make points. Registration tips at the end of Volume 1 are very good, especially for pipe and tab instruments, and probably should be studied carefully by every new organist. I liked their suggestions concerning the over-use of tremolo and vibrato: short, but very much to the point. Icing The Cake: Volume 2 builds Lee Prater and Bill McMains,ICING professional. Essentially, what you upon the skills introduced in Volume THE CAKE: Volume I & Volume 2, now have is a three chorus arrange­ J. Various rhythms are skillfully in­ Keyboard Designs: Division of ment with each chorus a bit more troduced: jazz waltz, latin beat, Writers Equity, Ltd. (available by "jazzy" to add variety. By keeping gentle rock and beguine. Block mail from Harmony Cottage, Ltd., all choruses in the key of G and the chords, pyramid chords and scale P .0. Box 706, College Park, MD notes essentially the same, Prater tone fills round out the techniques 20740, at $4.50 per volume). and McMains figure that you'll dis­ demonstrated in various selections. cover the process and be able to do Some of the public domain tunes There is much to admire in the likewise with other tunes. It seems you'll recognize from the titles: new "How to ... " books of Lee Pra­ logical to the reviewer that home or­ "Amazing Grace," "Ay Ay Ay," ter and Bill McMains. The Accord­ ganists with any sense of "closure" "Dark Eyes," "Go Down, Moses," afolo feature (fold out pages elimi­ at all will, in fact, benefit from this "My Heart at Thy Sweet Voice," nate page turning during the play­ approach. "Martha" and "Two Guitars." ing of arrangements) of their earlier "Love's Old Sweet Song" shows "Moonlight Concerto" is better Cinema Organ Styling books has you how to do the same thing with a known as the theme from the Rach­ been wisely retained. Light-hearted waltz. "House of the Rising Sun" maninoff Second Piano Concerto humor in the instructional com­ demonstrates how to convert a waltz or "Full Moon and Empty Arms." mentary is another plus, although into a fox trot. "Down By the River­ The other mystery title "Bach on the this reviewer found the cook-book­ side" introduces what the writers Rachs" may make more sense to cuteness of it all a bit much in spots. call Aunt Fanny's Favorite Fill - readers as the bright instrumental Don't expect complex, sophisticated which turns out to be a descending novelty tune of a few years back arrangements of newer songs in counter melody in the left hand for called "Lovers Concerto" which also these two books. Such is not the added interest. Victor Herbert 's borrowed from Johann Sebastian function. "Isle of Our Dreams" adds chro­ Bach. The avowed purpose of Icing The matic glissandos a la Jesse Crawford. An original tune by Lee Prater Cake: Volume 1 is, according to Pra­ This arrangement contains a serious "Siempre de la Ti" is an exercise in ter and McMains, "a totally new way notation goof. The 9th measure in mastering the beguine. An open har­ to play tunes." It is intended for the the second chorus (page 19) should mony bridge provides the neces­ very new organist who can read mu­ fill out the E7chord in the left hand sary tempo variety. sic well enough to pick his way with notes D and E above middle C. In general, Volume 2 doesn't through the stuff that came with the The chord is misprinted as E-F, and strive for any degree of harmonic new organ as "ten easy lessons." the resulting discord is hardly a sophistication beyond the jazz sev­ General pop organ playing is the "dream." enth. The melody line as prescribed ultimate goal rather than theatre "Somebody's Knockin' At My by Prater and McMains for "Go styling per se. But the approach is Door" is a nothing tune but intro­ Down, Moses" bothered me, and it truly unique and - to my way of duces the important technique of may jar others also. The musical thinking - well worth trying. Here's phrasing the melody line. Key phrase " ... Jet my people go" usu­ how it works: changes and a rhythmic bass to con­ ally has an F#(with a D major chord) First you play "Hua Hua' i" as a trast legato melody are added at­ for "people." This arrangement uses very simple arrangement with a sin­ tractions. As a learning piece it F-natural with a D-minor chord con­ gle note melody line, sustained triads works well. "Lonesome Road" is a sistently, so it was obviously inten­ in the left hand, and sustained pedal good vehicle for demonstrating the tional and not a printer's error. So notes. No sweat. this establishes the differences between Chicago style chalk up one to musical license! basic melody and harmony of the and 4-to-the-bar jazz bass. Prater At the end of Volume 2 Prater and piece. The second chorus becomes and McMains again make very sure McMains provide specific recipes for a fox trot by virtue of alternating you know exactly what you are doing jazzing up all the pop tunes in the root and fifth pedal notes and rhyth­ and why. "Long Tall Daddy" in­ Robbins C&G Chord Organ Series. mic left hand triads. You seesaw be­ troduces duet harmony in the right Simply use their handy-dandy chart tween foot-hand-foot-hand. The hand, while "Worried Man Blues" - and you can't go wrong! I haven't third chorus of "Hua Hua' i" intro­ - another eminently forgettable tried it, but I wouldn't be at all sur­ duces "pivot tones" in the left hand original - demonstrates the use of prised if it works. along with the seesaw pattern of the a walk in' jazz pedal line. Some of the For those home organists who fox trot chorus. Now the tune has a tunes named have only two choruses; yearn to learn the tricks of faking counter melody and sounds more others require three choruses to pop songs on their own without bene-

48 THEATRE ORGAN OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 1978 fit of a live teacher, these two Icing themes for Arab Oil Interets, Legion­ economy of notes is excellent disci­ The Cake volumes should be both a naires Disease or Anita Bryant - pline, but doesn't make for a totally boon and a bargain. The tricks are but that would be expecting a bit satisfying performance. "Look for there for the taking with very little much from a book published in the Silver Lining" fares better with left to chance. Prater and McMains 1924. Mr Rapee also warns you that its mostly-thirds verse and chro­ have a decided talent for making he has avoided foxtrots and two­ matic glissandos. To add interest the their "How to ... " books crystal steps because these are "readily melody line is shifted to the left clear and great fun. However, dyed available in music stores." Even if hand. "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" in the wool theatre organ buffs will you don't own an organ or can't shows one how to avoid the monot­ probably find their Cinema Organ play a note, this can be a fun book ony of the same notes by playing the Stylings more satisfying. Before you for you. repeat on the upper manual with the invest, it might be wise to check our right hand so that the melody line Music Reviews of earlier Prater/ switches from reeds to strings and McMains books along with other re­ Bob Ralston, THE BOB RALSTON Tibia. The bridge is not much of an views of methods by Fred Feibel or TOUCH: VOLUME I, T.B. Harms improvement over other printed ar­ AI Hermanns to get a better idea of Music Co. (distributor, Belwin Mills rangements for organ. "Make Be­ what would be best for you ----<::on­ Publishing Corp., Melville, N.Y. lieve" and "Yesterdays" are both sidering your own personal musical 11746, $3.95). charming in their simplicity and goals and tastes. again demonstrate Ralston's flair Certainly the Lawrence Welk for cou·nter melodies. The effect is Show did much to further the phe­ that of a small, intimate chamber Emo Rapee, MOTION PICTURE nomenal success of Bob Ralston as orchestra. MOODS FOR PIANISTS AND the crowned prince of plug-ins. Les­ Richard Rogers contributes three ORGANISTS, (facsimile of 1924 ser known is the fact that young Bob tunes: "My Romance" and two from G. Shirmer ed. published at $30.00) was blessed with excellent training Carousel. "If I Loved You" is the Available for $3.98 plus SI.60 han­ and the blue blood of talent from the best of the trio. "You'll Never Walk dling as catalog item 4258 AE, Mar­ outset, making him ready for fame Alone" is tastefully done as a Bach­ boro Books Inc., Dept. 802, 205 and fortune as few are ready. Any Gounod-type prelude with melody Moonachie Road, Moonachie, N.J. doubting Thomases (or Hammonds, first in the left hand and later in the 07074. Lowreys, Yamahas, Conns, etc.) right. It sings quietly, which is a would do well to take a close look at welcome change from the usual "big I couldn't believe that this all­ a collection recently published as finish" production numbers heard at time classic was available for mere The Bob Ralston Touch. It is a de­ so many theatre organ concerts. peanuts, so I ordered a copy to in­ cided departure from the usual "pop However, if you buy the tape which spect before alerting other T.O. fans. classics arranged for organ." Bob Ralston has produced to illus­ Yep! It's the real thing! Be warned Ralston claims - and it's true - trate these selections, he explains that the arrangements are strictly that nowhere in any of his arrange­ how to manipulate your Leslie speak­ for piano and presuppose your ability ments will you find either the left ers to achieve the big sound. Clever, to adapt for organ. There are no hand or the right hand playing more if your speakers rotate mechanically. chord symbols and the massive hard­ than one note at a time. "The ad­ Michel LeGrand tunes from Um­ back tome is bulky and awkward to vantage of this," according to Bob, brellas of Cherbourg require some manage on your music rack. No mat­ "is that you will avoid the heavy, rather tricky pedal support. "Watch ter. Motion Picture Moods is so thick sound that all too frequently What Happens" is the more dif­ loaded with gems you won't find turns people away from organ mu­ ficult of the two; "I Will Wait For elsewhere at any price that it's silly sic." What Ralston modestly doesn't You" has 1ts booby traps confined to to quibble. Would you believe the tell you is that he is a past master of the bridge. Both arrangements are "National Hymn" of Uruguay, the art of devising solidly written worth the effort required formastery. "Aeroplane" music by Mendels­ counter melodies. Be further advised Bob has included two original songs sohn, "Fire Fighting" by Otto Lang­ that these "no chords" arrange­ in the album. The first, "Raindrops," ley, "Music Box" by Rudolf Friml, ments are not so easy to play well as is similar to the rhythmical effects "Monotony" by Frederic Chopin? they first appear on the printed page. achieved in "Last Time I Saw Paris." Just the titles will keep you happy for One flubbed pedal note, buster, and The second, "We Loved By Star­ weeks. Every page of music has a you're in trouble. These are not for light," has far and away the most de­ quickie index so that you know right the beginner nor for the casual ama­ manding right hand melody line in where to flip for Birds, Horror, Or­ teur. the book. You may want to save this gies, Purity , Railroads, etc. Nine of the fifteen tunes are by one for that day when it hits the I just opened the book at random Jerome Kern and Richard Rogers. charts. to page 367 - "Indian Agitato: dra­ Perhaps the most successful of the "Little Green Apples" and "Vanes­ matic excitement for Indian emo­ Kem arrangements is "The Last sa" complete the selections. The less tional scenes, rivalry, jealousy , ex­ Time I Saw Paris" which stands tall said the better. Even the demonstra­ pectancy , apprehension, etc." and as a one chorus solo. "All The Things tion tape doesn't help much. The it's by Otto Langley. You're a winner You Are" maintains the harmonic cassette (or 8 track, or record) does before you ever play the opus! And integrity of the original but is thin in not come with the album. You must it's all good clean fun: no special spots, especially the bridge. Ralston's order it separately from Bob Ralston.

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 1978 THEATRE ORGAN 49 This reviewer had access to the cas­ prior to the start of World War I. sette and found Bob's friendly, in­ After serving in the Anny overseas, formal comments and his playing he joined the Robert Morton Com­ the of the arrangements most helpful. pany of Van Nuys, Ca., becoming Ralston only allows himself to be one of their prime installation and letters carried away once - a swing version tonal-finishing experts. While there of "Watch What Happens" which is he was responsible for the instal­ fun to hear but bears little resem­ lation of many of their most presti­ to blance to the printed music. gious instruments, such as Loews The volume is quality printing New Orleans, the Orpheum (former the throughout. Page turning has been Pantages) in San Francisco and the avoided by eliminating a separate University of Southern California. edi,ers pedal stave; be advised that pedal In the early 1930s, he settled in Letters to the Editor con­ notes appear on the bass clef staves. San Francisco to open his own pipe cerning all aspects of the One last consideration: could organ business which he continued theatre organhobby are en­ learning these Bob Ralston arrange­ until his recent retirement. Special­ couraged.Send them to the ments help the home organist create izing in rebuilding and installation, editorconcerned. Unless it's similar treatments of other tunes? his achievements were manifold and stated clearlyon the letter Probably not, unless one has had notable. He installed numerous siz­ "not for publication,"the ed­ considerable training in counter­ able instruments for M.P. Moller, itors feel free to reproduce point. What the Ralston treatments rebu ilt and enlarged many instru­ it, in wholeor part. will do, however, is to broaden one's ments for prestigious churches and perspective as to what makes for was a major participant in the the­ Address: really good pop organ playing (i.e., atre field, not only during the golden variety of approaches). This reviewer age of the movie palace but in the GeorgeThompson came away from The Bob Ralston recent theatre organ revival. Editor Touch with a much better under­ Mr. Hershman often recalled as P.O.Box 1314 standing of what separates the pro's the highlight of his career his se­ Salinas,Calif. 93902 from the dreamers. Unless you are lection by the National Broadcast­ truly satisfied with your present ap­ ing Company to be fully in charge Dear Mr. Klos: proach to playing pop standards, of all pipe organ installation and Your letter, notifying me of my you'll welcome this one. 0 maintenance for the Pacific Net­ induction into the Theatre Organists work. In this capacity, he was re­ Hall of Fame, rekindled some fond sponsible for two NBC organs in old memories. Those early theatre San Francisco, most notably the days are among my most treasured former Paramount Hollywood Stu­ remembrances.

50 THEATRE ORGAN OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 1978