Variety (Jul 1945)

VoJuesJay, July 25, 1945 ORGHESTIIAS-MUSIC 43 Inside Orchestras-Music • Effoils ai'e being made to arrange a nation-wide bond lour for Navy Bandleader Horace K. "Saxie" Dowell of Raieigh, one o£ (he heros of the U.SS. I'l-anklin disaster. Rep, Harold D. Cooley lias contacted the Navy and the Treasury Department in an attempt to arrange a bond tour for Dd\vtll, 41. who formei'ly played with Hal Kemp's ordiestra and who had' been leading his own band for three years \vhen he entered the Navy. Dowell, now station at the Navy School of Music at Washington, served on the Franldin from the time the flattop wax commissioned) until her dramatic reluin to New York harbor alter it had been blasted by Jap suicide planes. Dowell is the writer o£ the songs "3 Little Fishes" and "Playmates."' Xinnbcr of letters have recently reached "Variety" praising the work of' songwriter iiiiits; working Army and Na\;y ho.fpitalS. under the auspices ■ bf vthe S6na\vriters' Protective A-Ssii.. Latest cbmmuniciue came 'in last /X^^ec^c. froni'Cpl. Jerrjc Marx, U.S,M.G., fbiinierty with •■Vaiuety s" ini'.'^feft'. \vKp is recovering at a North Cai-oliria^hospital from: injuries re- .'ceived fn. the Pacijlc, ,. He asserts a liiiit coii^jjosed , of Charlie Tobias, -Stanley Aclams,: .loan Whitney, Nat Simon, Sally Sinioii (.dk.ughter), Her- man lIuiJK'ld and Ray Henderson proved a ".scn.s.ition" in the hospital he's in. ' tr.«ual nin-ry of,job-changing by contact nien, has befin, going; on in N.Y, the pa.st couple, weeks. Turnover in., sla/l'.s.usually occurs iri the middle of .'soiHmeoiter vacatldns bw .ij'egun .and continues until fall.. Most 'recent ishifts. involve Buql\^G the .'Dftyfus conibine fa JMulnal iWusic as professional manager, and IVIickey Gla.'-s, who moves from Famous to the new Bogat catalog set up, by Saul Bornsteln in association with maestro Xavier Cugat. The Danisl) version of George 3VI. Cohan's ' Over There" is tilled "Onkel "Sam," which Victor Skaarup,"Variety".rnugg in Copenliagen, authored. It had to wait two ifears before the Danes could sing it to' the Yank troops. , Tlie lync wa.s kept in liiding but has just been published by Engstrom ' & Sodring, Copenhagen. Bandleaders and their managers are.- complaining bitterly about the difficulty of seciu-ing living quarters for :themselves and men when booked into either of Atlantic City's Million Dollar or;Steel piei's. When space is filially .secured) they say, the prices are something else to squawk about, often as high as .$40 and $50 weekly for a.cubbyhole. Small Disc Co& in Bid For Top Rand Vocalists Smaller independent disc com- panies aie using a new approach to secure for themselves much-needed talent with some sort of name value. In the past month or so various name leaders have been proposi- tioned to allow- their vocalists to make solo recordings for - Various, indie .companiesv meanwhile retain^ ing their positions with the bands. Seroffs Off ' Reno, July 24. Victor Hvich SerofC, New York pianist and auth6r dC a book on the life of Dmitri Shoslakovitch, Russian composer, was divorced here. The decree was granted Seroff after he charged his estranged wife, Kath- erinc, with e.\treme cruelty. ■ She was granted u.se of her maiden name, Katherine Enibree. Goldman Overseas T<^ Conduct GI Bands Edwin Franko Goldman, the band- master) will go overseas' for USO- Camp Shows this autumn for two months, to i^uest-conduct GI bands. Vet. batonist will follow example of Andre Kostelanetz, who was ov^r-j seas twice, once to the Near East and once'-to Europe, to lead GI orchs. Other prominent name to undertake similar mi.ssion is Vladimir Golsch- mann, conductor ot the St. Louis Symphony, who is now overseas for Camp Show.s. Ina Ray Hutton May Return to Batoning With Yates at ABC \ IfCharlie'Yafes' shift, from; the Frederick Bros, agency to Joe G laser's Associated Booking Corp. is not disturbed by the former becau.se of the contract existing; between them-when Yates walked out, it's probable that Ina Ray; Hutton will resume raaestroing. She gave up her band some time ago because of a dispute with- FB and vowed., she would never baton again until she was free of that outfit. She's cur- rently living in Hollywood. Yates has a deal with Miss Hutton whereby the contract that ties her to FB is predicated on his moves. If and when he moved out her con^ tract with the agency automatically was terminated. She wouldn't, nec- essarily have to follow Yates where- eyel'he'went) however. , Coast Tunesmitiis, Arrangers Form Own Protective Assn.; Steiner Prez Latouche'Cauvin Book U. S. songsmitli John Latouche and Belgian- barrister-cameraman Andre Cauvin a couple of years ago made a photographic, journey into the Belgian Congo, and their just published book, "Congo," (Willow, Whitej $3.75) is an impressive record ol their findings. It is generously illustrated by Cauvin's camera studies. Count. Basic and Pfc. Jim McCar- thy, leader's former p.a. now in the Arm.y, are collaborators on "Jumpin' Jim,', recorded: , for Columbia' by Basic. • ■ ■ Band Review SHOBTV SHEROCIC ORCH " With Elaine Trent,.Bob Vincent -Glen Island Casino, N. i;. . This new band under the: leader- ship of. Shorty ■ Sherock, fo.r years a .widely knowil truiripet: Sldemah with most of the top name leader.s, is a good future bet. As it works now it is not a great band because it lacks U) arrangements pnd i2) .seems to lack spirit. But it's po- tentialitieis r iil-e good;: because ,a.) it- is much farther. adyanCed , as a unit than 'mo.st bands are at, some ::six; weeks ol age because it has been carelully rehearsed and (2) its leader seems to know what he's doing.!and What he' want?;' On top of .that :it is right ..no-Wi froin. all indi- cation.?, highly satisfactory to , the kids who patronize this spot; known before the war. as the ace develop- ment location for new bands. They crowd the place and crowd the dance floor. Sherock, as mentioned above) has done a fine job in whipping his combo into shape. It plays well to- gether for the length of time it's in existence and it .puts; forth a, dance tempo that hits the spot; Included in the four trumpet, three trombone, five sax, four rhythm instrumenta- tion are several good soloists. As the band starids, it's main weakness is arrangements. Among the ones now being used there are a handtul that reveal some of the band's abil- ity, but too many that cause disin- terest.; •,■■;:.•,.■■■■■ As for Sherock himself, while his reputation as a sideman is tops, he is not a great leader-trumpeter. He plays enough horn, however, to justify his position and create inters est in himself.. He's got good poise for a guy new to the maestroing racket and as time goes on . will) in all probability, develop more per- sonality. As witli even some of the top flight bands who can afford top sal- aries, Sherock is; also: a bit weak in the vocal section. Elaine Trent, cute blonde) does rhythm and novelty things and- she's currently the strength of the department. Bob Vincent ballads are unmovingi ; Wood. Group of Coast songwriters and ar- rangers, some members of the Song- writers Protective Assn: and other members oC the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publish* ■ ers, have formed their own protec« tive organization entitled Screen Composers Assn. Outfit, presumably set up to deal with local.problems, that .might ..not cpme ' .iliider .the jurisdiction oC either : the SPA' or: ASCAP, since these writers are all omt/loyed . by. film, studiqp, was chartered in California, the ground- work done by ■ attorney Leonard Zi.s,su. who went to the Coast from N. Y. for that purpose.-: Officers of the ne.w orgaiiization are: Max Steiner, prez; Adolph Deutsch, v.p.: Edward Plumb, exec secretary. Directors consist of Daniele Amtithcatrof, Arthur Lang, '■ Franz Waxman, David Buttolph, Robert Dolan, Victor Young, Wcrr ner Heymann, Leigh Harline, Her- bert Stothcart and Edward Porvell. S.S. Hamonic Musicians All Jumped Ship Safely « Toronto, July 24. ;; Harry Bedlington and the men ot his orchestra escaped overside by . ropes and were picked up by life-, boats when the Great Lakes pas'; senger ship Harmonic of Canada Steamship Lines was swept by fire at the Sarnia docks last week. Bedlington is musical director ot CSL, covering passenger ships in the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River below Montreal and the Sa- guenay cruises. • Vet Resumes Baton Memphis, July 24. T/5 Colie Stoltz, veteran Memphis maestro, is out of the Army with. « medical discharge after 40 months in -service and is resuming with his local outfit. Stoltz band continued, to operate and used' his name tbroui^out the war, with Louis Nute fronting. MARTIN MUSIC Siartlng Its Career With Two Hit Songs LILI BELLE DAVE FRANKLIN and .IRVING TAYLOR RECORDED RY ANDREWS SISTERS—DECCA. BOB GRAHAM—JEWEL FREDDY MARTIN—VICTOR PIED PIPERS—CAPITOL FRANK SINATRA—COLUMBIA WITH THE CHARIOTEERS » mm IMTORimi FROM THE jCOLUMRIA PICTURE "A SONG TO REMEMBER" RrCORDJD lY FREDDr MARTIN—VIQTOR, HOME OFFICE N. Vine Sf^ Hollywood 28. C«l. NEW YORK OFFICE HI 9 Iroodwoy, N«w York 19. N. Y.