Chicago, November 4, 1953 Newt—Features DOWN BEAT i you. Their tastes may not be the same.” So these are, at best, signposts for people with tastes rough'y ap­ proximating mine. And that’s ¿11

------By NAT HENTOFF ------any record reviews are, ard never let anyone tell you differently—un­ As of this issue, I shall be reviewing most of the jazz rec­ less the review also attempts to toi predict how much the record will

ords covered in Down Beat. Since this is a highly responsible sell. Down Beat reviews do not. function, some preliminary indications of my ideas on record As to whether one reviewer’s taste deserves more of your at­ reviewing and jazz in general may be appropriate. tention than an< ther’s, that’s for In my own experience, knowing you to decide. You can tell how not hkely to come around every is­ much music a review«"' kn< ws, how the inevitable, personal predispo­ sue. We may even be lucky to nave sitions of critics I read helps me long and intensively he’s listened ■ dozen a year. And you’re likely, to jazz, and whether he has a set to evaluate their judgments. For too, to see few *♦** awards, be­ mm&ï example, I now ignore almost all of of standards, however viable, us to cause a four star rating means

B. H. Haggin’s comments on con­ what good jazz is. temporary classical misic, because “very good.” Not just “good,” but To return momentarily to a per­ “very good.” I think that kkk is k he has admitted that his ear sonal example, I will listen to al­ a quite respectable rating, and to

5 just doesn’t find many meaningful most everything in classical records sounds, in present-day composers’ get above three stars, a record Alfred Frankenstein lecommcnds output. should be a particularly creative, and buy a fair proportion of them. out-of-the-ordinary release. In my I am apt, however, to be initially But I’ve found much of value in opinion, I mean. what he's had to write on Schubert, skeptical of almost anything Irving Mozart, nnd almost all the rest of Respect for Reader« Kolodin recommend*-. I happen to pre 20th century music. The same 1 respect the readers of this mag­ trust Frankenstein’s taste a lot is true in other fields. I’ve learned azine too much to anticipate their more. a lot about radi and TV from ever buying any record, no matter The best way for me to describe John Crosby, but only after dis­ how many stars it receives, without my general view of jazz and what counting some of his private culs- first listening to it, themselves. Or will be covered as jazz in these re­ JUST TWO of the Dinning Sisters recorded the new Dinnings' Dereu views is to recall the last several record. At Long At Pm Dreaming. Even though three voices are heard. de-sac. as George Bernard Shaw said: years of programming I did for Sister Jean, left, supplied two of them (via multiple tape) nnd Ginger Let me start with ratings. Let’s “Do not do unto others as you admit that records are just would that they would do unto my former jazz radio show in Bos­ made the third. ton. For the last five years, an av­ erage brace uf programs would in- c'ude Bessie Smith, Sarah Vaughan, Sidney Bechet, Charlie Parker, Louis Armstrong, Ben Webster, Vic Dickenson, Lee Konitz, Sister Ro­ setta Tharpe, Lester Young, and Duke Ellington I don't mean these are necessarily my favorite jazz artists, th 'Ugh some are, but I Rangemaker ! g want to indicate that my tastes cover the whole range of jazz. I try, so far as I can, to avoid pre-labeling and arbitrary categori­ sation. Not all good jazz is contem­ porary and not all contemporary jazz is good, and the same is true for any period in the evolution of jazz. My more . penfic predispositions will bi tome evident in the weeks 1 v4 M ahead. I try to be objective, but I don’t always succetd. The reason is that I’m not yet dead. It takes talent to play highs easily, consistently . . . FINEST QUALITY HARD BUBBEB but a great deal also depends upon yout horn. Moat careful workmaaship. Aeeunwy of intonation. Gnat variety of far 100 Higlis become a part of your normal playing range ami abombara, add up >o with a Martin because the bore is specially designed for easy response in the upper register. W ant to find out for yourself? Please, do! We’ll be glad to send you the name nf your nearest dealer.

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Three thousand four hundred and fifty ad­ vertise r, agency and publisher members ai the Audit Bureau of Circulation» have a voice is establishing and maintaining the Ernie Royal standards that are responsible for the rocog* nition rf thia emblem as the Haltwrk of Circulation Value. It represents the stand­ ard of value that these buyers and sellers of advertising space have jointly astabliabed as measuremeat for the circulation of printed media. The baato for arriving at the advertising value el a publication to the Bureau’s doB­ nition of not paid circulation. With this as the standard, the circulation records •( A.B.C. publisher ■embers are audited by Miles Davit experienced circulation andhon. Aa specified in the Bureau’s Bylaws. A.B.C. auditors have access to all books and records.” Experienced space buyers use the audited information In A J.€. Reports as a factual basis for their decisions In evaluating, com* paring and selecting media. Here are loot martin that provide a sound basis for edrortitlag investments: • How much paid circslation the trumpet used by top flight artists • How Buch an paid dia tri badai a» lades by iMuet • Circulation by popolati«« Howard McGhee froupa • Subscription and tingla copy priesa • How circulation to obiained • Whan tbs rirculadon foes. Tbia publication to a »ember «f tbs Andit Bureau of Circulations and to proud to dis­ play tbs Hallmark of Circulation Valsa as THE MARTIN BAND INSTRUMENT COMPANY Elkhart, Indiana DOWN BEAT MAGAZINE A.B.C. REPORTS—FACTS AS A BASIC MEASURE OP ADVERTISING VALUE Pele Candoli