Fred Robbins Right Off The Record

HYA, Sy! Well, if it isn’t July! Get those boots laced up high, and let’s ride-to the sky!

That’s just about how far the fresh stacks of wax reach, and to dig ’em all we gotta glue our tympanic membrane to that sound box practically the whole twenty-four of the day—just so your little hearing flap won’t be mistreated.

Had a big ball with Lucille Ball’s boy, Desi Arnaz. He took over the program from the records to the commercials, which he did in Spanish, and almost made a date with one of the chicks he called whose meter started ticking that day—her birthday. that is. Si, chiquito, Des does everything! That “Teentimer” program we did together—wow! Never saw so many of the lipstick legion melt en masse! What’s he got that I haven’t and where can I buy it cheap! Don’t answer that! But what’s m the way of ecstatic static?

HEAVENLY!

 

FRANK SINATRA: Nancy’s Daddy’s been getting lotsa of tonsil exercise of late, or else Columbia’s spouting out cookies like a machine gun, hon. And so what? We could stand fresh Frankie cookies for breakfast, lunch and demitasse every day, hey! There’s “I’ve Got a Crush on You,” a lovely Gershwin song over 16 years old which we begged him to wax long ago and he finally did. And you’ll be glad, too, ’spesh with such nice racket by Bobby Hackett on trumpet woven all ’round. Flip is “Ever Homeward,” adapted from a Polish melody, with Frank getting off a chorus in both English and Polish for no extra charge. For another helping of yelping, “All of Me” and “I Went Down to Virginia,” loaded with many an ounce of the bounce that counts and bubbling like fizz water and fish eggs. (Columbia)

NAT COLE: Voici the set of grooves we’ve been poppin’ our cork about on the “1280 Club,” Bub, “Nature Boy,’ with the new groom on his ownsy against a bank of beautiful Frank DeVol strings. ’S one of the greatest slicings ever cut, just a simple, tender, poignant piece of philosophy the UN could dig, “the greatest thing in life is to love and be loved in return.” ’Twas written by a yogi farmer, Eden Abez, and not only getcha like the witches got Macbeth but puts the proper feeling of reverence in your ear. Flip is the double bubble beauty from “Bishop’s Wife” that Cary did on the harp, “Lost April,” which’ll keep you m that state of escapist bliss, Sis, from now until next April. (Capitol)

BILLY BUTTERFIELD: Wm. covers that horn like black covers. prunes on “I Can’t Get Started.” All proceeds from the sale go to the Bunny Berrigan fund. “Flip Flop” is on the flip, with some pip lip ’tween Billy and the 48’s. A jumpin’ little sumpin’. (Capitol)

COUNT BASIE: “Guest in the Nest,” “Money Is Honey.” The kid from Red Bank bakes another one for this rascal using the title of guest night on the “7280 Club,” a follow-up to “Robbins’ Nest,” and it comes on, too, but like the 4th of this month! There’s gushing by Jimmy Rushing on the back on a lusty blues kick. (Victor)

LOOK, MA, I’M DANCIN’!—Nancy Walker and Original Cast—Look what I got got, Ma—that wonderful mad Broadway show all in one package, with Nancy Walker yet, hey, in this hilarious burlesque of ballet. There’s “Shauny O”Shay,” “Gotta Dance,” “I’m the First Girl in the Second Row,” “If You’ll Be Mine,” “I’m Not So Bright,” “Little Boy Blues,” “Tiny Room” and “I’m Tired of Texas.” Aw, come on, Ma, it’s my album. Give it back! (Decca Da-637)

DINAH SHORE: Bet Melissa’s crying for “Crying for Joy” with every spoonful these days ’cause her mommy sure squeezes the pablum out of it. Billy Rose scribbled it and it’s one of the best waxen attractions ever. Roll her over on her tummy—not the baby, Dinah!—for some easy rompin’ fillips on “Little White Lies” that’ll have you stroppin’ your corns on the nearest hardwood. (Columbia)

BENNY GOODMAN: Hey! What’s with B. G.? Whatta waste of shellac! This Art Mooney take-off on “Give Me the Good Old Days” with a backroom quartet, yet. If this is a satire, who needs it? “You Turned the Tables on Me” on the back pales by comparison with the original on Victor. Give me the good old days of the Goodman band. Murder! (Capitol)

HARRY JAMES: Oh, that Cole Porter! What terrific soft whitish mass within the skull has he—brain, I mean. Guy writes great songs like nothing. They’re so caviar-like, these two beauts from “The Pirate,” with Gene Kelly and Judy Garland. There’s “Love of My Life” in beguine tempo with the almond shaped vocal glands of Marion Morgan and Harry’s horn and Juan Tizol’s trombone to put water on your kneecaps. The side behind has Marion and Vinnie De Campo trading oral passages on “You Can Do No Wrong” and C. P. sure can’t. Like Hollandaise sauce! And don’t miss Jesse James Daddy’s “All the Way,” which’ll send you home and drop you right on the lawn. A panegyric stanza! Back is the English translation of Charles Trenet’s big French hit, “Beyond the Sea,” with Marion chirpin’. (Columbia)

PERRY COMO: The kid from Canonburg, Pa., coils his pulsating larynx around Cole’s fresh phrases, too, and continues the process of softening you to a pulp. His cookie’s for diggin’, Harry’s for dancin’, but both are nice as chocolate ice. (Victor)

MARGARET WHITING: More nice partisserie from the throbbing thorax of my well-hyphenated doll, Maggie, whose kid sister, incident, you dig on the “Junior Miss” show. From “Casbah,” to which this kid would go with her any time, comes “What’s Good about Goodbye,” and the answer is M. W. She’s oh-so-very-very on the other cheek, too, Sue, namely and to wit, “Gypsy in My Soul”; but then this hearing flap could never be surfeited with Barbara’s big sis. (Capitol)

ALSO EARWORTHY: Denny Dennis, the English singer who just joined Tommy Dorsey’s gang, on “My Fair Lady” and “Just Naive” (London); Kay Kyser’s “Cincinnati” and “My Fair Lady,” with Gloria Wood and Harry Babbitt; “Goodnight Sweetheart” with Snooky Lanson’s original arrangement. “Suspicion,” avec Ray Noble’s patter all thru the platter, (Columbia) ; Peggy Lee’s fresh album, “Rendezvous with Peggy Lee,” and six enticing slicings, “Don’t Smoke in Bed,” “Stormy Weather,” “Deed I Do,’ “Why Don’t You Do Right,” “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love,” “Them There Eyes” (Capitol CC72); Dotty Shay’s “The Sample Song,” tresclever novelty; Frankie Carle’s “Someone Cares,” with fine pipin’ by Nan Wright (Columbia); Mary Ann McCall waxin’ potently on “Trouble Is a Man” and “Big Butter and Egg Man” (Columbia); Gordon Macrae’s ‘“Matinee” and “Feathery Feelin’ ”—Gordie in full tongue (Capitol); Martha Tilton’s “Tm Not So Bright” and “That’s Gratitude” with liltin’ Martha comin’ on like a malted (Capitol). And you gotta dig Ray McKinley’s great band on “Arizay” and “Cincinnati,” brace of “hard” novelties with a fresh flavor and savor (Victor); Tony Pastor’s no slouch in that dept. either, viz. “At a Sidewalk Penny Arcade,” tonsils of Rosemary Clooney and. “Who Killed ’Er,” from “Night Song,” and they don’t mean Cock Robin but the Black Widow. Incident, watch for a new Columbia short with Tony and F. R. (Columbia); Victor Young makes sparks with “Sabre Dance” and “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” the “Massacre” and “Love Theme” from the pix, lush colorful wax (Decca).

HOT!!!

 

CHARLIE BARNET FAVORITES: Geronimo! Let’s jump! And you will to these six solid slicings by the Mad Mab in his first album ever. Cut by one of the “gonest” gangs C. B. ever led, you can dig half a dozen of his most famous trademarks, “Pompton Turnpike,” “Charleston Alley,’ “Gal From Joe’s,” “Rockin’ in Rhythm,” “Southern Fried,” “Tittle John Ordinary.” Furrowed in the grooves are Bunny Briggs on great vocal riffin’; Jimmy Nottingham, Clark Terry and Joe Grayes, trumpets; and Dick Shanahan, tuba; and of course the jumpin’ soprano sax of Charley himself. Guy has consistently baked smash cookies all thru his remarkable career as composer, leader, showman and perfectionist and is one of the musical greats of our generation. Better snap this sheaf up molte allegro, Joe. (Apolo)

ART TATUM: “Wee Baby Blues.” “Corrine, Corrina.” Hey! Reissue of the fabulous Tatum! Nuff said, Fred. There’s Joe Turner on the front burner with those indigo tonsils givin’ you a glow from a guy that’s in the know. Edmund Hall’s on clarinet and Lips Page on trumpet. (Decca)

STAN KENTON: Get out your bunsen burner and heat up your bongo! Here comes the Kenton gang to massage your sacro-iliac with a rhumba beat that’ll put ice cream on your kneecaps—Peanut Vendor”! Mop! All of which shows the Latin influence in modern jazz. Flip is a weird face that you’ve gotta dig about five times to get with “Thermopolae,” loaded with all the special Kenton effects and chordal dissonances. Very interesting stuff. Paging Bartok and Hindemith! (Capitol)

GENE KRUPA: “After You’ve Gone,” “Dark Eyes.” You’ve been hurting for this reissue so hard Columbia went and rebaked it—I mean, that wonderful Roy Eldridge trumpet ride on “After You’ve Gone” that’ll turn July into August and put beads of perspiration down your back, Jack. A masterful display of technique! Back is the Krupa jazz trio, with Teddy Napoleon on box and Charley Ventura on tenor. Aw-chee-chorny-ya was never like this. Wow and double wow! (Columbia)

KINGS AND QUEENS OF BOOGIE WOOGIE: What a field day for you collectors this month! ’Cause this sheaf is another reissue that’s been like 8 millimeter Kodachrome. There’s Meade “Lux” Lewis, on “Monky Tonk Train Blues,” and “Yancey Special,” a tribute to an early B-W exponent, Jimmy Yancey; Pete Johnson’s unrestrained “Blues on the Downbeat,” and the groovey slow blues “Kaycee on My Mind.” Albert Ammons southpaw’ll kill you on “Boogie Woogie Stomp,” Cleo Brown makes you “shake that thing” as you dig “Pinetop’s Boogie Woogie,” tribute to “Pinetop Smith,” and Honey Hill knocks out her arrangement of “Pinetop’s B-W” in a contrasting tempo. To complete the asphyxiation Dot Rice and Scrapper Blakwell, piano and guitar respect., grind out “Texas Stomp.” Man, this is boogie woogie put to you with an old steam drill! Fat boogie woogie! (Decca album A 610)

FRO THE MAN IN GRAY

 

Whattsamatter! Aren’t Mr. Donaldson’s men in gray operating around your way. Lemme hear from you. Lay some linen on me . . .

To Louise F., Wilmington, Calif.: Duke Ellington has one son, Mercer, who has a band of his own. Maxine Graefe, Portland, Ore.: Dave Street did’ some cookies for an independent company on the West Coast with the Mel Tones, Mel Torme’s old group, or a group that used the name. . . Rita Casino, Ridley Park, Pa.: Lily Ann Carol is on her own, doing theaters, etc., and her freshest cookie is “Please Be Kind,’ with Charley Ventura, on a National label . . . Sue Rowan, Ft. Worth, Tex; Jean Groner, New Brunswick, N. J., Mary Speece, Phila., Pa., Arlene Ammon, Union, N. J.: You four rascals who are knocked out by the “Velvet Fog,” Mel’s latest cookie is “Do It Again” and “Whoopee.” He’s doing night club work all over the country and by now is on the coast making another flicker for MGM. He’s not hitched, but has big eyes for Cathy Downs and you can cop a pix by writing to Musicraft Records, N.Y.C. . . Frances Coplin, Stateville, N. C.: Tex Beneke’s drummer is Jack Sperling. If you have a yen for singing, try starting with a local band, or on some local radio program. But make sure you ve got talent . . . Laurence Beyer, Mineral Wells, Tex.: You’re right, old man, Georgia Gibbs’ thorax is “gone.” She did a few sides for Artie Shaw under the name of Freda Gibson, which is the handle she used while on the Hit Parade. Her biscuit of “Ballin’ the Jack” on Majestic is a “killer” . . . Evora Hicks, N.Y.C.: The record of “Love Locked Out” this kid sings with on the “1280 Club” is from a Paul Weston album, “Music for Memories” on Capitol . . . James Hargreaves, Lancashire, England, and Cris Clyde, Jr., N. Andover, Mass.:Helen O’Connell married an ex-Navy flier but is waxing again on the “Coast” label Whether she’ll resume her career entirely only Helen knows. Depends on how her records go.

No more space to chin, Min, but we’ll be diggin’ you on the Columbia Record Shop every week and right here in August.

THE END

 

It is a quote. SCREENLAND MAGAZINE JULY 1948