270 MERCURE

né· new impression about the two pieces, Iivery of materials, it fails to work up which have been discussed here before, much excitement or even entertainment. except to observe that Toscan.ini didn't The sound body is heavy and fairly full take them too seriously, and that Levant of notes but the effect throughout is did a swell job with the concerto, which tbn and somewhat empty. The work has opus 1 think is ripe for a Tinpan AIley c1arity and openness and is brightened lYiuseum. up by sorne mild dissonances, but it lacks CB.S. offered William Schuman's power and guts. CB.S. aIso offered two William Billings Overture, unfortunately ntw works which 1 was unable to hear, on the same program with the highly one a world premiere of Lionel Barry• publicized Shostakovitch Eighth. ln a more's ln Memoriam written as a tribute way, it was just as weIl, as this overture of Schuman's hardly represents him at to his brother John, the other the radio his best and was obviously not intended premiere of Robert Ward's Pirst Sym• for serious musical consideration. ln phony, which has been reviewed else• spite of a declamatory and forceful de- where in these pages.

THE TORRID ZONE

By MERCURE

numbers are played by Edmond Hall's Note and Commodore take BLUEthe lead this time with fine record• Blue Note Men; Night Shift Blues, ings of improvised jazz. Each label is Royal Garden BIIIlls, Blues at Blue Note a familiar emblem of high quality, un• and High Society. The seven-piece band commercial music by top men, excel• includes , Crosby, Dick• lently recorded. Both firmsshow fine ensen, Shirley, J. P. Johnson and Cat• discrimination in planning their record• lett, men who make each of these rec• ing sessions. Blue Note uses chiefly ords an event. Commodore brings out colored musicians, while Commodore several platters of as high has a preference for white ensembles quality. Under the name "Wild Bill" made up of such men as Bushkin, Con• Davison and his Commodores, Davison, don, Kaminsky, Russell, Wettling - ta Brunis, Russell, Schroeder, Condon, name a few. Casey and Wettling get together and Among Blue Note's best older records produce Panama and That's A Plenty, are two made by the Edmond Hall Ce• with terrific drive and impact. You feel lesta Quartet. Hall is one of the great as you listen that this was one of those men, and his warm tone and happy days when the men were reaUy intonation, his restraint and sensitive inspired. Jam Session at the Commo• phrasing are set in delicate relief against dore; Number 5 (Basin Street Blues on the fluid sound of Mead Lewis' celesta one side, Oh Katharina on the other) and the more rythmic punctuation of has more or less the same men, only guitar and bass. Now four more robust Kaminsky takes over on the trumpet, THE TORRID ZONE 271 l\forton on the trombone and Catlett at Washboard Sam and Jazz Gillum (Blue• the drums. My preference is for the Fust bird) remain traditional and authentic. piece, despite the florid piano introduc• From the standpoint of sound, 1 prefer tion and interlude of Bushkin (whose earlier records of Jazz Gillum, when he solo-playing 1 can't stand). Another was accompanied by a harmonica which slight shift in the personnel gives us 1 never tired of listening to. It was not George Brunis and his Jazz Band play• virtuoso; neither was it homely. It had ing That Da Da Strain and Ugly Child. a wild, aerial quality, delicate and fas• The Brunis trombone is as fine as ever, cinating. But Gillum's voice in Deep and this seems to me one of Commo• J,Vater Bittes is still compelling, still has dore's Grade A dises. The Edmond that curious blend of pathos and radi• Hall Sextet records for Commodore two ance. Washboard Sam's voice has vigor twelve-inch sides. The tense and dy• but is less exciting; half the effect of his namic piano of animates songs is in the solid but relaxed beat, Doumtown Cafe Boogie, and forms the the casual crossing of piano and guitar real backbone of this record. Uptown in the interludes. 1 Get the Blues at Café Blues is a relaxed and expressive Bedtime is UJ!' to standard, if not one dialogue between clarinet, trumpet and of his best records. Big Bill's voice is trombone. Heard after this intimate more subtle, more flexible, makes en• music, Jimmie Lunceford's band in gaging use of falsetto in the top notes. Baekdoor Stuf! .(Decca) sounds empty He has a new recording of a current and impersonal, and the violent reaction favorite uptown, Fm Gonna Move to of over-sensitive fans to large bands can the Outskirts of T (}wn (1 tell you baby, be understood. But Lunceford's is one don't want anyone else hangin' roun'; of the best, and this prolonged riff• gonna buy myself a Frigidaire; don't number in slow tempo has sorne fine want any mo' iceman hangin' roun'.). solos. Sister Rosetta Tharpe uses her power• Victor puts out an album, Up Swing, fuI and fervid voice to record two more with four dises from the past by the big swing spirituals, Sleep On, Darling white bands....:, Tommy Mother, and 1 Wânt to Live 50 God Can Dorsey, and Glen Miller • Use Me (Decca). Her style is as person• with old favorites such as Dorsey's Song al as ever, and if her religious ardor of India, Shaw's Begin the Beguine and sounds less convincing it is perhaps be• Ldy Be Good, and Miller's Tuxedo cause her songs are not quite up to par. Junetion. The solo work still sounds It is unfortunate too that the two songs good, although the arrangements have just recorded by Bea Booze - These worn pretty thin by now. Decca re• Young Men Blues and 50 Good (Decca) trieves records from the early '30's made - are so frightfully banal. This is only bl' Johnny Noble and his Hawaiians, her third record, and in her first two, es• recreating a sonorous paradise of glis• pecially in See See Rider, she sang with sandos and quavering triads. promising warmth and simplicity. Good Blues are back again. It is gooJ to be songs are hard to find, but there must able to report that the styles of three such be a few around, and one hopes for popular slllgers as Big Bill (Okeh), something better in her next recording.