Variety (May 1941)

66 ORCHESTRAS Wednesday, May 7, 1941 Xoffee Concert' in a N.Y. Art Museum Is Really Super-Duper 52d St. Jive On the Upbeat Museum of Modern Art, N. Y., was the locale for manifold break-ins last Wednesday (30) evening. First, was for the Museum itself, which was housing its initial musical pres- entation—a modern one, befitting the outfit's name. Second was for Louise Crane, impresario of the swing concert and 26-year-old heiress to the Crane paper fortune. Third was for The Sophistichords, group of five harmonizers, one of the trio of attractions in the set-to. Shindig was the first of six swing and musical music presentations to be made by Miss Crane at the Mu- seum on succeeding Wednesdays. Series is' billed as 'Coffee Concerts,' java being slung at the crowd in the intermish to spray the atmos- phere with the relax-in-your-slacks informality Miss Crane desires. Harnessed with The Sophtisti- chords at the teeoff sesh were John Kirby's crew of half-dozen tooters from Cafe Society' Uptown, N. Y., and Herman Chittison, offbeat ivory massager currently at Le Ruban Bleu, Manhattan nitery. Miss Crane is planning a talent agency specializing in slick jive and other unusual musical performers for whom she feels there is a large audience which won't stick around dubious late-spots all night to catch. Current effort is a combination au- dition and initial test of the heavily- coined femme 10%er's theory. All-Negro Getaway Getaway concert, all-Negro, could be counted as nothing less than an all-out success. There was a turn- away crowd at the wickets and the joint was jumping with the old folks from home to whom all this was fresh and exciting. Evidence that the enthusiasm extended to the grouch-bag was the rush for piaste- boards that has the remaining five jamborees sold virtually solfd. Ad- mish is $1.50 per stanza, $7.50 for the sextet. Audience is derived principally from the Museum mailing list, who had first shot at the tickets and snapped them up so generously few were left for public sale. Result was a conglomerate crowd that resem- bled no first-night in history. It ranged from silk-shawled dowagers with ivory-caned gents to Harlem elite and East Side swing sophisti- cates. Museum's 498-seat film auditorium , Is a little gem for informal clam- bakes of this type except for the super-echoless qualities which have been built into it. Rippled ceiling (Continued on page 60) Band Bookings Vivian Blaine is Al Kavelin's new vocalist. Harry LInetska joined Moe Gale agency. BANDS TOP B. 0. FOR CINCY VAUDER Cincinnati, May 6, ' RKO Shubert finishes at 21-week vaudfllm season May 22, with Abe Lyman's band astage, and goes into pix the following day for a run on 'Fantasia' (Disney). 'Theatre's stage policy, originally slated for only 12 weeks, has been extended twice be' cause of screen b.o. dwindle. Draws of stage shows have been spotty, with biz on the whole in the black. Orchestras magneted best. Sea- son's high was Glenn Miller's $18,500 tug. 'Fantasia' will be shown twice daily. Price for matinees will be 50 and 75c, and at night 50c to $1. Half rate for juves. Deny Michaud and Peppe Judgment vs. Bud Rogers Arthur T. Michaud and James V. Peppe, band agents, lost a plea for summary judgment against Charles (Buddy) Rogers and Mary Pickford, his wife, on Saturday (3) when Judge Murray Hulbert in N. Y. fed- eral court ruled against them. The defendants were also granted per- mission to file an amended answer. Plaintiffs seek $300,000 damages, evenly split between the band leader and his actress-wife, charging that Rogers breached a 10-year mana- "fijsistence, '.' Mitchell Ayres, June 28, indef., West End Casino, West End, N. J. Billy Baer-Eddy Howard, May 13- 14, Madison theatre, Madison, Wis.; 16-19, Capitol theatre, Davenport, la.; 23, Paramount theatre. Cedar Rapids. Bunny Berlgan, June 17-18, Pali- sades Park, Fort Lee, N. J. Ben Bernle, May 29, 31, Sea Girt Inn, Sea Girt, N. J. Henry Busse, May 8, Danceland B. , Cedar Rapids, la.; 15, Palace the- atre. South Bend, Ind.; 23, Park B., Port Stanley, Ont., Can. Bobby Byrne, May 17, Empire B., Allentbwn, Pa. Cab Calloway, May 11, Plantation C, Houston, Tex.; 14, City Aud., Galveston. Bob .Crosby, May 30, Hershey | Park, Hershey, Pa.; 31, Sunnybrook B. , Pottstown, Pa.; June 1, Steel Pier, Atlantic City; June 6, week, Stanley theatre, Pitts. Duke Daly, May 17, 16 weeks, Playland Casino, Rye Beach, N. Y. Al Donahue, May 11, Blue Moon C, Bunkie, La.; 12, Aud., Little Rock, Ark.; 13, Oaklahoma U., Nor- man; 15, Pla-Mor B., Kansas City; 16-17. Stevens C, Columbia, Mo.; 18, Meadow Acres B., Topeka, Kan. Eddy Duchin, May 16, Chicago the- atre, Chicago; June 6, Palace theatre, Akron; June 10, Palace theatre, Youngstown. Duke Ellington, May 9, Oshkosh theatre. Oshkosh, Wis.; 17, Wabash C, CrawfordsvUle, Ind. Sammy Elsen (Ruby Newman unit). May 10, Harvard 25th re- union class. Hotel Sheraton, Boston. Glen Gray, Mcy 11 and 12, Trianon B., Seattle. Horace Heldt, May 16, Palace the- atre, Cleveland; July H, Edgewater Beach hotel, Chicago. Woody Herman, May 11, Rainbow Gardens, Fremont, O.; 12, Fountain Ferry Park, Louisville, Ky.; 13, Whittle Springs B., Knoxville, Tenn.; 14, Casa Loma, Charleston, W. Va.; 15, Hill City B., Pitteburgh; 16, Ben- jamin .Franklin hotel, Philadelphia; 17, Valencia B., York, Pa. Earl HInes, May 10, Cotton C, Day- ton, O.; 23, Manhattan Center, New York City; 29, Mecca Temple, New York City. Carl Hotr, May 16, indef.. Blue Gardens, Armonk, N. Y. Ina 'Ray Button; May 12-13, Cap- py's. North Easton, Mass. Al Kavelln, May 9-11, Riverside Park, Dayton, O.; 13, Coliseum, Uniontown, Pa.; 15, Rialto, Greens- burg, Pa.; 16, Capitol theatre, Frank- Un, Pa.; 17, OberUn U., Oberlin, O.; 24-25, Palisades Park, Fort Lee, N. J. Dick Jurgens, May 16, Fox the- atre, St. I/)uis; 23, Chicago theatre, Chi.; 30, Riverside theatre, Milwau- kee. Ted Lewis, May 10, Casa Del Ray, Santa Cruz, Calif.; 13, week, Lyric theatre, Indianapolis. Johnny Long, May 10, New York Military Academy, Cornwall, N. Y.; 11, Ritz B., Bridgeport, Conn.; 14, Empire B,, AUentown, Pa.; 16, Middlebury C, Middlebury, Vt. Vincent Lop^z, May 23-25, Palace theatre, Fort Wayne, Ind.; 30, Elec- tric Park, Waterloo, la. HcFarland Twins, June 7, Potomac River Boat Line, Washington, D. C; 13, Palisades Park, Fort Lee, N. J. Harry Morrlssey, May 9, Holy Cross Club, Quincy, Mass. Bed Nichols, May 7, Cappy's, North Easton, Mass.; 8, Roseland B., Clare- mont, N, H.; 9, Riverside Park, Springfield, Mass.; 10, Lakeside Park, Barnsville, Pa.; 11, Rariton B.„ Perth Amboy, N. J. Bed Norvo, June 5-15, Luna Park, Coney Island, N. Y. George Olse'n, June 20, Claridge hotel, Memphis, Tenn. Will Osborne, May 10, Civic Aud., Glendale, Calif. Tony Pastor, May 11, Savoy B., New York City; 12, National theatre, Richmond, Va.; 14, State theatre, Winstpn-Salem, N. C; 15, Carolina theatre, Durham, N. C; 16-17, U. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, N. C. Teddy Powell, May. 10, Old Orchard Pier, Old Orchard Beach, lyie. Mike Riley, June 1, month. Sea Girt Inn, Sea Girt, N. J. Adrian Bolllnl, July 3, Brigantiile Beach, N. J.- Baymond Soott, May 20, Luna Park, Coney Island, N. Y.; June 6, ,yPl, Rl8cksl?urg, .Va:; 7, U. of Vir- ginia, Charlottesville, Va. Raymond Scott starts Luna Park, Coney Island, N. Y., ncme band pol- icy May 29. Jack Connor, Milt Herth drum- mer, shifts to Matty Malheck's band at Rainbow Room, N. Y. Paul Trcmalne's new band goes into Sylvan Beach, Houston, Texas, May 17 for four weeks. Ramona rhumba group does four- weeks at El Chico, Pittsburgh. Re- placing Mario Merin outfit Blanche Calloway opened Monday (5) for an indefinite stay at Rainbow Plantation, Walpole, Mass. Meadowbrook, Fave Jersey Jive Spot, Bows to Sweet Sammy Kaye s B.O. Full ployees in the two cities as well as those of the Warner Bros, exchange in Albany. Lee Rosen is general chairman for the affair. Eddie Mann and the Rhythmaires, with Diana Lane as vocalist, in Nassau Room of the Hotel Hillcrest, Toledo, O. Bob Chester got inscribed cup from KDYL, Salt Lake City, for win- ning score in recorded program poll. Cut one-minute transcription of thanks which is to be used on out- let. Phyliss Scolt at Hammond organ in the Rip Tavern of t^e Tod Hotel, Youngstown, O. Reggie Childs will play at the en- nual dinner-dance of the Warner Club, of Albany and Troy, N. Y., in the 'Ten Eyck hotel, Albany, May 24. Club consists of Warner theatre em- Ink Spots and their band open moonlight gardens at Valley Dale, Columbus, Wednesday (7). Alice King, of King Sisters, cut Bluebird record of 'Everything Hap- pens to Me' with original last chorus bewailing drafted flcnce. Art Jarret band plays first one- nighter at Rink Ballroom, Wauke- gan. 111., Sunday (M), preparing for start of location at Blackhawk Res- taurant, Chicago, opening May 14. Cedar Grove, N, J., May 3. Sammy Kaye Orch (13) tuith Tommy Ryan, Arthur Wright, Marty McKenna, Maury Cross, Three Kaydets. Representatives of all the major band agencies showed up at Meadowbrook, Tuesday (29) to ogle the opening night of Frank Dailey's experiment with the style of music Sammy Kaye's sweet band offers. From Meadowbrook's earliest days as a name band stand it's been known as a staunch stopover for jump crews, and on that basis it has built a substantial clientele, mostly young- sters. Kaye's teeoff allayed whatever fears his bookers and Dailey may have had concerning his pull, despite Meadowbrook's jive rep. There were ?t lep-l 700-800 check "rubbers on tap, all of whom seemed immensely satisfied with the smooth rhythms of fhe bajld of four sax. twi trumoe s, two trombones, four rhythm, and the various singers Kaye uses. And busi- I ness, according to Dailey, has been ; consistently strong since. Saturday (Continued on page 69) 10 Best Sellers on Coin-Machines ^Records beloto are grabhina most nickeh Ihii wieek in jukeboxes throuohout the country, as reported by the major coin-machine distributors from coast to coast, to Variety. Names of more than one band or vocalist after the title indicates, in order of popularttv, whose recordlnas are being played. Figures and names in parenthesis indicate the number of weeks each song has been in the listings and 'espective publishers.) I 7 Oh Look AtWe Now . . . j ^"r/n'^S.i oiccT.'.- ^-''-^ 8 Perfldia IS^C^oSnl abia<*>S<'"thern 10 Music Makers . . ( Harry James . .1 Columbia,,, _ • \ Andrews Sisters] Decca... Paramount DISKS GAINING FAVOR (These recordinfiis ore direcflw belou) the first 10 in popularity, but growing in demand on the coin machine*.; k. i/'wu-mw Sorrento J Woody Herman.....Decca..Southern '. (Al Donahue Okeh..PD Wise Old Owl. Dick Robertson.... .Decca Al Donahue Okeh..BMI Kay Kyser Columbia „ f Jimmy Dorsey Decca My Sister and I .{Bob Chester Bluebird. [Benny Goodman.Columbia BMI Let's Get Away from It Ai\. ( Woody Herman Decca r.„^,ec« (Tommy Dorsey Victor•• "^"^^^ VnUl Tomorrow '... Sammy Kaye Victor., Republic ( Horace Heidt....'. Columbia Friendly Tavern Polka j Frankie Masters Okeh. .BMI (Sammy Kaye Victor Everything Happens to Me. .Embassy ( Woody Herman .... Decca "( Tommy Dorsey ....Victor" Apple Blossom Time ' Andrews Sisters Decca. .Broadway