The talking machine world (Jan-June 1923)

February 15, 1923 THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD 53 SAN FRANCISCO Unique JViley B. Allen Concert — Sherman, Clay & Co. Plan Large Wholesale Biiildincj — Neiv Brunswick Agencies — News of the Month San Francisco, Cal., February 6.— The postholiday business in central California is very gratifying, considering the depleted stocks. The holiday trade cleaned out many of the dealers of popular models of machines and record hits. As yet the wholesalers have not been able to get sufficient supplies from the factories to fill their orders, and for this reason business is not what it easily could be with more merchandise available. Rainy weather since New Year's has kept people at home much of the time and this has helped sales of records especially. The general situation on the Coast at this time is most promising. Good, steady business is expected from now on right up to the Summ-ermonths. Thousands of new homes will shortly be ready for occupancy and a good proportion of thes^e homes will enjoy the benefits of a talking machine. There is no sign of the building boom abating. Jazz Continues to Reign It was predicted two years ago on the Pacific Coast that jazz music was on its last lap of popularity. Behold, to-day jazz is ten times more popular than it was two years ago. The music has passed from the fad stage and has assumed the importance, one may say, of nationality. Jazz has become a national institution and has already been used as the theme of splendid symphony compositions. Practically every .large motion picture theatre in San Francisco has a jazz orchestra now, an augmented jazz orchestra made up of high-class artists who play the modern music as it should be played. In records jazz still leads the list in popularity. Notable Wiley B. Allen Concert The Wiley B. Allen Co. staged a most successful jazz music concert at noon on January 26 in the main show window of its large San Francisco store. All week the Sam Fox jazz hits have been featured in the window, notably, "Eleanor," as pla3-ed on the Brunswick record, and this particular day Paul Ash, the leader of the wonderful jazz orchestra of the Granada Theatre, was prevailed upon to give a concert at the store front. A piano was placed in the big show window and, seated at this, Paul Ash directed his entire orchestra through a maze of Sam Fox nmsic. The concert was advertised and, accordingly, a large crowd gathered to hear. The sale of "Eleanor" and other pieces, both in sheet music and phonograph records, naturally received a nice big boost. Big Wholesale Building for Sherman, Clay & Co. Sherman, Clay & Co. have decided to erect a building of their own to house their various wholesale departments, including the wholesale Victor department. According to the preliminary plans, the structure will be five stories in height and have three fronts almost entirely of glass. The site of the building is located between First and Second street and Mission. The construction will be of reinforced concrete. Each floor will have a space of 12,000 square feet and the building will be equipped with the most modern and efficient devices for handling merchandise expeditiously. It is expected that the new building will be ready for use early in September. A. G. McCarthy, of Sherman, Clay & Co., and Robert Bird, manager of the wholesale Victor department, are on a business trip to the wholesale branch in Los Angeles. C. S. Ruggles, manager of the Los Angeles wholesale office, has just been in San Francisco consulting with Mr. McCarthy and he accompanied the other two down to Los Angeles. The company has a new warehouse in Los Angeles on Tenth street. New Brunswick Pacific Coast Agencies Tupper & Reed, who have been in the' music business in Berkeley, Cal., for seventeen years, have just taken on the agency for Brunswick phonographs and records. The Star Furniture Co., Sebastapol, Cal., has also been given the Brunswick agency. Frank Crum, the enterprising Brunswick dealer at Marysville, has just moved into a new store, his old quarters becoming inadequate to the needs of his rapidly growing business. Mr. Corcoran, Pacific Coast manager of the Brunswick Co., says the biggest hit in the Brunswick line at present is the York console type model, selling at $150. There is still a shortage of Brunswick stock on the Coast by reason of the exceptional demands for the holidays. Columbia Record and Al Jolson in Test The Columbia new process record was tried out in a public manner at the Granada Theatre in San Francisco this month and its merits were duly appreciated by the audience. The Columbia Grafonola was placed on the stage and in a semi-dark scene Al Jolson, the singer, competed with his own voice a la the Columbia record. The mechanical record was at times indistinguishable from the human voice of the famous singing comedian. The song used for the novelty demonstration was, "Lost — a Wonderful Girl." The novelty of the affair made quite a hit with the very large audience in attendance. A Live Columbia Dealer in Fresno Chandler & Neuman, Fresno, Cal., who took on the Columbia line last November, already have qualified for a position in the front rank of dealers. The management attribute their unusual success to the co-operative methods employed in merchandising in Fresno by the Columbia agencies. P. S. Kantner, manager of the San Francisco office of the Columbia Co., has just been down the San Joaquin Valley and he says the talking machine business during the holidays in this region was excellent. Utilizing Show Window Space Effectively The Nathan-Dohrmann Co., of this city, is devoting some more splendid show window space to the featuring of talking machine merchandise. Ben R. Scott, the manager of the department, says a great part of the success achieved is due to the co-operation of the management of the large store in furnishing .publicity features that pull. Good Call for Radio Merchandise Charles Mauzy, manager of the talking machine department of the Emporium, says that he practically sold out on radio merchandise during the holidays. He does not see that the radio fans are on the decrease. Talking machine and record business is holding up well since the holidays. ROB STORE TO "TALKER" MUSIC Anthony Falsetti, proprietor of a talking machine establishment at 442 East llSth street, New \'ork, was robbed by two bandits while a record which they had requested to hear was playing loudly in a booth. One of the bandits followed Mr. Falsetti as he was selecting another record to play for them, leaving the door of the booth open so that the music drowned out anv noise. LOUIS J. UNGER ENDS TRIP Louis J. Unger, general manager of Reflexo Products, Inc., New York City, recently completed an extensive trip throughout Canada and the Middle West in the interest of Gilt Edge needles, the new extra loud dance needle, and the other numbers in the line. Air. Unger reports that the year has opened exceptionally well and expects that 1923 will be a record year in the sales volume of Refle.xo products. JUST OUT-POPULAR ITALIAN RECORDS LATEST RELEASES 1091 10-INCH RECORDS AT 75c -Luntano 'a Me R. Ciaramella Serenata Sbmffona R. Ciaramella 1101 — Amor di Pastorello G. Godono Si te Scurdave G. Godono 1081 — 'O Munno Sotto e 'Ncoppa.P. Mazzone Si te Scurdave G. Godono New Hits Released the ISth of Each Month WORD ROLLS AT $1.25 254 — Mandulinata a Nnapule INSTRUMENTAL ROLLS AT 90c 243 — Serenata 254 — Mandulinata a Nnapule 253 — Indifferenza E. Caruso — C. Bracco E. Murolo — E. Tagliaferri Mazurka by D. letti 251 — Fizunme ne 1' Ombra 048 — Camicia Nera (Canto Fascista) 256 — Filo Trauisatlantico E. A. Mario U. Mattioli — F. Pennino Polka by G. Capitani DISCOUNT TO DEALERS — ASK FOR CATALOGUES DISTRIBUTED BY ITALIAN BOOK CO., Music Dept., 145 Mulberry St., NEW YORK, N. Y.