Variety (December 1925)

VARIETY MUSIC Wednesday, December 2. I925 BAM) AND ORCHESTRA REVIEWS L'AIGLON ORCHESTRA (5) Cafe L'Aiglon Washington, D. C. A five piece combination spon- sored by Meyer Ot)ldman, ono of Washington's "best violinists," that should bring success to this cafe if any musical agpregatlon can ac- complish this. The L'Aiglon has made three previous attempts and now is back at Its beginning with the original owner, MaJ. C. F. Burkhardt. "Goldlo," as Meyer Is known here- abouts, plays a "wicked " fiddle. Ills "Kiss Me Again" Is almost a Wash- ington Institution. Wherever he appears the number Is demanded, hence on this rep, the L'Aiglon figured the name a good asset. Though Goldman does not play with this combination he handles all re- hearsals, makes his own arrange- ments and has schooled the five boys to handle his ideas as to what music should be, and they do It well. The outstanding feature Is the ■ax team, Al Vlrts and Ed Tetzol, both decidedly good musicians. The trumpet player, O. Lehnord Is "there" also, while the manner In which Frank Flemlgan strums the banjo clicks. The pianist. Geo. Bentley, Is a composer as well and has a good number In "Swretle Blues." Ralph Fox directs from his Instrument a musical apparatus, not an orfeii.slvo i>pri.'ussive machine. Teto Walsh has improved consid- erably, and deserves a more com- inemlatory notice for trombone slid- ing. A feature was a rendition of "Song of India," with the Whlteman arrangement used. One suggestion: Why not a little more piani.'^slmo Htuff, Just by way of contrast The band Is a largo one for such a small place, and the forte-forte, even as excellently ren- drred as It Is, after a few sets begins to Boimd like too-much of. ' Good band for vaudeville, or pre- sentation, as la. Norton. DICK GASPARRE and Orchestra (7) Lorraine Hotel (grill), New York Meyer Davis unit, headed by Dick Oasparre. It's a unit Iffevery sense, and not a pick-up combination so often the case with sub-bands. This organization has been at the Pavil- ion Royale on Merrick road and In the grlll^of this smart Fifth avenue hotel it has built an enviable repu- tation. ^ Gasparre, as pianist-leader, heads a right tight little combination. Ir- win Leonard handles his violin ex- pertly; John Costello and Robert Bailey, at the r^ds. are a sweet sax team; Kddle Sliannon strums his Ohio for Money From reports, Ohio seems the best paying state for traveling dance orchestras. The fiood of Itinerant Jazz ag- gregations has created a sad cut-price standard In formerly verdant territory like Penn- sylvania, which now offers "Ash-Wednesday prices for New Year's eve engagements," to quote one bandman. HERE AND THERE Ray Miller ana orchestra and Bee Palmer are at the Hotel Addlsot Cafe, Detroit. Imnjo well; Jules Tott's bass is drums and establishes an excellent corking and Sam Gottlieb sustains rhythm. Mrakin. RAY 8TEWARTS0N And Orchestra (9) Cook's Amber Room, Boston. This band is primarily notable for a singleness of orchestral voice, a solid unity of tone, which all bands ahould strive for, which most do aim at, but which only a very taw over succeed In attaining. Also, they have the necessjiry rhythm. A most engaging rhythm. too—sort of a pulsing, toe-tickling cadence which seems to puLso in sympathy with the listener's heart. They're Individually good men. Stewartson plays more fiddle than a great many of his contamporarles; the trumpeter, Kapman, is notable for a smart, clean-cut mastery of all the necessaries; one of the saxo- phonists, name unknown, tackles xylophones as a sideline and plays them with a light, intelligent touch the standard at the traps, a good dance combo. In total, AbeU WARDMAN PARK ORCHESTRA (10) Wardman Park Hotel Washington, D. C. Saturday night is the big night at thTWarJman and this comblna- (lon Is one of the features. Moe Baer, its violinist director, han- dles the dance niatorial well and Is equally effective with his smaller combination In concert muslr: on Sunday nights. In Lew Berman, drums, the ag- gregation has a good bet because of his diversified capabilities, he being quite an Institution at the hotel with his "master of cere- monies" monologs and his singing of the pop sentimental numbers. Others In the lineup include Mike _ _ .^..^ ^ Perra, piano; Wm. Marsden, BU iind an unustmV'manuar dexterity I wood Wilson and Ray Keeferl. sax which makes of this much-abused (Continued on paga 49) LEADING ORCHESTRAS riRVlNG AARONSdN AND HIS COMMANDERS THIS WEEK: B. F. Keith's Bushwick, B'klyn, N. Y. DAN GREGORY AND HIS Victor Recording Orchestra Enroute to Coast Uanca Tours Headquarters 1101 North 16th Street HARRISBURG, PA. The Original Memphis 5 Direction BERME FOYER 1674 Broadway, New York IHARLELSTRAIGfflL AMD HIS Rendezvous Orchestra RrndexTous Cafe, Clilcuso, IIL Also Jack Johnstons and Ills Samovar Orchestra. tA Chnrlry Ktraiithf Unit). ( llsinc Cono liistruinpiilH ICxi'IumIvaIj RAY WALKER'S RADIOLIANS PLAYING CLUBS Representative, Harry Pearl 1607 B'WAY. NEW YORK CITY MR. AL TUCKER and his SOCIETY ORCHESTRA Keith-Orpheum Circuit* DlrectluB IWrnard iiurke ACE BRIGODE and His 14 Virginian* PICTURE HOUSE TOUR Direction William Morris FOR DETROIT IT'S JEAN GOLDKETTEI Orchestra Vlet«r Reeordlac Artists MAL HALLETTJ and his Versatile Entertaining Band Permanent address. Box t^2, Lawrence, Mi lass. "TOURING NEW ENGLAND" Management! Charles Shnebman DAVE HERMAN AM) IIANIt Tanrins KelUi-Orphrum with DKNO a KOCUKVLM Fornraost Exponents of ths "Apach*" and Ueno Bros. Next WMk. r»lM«. Chiracs Original Indiana 5 Record and Radio Artists Now Playing Cinderella Ballroom 48tli Htnwl and llriiudua) Ne» York TOMMV MOKTUN ManasM rhone Klrhmond IIIU 8470 Sterllnc 86t« If You Don't Advertise in "VARIETY" Don't Advertise The Wisconsin Midnight Sere- naders are broadcasting from WGiT. The orchestra is playing at the Asia restaurant in Schenectady, N. Y. Max Fisher opens at Giro's Dec. 10, succeeding Eddie Elklns, who becomes the Paul Ash of the Rlvolt Dec. 20. Feist has taken ov«r "Sweet Katlnka," by Ben Russell and Henry Tobias, the latter a young- ster and a cousin of Eddie Cantor, now also with Mae West in vaude- ville. Harry Reser's Banjollers, banjo band, becomes a WEAP "com- mercial" radio feature Thursday night under Cllquot Club auspices. Reser Is a prominent banjo soloist and recording artlsC Bob LePage has resigned as New York representative for J. W. Jen- kins' Sons ^Muslc Co„ the Kansas City music publishers. Mediocre Road Shows Publishing Own Music Managers of third rate road mu- sicals are now publishing their own sheet music and dispensing it through the local theatre candy butchers when not carrying a song book boy with the outflt. The angle Is reported to have proved profitable. Most of these road shows are gen- erally a conglomeration of pop num- bers, although a few have two or more special numbers, and it Is these which the producers publish and sell. The ides has been previously worked in connection with melo- dramas and legit road shows in the days of the former Stair & Havlln circuit and in those days also brought considerable additional revenue to the shows. LOU ZOELLEA EECOBDINO Lou Zoeller (Zoeller and Bod well, vaudeville) has been recording with his partner for Gennett and other records extensively with their New York return. The team has been on the Or- pheum circuit for two seasons, this being their flrst eastern visit in that period. Zoeller has been plac- ing songs around as well. CHAS. K£EE AS VOCALIST Charles Kerr, the orchestra lead- er, has been signed exclusively by Bdlson OS a vocal soloist. Quite by accident, whllq making an Edison dance record, Kerr de- cided to test his Bert WllUamsesque vocal delivery with the result that he has become a vocal artist. IK ! band also "cans" for GAinett and ICdlson disks. CHBISTIAN HOLDS OYER Tommy Christian and his or- chestra have been held over at tlie Hoseland ballroom. New York, until Dec 15. opening originally Nov. 1 for a fortnight. Christian has prior contracts for the rest of the month and has been offered a return from January through April, which he may accept. , . The band meantime has been re- cording for Columbia and''JIarmony records with other disks slated. BAKER'S BILLING rhll Uakor. in signing to ri^cord for Kiil.ion records, made a stipula- tion all hla billing, "a bad boy from a good family," be given promi- nonne on the disk label. Haker has made his first two numbors. He Is billed with liH nam5,"and accordion" in equal .-Izo Yerkes' Concert Mul Harry Yerkes, tt'rmcd the doan of modern dance orohoKtra lead(>rs, makes his debut in concert at Aeolian Hall, Dec. 6, Introducing Albert Chlaffarolli's American Jazz Syntphony, tlio llr.st Jazz syniijhony over written, highly touted iind for which considerable bidding has been made. The cotnposrr is known for his "I'rolude and Fii.ijue" and "Over- ture to a Merry IMuy" which have I-.'on performed by the Now York Philharmonic and the Metropolitan. Yorkes will head a syncoi>atlng symphony orchtstra of 65 mu.sl- cluns. His fir.st half of the program will be "popular" and hold a vocal rendition of Mayor-elect Jimmy Walker's "Will You Love me In De- comber as You Did In May'/" in trll)ute to the songwrltor-niayor who wIU be present at Mr. Yerkos' concert. Yerkes will take his .«!ymphony on tour following the New York con- cert. WHITEMAN WILL PUY TAYLOR'S XIRCUS DAYS' Add Novelty for Carnegje Hall Program—"!35th Street" With Five People Travelling: Bands Doing Well Barnstorming Many bands, generally scrub out- fits, are barnstorming this year and reported getting a break through playing small dates generally passed up as unprofitable by the larger "name" organizations. The bands are reported reaping a harvest In dance mad towns, especially in spots not holding a regular dance palace. In these towns, dances are given thrice weekly with a gate fee of 75 cents and |1, the bands going on a 60-40 ar- rangement. In other Instances the bands are engaged at a flat sum and a bonus arrangement. Owners of assembly rooms and town halls in small Long Island and New Jersey towns exploit the events heavily and generally draw good at- tendance. The catchHne 'direct from Broadway" Is utilized and in some cases names that sound remi- niscent but not a general Infringe- ment Is given the bands with at- tending publicity and exploitation hopi)ed up to give the locals an Idea that they are going to have a great dance outfit with them on these nights. Aside from the additional revenue It Is bringing the town halls. It Is also providing work for a number of musicians not averse to taking a gamble. INGRAHAM LOCATES Los Angeles. Dec. 1. Roy Ingrahami, who played at Green Mill Ciardens, Culver City, Cal., Is now providing the music at the Plantation, also a Culver City cafe. For the past six months this es- tablishment has had numerous col- ored orchestras which did not click, with the result that Ingraham, who is a favorite among cafe patrons, was Induced to bring Ids 10-piece outfit there. PAUL ASH IN NEW YORK Paul Ash is due In New York Monday for a fortnight's vacation. Ash was to have gone to San Fran- cisco for his loaf, but In view of Jack Partington, manager of the Granada, San l-'randsco, being In New York. Ash will meet up with his former bo.ss from the coast for tlie vacation period. An added novelty will be played by the Paul Whlteman orchestra at Its concert at Carnegie Dec. 20 {Sun. tlay), probably repeated the follow, ing Sunday. It is Deems Taylor's "Circus Days," the first time Mr Taylor has ever composed for Jaz» playing. About 40 minutes will be needed for the Taylor cycle that wIU take In a circus performance from the parade to the grand finale The other novelty is Gerswln's "135th Street" (subtitled "It Han. poned on Blue Monday"). This will be .set in a cellar (sawdust), with bar and a faded upright piano. Be- sides the band. Blossom Seeley will bo present as singer, assisted by four men (entertainers) amon» tliem Benny Fields. Miss Seeley's vaudeville pratner. A shift from the Metropolitan to Carnegie was forced upon White, man through the operatic manage, ment declining to permit the place, ment of scenery on Sunday. Their reason was given as It never had been done upon the Mct's stage on a Sunday night. The Whlteman Band will be In New York week of Dec. 13, taking that week out of Its concert tour to latch up with disc recording. Paul Whlteman and his orchestra are due back in New York Dec. 9. They will remain in town the rest of the month, during which period Whlteman will present concerts in. troducing several new works at ths Metropolitan, Aeolian and Carnegl* halls and the Selwyn theatre. After Jan. 1 the band jumps ts the coast and comes back in Feb- ruary for five weeks at 115,000 • week at Coral Gables, Fku Plugging in Garden An effort is being made by aeY' eral of the big music publishing firms to obtain exclusive privilege to exploit songs at ^ome of the big gatherings scheduled for the new .Madison Square Garden. The Gar. den "song exploitation" as planned by one of the firms would provide for some special pres^^ntment of the numbers a la film house presen- tation, the Idea being to make- as much of a vocal showing aa it Is to boom the numbers used at the Gar- den. It Is unlikely the Rlckard-Rlng. ling Interests will strike any bar- gain as to tUe exclusive gag yet several plans that provide for en- tertainment for which the Garden would not have to pay anything might result In such a tie-up as now being suggested. GERUNOVICH IN OAKLAND Los Angeles, Dec. 1. Tom Gerunovich with his or- chestra, on the Cinderella Roof during the absence of Herb Woidoeft and his Brunswick Recording or- chestra In the east have returned to Sweet's ballroom, Oakland. Gerunowich anticipates making a tour of the oast next summer. Beauty Song Writer LaVerne Lindsay, a beauty prlie- winner from California, has written a song. "Love Ypu the Way I Do," which Jack Mills, Inc., Is publish- ing. Miss Lindsay Is at present a pupU at the F. P. Long Island training school. The Weymann Orchestra Banjo When you buy » Weymann Banjo you are settlnc the world's be»t — »« Instrument every- where preferred by profcsaionale. Write for Oftt»- ( Ii>i{ue No. Bl. Dfpt. T WEYMANN & SON IIOR riieatnat Ht., rhlliwlelpliU, Fs. Musicians Wanted by Ted I.evvis Trombones, Pianists, l?ass Viols, Trumpet? Apply to TED LEWIS 255 West 88lh Street. New York .^i.imylor 21S0 Lti Jlfi^altM rufcik jju aSi cfetiTf/ rflirs:{!;?r,:^^"