Variety (May 1955)

Wednesday, May 4, 1955 On The Upbeat 16 Best Sellers on Coin-Machines New York Herb Abramson back at his At- lantic Records prexy desk after two years with the U.S. Air Force . . .Marion Colby waxing an album for BelL Records this week. . . Songstress Fernanda Montel opens at the Hotel St. Regis Maisonette tomorrow (Thurs.) . . .Stan • Pat named artists & repertoire chief for Grand Records, new indie label headquartering in Philly. . JDor- othy Collins went to Ebbets Field last week to plug her latest Audi- vacs platter, “That’s All I Need,” Thrush presented Dodgers mana- ger Walt Alston a record blowup with this inscription: “A Brooklyn Dodgers World’s Championship in 1955. ‘That’s All I Need’”. . .Pi- anist Dorothy Jackson currently at the Belmont Plaza's Glass Hat. . . La Playa Sextet and Irv Carroll’s band set for the summer season at thd Raleigh Hotel, So. Fallsburg, N. Y. . „ .Mahalia Jackson set for a fifth Carnegie Hall appearance Sunday (8). Crooner Dob, Anthony, recently inked to King Records, oh a dee- jay tour promoting his preem disk, “My Thrill Is Loving You”.. ,MGM Records is getting, in on the Crazy Otto kick. Label.has prepped an album tagged “Crazy Otto Cafe’” featuring keyboarders Mike Di Na- poli, Dick Hyman and Jack Fina . . .Mindy Carson held over for an additional two weeks at the Sa- hara, Las Vegas. . .Joan Regan, London Records warbler currently in the U.S. promoting "Prize of Gold,” will make a film in England later this year with Frankie Laine for Columbia.. .The Chordettes set for an appearance at the annual Mrs. America contest in Daytona Beach, May 13-14.. .Disk promoter Buddy Basch on a trek through the midwest. . .Earl Bostic’s r&b combo hitting the campus circuit on the Cpast with dates at the U. of California, U. of Seattle, U, of Oregon and Washington State U. David Ewen has a piece on George Gershwin in the May issue of Harper’s mag. . .Max Kaminsky, Peewee Russell, Dick Cary, Ray Diehl and Johnny Vine will be the tootlers for the “Jazz at Westnor” series at the Westrtor Restaurant, Westport, Conn., May 10. . .Winged Victory Chorus pencilled in at -Amato’s Supper Club, Portland for ‘^'10 days beginning June 22. "PARADE DAY" "TELEVISION MARCH" Published by Rcmaan Music, Inc. (ASCAP) Radio Registry * Chicago Chuck Cabot plays the Peabody Hotel, Memphis, Monday (9X to May 21. . .Skinnay Ennis currently at the Los Angeles Statler. . . Charlie Fisk rounding out his first anniversary at the Palmer House, Chi. . .Frankie Masters currently working on his umpteenth ice show at the Conrad Hilton’s Boule- vard Room, Chi. . .Eddie Howard closing at the Hollywood Palladia um Monday (9). . .Dick Jurgen set for Elitch Gardens, Denver, May 25 to June 13.. .Bob Scobey’s Fris- co Band, with Clancy Hayes fea- tured, heading for Basin Street, New York, at the end of their cur- rent Blue Note, Chi, engagement . . .George Shearing quintet to fol- low Scobey at the Blue Note in his 15th stint there, May 18-May 29. Pittsburgh Ralph Sharon Trio and Susan Sharon opened a limited engage- ment Monday (2) at- Midway Lounge . .—. Dan Mastrl and his Deuces Wild into the Crawford Grill for two weeks' . * . Tommy Carlyn, bandleader, has sold .'his nitery, the Bali-Kea, to Gena Pol- liard. Carlyn is reported to have dropped a chunk on the operation over the last couple of years . . . Joey Sims band picked to play for Geneva Assn’s annual charity ball . . . Herman Middleman orqh had option picked up again at White Elephant . . . Topnotchera return to New Nixon on Monday (9) for another fortnight. A quick repeat for this group. Hollywood Tunesmith Jack Stern joins the Johnny Grant unit- leaving May 13 on a Far Eastern Service trek. . , Pianist Harry Field opened an in- definite stand at Villa Frascati Fri- day (29), With Eddie Bradford shifting to Rotisserie Frascati. . . Tony Romano-sliced two tunes he helped clef, “I Turned It Down” and “Robbers Roost,” for Starlite Records, with Fred Comstock backstopping. Songs are used in the Goldstein-Jack pic, “Robber’s Roost,” for UA release. . .Song- stress Roberta Linn > waxed “So Soon” and “Fe-Fi-Fiddley-I-O” for Ekko Records, backed by the Mel- lo-Men and Jack Marshall’s orch. Fred Astaire has sliced two sides that he chirps in the 20th- Fox pic, “Daddy Long Legs,” for Norman Granz’s Clef Records. Both tunes, “Something’s Got To Give” and “Sluefoot,” were cleffed by Johnny Mercer. Granz has since sold the masters to RCA Vic- tor for distribution. . The Beachcombers (Don Mac- Leod, Bill and Natalie Shepherd, (Jerry Graff) open a 10-week stand at Honolulu’s South Seas. . .Jack Teagarden opened a six-week stint last Thursday (29) at Frisco's Hangover., .Dinah Washington cut four sides for Mercury on Friday (29). . .Manie Sacks has inked chirp Anfi Weldon to an RCA Vic- tor recording pact, , .Songstress Eve Marley has recorded the theme “Desert Sands” for the pic of the same name. . .Bobby Troup & Trio headline a charity ball be- ing given jointly by frats of UCLA and, USC on May J at Riviera Country Club. 1. DANCE WITH ME, HENRY (5) Georgia Gibbs ......Mercury . 5 Al Hibbler Decca 2. UNCHAINED MELODY (2) ?. •{ bes Baxter Capitol \ Roy Hamilton Epic 3. CHERRY PINK AND APPLE BLOSSOM WHITE (6) Perez Prado Victor ' '" 1 $ Bill Hayes Cadence 4. BALLAD OF DAVY CROCKETT (9) -I Tennessee Ernie Ford ..Capitol l Fess Parker Columbia 5. HOW IMPORTANT CAN IT BE (10, j slrlhV^ghan ' MmSrJ Billy Vaughn .Dot 6. MELODY OF LOVE (17) David Carroll .........Mercury “ * * ■ Four Aces .Decca Ink Spots . .Kino 7. CRAZY QTTO MEDLEY (f3) Johnny Maddox . ....Dot , ’ * * ( Crazy Otto . . .DecciT 8. SINCERELY (17) ., ■ , McGuire Sisters Coral 9. PLAY ME HEARTS AND FLOWERS (3) \ Johnny Desmond ’! .’!!! Coral 10. WHATEVER LOLA WANTS (1)... ( Sarah Vaughan Mercury ( Dinah Shore Victor 6. MELODY OF LOVE (17) Second Croup IT’S A SIN TO TELL A LIE I BELONG TO YOU PAULING, JR VOUS AIME BEAUCOUP DANGER! HEARTBREAK AHEAD TWEEDLEDEE IT MAY SOUND SILLY A BLOSSOM FELL TWO HEARTS, TWO KISSES PLEDGING MY LOVE THAT’S ALL I WANT FROM YOU IFUmres in parentheses indicate number of weeks Dinah Shore Victor Somethin' Smith Epic Ralph Flanagan ......... Victor Nat (King) Cole Capitol Jaye P. Morgan ,Victor Georgia Gibbs ..Mercury ■ Lancers * Coral Lavern Baker ..Atlantic McGuire Sisters . Coral Nat (King) Cole Capitol 5 Pat Boone Dot i Frank Sinatra Capitol ( Doris Day , Columbia ( Johnny Ace Duke \ Teresa Brewer Coral " ‘ * ’ ( Teresa Brewer Coral Jaye P. Morgan Victor song has been in the Top 10] CONGRATULATIONS: • For being the first winner of the new Freddie Robbins CBS CoasMO'Coaster "DISC DERBY #/ with your new hit DOUBLE AA RECORD. I Don’t Keep it A Secret (signed) DOUBLE AA RECORDS SPRINGFIELD MUSIC, INC. BOB COLLUM ORCH (6> Castle Harbour Hotel, Bermuda. Bob Collum, who finished an eight-month stint last December at the Stork Club,, N.Y., with a five- man crew, has been playing here on a four-month pact, with two months’ option, which will carry him into September, when he’ll be back at the Stork. This is a new crew which Col- lum assembled for the Bermuda date. All are N.Y. Local 802 men, comprising Collum on sax (and doubling on vocals); Tom Kelleher, pianoX Bert Wheeler, bass; Phil Marack, trumpet; Ernie. Kricket Jr., drums, and Don Anderson, ac- cordion. Wheeler has played at the Stork, while KeHeher has worked with Jack Teagarden. Charlie Spivak and others. Col- lum’s current Castle Harbour booking was set up by Al Donohue. Collum, who got away from the/ jazz clarinet (his real instrument) to do society work, plays it straight. Music is strictly commer- cial, with the old society beat and flavor. Playing nightly (except Sunday) for dancing in the Rendez- vous Room here—also backing the Calypso shows put on Mondays and Saturdays—Collum favors Latino rhythms, but can dish up a smooth foxtrot or dreamy waltz set as well. Crew uses no special arrangements, with Collum on sax and Marack oh trumpet doing most of the solos, keyboarder Kelleher assisting, and 'the others carrying the accompaniment. Collum also gives qut on the vocals with, a clear, heady baritone.’ Band is on the air three nights a week for a half-hour at 10:30 over ZBM, right from the dance-; floor. It’s popular with localites as well as tourists, and was picked as No. 1 band on the island in a recent newspaper poll. Wally Cross & Calypso Serenaders (4) alternate with Collum’s crew for the dancing. Bron. DIAZ NAMED CARLTON AIDE FOR RCA POPS Herman Diaz, who has been heading up the artists & repertoire department of RCA Victor’s inter- national division 'for the past few years, has been upped tD the disk- ery’s pop operation as assistant to a&r chief Joe Carlton. 'Switch of Diaz was cued by the click of Vic- tor’s international disk output, par- ticularly in the Latin field where the company cleaned up, via the mambo aficianados. Big feather in Diaz’s cap is, the fact that' Perez Prado’s slice of “Cherry Pink” Js currently Victor’s No. 1 seller arid will probably turn into one of the year’s top instrumental platters. Johnny Comacho will move over from Seeco Records early next month to step into Diaz’ spot iii, the Victor international division. Com- acho was formerly with Decca Records and with the E. B. Marks Music firm which has an important Latin catalog. Frank Amaru will continue to head up the sales de- partment for the international di- vision. In the pop operation Carlton’s Staff will now comprise Diaz with Hugo Winterhalter and Joe Reis- man as staff musical directors, Henri Rene heads up Victor’s Coast a&r spot, working under Carlton. Durante Music Buys Up Entire KM&O Catalog Hollywood, May 3. The Jimmy Durante Music Co. has purchased the entire catalog of standard tunes from the estate of Keller, Mack & Orth, publish- ers. Durante is planning to reis- sue the following tunes which comprised the catalog: “Meet Me on the Boardwalk Dearie,” “I'd Rather Be A Min- strel Than a Multi-Millionnaire,” “Don’t Be Angry, Dear,” “We Won’t Go Home Until Morning, Till Broad Daylight,” “The Phone Bell Rang,” “I’m Going Away,” “Stick and Stones Will Break My Bones, but Names Will Never Hurt Me,” “Ireland’s Flag of Green,” “My Geraldine,” “There's No Friendship Like Mother's,” “I’m Happy All The Time,” “Leaving,” “Down Where the Sea Breezes Blow,” “Oh O’Hara” and “The Texas Rag.” Herth Trio to Sheraton, N. Y. Milt Herth Trio began its fourth i engagement at Mermaid Room, Park-Sheraton Hotel, N. Y., Mon. ( 2 ). Herth recently returned to Goth- am after a season in Miami Beach. Victor Pacts Bosler On Pop Album Promotion In line with RCA Victor’s build- up of its pop and jazz album divk sion, Carl Bosler has been added to the department’s promotion staff. He’ll work under Ben Ros- ner, who recently got the depart- ment under way: Bosler previously was chief music editor for the Voice of America. 1 iMfita An Array of Great Records! THE B. F. WOOD MUSIC CO. INC. 2Ave B.'V.':' 'V . Lyricist seeks composer to collaborate on popular tunes. Write Box V.V. 44, Variety, 154 West 46th St., N. Y. C. WILL OSBORNE AN0 HIS ORCH. Now.59th Week New Golden Hotel, Reno Mgt.: MILTON DEUTSCH m * ■ ■ ■ a ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ | I a ■ ■ ERROLL GARNER TRIO Currently BIRDLAND, NEW YORK May 7 JACKIE GLEASON "STAGE SHOW" CLUB TIA JUANA, BALTIMORE, May 10 May 16—TOWN TAVERN, TORONTO PHILA. ENQUIRER MUSIC FESTIVAL, June 10-11 June 16—BASIN STREET, NEW YORK NEWFORT JAZZ FESTIVAL, Juiy IS Martha Olaaer, Peri. Mgr. MERCURY RECORDS ■ H I ■ H ■ N M M N ■ ■■■MM ■ I I ■ I * ■ N ■ ■ | ASSOCIATED BOOKING CORPORATION JOf. GLASER, Pro,. ■■ New York j Chicago i ! 'i Ave. P! 9-•!AU0 I 2 Ci3 No. Wahssh Hollywood 3619 Sunset lUvd.