Unacclaimed Great
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Haymer An 'Unacclaimed Great' By GEORGE HOEFER of a large orchestra playing a Another instrument, the tenor -axophone of Herb Haymer, sweet arrangement He was able 1» gone from the inner circle of unacclaimed greats in jazz to improvise n series of hot cho music- Unlike (roodman, Armstrong, Teagarden, and other ruses of dynamic intensity or ace instrumentalists who have led their own bands to fame. play beautifully intoned phrases. Kay Asks $50,000 His fine ear, chord sense, in ■he in«h ■■■ the inner circle, like* . — - musician a musician. herent beat, and originality per tazóla and Haymer, are famous to — . Haymer’s unique musical talent mitted him a rich style. A note musicians only. Herbie Haymer made him equally at home in a worthy economy of notes further possessed all the attributes of a jam session or in the reed section (Modulate to Page 13) From Bop City Ops By JOHN S. WILSON New York—Monte Kay, whose intrmluction of bop and accompanying gimmicks at the Royal Roost helped change Ö. that spot from a struggling chicken joint to an operation so 3M successful its policies were imitated across the country, is preparing to bring suit for $50,000 against the operator* of Bop City for allegedly easing him out of his interest in th* new local bop mecca. Fire Wrecks VOL. 16—NO. 10 CHICAGO. JUNE 3. 1949 Ralph Watkins, one of the oper (Copyright, 1949, Down Beat, Inc.) ators of Bop City, says Kay was let out because there wasn’t any- Monroe Bus thing for him to do at the spot. New York — Vaughn Monroe’s Kay claims he and disc jockey band suffered losses estimated ut I Symphony Sid Torin had an oral $30,000 when its bus went up in agreement with Ralph Watkins, flames near Clarksburg, W. Va., Shaw Hits Back At Critics whereby they would share a 15 per on April 28. No one was injured. cent interest in the club and would Losses consisted mostly of cloth New York—Artie Shaw took the each receive $200 a week salary. .ng and the bus itself. Band’s li opportunity of a guest appearanct ! Kay was to handle booking and brary, carried in the bus, was sal on Leonard Feather’s Jazz at Its NYC's Strand May I Birthday Week | production, while Symphony Sid vaged. Best program (WMGM) late n took care of the emcee chores and Monroe and his outfit were trav Apnl to crack back at some of the Drop Stage Shows plugged the spot on his radio pro eling from Richmond, Va., to a critical blasts unleashed at him as gram. By the terms of the deal, theater date at Morgantown, W. t result of his appearance at Bop New York—Possibility that neither of them was required to Va., when the brakes caught fire. City with a crew of 40 longhairs. bands will lose one of their better put any money into the club, ac The bus was stopped and the According to Artie, his audi Broadway showcases looms in the cording to Kay. bandsmen tried to put the fire out, ences were not as apathetic as the threat of the Strand theater to Thal's All but it soon reached the gas tank press had indicated. abandon stage shows this summer. Ten days after Bop City opened, and the entire bus went up. They "I went into Bop City to find If the move is made, it will prob Kay was called into a meeting by chartered a school bus in Clarks out some things,” Artie said. “I ably happen around July 1. The four of the co-owners of the spot burg to take them on to Morgan winted to find out how a typical ater executives are not saying —Watkins, Bill Faden, John Pran- town. Audience would react to music whether the change of policy will sky, and Paul Schlosser—and was Saved Instruments which is not the usual kind of fare be permanent told he was through. Sidemen were wearing their uni found in a night club. During the 10 years that it has “Is the place closing?” Kay forms at the time, since they were asked. Improv rd been using name bands, the the scheduled for an afternoon show ater has occasionally dropped the “No,” he says he was told. in Morgantown, and they wanted “The first night was a mess. But show for a few weeks at a time. “You’re just closing.” to save time by not :hanging at once we got over the initial hurdle, It’s claimed that it made more Kay asked what was going to the theater. As a result, band was they seemed to react pretty spon money on these straight picture be done about his agreement. able to go on ok, although most of taneously. In fact, the last two or weeks because of the big cut in “You didn’t put anything into their personal clothing was lost in three nights there was practically the nut. Only other Broadway the place,” he claims he was told the fire. Their instiuments were a concert hall air.” houses currently using bands are “You’ve got no claim against us.” traveling in another bus. Among the things Shaw found the Paramount and the Capitol. Watkins says that during the Couple of days later Claude out was that he made a mistake month of preparatory work before Thornhill’s bus crashed into a in programming some of his more Bop City opened and following the truck near Erie, Pa. Only person subtle numbers. opening, Kay contributed little or injured was the bus driver. “But at the same time,” he com Anthony Gets First nothing to the operation. Accord mented, ‘ some of the most subtle New York — Song was Happy ing to Watkins, it was at his things—Debussy’s Danses, for in- Big Gotham Booking Birthday, and it was equally ap urging that the other partners tance—went over very well. For plicable to Lionel Hampton and agreed to bring Kay into the Bop Sonny Dunham Files the most part they seemed to like New York—Statler hotel’s Cafe Rouge has its band lineup prac Duke Ellington. Both celebrated City picture. But when his part the bang up, noisy stuff or the very Bankruptcy Petition tically set through next Novem their birthdays during thr- week of ners later pointed out that Kay quiet stuff. Things that were in April 25, when Lionel headlined wasn’t pulling his weight, he had New Y’ork —Sonny Dunham filed between they didn’t get.” ber. Ray Anthony, getting his first big Manhattan showcasing, fol the stage show at the Strand the to admit they were right. This led ■ petition in bankiuptcy in Brook Wrong Idea lows the current Dick Jurgens on ater here, und the Duke dittoed al to Kay’s dismissal. lyn Federal court on April 29 One thing which misled his au June 27 for a five week stint. the Paramount. l ean On Me listing debts amounting to $69,612 diences, Artie said, was what he Henry Busse is pencilled in for Earlier Kay had attempted to and assets of $847 termed a deliberate attempt on the six weeks starting Aug. 1, mark get a written lontract from Wat Among the debts declared by part of the Bop City management ing his first local appearance in Baby Dodds III kins’ lawyer, Saul S. Goldman, but Dunham are $15,500 to Carlos several years. Jimmy Dorsey, who failed to press the point when, he Gastel, .<15,000 to M. Harold Hig to foster the idea that he was com Chicago--Bahy Dodds was not ing in with u symphonic orchestra. played the spot in March, is a says, Watkins assured him that gins of the Bloomfield bank of possibility to return in September expected to return to his job with New Jersey, $7,000 to Warren The original plan, he said, had Miff Mole’s Bee Hive band, it was “you can count on me for your and Vaughn Monroe moves in in share.” Kay received his salary Pearl, $2,500 to GAC, $1,600 to been to list in the ads the names learned at press time. Dodds re of the composers to be played as October for a month. for the 10 days he worked for Bop Grady Watts, and $1,500 to portedly had a stroke which tem Frankie Carle. 11 means of offsetting the svm porarily paralyzed his right side City after it opened. Symphony Sid phonic jazz idea. He was in New York for a brief has stayed on with the club on Feather suggested possibly this Morris Cleans House visit when taken ill, and is still salary. had not been done because the there convalescing. Kay .ind Sid first brought bop Dee To Palisades to the Roost a little more than a management feared it might scare New York—The William Morris New York—Johnny Dee and his off potential customers. agency has gotten one step closer year ago. The Roost—then oper “I can’t argue with the eco ated by Watkins, who has since orchestra, featuring Randy Rich to the elimination of its band de a rds as vocalist, will open a two- nomics of the thing,” Shaw com partment with the release of Ray- Fran Joins 'Girls' withdrawn, and Billy and Ar thur Faden—had been a clnck- week engagement at Palisades mented “I’m just interested in mond Scott. Scott is scheduled to New York — Fran Warren is park on May 28.