Variety (May 1936)

44 VARIETY MUSIC Wednesday, May 27, l^S6 All-Jam Concert at Imperial, N. Y.; 17 Orchestras Swin^ It for 3 Homrs New York got Its first swing con- cert Sunday night (24) when 17 con- tingents put on a swing, and jani session at the Imperial theatre -undci*~dire«t4on-ro^-Joe--Helbpck—of' tlie Onyx Ciub. Admission ^2.76 top. House enthusiastically re- ceived a program that opened with Qlen Gray's Casa Lioma orchestra a,nd closed at midnight on Louis Armstrong's, top blast. No explanation, or definition of swing was attempted, and .opening m.c. inade it clear that public would still be in the dark afterwards* but the artists-were assembled en masse tor one grand, splash. Let 'signifi- cance' be interpreted by whoever felt qualified. Program nioved briskly. Only one Intermission in the. three-hour grind. Bands were arranged against 'On Tour Toes' sets, ciirrent niu&ical houses in the Imperial. The ostest AH 17 bands were hot- but sev- eral revealing items were made clear during the heavy barrage of swing talent such as: Most elegant. Glen Gray; mpst personable. Stuff smith; most Jam, Bunny Berrigan; most finished, .Paul Whiteman's; most compelling chanteuse^ Mildred Bailey; most penetrating, Louis Armstrong, and most arresting so- loist, Arthur Shaw, clarinet. The Girff In Stuff Smith's, outfit, .Baby White, girl vocalist, stood out for her cleverly .foiled feeding, while Smith and Jonah Jones jammed to an oft-beat tempo; 'My Last, Affail'' was the ditty, -with girl .Indulginje: In polished hand-warming, finger^ counting, note, pulling a.nd generally ^ heated'deportment. Her . voice was mild, byt the casual business sunk in. Edythe Wright with Tommy Dorsey's band also appeare'd w:ell, being quite nonchalant in her deliv- gVliTO/Vtl^ ETHEL SHUTTA •nd FRANK FAY Your Introduction of "THEN CAME THE INDIANS*' Was Great! YouVe Started Another Hitl MOVIETONE MISIC CORPORATION Sam I i'. v.. '.I i L I. ii5o .Sixth ave"-v jE N F W V O k K FLASHES THANKS To All Ouf Friends in the Profession Who Helped ^ Us Make MY LIFE" A NO. 1 SdNC SAM FOX PUBLISHING COMPANY IISO SIXTH AVENUE - HCA BUiLOINf. RADIO CITY. NEW YORK ery midst so much swing. Girjs, however, are not played up promi- nently in the new vogue, only Mil- dred Bailey's smoothly executed singing- n'tth- R^d- -l^opvo'fl outfit^ showing how it should really be done;, Patil Whiteman's personnel in- cluded Charles and Jack Teagarden, both established trompeteers, with Roy Bargy at the piano. Gershwin's 'S'Wonderfui' was swung gently, with 'Basin Street Blues'ending the Whiteman's stanza. Bob Crosby's orchestra presented slow jazz as a beginning, and ended up In brilliant swing, giving Ray Bauduc friEie rein at the drums. Wingy Mannone. third on the pro- gram, gave undiluted New Orleans jam, and made it clear that the delta area cultivated the. hottest in- dividuals musically Inclined. jProgrianj trotted off as follows: Glen Gray and the Casa'Loma . or- chestra; Cappy Barra, harmonica band; Wingy Mannone and his New Orleans Jam Band, Bob Crosby or-, chestra, Modernalres (8), vocalists; Stuff Smith and his Onyx Club band, Arthur Shaw's string en- semble. Bunny Berrigan and Gang, Carl- Kress ;and Dick McDonbugh, guitarists; Tommy Dorset ai^d his Clambake 7, Red Norvo and his Swihgette; Paiil W^hiteman's band, Meade Liiix. Lewis^. Adrian Itolllni and/ his Tap Rooni Gang; Casper Reardon, harpist; Frank Chaise and Saxophone sextette, and Louis Arm- strong's band. . Ben Grauer, Paul potiglas and Budd Hulick divided up rn.c: duties. "Ted Sisson and Austen Croon-John- son stagied and produced, with Bar- ney McDevitt, OEd\/ard H. Weiner and Sam Weiss, others "on the staff for handling. Charles Ross credited for thei idea. Brah ENGEt-VAN WEISMAN SALE GETS $1,000 Phyisical assets of the bankrupt firm of Engel-van Weismari, con- sisting mosily of office fixtures and published niatter,' went under .the hammer Monday (25) for $1,000. Disrtosal. will be made late^ of copyrights held on magazines! folios and otllet' publications. - At a meet- ing of tbe creditors held the same day Attorney Frederick E. Gold- smith was .elected trustee of the ba.nkrupt's estate. Referee in Bankruptcy Irwin Kyrtz ^et June 8 as the date of ex- amination .of tlie Engel-van Weis- man partners, At t.ha.t time Gold- smith :prbposes to inquire under clause. 21A of the bainkruptcy act what disposition was made of the 110,000 which the firm received from Macfadden publications on the turnover of the copyright to 'Voice of Expel-lence' Magazrne. Partners claim that -the firm had spriead this $10,000 among several creditors. Kavelin to Succeed King at N.Y. Waldorf Pittsburgh; May 26. Al^ Kavelin's ork, Which opened William Pertn hotel's Urban Roof last week for summer season, slated to remain here until August 1, when he takes over the Waldorf-Astoria spot in N. Y. from Wayne King. It'll be Kavelin's first engagement in Manhattan since he played there with , a seven-piece outfit at Lex- ington hotel. Nobody definitely slated to suc- ceed Kavelin here; but there's talk that Joe Reichnian, who played here ail of last summer, may be brought baclc. Paul Pendarvis is another possibility. No Introduction Necessary! With His ic Trumpet and His Renowned Orchestra, He Continues to Add to His Legjon of Friends at Chicago's Chez Paree. Henry Is a Past Master of Rhythm and So He Features: "Would You" — "Welcome Strahger" "I've Cot a Heavy Date" "Guess Who?" — "Sing, Sing Sing" "Stomping at the Savoy" ^ "Lost" ROBBINS MUSIC CORP. • 799 7th AVE. • NEW YORK Checked Out Hollywood, May. 25. Artie Mehlihger, Wa"»era music rep, signed up a Reno night club, .pocketed the check .and returned' to his- base here. Next morning be read in paper where ,club burned down sev- eral hours after he left, with loss of 1150,000. Check £ilso in ruins. BAID ir. 0. NITEBY New Orleans, -May 28. Patsy Filmore put oh a dattce at the Doghouse nitery Thut-sday night (21) in her altogether.. A de- tective and police ; matron were watching the floor show. Raid re- sulted in the arrest of , all connected with the club; that is, all except the. dancer, who despite the handi- cap of no clothes whatever, scam- pered away in the excitement and escaped tbC: police toils. Friday (22) the police revoked the night club permit, over, the owner's, protest, who denied the girt had danced in the nude. Stop-Watch Routming atN. Y. Swing Concert a Lesson in Showmanship Musicians who appeared at the Imperial theatre, N. T., swiiig con- cert, sponsored by the Onyx Club, aver that Broadway showmen might learn, ik. few. Jtricks-fronv. ihft ..atop- watch clocking methods which ob- tained in sche'diiling tlie sundry swing combos. The. stagehands arid others, experienced with Bftla affairs of this nature, beneflts, etc., razzed the time-lock methods of Ted Sissbn and Austin Johnson, of the NBC production department, each of Whom received ^50 for their services in scientiflcally charting the exact time per act; the esti- mated time allotment for the open- ing, reception; the time for the ap- plause; the encores. If a.ny; the In- termissions, etc. The Thursday before the Sunday night (24) concert, each band knew almost to the minute when It would go. and be ott. This was necessary Music Notes Meyer Davis' Bernle I>olen uhit exited the Vanderbilt hotel, N. T.. for stint at the French Casino, N. T.; Michael; Zarin at the New Ocean House, Swampstiott, Ma^s., May 26 after 19 months at the Wal- dorf-Astoria, N, Y.; a Davis' or- chestra, under Walter Miller's ..ba^ ton, into Briarclift Lodge, Briarcliffj Manor, N. T., ihdef.; Sidney Zwil- ling's crew booked Intt Skytop Inn, sitytop. Pa., May 30. Jack Mills has taken over the publication of 'You're the Last of My Past,' by CSeorge Jessel and Ben Oakland, and also acquired the re- newal of copyright to 'The (5lrl WJip Stuttered and. the Boy Who Lisped' from Louis Weslyn. Wit- mark formerly had the latter number. Irving Mills, exclusively booking the Mardi Gras baIlro,om^ palisades Park, N. J., has' booked Frank and Milt Brittoh to open May 29-30, to be followed by. Tommy Tompkins orchestra. Val Olman opened the 'season at Sam Maceo's Sui Jen, Galveston, Tex., May 20; Lila Carmen, singer; Crawford and Caskey, terp team and Howard Brooks, magician, com- plete" show. Ray Noble opens at Maceo's HoUyvpod Dinner Club, Galveston, June io. ' Irving Caesar and Arthur Schwartz east after doing numbers for 'Mark of Zorro' at 20th-Fox. Caesar goes to London to write musical; Schwartz remains in N. Y, to do play. Sam Myrow has been transferred from the Boston to the Los Angeles office of Mills Music, Inc. He re- places ■ Jack Mass, who has been named L, A. mgr. for Words & Music, Inc; Ozzie Nelsoii and Harriet HilUard on the' p.a. route, aiid doing the honors trt- the opening of George Glarey's BaysldB Paiyillon, at Mal- let's Bayv Burllhgton, Vermont^ W. St. Clair Low, head of Cana- dian Music Sales, obtained the Do- minion rights <to the publications 6f Words & Music., Inc.: while on a visit to New York likst veek. Jimmie McHugh and Ted Koehler penning Ave songs for Shirley Temple to warble. In 'The Bowery Princess' at 20th-Fc>x, Ted Fio RSto ork, making p.a.'s at Cook's Butterfly Ballroom, Sprlng- fleld, (Mass.), and at the Roseland in Clareiriont,. Nev Hampshire. Harry Hill and his Band Box Into Post Lodge, Larchmprit, N.'Y,, to^ rqorrow (Thursday). iSntertaining Opiribo of seven men and a girl. Carlos olina opened at Lpokout House, Cincinnati, May 19, for four weeks. Herbie Steiner ork at Pavilion Royal, Merrick Road, (L. I;, for Joe Moss. Annabelle Lee, vpcalizing. David Buttolph. termed at 20th- "FoTs. as composer, arranger and musical director. Lois Ravel, singer, opens at Chez Paree, Chicago, May 9. Just back from S. vacash. Jerry Freeman opens at the Para- dise restaurant, Broadway spot, next Monday (1). Clarkson Eaton's orchestra Is playing at Monument Inn, Old Ben- nington, Vt. whence opened (May 23) for second season under , man- agement of Jacques Bonaudi, for- merly with the Plaza and Pierre Abe Appolon orchestra, assisted by Gilbert Kiamie and Dorothy Young, dancers; Marcia Wayne, dancer; Ottilie George and Eric Titus, sing- ers, open the season for "Trocadero, West End, N. J., May 29. Milsons Music Publishing Corp. has been merged with Exclusive Publications, Inc., with Sidney Mills assuming the general managership of the combination. Souvenir Strings (nee Utopians), stringing over WORL, Boston, twice weekly. Unit Includes Salvatore Cordovano, Roger Mason, Al Lau- rent, Hayden Swett, Rita Scott. George Kimball's Starlight Ball- room, Lynnfield, (Mass.), opened season Saturday (23), with Jerry Johnsoii and his WLW, Cincinnati, radio band, inaugurating. Bal-a-iair, Shrewsbury, (Mags.) opens its oriental motif 'dance under the sky' ball room today (27), with Hal Kemp. Lee Shelley, fiddler^ follows on Friday (29), Little Jack Little debuted at Catallna Island last Friday (22), with the, band using an NBC wire. Davi roekman aii*ed his origi- nal, ' leeping Beauty in Grant's Tomb,' on Coast network. Egbert Van Alstyn, Chicago com- poser, is spending the week in New York. Don Biestor leaves the Roosevelt, New York, June 4 and goes on tour, with Chicago his final objective. Fred Dempsey's Job Chicago, May 26. Fred Dempsey has been appointed local manager of the Words & Music firm. Hasn't set quarters here as yet, but will open offices in a week or so. because of the various bands (Whiteman, for example) and othera having Sunday night commercialH hotel engagements, re-broadcasta' Ate... ... - Joe Helbock, managing director of the Onyx Club, staged this, tha first swing recital in a tiieatr& primarily as a plug-for his Onyx nitery. The gross for everything was $3,200^ embracing $2,300 for ticket sales at $2.7.5 top, and $92| fi-pm the program, which contained complimentary advertlising frorii music publishers, liquor brands (be. cause of the nite club>, et al. All bands. Including leaders, wera paid union, scale by Helbock. This totalled HJOP. P£ the. $925 recelptt from the journal; commish to tii^ advertising solicitors, $450 cost for printing and ia large free-maiiing list, brought that down. The concert was s;r.o., upstairs and down. Its reception has prompted Helbock to plan for a full repeat'. ()nly 'dlsap'pbintments were the Original Memphis 5, due to Frank Signorelli, the pianist, losing his father. Red Nichols and' hig 5 Pennies bowed out when learning that large bands would participate,' and not merely the small, swing sections. i>f the sundry combos. Joe yeriutl was out because the swing, fiddler . wanted to do his stuff , in. straight jazz technique and balked at any comedy„ antics, for which h'e is noted in the music biz. Benny Qopdnnan wasn't aftivertised and didn't participate. He's a Music Corp. of America band and MCA now wants to stage a gala, swing concert in Madison Sq. Garden this summer as, sppii as the- Garden's cooling plant Is ready. Helbock Is gettih'g a certified ac« counting for dissenilnatlPn among the musical fraternity. He intended giving the profits to the musicians, union, but likely that he went Into the red. Monday niglit he hosted at open- house to some 200 musicians at the Onyx club. In appreciation of their cooperation. Stuft Smith-Jonali Jones and his bunch, the' regular Onyx attractions, cut up. NOM-uJIMMY BELL JUST qC^CLUDED 2 WEEKS AT THE PARAMOUNT. N. Y. • Many thanks to Ray Noble for a Most Enjoyable Tour Also Bill Harty and Sam Colli Who With His Sunset rchestra is One Of RAY The Reasons Why Clevelanders' Toes Tingle. He's at the Trianon Ballroom There, and Will Soon Make New Attendance Records at Atlantic City'.s Steel Pier. Perhaps It's Because He Featuresi "You," "Summer Holiday" "You Never Looked So Beautiful" "Ut's Sing Again" "Where There's You There's Me" "Through My Venetian Blind" LEO FEIST, Inc. • 1629 BROADWAY • NEW YORK