came in a combo with Joe Marsala, clarinet, Dick Cary, piano, Bot Casey, bass, and George Wettling, drums, had the stage. They were followed by Benny Morton, Cliff Jackson, Al Siedal and Jack Lesburg who played a few choruses of MEAN TO ME for a good hand. Then Condon, introducing Muggsy (who needed no intro-*duction), with Cary, Casey and Wettling, gave out with Muggsy' s famed RELAXING AT THE T0UR0 and a fast blues. (Looking up at the balcony, I saw two Army men with another movie camera taking shots from that angle. They had eight 12 inch spots in the pit.) Then Eddie brought Harry Gibson to the spots who, with Sid Weiss, bass and Kansas Fields, drums, played I'M GONNA SIT RIGHT DOWN AND WRITE MYSELF A LETTER, reminiscent of the late Fats Waller. He had to do an encore with TEA FOR TWO. Next Art Hodes' trio took over, and Fred Moore really stirred things up with his barrelhouse singing and playing drums at the same time. Billy Butterfield's Jazz Six; Billy, trumpet; Hank D'Amico, clarinet; Vernon Brown, trombone; Wettling, Haggart, Cary, rhythm; did ROSETTA. Ernie Caceres, backed by Joe Grauso.Jess Stacy and Bob Casey played a rousing SHEIK which pleased the mob. Eddie then called on Sidney Bechet, the old master, Cliff Jackson, Sid Weiss and Wettling who gave a fine performance of SLEEPY TIME DOWN SOTJTH and SWEET GEORGIA BROWN'. Butterfield, Kaminsky, Benny, D' Amloo, Grauso, Bechet, McGaTity, Caceres, Wettling, Jackson, Weiss, and Lesburg jammed the blues, each taking a chorus, and ending with a crashing ensemble. Eddie then gave the audience five for a smoke; After the Intermission Bill Davison; Ernie Caoeres, Lou McGarity, Dick Cary, Bob Casey and Danny Alvin gave out with WHEN MY SUGAR WALKS DOWN THE STREET. Miss Lee Wiley (now Stacy), assisted by Max Kaminsky, McGarity, Caceres, Casey, Stacy, and Al Seldel sang GHOST OF A CHANCE and took an encore with HOW LONG HAS THIS BEEN GOING ON. The background for GHOST was arranged by Diok Carey, and when the paper was passed out it brought a gasp fros some die-hards in the audienoe. Then oame the finale which I missed as I do all finales. Muni Morrow, better known as Moe Zudekoff (T.Dorsey, Whiteman and Bob Crosby) got a medioal from the Navy, and is baok at NBC. Sat in the first few nights of his return at the Hickory House, soon to branoh out as a bandleader. Decca finally got Louis Armstrong in the studio for two numbers, with a band picked by Bob Haggart, including Butterfield, Paul Ricci, Art Rollini, Julie Rubin, Bill Stegemeyer, Sid Stoneburn, Carl Kress, Dave Bowman, Johnny Blowers, and Haggart. They made I WONDER and JODIE MAN. The record was released Feb. 22nd; Al (Squeek) Stearns, Jazz trumpet; formerly with Harry James, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, is now giving lessons on trumpet at 145 W. 45th Street, top floor. Rudy Powell, clarinet and alto mail has assumed his rightful name, — Musheed Kahrween. Rudy, or rather Musheed, is of Arabian descent and a Mohammedan. . .Miff Mole finally had that stomach operation, Jan. 24th and is now recuperating at home. Will be back at Nick's early in March... Tiny Grimes Trio opened at Tondelayo's Feb. 15th, following Peter Rabbit trio... Danny Acosta, for three years a salesman at the Commodore Record Shop has quit to enter Elkins & Davis College in West Virginia and will major in music... Ben Webster, after playing with Stuff Smith's trio for a couple of weeks, now fronts his own combo at the Onyx. In the group are Robert (Rail) Wilson, bass; Hilliard Brown, drums, Argonne (Dense) Thornton, piano... The Goodman Quintet made two sides for Columbia February 28, with Slam Stewart on bass. At press time, Slam was due to join Benny at the Paramount . Mike Bryan, guitar made it a sextet. The sex-1tet made AFTER YOU'VE GONE, OPUS 14 3/4, UNTITLED, and the trio (Benny, Teddy and Morey Feld) made BODY AND SOUL. They are scheduled for release March 5th... Don Byas followed Dick Vance at the Deuces Feb; 8th with Ted Sturgis bass, Clyde Hart, piano, and Cliff Leeman, drums .. .Emmet Berry joined Eddie Heywood ' s band in Chicago, Kirby filling in with Bill Coleman. Stuff Smith trio tt> Club Bengasi, 1423 U Street, Washington, D.C., Feb. 12th for eight weeks. . .February 8th Dacca released two Roy Eldrldge sides, TWILIGHT TIME and FISH MARKET. The latter will please the Roy fans. Decca 23383. Asch has releasee, a new Art 'latum album containing two 12 inch records of TOPSY (the Basie tune), IF I HAD YOU, SOFT WINDS, and an original boogie. Also a Mary Lou Williams album highlighting Bill Coleman's horn and vocals and Al Hall's bass. The tunes: NIGHT AND DAY, BLUE SKIES, RUSS»IAN LULLABY, I FOUND A NEW BABY, PERSIAN RUG, and a Mary Lou original titled YOU KNOW BABY. For the Meade Lux Lewis fraternity, Asch has released an album containing YANCEY'S PRIDE, GLENDALE GLIDE, DENAPAS PARADE, RANDINI'S BOOGIE and LUX'S BOOGIE. LeRoy Hezekiah (Stuff) Smith graces another Asoh album release with TIME AND AGAIN, SKIT IT, DESERT SANDS, MIDWAY, LOOK AT ME and the showpiece GREAT BIG EYES, on which Stuff does his ame".ing vocal featured at the Onyx Club. dames P. Johnson stripped his band to a trio with Frankie Newton and Israel Crosby at the Pied Piper... Milt Gabler's sessions at Ryan's on Sundays, still drawing most of the orowds in spite of the numerous other sessions going on around town... The Delta Rhythm Boys made some fine sides backed by Hank D'Amico, Felix Giobbe, Tony Mattola, and Morey Feld for Decca. The Tunes: GEE BABY AIN'T I GOOD TO YOU and IS THERE SOMEBODY ELSE. Due for release Feb. 15th, De 18560... An illuminating lnoident ocourred some time ago at the Hickory House, involving a well known character and a better known musician. Aforesaid charaoter sitting alongside the musician and noting the attention Joe Marsala was giving his bar neighbor, turned to him and asked, "Are you a musician?" The charaoter was Frank Staoy, N.Y. editor, Downbeat; the musician was Adrian Rollini .. .New Bauduo orohestra opened, Feb. 16th, at the Rainbow Rendezvous, Salt Lake City, Utah, for a break in. Eddie Heywood 's band opened at the Sheep's Playhouse, and Coleman Hawkins at Carnegie Hall, a nightolub. JAZZ IN LOS ANGELES By GEORGE MONTGOMERY Kid Ory has his quartet over at the Tiptoe Inn Just about the way he wants it. He has replaced his uninspired trumpet player with Joe Darensbourg, the Creole clarinetist described in the December issue of the Jazz Record. With Professor Buster Wilson at the keyboard and rolypoly Alton Redd beating the drums, they really keep things moving. On February 12th, Ory got his Creole Band together for another recording session. The band included the four members of the quartet mentioned above, and Papa Mutt Carey, Bud Scott and Ed Garland. Tunes recorded were SAVOY BLUES, BALLIN' THE JACK, SUGAR FOOT STOMP and HIGH SOCIETY, and are to be issued by a new label, "Exner," from Seattle. Since Darensbourg learned the clarinet in New Orleans, and' has played with Mutt Carey, Jelly Roll, on Riverboats and in a circus, he should fit in nicely with the Ory band. Time Magazine's article on Kid Ory and Crescent Records was carried in the February 5th issue, and included a picture of the Ory quartet, with a characteristic pose of Buster Wilson. The local colored musicians' union is sponsoring a benefit Jazz concert on February 18; with Ory's Creole Band due to be on hand, together with several other groups. The Esquire Jazz Concert in January was a clinker. The music played by Ellington's band and a few other jump musicians was the antithesis of melodic improvised ensemble jazz. The following sample titles of numbers played tell the story of the concert in a nutshell: BLUTOPIA, FRUSTRATION, AIR CONDITIONED JUNGLE, THE MAN I LOVE, and excerpts from the PERFUME SUITE and BLACK. BROWN, AND BEIGE. Wlngy Mannone and Blllie Holliday are both dolnga week at downtown theatres. Chicago clarinet Maury Bercov is out here to settle, still in the music profession. It may be of interest to some to know that the members of Spikes' Seven Pods of Pepper, also known as Ory's Sunshine Orchestra, as well as the Spikes Brothers, who recorded the band, are all living here in Los Angeles. Ory, Ben Borders and Ed Garland are still playing music, Borders drumming in a small band, and Garland playing with Bud Scott's group. Mutt Carey plays on special oooasions, as does Fred Washington, while Dink Johnson, who was brother-in-law to the late Jelly Roll Morton, runs a small cafe near the south side ball park, where he personally prepares and serves southern delicacies, such as red beans and rice. Sometimes he gets out his clarinet and accompanies the Juke box. John and Benjamin Spikes are still in the music business, writing songs. Another venerable charaoter of New Orleans music residing here is the extuba player of Buddy Bolden's band, known as "Old Man" Collins, or Colly. He is almost ninety years of age, and his picture reveals a gnarled smiling face, fuzzywhite hair, and several of his front teeth. Los Angeles has been home to a lot of New Orleans musicians since Jazz marched out of the South. FOR TRADE ONLY Alice Moore/Ike Rodgers Paramount 12973 Ex. Beiderbecke's Wolverines Gennett 5408 V plus Benny Goodman's "Texas Tea Party" Co 3167 V My primary wants: Ellington Irving L. Jacobs 155-01 90th Ave., Jamaica 2, N. Y 29