PAGE SIX
THE CAROLINIAN
XITTy ENDING, SATimPAY. .Tn.Y 7, 1945
HIS MAIESTY, RING OF THE “88 KEYS”
PAT FLOWERS, the king of the Ivories who five times a week (at
7:4S-6:00 p.m.) broadcasts nightly over N. Y.'s radio Station WNEW.
Appearing frequently at the Stage Door Canteen and at various camp
•hews. Flowers was photographed by our staff lensman as he “ganged-
up" on the keys with his Bach-to-6oogie rhythms. The way this boy
studies the piano as he trips the fantastic Is something—look at him,
he's got somethlngl A protege of the immortal Fats', Flowers Is mak
ing rapid strides.
Negro Sextet ‘In The Groove’ For
Eisenhower And Zhukov
New York
Showfronts
Ruth Morrison Says She ‘Lives For Music’ SEEIN’STARS
BY DON DE LElGHBUn
nblessuc"
Kathryn
known outsj
the ballerina.
By Carl Levin in the
New York Herald Tribune
FRANKFURT AM MAIN. Ger-
many — The wine, the liquers. the
filet-mignon. the petits-fours and
everythlnc el.se which Ocncral
Dwight D. Eisenhower served at his
headquarters here today for Soviet
Marshall George K Zhukov went
over well, but it took a Negro .sex
tet from the United States to put
the party in the ar.)vc.
The generals who for so h'ng h.Td
measured thicr action:; by artillery
barrages, bombardments ;«nd troop
movements, be.ai lirro to the Ovc
of “The Three Rascals," from Chi
cago and three Negro \ucaiiM.- iroio
New York.
The three Chicagoan.s and their
feminine associates %vei'c just what
the supreme commander ordered.
In the books they are listed ns
"USO Troupe .SSS.” but tod.ay they
were booked a.s •’The Rhythm Car
nival" and they really got swing
ing with the bra.ss.
ALBERTA HUNTER, of 13.1 West
138th Street. .New York, one of the
original blues singers and compos
er of "Downhearted Bl.ios." put her
I wonderful!"
•'But oh, how neivc wracking!*'
>put in Miss Ganny. wno used to be
a vocalist with Cab Calloway’s or
chestra.
Miss Hunter, however, who has
played opposite Paul Robe-son at
the Drury Lane, in London, and
who. before the war. played the
Ca.sjno de P.-.ris. in Paris, and ap
peared in "Mamba's Daughters"
and iilhcr Broadway shows, took
it all in stride.
She was sorry that her group did
not know any Russt.an mu'ic so
rhai they could accompany her.
' "If I only knew a'oout this be-
j fore hand I could have given
Zuhk'V and Vishinsky .something
they would recognize.’ 'she said.
I Eisenhower apparently knew
what ho was doing when he passed
up a list of gcrat theatrical names
'now on the Continent to select the
icxtet headcNl by Miss Hunter. For
•the jam session at S. H. A. E. F.
I was a war cxjienencc his Russian
'gue.sts are not likclv to forget.
1 They shuffled out of the dining
I room to the tune 'f ‘Roll Out the
Barrel" and they were still swing-
Ten years ago a composer who
had already distinguished himself
by writing symphonies and ballets,
confided to some of his close friends
that his one ambitivu was ta write
the music for a liberntto by
Langston Hughe.s, and have th.-
opus presented at the Academy
of Music in Philadcphia. Although
a decade has passed, he may yet
sec his dream come true, for it is
quite likely that William Grant
Still's Opera, “Troubled Island,"
scheduled to open in New York
early next year, will reacli the
Academy during the tour of the
United States which will follow the
New York engagement.
W’hen Mr. Still cxprcK.«ed this
ambition, he was in Chicago for the
pre.sentatior 'T his Ballet. "La Gui-
Civic Opera House.
..im, then hardly
I'lC Windy City, was
Even then she was a
star, and her South Parkway stud
io was the mecca for the s'phisti-
cates and bon vivants of the town.
Mr. Still hailed her as one of the
nreatest inlcrpretaivc dancers of
the century.
Since that time. Witiiam Grant
Still! has added new stars to his
already brilliant diadem, one of the
brightest having been achieved
when he received international at
tention by winning first prize for
writing the theme melodv for the
New York World's Fair.
Now if everything goes well, the
boy from Woodville. Miss., who
received his education at Wilber-
ferce University. Oberlin and New
England CorV^rvatories dan ex
pect within the next vear to place
the biggest diamond in his jeweled
crown. The City Center of New
York is -set to produce Troubled
Island." libretto by Langston
Hughes, music by Still, and to be
directed by the great Leopold Sto
kowski.
Newbold Morris, president of the
New York City Council, believes
the production will cost $4.5.000.
“Troubled Island" is a historic
piece, but it is .significant in that
it i.s bound up in the ancient strug
gle of people to be fret*. Specili-
cally, it concerns the fight of the
people of Haiti to free themselves
from the French yoke of bondage
The action centers around Jean Dc
salines, a slave, who became em
peror of Haiti. June 16. 1904. As
one of the leaders of the revolt of
j the Haitian bondsmen against the
I overlords and the armies of Na-
; polean. Desalines himself ach:eve»
i power. Seeking tc create a land
' where all black men are free, but
bound by illiteracy and limited vi
sion. Dcsalines — through his rise
and fall — marks a tragic milestone
In the history of human freedom.
Hi« aged father. Matel. points tbr
wad to the ultimate goal nf men'*>
hopes when he .'aid he dreams of
a world where all men of all races
\vill be free.
Desalincs' ^rsonat tragedy, as
portrayed in the b'vc theme of the
opera, is again man's ild story of
the iimbitiun and love at the part-
a New Race' are clT;«irs In .uldi-
ti'in t” the symphimic.s, he has writ
ten three Gprras besides ‘ Tioubicd
Island." “They arc "Blue Steel." "A
Bayou Letjand. and “A Southern
Interlude."
Mr. Stiir.s range appears to have
no bounds. An example of hi.s ver
satility is shown in the wrilng of
1WO cl'oraie'. "Plain Chant, for
America" and "They Lynched him
to a Tree." Words for bull) of these
were written by Katherine Garri
son Chapin. In private life the
wife of former .Mlorncy General
Francis Biddle.
Wtuit Mr. Still will do following
the success of his newest effort is
difficult to prophesy, but it is reas
onably certain that he will con-
timte to use his deft |>en and hi.s
musical heart in .'•nothing the "sav
age breast.”
WITH DOLORES CALVIN
NEW YORK iCNSi - COMPOS-
ER SPEAKS OUT. While the re
vamping of all sorts of dramas for
Negroes to be passed up. William
Grant Sun. laincn American com
poser now in Hollywood has this^
to .say; "I exjicet to .eoe them con-1
vrrt Wagner's "Rhcingold" into just
such a • Negro" play and instead
having the Rhine Maidens, they'll
have three colored laundresses at
the Harlem River. That will probab
ly be the theatre's next leading at
traction. If ihey can do it to Gilbert
and Sullivan ("Memphis Bound'
and to Bizet "Carmen Jones." why
not Wagner.’
CAN"riNFLAS. Mexcio's greatest
comedian and idol recently signed
contract with RKO to make movies
here. Ho arrived greeted with usual
Hollywoi-d fanfare. He was kissed
bv Hollywn»»d bcautie.^ and the rest
of it. But .it the studio. Cantinflns
found scenarists had their own
ideas of what Mexico was like a-
Hollywood has their .wn ideas
what Negro hfo. is libel and he re-
\..ltcNi The .Mexican biokc his ron-
tracl and walked out. We wish Nr
gro players, in their small way.
I wiuld follow suit
I RICH \Rn RUEY who sings an
! arousing son^ in "Bloomer OiiV
1 tells US he e ined th*- w ird •tfiple-
I crip' which means three time* solid
I Dick is awaiting the arrival of
I br'>»her he has never seen an
1 xioiisly The Mnnhatt.m Deh.s. >
i the Downtown Theatre in Detroit
I i.avi- a th:-e d.iv vaeation before
mine to Time Squ.irc's Paramoim
Wh
I The Pre
I .Iordan
; General
• • erem-i:,':.
excited
1 .Ma
be featiir“d with ljO
Anderson me
■hower durinz tbf
City H.'.ll. she sra;
alrrov* -.ind Mr
RUTH MORRISON
YORK.
in'.
Reginald Beane, whn is correnily
appearin'! nn Creailway in the new
dramatic hit. “Foahotc In The
Parlor."
NEW
Frc.sh I
to k be. l- Kui:in> .i-l *.
Atlau’a ai.d I! ck
.- .o.d H ilin.-.iii: V.
•t-\' ic fl Ru’.h
f irw.iid III i.i r T.n- - H.il
■ ge.',
C.NSi - Ora
■;r which th.il music
Cl-
?.lfunt.ii:i
oshi;
ui.d
i> l---.k-
d- vu:
Illy
.-la hi.
1 thi
ll- I,Id H'ought up in
S C . ail- oecidfd «
ould be her piofct-: Hn^^ao Sue 'i .'l
Since New York i$ ih'- center 'f Sein 'd - f .M' ,
.; u'lc cultu:v, n v»... '.. New York tn .America Jiis»
she came and sang with the Clmun- the mnmonlous I
ciy \ iribern Choral Lr»'Up and ap- Harbor
pcared in several legitimate play.« R.ith -
Her real lack caiui ■ bvn .'h'- • Sht ivsi
itcd h.r .'isur in Oakiaiui. F!.i :ng and luul.t
There :he u!,: bit'-.s. a -•••■ tniir. .lu.
;•-up .lid the »f - • » ' •'* is Eila J
nice .sj •.von Mr-. Ma'-her-Smiin .scarcely w..;. c-
d tiic .'Ociiilitc gave Ruth v sehol- Ruth comes
IK...... of P,-.
'te.id i f Grnrr.d South African
(•f- .ifp eating War Bread, which
sn'* like while bro.id .xt all. K’
•‘i.-ir papc. - i.iponed by
• ( .-.—.Ilf-- Coiiditions have been
’O'. ■ •• mc' 1941 S -erman Rrm
■ • 11- St.iie Dip.irtment of
.\grii.'il!ur town with Newspic's
‘•mi • ; rr frm D C, LucHle
Ken Her •'rr!’ ''.•!% ••■o , .it New;-
expense, wr-- r.''-orded in P'c-
• - • .11 the \'.;zv. d issue
r. - W a forme: star nf
• P rgv ’ Be new ..f Memphis
Bo- nd" married tlii' \*frk in Coro
na v.'herr he li*.-- T'e 9A4 ij,.
— did R»11o Yes? discover
I'he!! O •• - r dido ’ R do V'est
•; • -vir Shril.n Guys' .she's the
■s»'w ‘’x*- f "Mcmphi- Bound ■■
-V—
INDIAN.VPOLIS 'IPSi - La,-
R'-.-ivU's Orchestra on a USO tou;
bctwic-. fili'ng p.a..-.T.V..:
Big "3" T!fiit iSaviinnah Cnurchill.
.Marv.i I.oiijs ,,nd 'Deck " 'at-. '•
and H:* Brown Dots n>ake up the
p-xekage which Ls curri-nlly playing
at the Regal Theatre in Chicago)
were shaken up and «iik* member,
vocali.'t Milton Btiggs was injur
ed. when their irailcr-bus cra.'hed
head-on into a tree one day last
week in l’e WJOu bl‘ck of VVe«t
Washnuliin .S:r«'et hire
The i'j'i:.*d rreniher of 'he mus
ical ag.T.gali-'ii was ruslutf in City
Hospital The band which plays
nut I- f Ni w York ha.s lust conipiet-
ECKSTINF.'S BAND New Unit Starts Nation-
Wide Tour In Raleigh
h tlRPiWKS. INC.
COMING ALONG
T.AMP.N. K'ond.i ^ingir::; m-n'--
■ r'l Billy Eckstine .inrt hi- skyrock-
eting young jump b;ind arc now
kwinging Ihii-ugh FlorUo on the m-
gregatirn';- current whirlwind G-ur
if the Miuih “The Kck.sluu crew
plays Drew Field in Tamiia. S.xtur-
dsy. July 7. for the Arn.y Air
Forces, the H.iris-i.i Squar Club . .
Mia:: i • n Sunoay the 8th, and t'-.'
Two Spot Club in .f.icksonville on
M'luday the ?Uh
Next ■ " Bill'.' r u;-' will be sev-
■al dales Or and .Alabam. i.
RALFIGH - A r.-' ^r-- . .
•tarring th:- famous Nich das Bioth-
' rs danciiiii team, .«l.irtfi a natiii.n-
•A-ide tour >n juiy y at Raielgh .Af-
ler •..•urnig the S--'h on one nigtit-
•T V this unit, c.alled "Hep-Sation*
l!>tj.‘ will p!ay the (•'■iintry'.- lead
ing theatres from New York City to
H-illywood
The dancing of the Nicholas
Hrothtrs has '>ei.*i; featured in top
’h litres and clubs fmm coa.st tn
coast js well as in a fleck ' f movies.
' . .set'cd in *:•’ irmv
Dizzy Ciller-pie 'he great new
trumpet star, recently chosen oy
Esquire Magazine for its All-Aircr-
ivan u-.nd. lioad.; an IS-picce « rchc»-
tra feafarir.i; the Diztet. Dizzy is
the big excitement of .VJrd Street
the-e di>.' It . ;;re it in.slrum;;i-
tal v.oik. outstanding arrangements
and colorful personality The G.l-
Icspiv bund will play f.‘r the sho-.v
and for dancing.
Patterson and Jack-son. recently
NEW 'YORK -CNS- ft wa«
miiounced th: •••-■-i' ’hai the only
V'-j'-' pr;c-e»;:..’., r. Mabel
Fairbanks, who i- forming a uni* of
.•.k.iter> to be inc- rpor.tcd -under Ihs
name --M.ibcl Fairbank- .xnd Her
Ire Mates." is coreing along well.
profession again?’ "expioiten"
to make m.oney off Negro talent.
Meanwhile, all interested skaters
iover the country should write .Mr.
H.inter at P O B'-x 23, Station I.
New York City. He Ls most anxious
' to sign up as many .'katers as p'w-
of "The Three Rascals," fnrn Chi
cago and thr.-e Negro vocuiim;. iioio
New York.
TTie three Chicagoans .'jnd their
feminine associates were just what
the supreme commander ordered.
In fl.e books they are Ji‘‘*ed ns
"USO Troupe .556." but today they
were booked as “The Rhythm Car
nival" and they really got swing
ing with the brass.
ALBERTA HUNTER, of 133 Wc.-t
138th Street, New York, one i-f the
original bines singers and rompos-
sr of "Downhearted Blue.';,” put her
troupe In there gradually, and ny
the time they finished the supreme
commander was syncopating with
them.
“Deep in the Heart of Texas" had
Eisenhower devoting i.-- energies
to a hit of close harmony, and
Zhukov and Viee-Commissar An
drei I. Vi.shjnsky swayed ' ' the
beat of ■•Straighten Up and Fly
Right," md "G, I. .five."
The barr-midriffed Miss Himl-r
and buxom .Mac Gaddv. of in.i-lR
l7Ut .Street. .lamaira. Queen:
thought they had se n everything
w'hen they inured tin- China, Bur
ma and India theater for seven
months before omin.j to Europe.
But their eyes all but popped out
today when they found them.'plves
giving a command perfi'rmance for
leaders of the Unili^ Nations' high
command in Europe.
Tiny Jean Starr, of -Seventh
Avenue. New fork, who play' a
mean trumpet, did all rirht *o long
as she was on the floor and the dis
tinguished guests oea* time to her
hot licks But as -non a.s she reltr-
rd froTv. their nre.i-en'-e she sighed
and said: "Whew; This really
' “If I only kne-.v itboul this he-
I fore hand I could have givin
Ziihkuv and Vishinsky something
I they would recognize' 'she said.
I Ei.senhowcr apparently knew
I what he was doing when he passed
I up a list of gcrat tlieatricnl n.nmcs
'now on the Continent to select the
'texfet headed hy Miss Hunter. For
'the jam session al S. H. A. E. F.
was a war experience hIs Russian
guesl.s arc not likely to forget.
They shuffled out of the dining
mom to the tune of ‘Roll Out the
Barrel" rind they wer still swing
ing and swaying when their big
planes with the red :tars look off
in the late afternoon.
KMI) RmiAEL
IN COMEBACK
i NEW YORK 'IPS- - H.xving a1-
j re id> :i|»j)eared v ilh tne Stage For
.Action r'>mpany in several pmsen-
I'atilms at the \ariou andiloriuma
I and plavhonses about town In the
-Skin Deep," and last
' >vcek .It the Finch Theatre with an
all-star mixed c.ist in "Ctmtact Un
limited." Enid Haphael who has
appeared on Broadway with such
name *.-,,• ;,s Basil Rnthbane and
Allison Skipwnrth along with oth
ers who have joined the ranks of
Nina Nine McKinnev, Ed'‘h Wilson
and Ada has eon.e out nf
1 .til rmenl
Miss Raphael has taken an aefive
part in Red Cross Hospital shows; ,«
hostess at Stage Door Cantpen. she
null next be seen in a revival of
the nlny 'norision" sponsored by
the Stage for Action eompany.
If|
Next Door” ted shearer
j power. Seeking t. cieate'* land
I where all black men are free, but
'b und by illiteracy and limited vl-
] Sion, Desalines — through his rise
' and fall ~ marks a tragic milestone
in the history of human freedom,
■His aged father. Matel, points the
wad to the ultimate g.>al of men's
I hojie.s when he said he dreams of
*a world where all men of all races
will be free.
Desallnes* ^rsonal tragedy, as
portrayed in the l-ivc theme of the
o|!cra. Is again man's old rtory of
the ambition and love at the part-
In gof the way.s. Deserting his slave
wife for a more glemoroUs mi--
, tress. Dcsalines is in lurn betrayed
by the woman he invites io «ii be-
1 side him xt his court. His empress,
Cl.iire. has visions of Parish in her
mind, pot Haiti. With false gen-
lerals. she conspires to bring about
ihe downfall of Dcalmes who Is
killed 'n ambush. A( the end. the
cvsei- .faithful wife of the slxvu
' -jiinrlers comes to Desallnes again,
fn weep over his bodv fallen in th.
!dust of Haiti's dreams. The Ki-ig
is dead — but the fi.'hermen of
; Haiti still put out tn see and the
peasants .'fill plant their seed. The
dream still lives.
Presentation of Mr. Still's "Trou
bled Island" next year will com-
nie'e :: cvclc iwo full decades,
for it was just 20 years ago that
hiv ''Land of Dreams” h.xd it.: first
l>erform.xnee in New York.
I Mnderi Will Still, as manv of his
intimate,'! call him. has had an iin-
u.sual and eventful lareer. He has
always loved mnsir. and al 19. be
was earning pan of his subsis
tence hv playing for dances. He
has been a Seaman, and a Harmon
A'vard winner on two oreasi.vns
Sophie Tucker hired him to orches-
fr. • for her. and W. C Handy, for
'X 'tr he worked, regards him as a
philosoptier of miisir.
Mr Still's two sypmltixnies, the
•Afro-Amreican" and the "S'Xng of
Dili' r.
■tarv.i Li)
Sax a:111 d: 1,'iiurehill,
nd ''Deek” Wat.s.in
and Hi.s Brown Dots make up the
! package which is rurt 'ntly playing
at the Regal Theatre in Chicago)
i were shaken up and one member.
I vocalist Milton Biiggs was injur
ed. when their trailer-bus cra.slicd
head-on into a tree one day Inst
week in the HBOtl bl' ck of West
' Washintlnn Street h« re.
' The injuri'd memher of the mus
ical ng.TCgalioii xx'as riislied to City
Hospital. The band which plays
nut of New York has .iu.-^t comp.et-
ed an engagemem al tbe Chib Plan
tation in St Lillis and was head
ing for Dayton. Ohi' Bii.s driver
Eugene .!■ hnson. of .St Louis,
rnuld uive deputy .sheiiff' i > ex
planation for .sweixing ' ff the niad,
OTHELLO t.SO SHOW
NEW YORK 'IPS' - USO
Camp Shows hadn't reeieve any
assiiriif.ee from the A. my Itiat the
Ir.Hipe uoing overse.xs in the joint
■'Othelt‘i"-''Ch.xrley s .•\nnt" uni',
headed 'iv P:irl lUib-son, .lose Fer
rer and UGi Hagan, winild he re-
tnriu'd here afler a four 'f four
teen weeks This iineeft intv has
brought abcnit the withdrawal of
Philip Huston fmm the eomp.xny
Huston had eatii’cllid Iwo summer
stock engagements to m:ike Ihe trip
TAMPA. Florida .'Ringing m.ie-
tro Billy Eekstine and his skyrock
eting young jumj) band arc now
.swinging thii-ugh F]oii.]:i on the ai-
gregatioii’s cuiTcnt xvlurlwind tour
if the smith The Fekstlnc crew
plays Drew Field in Tampa, Satur
day, July 7, for tho Army Air
Forces, the Harlem Squar Club in
.Miami in .Sunday the Rth, and tli.'
Two Spot Club in .I.xeksonvillr on
Monday the 9th
Next on Billy's i-enh' will be sev-
‘ ral dale' in Geergia and .Mabam i,
’lighlichetl hv appearances .xf the
City Andtiorium in AtLxnta on
.fulv 12 and .! the Municipal Aiidl-
I trium in Rinningham the f-'llow-
ing night.
The handsome singing mae.stro
and his b irnstorming bandsmen,
who are seting new ‘ravel nrom-:
as well as box office mark.? on this
tour, will als't s'A ing through Tcnn.,
Ark.. La,, and Texa.'- 'in onc-nighf
stands (his nmnlh hef.irc beginning
(hi'.- trek liack east early in Aug
RALEIGH — A nev .Ni grn iini'-
-'tarring the famous Nich'das Brntli-
■ rs dancing team, starts :i natlon-
•A'ide tour on juiy 9 ut Raleigh Af
ter touring the South on one night-
er« this unit, called "Hi p-S:iiions -f
IPtj." will play the country’s lead-
:: t theatres from New Yors: City to
ilollywood.
The dancing of the Niehola.s
Brothers has been fetiliired in lop
tin litres and club; from coast to
coast as well a.s in firek of movies,
inelnri'ng "Slormy Weather,''' “Sun
Valley Serenade” and "Tin .Pan
.-Alloy" among many other- The fa
mous brothers were |•{■^ently re
united aft. .'I perl-Ki nf a ye.ir
during which F yard, the older
n-VIORS fix RADIOS
FOR GIs
riHCAGO, III. - n idi-ts for ser-
"iermen :ti-.d veferxiv; at Gardiner
General Hoapilril here v'cre p'li into
fip-tnp rmiHiti n by Junior Red
Cross memhers in their Lyons
Township High School shop el.-iss
TAB SMITH IS
REALLY‘GREAT’
toolhor, ..-Jived in tti? a.-my.
Dizzy C.lletpic, the great
trumpet star, recently chost
Esquire Magazine for Its All-.\mer-
ican b.'ind. hcad.s An l8-piccc orches
tra featuring the Diztet. Dizzy n
the big cxcifemenl of 52r.d Street
these d.iys f.'r ms great in " ; .•mcn-
tal work, outstanding arrangements
and cultirfnl jiersonality The Gil
lespie band will play for the sho-v
and for dancing.
Patterson and Jack.snn, recently
fe.xtiircd in New York at the Zan
zibar Call- anl al Loev/s Stiitc, pro
vide the comedy. Lov«>ly June Eck-
atine. wife of Billy Eekstine. ns the
singing attraction of the show ami
Lovely I,ane, a glamorous .md ex
citing looking young lady will b”
featured in her ex'itic ciunccs.
ski'ters to be ino rpor.'cd -Jiider
name "Mabel Fairbanks and Her
Ice Mates." .s comin-.' along well
W’ally Hunter, her ccach. cxprcti^
i business to boom shortly as friend:
!are lined up in a sort of "union'i
, to protect themselves as well as thej*
profession against "exploiters"
j ti> make money off Negro talent
I Meanwhile, all inlere'ted skater'!
lover the country should xsrito Mr
Hunter at P O. Box 23. Station I.
I New York City. He is most anx!
tn sign up i
sibic. right
; many skaters a.- pos-
W J. Laughton. Bcaiifoi County
faimcr. gives a crazing cn p of rye
irras-s and crimson clover rredil for
saving i.ne-third of the tot.xl feed
required by his hogs during the
winter.
CONSTAilJE MOORE, mim
STAR IN REFUBIIG’S
GOIM BASIE SIGNS
NEW VOCALIST
CULVER CITY. Calif. — Count
Basie's signing of Cffa Ann M'xore
for the featured female voealisl
spot with his orchestra a few
weeks ago should provide a good
deal of in.spiration to many an un
known singer, It wasn't long agti
that Miss Moore was just an un
known in her home town of Mil
waukee. and she made the jump
from complete obscurity to her pre
sent position with the nation's lead
ing musical aggregation without a
single stop in between.
A couple of months ago while the
Basie band wa.s playing an engage
ment in Milwaukee, the Count hap
pened to drop into a local cafe. He
wasn’t there long when his atten
tion was arrested by a young girl
who was standing by the cafe's
i'lke-box and vocalizing with eaeh
iccording tnat was played. Ba.sie
wa.-s impressed—so much so. in fact,
that he took the girl's name for fu
ture referen Last month he need
ed a vocalist and promptly wired
that same "juke box songstress" to
cnme to New Y>>rk to join his bn:
The songstress, of course, was not.,
other than Cora Ann Mocre.
The Basie orchestra opened a
four week engagement at the fam
ed Casa Manana nitcry in Culver
Citv on July 5. :inri i.' broadcasting
,... •u,-{.-.'.-i ai'-iif v.;'fl-
1/ \ij the Mulinl NolxVuik
NEW YORK riPSi — Tab Smith
I.s one of tlu- grrale;' .-inxoplionc
players m .-Amtiica totlay.
Tab has been "grci i" for .some
time.
11c was featured with Lucky
Mitlinder's Orchestra .xt one time
and. his populnrily - xceeded the
Millinder rircU' and lah went on
his own
Making his dehni at a populari-
Iv frenuriiird New York nitcry two
v.-.'oe ago Smith and Mr- Saxophone
'■Inyrd .x( that 'ho- sr,' i for eight-
reii months ifler Itii* gala opening
ni::h(. T(ir oxvner refused (o lot the
band go althorugb .several new ■•jui
cy" rontr.xcts bttbbcd up in the
meantime. It wasn't until the place
ehnnged hands and wa.' shut down
for lepairs tliat Tab Smith, His
S.'xophine anri His Orchestra left,
The initial roa dtour of the band
•A.xs a complete success — until
Fate took a hand. A fatal auto ac
cident took fritm the band and
America as well Trevor Bacon w ho
was killed instantly in one of th.-
aufemobiles carrying the musical
aggregation from one dance date to
another — on a southern jaunt.
Bacon's death came ns a shock to
the orchestral world and his pas
sing was felt by his buddies in th;:
band. A series of dates that would
have taken the ork across country
had to be cancelled
.After .'. brief lay-off out «)f re-
-pect for their former vocalist tho
boys resumed play-dates. Bell;.'
Mays, a lox’ely singing star joined
the hand and was hailed .is "The
Pin-Up vocali.st." Wi*h Tab Smith
on the .sax and Frank Humphries,
the popular sensation im the trum
pet. the band was ".solid" and pro
moters vired in for choice dates,
WALTER WHITE'S RADIO RE
PORT CBS — JULY 7
TKP YATKS Pi;flI,ICATIONS
One of the production highlights of Republic’s current 10th Anni
versary celebration is "Mexicana,” an elaborate musical now in work
at the Studio. Produced and directed by Alfred Santell, it co-stars
Constance Moore and Tito Gulzar, and boasts a musical score by
tte famed Mexican composer, Gabriel Ruiz, with lyrics by Ned
Washington. Here, Walter Scharf, head of the Studio’s Music T)-'part-
ment, directs Guitar and Mins Moore in one of the nurolK'rs in the
^ompany’s new music auditorium for sound recording .xnd dubbing.
I New York Secretarv W.xHor
•White will make a radio r. rl
nt his iour months tour v
P.-cific. investigating the . cit-
mvnt of Negro soldiers, Sat’jrdav.
'July 7ih. .1:30-3:45 P. M, (ETW)
over thi- Columbia Broadc.xsting
.^.-.sti-' i. Hi- will speak from WK-
RC. th; CBS station in Cincinn;iti,
Ohio.
The report of Mr. While'- first
trip to the F.uronean theater of
.wa; in 1944 a.s a New York Pn{»t
v»-irr£-'t)i.iid«-iit i- f.ld .r. hi'
• lavl: ''A Ri'inr* Wind.' ii.iw ■ ii-
' tiiiii priming.
. S"®' SHOVi,
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RALEIGH
MEMURIAL
AUDITORIUM
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MON., JULY 9