AMM ers Will Probe Problems At Convention I (Ed. Note: Following in the annual pre-eonvention mcvMige lu the By Hal Webmen (alionul Ansoeiation of Munir Merchant» by the asnociation*« president New York—the music —thi« year Ray S. Erlandwm. president, San Antonio Munir Company, ¡an Antonio, Texan.) merchants uf America begin to converge on thia city to par­ As the year 1952 opened, I predicted that consumers and ticipate in the annual National government would give us a hard time; that we should be on (Trademark Registered V. 3. Patent Office) he offensive and place our best promotional foot forward; VOL. 19—No. 15 CHICAGO, JULY 30, 1952 convention, it >» quite apparent that the industry at (urge is begging for (Copyright, 1952, Down Boot, Inc.I md that the year would look more like 1951 than ’52. So far, a stimulant which will make the [this estimate has not been too in­ general public more seriously ron- Accurate. «rioun of the industry. J At this halfway mark, the con- The Association has taken a launier seem.« to have taken the number of steps designed to spread prize with his pocketbook strike Music Biz Healthier Abroad, But Europe the music industry’s gospel, most in a period when employment is encouraging of which is a music Hgli, uiapvoauiv iiivviiiv ai ivc education plan designed to func­ Ughest, and every conceivable rea tion from a local level. This is dis­ ion why business should be good. Isn't Musicians' Paradise: Paul Weston cussed in the pre-convention mes­ While the business was sage of NAMM president Ray S. ojdy faintly affected by Regula­ Erlandson. which begins on the tion-W, it is interesting that ter­ By Charles Emqo mination of credit control did not left side of this page. break the dam of consumer ex Hollywood — Paul Weston, He also brings to light an inter­ penditures for the large and mall onetime dance band arranger esting and optimistic tidbit, one Rem which Regulation-VV control­ (for Tommy Dorsey, Bob that involves an all-out music in­ dustry being pi epared led. The rash of consumer buying Crosby, Benny Goodman, et of the past few years has disap­ cooperation with NAMM by pro­ peared completely, and people seem al) who is now' West Coast ducer Jesse L. Lasky. to treasure their cash more great­ music chief for the Columbia ly than merchandise. record company, is back from his Souped-Up Stuff I The buying public .«teems to be recent tout of European countries The greatest failing of the in in a vacuum which is undoubtedly convinced that he has the answer dustry, as it has been for several isychological. There to many of the problems besetting years, is the failure of the mem­ gn uncanny lack of confidence in the music business in this coun- bers of the industry to develop new people about the immediate future, customers as the old ones pass out of the scope of active musical inter­ their government and economic I found the a little ’conditions. Much of this is attri­ band Jo (Jo Stafford, Mrs. Weston est. It boils dow'n to a single phrase butable to recent strikes and indus­ in private life) and 1 heard in —the merchants, generally speak­ trial unrest, the mishandling of a gambling casino in Switzerland. ing, have not been merchandising. '»conomic problems by government, We went in to lose a few bucks It’s the story of all industry—the and the complete absence of lead­ and as we were playing we heard music merchant has been trying to ership throughout the country. find the e asy buck at a time when the strains of this little band do­ the easy buck is hard to find. Emotions always run high in elec ing a Shearing-like treatment of tion year, and the content this fall / Only Have Eyes for You com­ Of course, a good deal of the re­ will intensify feelings on both ing from the adjoining room. Jo sponsibility for the music merchants sides. looked at me—I looked at Jo, and hard times can be pinned down to (Modulate to Page 21) we both said, simultaneously, the talent aspect of the industry. “Well! Here’s something to hear!” The music the public is buying is souped-up stuff, thanks to the ef­ No Substitute forts of the record business. The “It was a small band—all the songs are either old standards, but The We«ton- fellows doubled on \arious instru­ good ones, and new songs that are ments as I recall it—under a pi­ barely palatable by an average anist-leader named George Vou- person with good taste. Perhaps the mard. They played many things music dealer would do well to ac­ Reunite Aug. 1 Such Problems! in the bop idiom, but they didn’t tively study the record-music busi- New York —Mario lanza wa« try to make bop a substitute for ness and put his two cents New York—Benny Goodman has worth. It could probably help us all. decided to return to in-person jazz having trouble getting himself u all other forms of music. recording contract al presstime. jobs on a limited scale, and will “They made the proper use of Luiza. who la«l year wa« the hot- organize a sextet to start out Aug. hop elements in music for what le«l wax talent around with Re 1 for two weeks in Nova Scotia. New York—Billy Eckstine will they should be--an ‘influence’ in ¡The Blue Note in Chicago has My Lire and The loffheit Night music, not a separate type of mus­ make first European trek of the Year, has been asking for Cinderella In b«en parted for an Aug. 15 ojien- comes the spring of 1953. M B. ic. You might say they used bop itw, after which come a couple guarantee« of 82,000,000 spread as seasoning. has lieen booked into the Palladi­ over u lite year period and he’s it concerts, followed by more sex­ um Theater in London for next 7th Heaven tet locations. been finding no takers. ill Kindi- April or May and will work there His current contract with RCA New York—In a belated revela­ for four weeks. Victor i« just abuul expired, and “But the important thing above tion hailing from the Justice Of Billy also will work the Lido the Victor pioph have no eyes all about this band was that after The Peace’- office in North Canaan, club in Paris and will wind up for the two million deal. Turn- a set of bop-flavored numbers they Conn., it was disclosed here that his Continental touring with a two played other kinds of music—ev­ June 28 that Artie Shaw had been Columbia and MGM erything from Viennese w'altzes to week concert jaunt through the (for whose picture company he married nine days earlier to actress Scandinavian and Lowland coun­ thesp»), Luiza ba« found like­ polkas. And the crowd loved it! Doris Dowling, 30, best known for tries. wise that these companies aren’t ^nd. incidentally, I want to men­ her role in the Italian film Ritter tion that the all-around musician­ Rice. inclined to part with that kind ship of the members of this little •>f money. Aside from temporary alliances New York—Prexy Jimmy Petrillo (Turn to Page 23) with Jane Carns, Margaret Allen, unofficially has put the AFM’s foot Masters Voice Lana Turner Betty Kern, Ava down in the matter of AFMembers Gardner and Kathleen Winsor, recording abroad with foreign mu­ Shaw had never been married be­ sicians. Petrillo at presstime step­ Crosses Atlantic President Jimmy Presents fore. ped down on conductor Artur Rod­ New York — Effective July 1, zinski, who had recorded in Vienna RCA Victor begun its distribution in March It remain- to be seen if here of outstanding classical items the AFM will permit Rodzinski to from the catalog of the Gramo­ assume the directorship of the Se­ phone Co Ltd. New York—Norman Granz has attle Symphony. Records will be released here on signed Charlie Barnet’s new big Also prevented from recording Lps and in 45 albums, on the His band to a recording contract with abroad were pianist Leonard Pen­ Master’s Voice label. They will go the jazz wing of Mercury Records. nario, Andre Kostelanetz, Tutti through regular distributor and Camarata, and some months ago, dealers channels. Artie Sha«’. The initial release comprises 20 dbums, featuring such artists us New York—Decca has bought the rights to recordings of a Louis Kirsten Flagstad, Wilhelm Furt­ Armstrong concert presented by wangler, the Glyndboume Festival There's no missing I hut kisser Gene Norman in Pasadena, Cal. Orch. Arthur on the rover. The Old Groaner Discs will be released thi.- month Schnabel and the Vienna Philhar- indisputably stands as the "Mr. in two volumes. Music** of the popular music industry. He mon than ever established his right to the title with his recent conquest of the TV' medium via the much-pub­ 7 Au following recordt repreient the cream of the pati two weela' crop. See page licized Olympic Game« Telethon. 10 for complete record reviewt. POPULAR event «in Page 5 of thin innue of I he Beat. DON CHERRY Pretty Girl (Decca 28292). VIC DAMONE Take My Heart (Mercury 5877). Bing next will be heard from AL MARTINO Take My Heart Capitol 2122) FRAN WARREN What It Thii Thing Called Lore (MGM 11270). mount movie special, Jutt For Y ou, in which flicker he is again JAZZ featured with Jane Wyman.