Variety (May 1946)

Wednesday, May 22, 194* P / SkWFt OR< IIKSTRAS-MUSIC 47 Duke Ellington Sealed to Musicraft 100G Deal While Still With RCA After months of bickering with jlC.VVictor over a release from a contract tlvat has until November of this year to run, Duke Ellington went ahead and signed with Musi- cian Records last week. Agreement, for three years, isn't effective until tht; expiration of the RCA contract, since the latter company consist- ently refused to turn him loose. . I|> switching over to Musicraft, one ot the foremost of the war-born independents. Ellington drew a con- tract probably unequalled by any other Negro band in the business, and one that's the equal of many deals between top white bands and major /iritis. Details of the pact are being closely guarded for obvious reasons. However, it's said to .return Ellington in the neighborhood of $100,000 a year, with certain penalty clauses. While the agreement is with Musicraft, it is underwritten by Jef- ferson -Travers, the parent company, which bought the diskery six months or so ago. He has the usual Choice of tunes, etc. Henry Lazar Joins FB Cocktail Division in N.Y. Henry Lazar, recently discharged from the Army; will Join the Fred- erick Bros, cocktail department early in June. Pre-wir he was with music publishers Shapiro-Bernstein. ! He's Hie brother of Irving Lazar, 1 who left Music Corp. of America to j join United World pics. / ' ■ This is the second recent addition : to the Frederick 'office. Art Frew, ■ who left the Cincinnati office of Gen- eral Artists Corp. last month, has joined the FB band department to cover the Cincy-Cleveland territory. He'll work out of the N. Y. office. La/ar w ill be in N. Y. Solo Combo Plan Of V. Lombardo Band business has been pleasant- ly surprised the past few weeks by. I the unusual b.o.' bullishness of the I exclusively . sweet band action of maestro?. While the sugary set has been hitting increasingly better b.o. totals'for the past five or six years, few have done as well on the road as they have in the past six weeks or so. Band bookers hasten to point out. however, (hat while the lop syrup- senders are turning in top figures, there has been no relative decrease in the earnings of the better names on the other side of the musical fence, the swing bands, which have been maintaining and even better- ing their usual pace. In other words, it's not that the Sammy Kayes, Guy j Lombardos. Frankie ..Carles, et al, are surpassing their noisier contem- poraries. Rather, they are coming •more into their own after years of j complete dominance of the dance ; field by the hot combos. | To substantiate this reasoning, the consistently strong grosses turned | lit- .by high-priced swing outfits are ASCAP-BMI Affiliation and Income Causes War Between Two Cuban Writers' Groups for Recognition Morris Exec's Nephew Shifts to Gale Agency Walter Hyde, nephew of Johnny Hyde, head of the William Morris Victor Lombardo, saxist With pointed out. Stan Kenton, Tommy Adding Ellington to the Musicraft -brother Guy Lombardos orchestra i Dorsey. et al, have done consist-. label gives the company a much brighter future. It has Artie Shaw under contract-, recently signed Kit- ty Kallen. a likely. solo prospect, Gordon McCrae, et. al. Who Waxes What When, Is Matter for the past Ave years, left that band j ently well lately, and the hpt de- al the Capitol theatre. N. Y., last I maiid /or dates on Harry James, week. He will set up his own or- I during his forthcoming eastern lour, chestra. following a sweet-swing j bolster the contention, style, avoiding the groove that has | Among the sweet combos who made the Guy Lombardo combo a ' have been hitting the high spots top-earner for so many past years. : lately at the b.o. are Guy Lombardo. Split of Viclor Lombardo. wilh : w »o went into New England, a for- brothers Guy. Carmen and LeiberL ; mer hotbed of swing, plus other Havana, May 17. Using a lot of space in dailies, the two rival Cuban composers associa- tions have been warring for the past two weeks trying to obtain official recognition as representatives of the music writers. . Agency Coast office; who recently j Corporacion Nacional de Autores 'resigned from the cocktail depart- -jfe Cuba iAuthor's National Corpo- ment of the William Morris agency. ! l a tion of Cuba) headed by Gonzalo has joined the Moe Gale office in a ' Roig aiid Alfredo Brito. and the similar capacity. He'll be working j Federacfon Nacional de Autores de with a batch of former WM agents, jCutia i Author's National Federation Billy Shaw, ex-Morris one-night :o f Cufca) headed by Ernesto Lecu- bpoker, is a Gale partner. , ' ona, Rodrigo'Pratts, Oswaldo Fan es, Department is headed by Joe Mar- etc.. are: sinking plenty coin in the. solais, formerly with WM, with aii papers to tell President Gran and assist by Edna Van Veen, and Lou the public at large why they should ■ Goldman, . both formerly with that : represent the authors and composers. ' agency, ' \ CNA broke away from Ernesto Roca. representative in* Cuba of Ralph Peer's Southern Music, claim- ing the publishers were taking the lion's share of revenue, while the composers were starving. Federation signed an agreement with BMI for 112,500 yearly for the whole Cuban music library, includ- ing television rights, and the Cor- . poration, in a Ave column spread, George Paxton's negotalions lo : asked why it had accepted the BMI secure a release from a long-term • proposition when ASCAP. with contract with the Frederick Br,os. j which they rCNA) are affiliated of- agency came to a complete halt last fered $25,000. Paxton-FB Tiff In Status Quo Hollywood, May 21. Capitol Records is following in the footsteps of the wartime.RCA-Vic- tor regime in keeping secret, or. at- tempting to, the titles of songs re- corded, and by whom. Now, Capitol refuses to reveal even to . the pub- lishers ot songs it disks how they're i .... . . ... to be used and by which ! could hardly expect to share in the is claimed to ha.ve been an amicable one'in spite of the many rumors.and veiled stories printed in New York dailies the past week. These were to the effect that the three elder Lombardos. who participate in the profits of the band, did not pay the younger Viclor Lombardo enough to live on. This is emphatically de- nied by the latter, who explains that when he came into the band he did so as a musician at a lime when the band had already become es- tablished. He did not snuggle with his brothers when they were at- tempting to get somewhere in the early days of the combo, so he standard eastern one-nightcrs, . and week. Leader rejected the terms of ■ the FB plan under which he could 1 skip his deal, and made a counter- offer,.which in turn was refused, setting the situation back where it cleaned up. Sammy Kaye knocked J started. i off big grosses on the way to the j Paxton owes the agency $14,000 in ' Coast: Frankie Carle has been earn- i back commissions, cash advanced, ing.big percentages'in the midwest. | etc. It wants him to put up $9,000 ' So has Chuck Foster in recent I in cash to be paid before the end of months. Tommy Tucker ditto, doing j his forthcoming Capitol theatre. N. especially well a while back at Sun- ■ Y. date, plus another $21.500—pay- ; nybrook Ballroom, Pottslown, Pa.. ; able at 5 r > ot his earnings. After' that is paid. FB wants another 5'v for two years, making a rough total of approximately $50,000 for the re- For years, the less known com- posers have been kicking at the Southern Music system of royalties, claiming they were starving while the agent was- making plenty dough. a swing spot. ! It's pointed out. however, and the above names make it obvious, that the big business being done by eith- ' er sweet or swing combos is restrict- ed mostly to the top names in each division.,That's a complaint of long standing. New names and some sup- lease. Paxton offered a S5.000 lump in cash before the end of the Cap dale. 1 plus another $15,000 out of future earnings. FB turned the deal down. going artist. | profits now. However. _ posedly established names below alK , , he s j Ulal j on \ veru batlt , 0 status despite the i ! he ,op . bratke, s haven t been earn- \ quo ; ing their own way. Capitol apparently believes that frequently of late its plans for cer- tain songs have been revealed to rival companies by publishers anx- ious to set diskings with, other plat- ter makers. Often. Cap believes, this practice has resulted in h rival do- ing a song with a stronger sales name, thus offsetting the Capitol entry's potential sales. It has reached the point here where musicians, involved in dales have been cautioned to keep mum on titles waxed. denials, people close to the situation .assert there is some friction over; . . .'■*.« n i coin between Victor Lombardo and RftCIP mtO FlStl DOWl the others.. Who will handle the band, what agency it will be signed wil.fi. is not vet definite. Plans haven't, gone that far. Last week. Georgie Auld bought out of his contract- with FB. but al- lowed the agency to retain booking rights to his band on a four-week cancellation agreement. He paid $3,500 in cash, and agreed to fork | over another bundle in weekly pay- COSMO TO LAUNCH 300G SALE OF STOCK After Roxy, NX, Date; 5G Ante at Aquarium, „ T , Count Basie's. orchestra is signed 1 £ • _ no payment j «™ eye on ^e top slot for some menls of $200 for 52 weeks (actually i Petrillo to Find Pr exy Opposition At Meet of AFM Enemies of James C. Petrillo, - within his. own organization, are. figuring to give the American Fed- eration of Musicians head a sharp battle for the presidential post dur- ing the forthcoming national con- vention at St. Petersburg,' Fla. Session starts June 7 and, accord- ing to pre-meet dope, Petiiljo won't have such an easy time getting him- helf re-elected. There are several men high in the AFM council, who have had Cosmopolitan Records will float ; : : jit* stuck issue around May 29. Exact jukAM* « —.-.—.»• '; dale the shares w ill hit the market GOODMAN GOES MODERN r ^ll^X thereafter. Al approximately $4 per share, a total of $300,000 worth of WITH FRENCH HORN ; Benny Goodman made the first radical change in the .instrument*- | tion of his orchestra in years when ' he opened at the 400 Club, N. Y., last Thursday (16). Maestro added' a Trench horn to. the band's brass sec- tion, played by . Addison Collins, During the past four years or so. while popular orchestras were ever enlarging instrumentation, to the point where some bauds now. have 10 brass lAlvmo Reyl, Goodman; dung to the three trumpet, two 1 trombone, four sax makeup for a jlong while. Later he added another trombone, 'trumpet, sax, but there it ended. He never went in for such frills as French horns before. MPCE GOLF TURNAMENT Music Publishers Contact Employ- ees Union has completed plans for its annual golf tournament. Qii'alir.v- "ig rounds are scheduled to be played at Riverdale course, Clostcr, ; N - J.. Aug. 29, with elimination lounds at the same layout succeed- ing. Harry Link w;is last year's winner. MPCE only a week ago completed "Is annual benevolent Affairs, in N fw York, Chicago ad Hollywood. paper will be put up for sale. Cosmo executive and its Wall St. backers have been working for the past couple of. weeks with . ac- . fountains of underwriters preparing the^ stock- issue. When it occurs. Harry Banks, who formed Cosmo and has headed its ever since, will giv e up control 'of .the outfit, but his position as president probably will, not be disturbed. Busse Set in Avodon Los Angeles. May 21. Henry Busse. current at Palace hotel. San Francisco, has been booked into Avodon. burn's lone name downtown ballroom. He draws | four weeks at $.1,500 per. starting June 19. I With advent-of Busse. Avodon c«rs into single band. Current- are .Ian Garber and Bobby Sherwood.'who I P' eemed the site May 8. Bi/. has been stout, and spot '-feels-.it can continue as profitably with one baud. Garber is. getting $.1.300''and Sher- wood $2,700 currently. Charlie Rock orchestra' is at -Fan and Bill's. Glen Falls. N. Y.. which opened for Hie miiimikt May HI. ■ for the Aquarium Restaurant. N.Y., ( interval for location bookings), for a four-week run starting July ; ; | 24. at $5,000 week. It's Basie's first ' .—,„ n-j. _ twtMipww ! dance dale in N.Y. in over a year: || ^ULL lUUull i his last was at the Lincoln Hotel. , !N.Y. He follows Charlie Ba.net' Tft fHARTFR Rl ^ iinlo the spot. Les Brown follows! ,V VIlfllUElY DUO , the current Gene Krupa. : Office of Defense Transportation, i Basie goes into the Roxy. N.Y.. J which last week had all buses ' Friday 124» with "DO You Love Me." standing by as replacement transpor- ,This is the Rox.V's first Friday open-^ tation in the event of a railroad ' ing ever: it's caused by the fact i shutdown., released the vehicles late Basie won't finish at the Apollo, last week. However, despite the Iifl- , N.Y.. until tomorrow night 'Thurs- ing of-the ban against charter work. time. They figure to use the bad I taste Petrillo has left in the mouths ' of the pubiic and in Congress for 'musicians during his reign, as a ■ lever to pry him off his throne. Passage of the Lea-Vandenberg : bill probably will be a cause celeb re at the convention. This bill was' aimed al hating Petrillo and the AFM. Glaser's Hdq. Problem day i. ■ which vitally affected orchestra movements, the hiring of a bus is still no easy job. Managers and bookers spent long Hollywood. May 21. hours on the. phone all last week- When he left here last week to ; end in various instances, often con- reuirn to New York. Joe Glaser. j lading as many as six and seven head of Associated Booking Corp., J small companies before a vehicle <till had not uncovered office space : was secured. It seemed the equip- for a branch office he wants to estab- : ment was being held from charter lish in this town. He has a line on j work and kept it) readiness for more some square feel, however, that will 'important jobs. Larger companies be free within the next few months, 'such as Greyhound rejected any and and an ABC arm will then be set up. *; all queries. ! Booking of Glaser's properties has 1 been done by Music Corp. of Amer- I ica's local office ever since the estab- i lishment of ABC. MCA. incidentally. ■ owns a 50'r slice 'of Glaser's opera- 1 lion Dead Duck Perhaps the most unusual gimmick ever added to a band came inio. New'- ! York last week with Jimmy & His, I Ugly Ducklings, a four-piece combo ROLFE'S 'CORN' UNIT FOR 1-NITE STANDS B. A. Rolfe is in the process of selling' up a new band and enter-' tainmenl unit of 20 people, designed to. hoe a commercial row. It'll present corn from beginning to end : under the title "Modern Square Dance Parly.'' Included in the unit, .being built for certain types of one-- nighlers. will be a barbershop quar- . let. square and polka dance-leaders, an Irish tenor, a "Texas Dave" yodel- er. etc., in addition to a 14-piece . band. ; Unit is booked at the RiU Ball- room. Bridgeport, Conn., May 29, the 30th at Ivanhoe. Irvinglon. N. J. Other dales are pending. Maybe Rolfe lias Something San Antonio, May 2i. . _ 'which opened and closed the same \ ; Current rage throughout the south- Musicraft's Longhair Expansh ; evening at Topsy's. Chicken Roost. , west is "Put Your Little Foot.'' "Cot- Musicrafi Records is going even ; N. Y. Added starter, was a duck, j ton Eyed Joe."' "Herr Schmidt'' and deeper into the clas>ical field. It ' advertised as quite good at singing ■ other old fashioned dances. So much, has signed the Kro^l Quarlel. pian- ' with the band. Bird gave itself and 'in. fact, that requests are received at ist.< Kurt Applebaum an<l Jacques the band the bird by managing only ■ the bandstand for regular sets of Abram. harp.sichnrd.ist Sylvia Mar- a few quacks and sonic extra-cur- : the dances. Several of the loca^ spots lowe. Roman Tolenberg. violinist, ricular-dancr-door action. have gone so far as to dcsigiiilu and Mordy Bauman, baritone, for . The Ugly Ducklings were paid ofT ui-r night each week for this - type highbrow Muff. ■ the same night; i jl-.ti-rnugging.