Variety (May 1941)

S8 ORCHESTRAS Wednesday, May 14, 19il Bandleaders, Mgrs. Concerned Over Draft Making Good Tooters Scarce Bandleaders and - managers are currently commenting that good mu- sicians are getting scarce because o£ tlie government's conscription ac- tivities. Quite a number of the more expensive bands have had to release better than average players to the army and replacing them is becom- ing tougiter and tougher. Probably the hardest hit outfit is Bob Ches- ter's, which has lost four men in addition to vocalist Bill Darnell. Tommy Dorscy recently had to give up Johnny Mince, sax-clarinet, who's besn with his band for at least five years. It's almost impossible to estimate the number of musicians who have bean drafted and those who have volunteered with the- idea of join- ing various encampment bands. Of course, the squawking of leaders doesn't mean the supply of musi- cians is being seriouly depleted. It simply means that through a freak of circumstance many of the known good players have been taken. band is also losing one of its aces,' Jerry Eisner, while Baron Elliott, ' playing at William Penn Hotel Chat- terbox, has lost two already. Al Fremont, local young dance ' maestro, making plans to depart-' by; June 15 a^er wind-up of current Southern tour. Cleveland's Batio Cleveland, May 13. Although there are only 1,500 . union musicians in Cleveland, as , against- 3,000 in Detroit, Local 4 here i has lost 80 men to d£te to the army ' compared to about 60 conscripted . from the Auto City. Whether that's because this town produces more young jive tune- I smiths than most Midwestern cities, or has fewer graybeards in the pro- fession than Detroit, is puzzling the' union boys. Pittsburgh, May 13. Army is gradually thinning the ranks of local musicians, wih several leaders called up last week and sev- eral more slated to go before the month Is up. Don . Bari, whose or- chestra is at Hotel Roosevelt's Lounge Cafe, got his marching papers a few' days ago, and has turned over his outfit for a year to his brother, Bert Bari. Izzy Cer- vone, veteran bandsman, made his final appearance at Kennywood Park Sunday (11) and dons khaki by June 1. Cervone was a chief pStty officer in the navy during the last war and later l)ecame' captain in National Guard. Currently he holds a captaincy in the Army Reserve Corps and expects his call any day. Another marking time is Danny Bridges, featured drummer with Bubbles Becker's .band at the Merry- Go-Round: He will likely pull out with one of owners pf the Merry-Go- Round, Sid- Reuben, with 1-A rating ahd a low number. Sid Didder's 'Request' Platters, A la Radio, Tried By B'way Eatery Twist on radio request record pro- grams is being iised' by Gardner's, ' a Broadway, New York, restaurant. Eatery has set up turntable and ' speaker equipment and hired Alan ' Stratton, former announcer on sev- eral N. Y. indie stations, to emcee ' and spin platters between hours of I 7 p.m. and 3 a.m. Stratton sits on : a raised dais and accepts requests I from customers. I Spot's operators figure it's an im- provement over the coin machine in the place, because during jdinner hours Stratton can turntable soft music, and later cater to the sippers who demand a more boisterous style. Jukebox In the spot is scheduled to get the heave-o after the manual record playing gets going. It began past Friday (9). ^h. J^' »5_rf^* 10 B«st Sellers on Coin-Machines .lecords btlovo -are grabbing mort nlekeU this meek in jukeboxes throughout the ■ountrj/, OS reported by the. major cnln-machine distributors from coast to coast, •o Variety. Wames of .more than one band or vocalist after the title indicate*, in order of pnpiilnrttv, whose' recording* are being plaved. Figures and names in parenthesis indicate the number of weekt each song has been in the listings and 'especttue publishers.^ Per imformathm wriit Grtfboma Travel Bureau at atartil dtf bttoui, Naw Tork dtf • CIndud, Ohio Chlugo, lUlnofa • PhlUddphls, P*, BovtOD, Man, * WuhloAtoo, D. C. Datrolt, Hletalnn • SClooIi, Mo. Sannmnclsco, C>l.«Pt. Wortli.Tci. Hlnneftpolla; Hlmi. •Laxington.Kr. Cbsricsbn. W. Va. • OndnnatlTo. Btohmoad Va. • Hflmph(a.Tenn. Neir Orlea ii. La. • Wlodior, Out. (14 London Street, E.) • Hontnal, Qoobee, OlM Oorefacitar St., W.| Greyhound is the first choice io travel for n&ay more reasons than extra economy! There's the extra convenience of frequent schedules,, handy terminals —the extra comfort of .traveling in' smooth-riding, air-conditioned iSuper- Coaches—plus the extra reduction in transportation costs when you charter an entire Greyhound for a group travel- ing together. Next time you go on the road—professionally or for pTeasiue— go Greyhound, anywhere in America. YHOUND ^^^^^ ^^^^ ' ^^^^ ^^^^^ 1 Anapola , ' Jimmy Dorsey....| Decca... (0) Marks 2 I UnderStaad . .... Jimmy Dorsey....| Oecca... (7) Feist I 3 Dolores I , Bing Crosby.... I Decca... (6) Paramount 4 Band Played Oo . . . . j?eK^^".''.°:|'^"^' ••'«) pd ^^^^^^ 5 Die I Love {Tommy Dorsey .1 Victor.. Glenn MUler...| Bluebird <ll)Forster 6 InleraeSO .... » woody Herman..a Decca. (2) schuberth U inioi»w«Aii ..... a I Benny C odman| Columbia 7 Muic Makere . . ( Harry, James . .1 Columbia . \ Andrews Sisters I Decca..-. Paramount S.OhLOOk AtMelliW . . ^^riTH^r^^nJ D^*c"a".; ^^''^^ DISKS GAINING FAVOR (These recordings are directly below (he first 10 in popularity, but grouHng in demand on the coin machines.) Sorrento '-l?."*^*" . (Al Donahue.: Okeh..PD (Dick Rol^ertson.,... Decca Al Donahue Okeh..BMI Kay Kyser Columbia iJimmy Dorsey Decca Benny Goodman.Columbia. .BMI (.Bob Chester Bluebird Let'. Get Away fco. ,t A..... {yo°ASe";.\\"\virto?- '^--^^-^ .Victor. .Republic Vntil Tomorrow :.. Sammy Kaye rriendly X^vem PCIo. jf-^^ Ke.:::*'°"?- '^"^ Everythln, Happen., to M.....{ ^-d^ .Embassy Nighty Night Alvlno Rey Bluebird . .Beacon Daddy Sammy Kaye .Victor. .Republic On the Upbeat Harry James has changed title of forthcoming double-faced record of 'Sonata Moderne' to 'Trumpet Rhap- sody.' Lnoky Mllllnder-Slster Tharpe combination has been signed to Decca Records. Spiritual singer be- came band's vocalist recently. Benny Largasse, sax with Ray- mond Scott, and Susan Spratt, ad- vance p.a. for outfit, married in Philadelphia recently. Joe Stabile, sax playing brother of Dick Stabile end in the latter's band, pulled out of band's opening night sessions at Chatterbox, Moun- tainside, N. J., by Brooklyn draft board for forgetting to -sign ques- tionnaire and leaving state without permission. Oellwood Ballroom, Buffalo, makes annual shift to summer loccHon, Dellwood Lodge, soon. Wally Car- penter ban* current Carrollers, composed of Al Jen- nings, Buddy HofI, Clay Bryson, new vocal trio with Irv Carroll bend at Dempsey's, New York. 'Cab Calloway' plays London, Ont., and Tordnto Arena, July 30-July 1, under same money arrangement as Jimmy Dorsey. Full payoff in U.'S. cash before playing.. Phil Barton if n«w vocalist with Terry Shand, replacing Mary Os- borne, who left for Hollywood to make .several picture shorta. Sand* WUUams and band (6) from tha Hotal Astor, N. Y., to the Hotel Statler, Detroit, May 19. Maxtne Tappen new Bongstreu with band. Miller's $7,800 on Coast Hollywood, May 13. Despite the hottest May weather In 50 years, Glenn Miller took out $7,800 as his share for the first of a three-week engagement et the Pal- ladium. It's top coln~tor the dancery. He's in for a guarantee of $4,000 against 50% at the door. Three Debs joined Charlie Spivak's band as vocal trio. Lea Kahn'e orchestra opened In the Ralnbo Room of the New Ken- more Hotel, Albany, May 3, suc- ceeding George Hall'* band. Kuhn will remain at tha spot until it closei for the season Decorattoif Pay. Biui Smitti'f new band opening last week at Rainbow Grill, N. Y., succeeding Barry Winton, comprises Johnny Ingram, Jack - Tarr, Sid Stanley, reeda; Saul Grant, violin; Carl Shaw, drums; I'atU Thompson, string bast; .Sy Sugar, trumpet; Chatlle Burnett, piano, all formerly with big bandi. Smith himself is ex-Barry Winton. Bob Strong*! orcb, regularly on the Brown St Williamson t^lcago i radio ihowf over NBC, has bean set' for a six-week run In the northslde (Continued «m page SB) ' JOE REICHMAN "the pagUacci of the piano" And His Orchestra Coming Up - VICTOR NO. 273B7 NUMBER TEN LULLABY LANE VICTOR NO. 27300 TOY PIANO MINUET