IN THE GROOVE Pubished month ly by RCA Victor Division RADIO CORPORATION OF AMERICA Camden, N. J. Copyright 1946. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A. Form IK 1614 Vol. I, No. 7 Editor-FRANK J . O'DONNELL Know what re-bop ( or be-bop) means? I f not here's your chance to get an expert's o pinion. If you do then read ON THE OOVER on to see w hat Leonard Feat her has to say about Dizzy Gillespie, originator of the style: On the cover this month it's Perry Como, that boy who, a few weeks Odginally, re-bop or be-·bop, was ago, had a week dedicated to him. playing for Roy Eldridge's. Then just a sound made by a, musician He's shown at RCA VICTOR'S New Dizzy ,began developing, along trying to hum how a certain York studio as he cut a record. with a circle of fellow-experi­ phrase would be played on his Perry's popularity has ·been menters, the characteristics that horn. Because so many ·of its steadily rising in the past few have since become identified with months. Recently he fini shed his phrases can best be translated into him- new harmonic twists and third successful picture, Twentieth humming through the use of such rhythmic nuances; a formidable Century-Fox's "If I'm Lucky," syllables as re, be and bop, the technique ,enabling him to impro­ which will be released shortly. music itself has come to be known vise more completely and imag­ Add to this the fact that a short by this name. inatively than other musicians less time ago h e signed a new RCA Dizzy Gillespie, leader of the richly equipped. VICTOR contract that will not ex­ small band which plays this kind Yet basically it's all the same pire for five years. And l1e's been of mu sic in RCA VICTOR'S forthcom­ music; it's all jazz, or swing. Don guaranteed sixteen si des a year ing New 52nd Street Jazz Album, Byas, teno-r man with Dizzy on for the next five years. doesn'tbelieve in pigeonholing music these records, ad-libs exactly the All this is causing P erry's stock with arbitrary and illiterate-so und­ way he .did with Count Basie or to shoot higher and higher daily. names. Dizzy just started out play­ with '.a ny other band, large or ing jazz the same as anyone else. small, re-bop or not. At one time you could mistake his (Continued on page 9) COMO GETS HIGHEST PRICE IN HISTORY Veteran ·bookers ,around New York received the news that P erry Como would be handed the highest price in booking history, for a .single one night appearance, with little amazement. But when they heard the price many -of them could scarcely believe it, for out of total outlay of fourteen thousand dol­ lars Como woul·d walk off with ten thousand. To be held at New Haven's Arena (Sept. 13-) the concert-like affair was bound to attract record attendance. On the bill with Como would be Lloyd Shaeffer, long­ time conductor of Como's "Ches­ terfield Supper Club." There was little wonder ex­ pressed when executives of Gen• eral Artists Corporation, Perry's bookers, proudly displayed photo­ static copies of the one night LEONARD FEATHER, BILL DE ARANGO, DIZZY GILLESPIE AND DON BYAS contract. Harmonic twists and rhythmic nuances 2 IN THE GROOVE Al Goodman Records WHITTEMORE-LOWE IN PIC TUNES Jerome Kern Selections That movie background music and Al Goodman, a musician unex­ music incidental to the plot of a celled in presenting the mu sic of picture often become extremely our great American composers of popular is now an established fact. show music, has recorded some of With music becoming more and the late Jerome Kern's b est known more essential to the plot of many and loved selections. From such motion pictures, Hollywood has be­ successful productions as "Show come the source of many original Boat," "The Cat and The Fiddle," compositions. Almost by popular "Roberta" and others, Mr. Good­ demand, these scores or variations man has chosen melodies that will on th em have been recorded and live as long as the American have met with widespread and en­ theater. thusiastic acceptance from a music­ The full-bodied orchestra of Al Goodman, plus the baritone of conscious public that is now also Earl Wrightson and the soprano of movie-music wise. Such was the case wi th L aura, A Song To Re­ Mary Martha Briney, have joined member, th e musical backgrounds to make an album that is a just tribute to the late Mr. Kern. from "Spellbound," and " The Lost The richly harmonic treatment Week-end." by Mr. Goodman, of such melodies Now another picture comes as the plaintive Smoke Gets In along which promises to put the Your Eyes, the nostalgic 'Twas Not Rachmaninoff Second Concerto in WHITTEMORE AND LOWE this same classification and RCA So Long Ago and the lilting She Mo ving , w e/I-paced Didn't Sa y Yes, make an album V ICTOR, anticipating a hu ge public that will -provide hours of relaxed response to this music, has already listening pleasure. prepared a variety of recordings Mary Martha Briney and Earl Beneke-Miller Ork of this music. Wrightson combine th eir voices on It all started when Artur Rubin­ The Song l s You, Why Do I Love Doubles Between stein, exclusive R CA VICTOR re­ You? and The Touch Of Your cording artist, made the sound Hand to produce three delightful Pix and Palladium track for the Republic technicolor duets. Mr. Wrightson takes the Youn g hopefuls who want to even­ picture, "I've Always Loved You," solo honors on Long Ago, She tually .front a name band or oc­ which will hit the nation's screens Didn't Say Yes and The Night Was cupy - a side-man's chair in a top earl y in September. The track it­ Made For Love, while Miss Briney outfit should take note of this side self, fea turing an abundance of sings Smoke Gets In Y our Eyes of the hand biz. It ain1t all gravy. beautiful piano music, returns to and 'Twas Not So Long Ago. As evidence: Tex Beneke and the Rachmaninoff Concerto through­ (Continued on page 9) th e Miller Ork will have pretty out, and this melodious master­ full days when, the beginning of piece consequently becomes the this month, they open at the Holly­ theme of the film. WCJ od Palladium and at the same Whittemore and Lowe, tasteful time begin shoo ting of the picture, duo-pianists, have recorded their "In The Mood." Their workday own treatment of Sergei Rachmani­ will begin at nine in the morning noff 's Concerto No. 2 in C Minor at which time they report to the and title it Co ncerto Themes­ studio. After a very full day of Part 1 and Concerto Themes­ recording on sound tracks and Part IT. Their recording is moving, sweating before the cameras, th e well-paced and has captured all boys knock off, ·but not to head fo r the feeling of this inspired com• hotel rooms. Instead th e band position. packs up and takes off for the To further please the diversifie<l Palladium where they occupy the tastes of a vast audience RCA bandstand until two the next morn­ V I CTOR is re-issuing two other re­ ing. Then comes the hotel rooms, cordings of excerpts from the orig­ but only long enough so that they inal concerto. They are Al Good­ will be on time for th8 studio the man's Concerto and Freddy Mar­ AL GOODMAN next morning. And that's th e way tin's Concerto. A tribute fo Mr. Kern it will be for six wonderful weeks. (Continued on page 4) SEPTEMBEll, 1946 3 SONG MAG TO HOLD RHODES CONTEST DENNIS DAY The "Hit Parader," monthly song SIGNS CONTRACT Dennis Day, popular tenor on the lyrics magazine, is preparing to Jack Benny show .for a number of hold a reader contest to find an years, has been signed to an ex­ appropriate slogan or tag line to clusive RCA VICTOR recording con­ fit Betty Rhodes, RCA VICTOR tract, it was recently announced. singing star. The announcement of During the war, Day spent two the con test will appear in the Oc­ and a half years in the Navy as ... tober edition of the "Hit Parader." the commanding officer of an en­ The pitch, as it will be stated tertainment group that did exten­ in the "Hit Parader," goes like sive touring of the Pacific Theater this: "Remember .Clara Bow? She of Operations. After his release was the 'It Girl.' Ann · Sheridan from the Navy he returned to the was the 'Oomph Girl,' Lana Turner Jack Benny program and subse­ the 'Sweater Girl,' Linda ,Chris­ quently cut his Shamrock Melodies tians the 'Anotornic Bomb.' ,Now, album for RCA VICTOR. The al­ can you name Betty Rhodes?" bum went •over with a bang. The first prize in the competi­ Now Dennis is a regular at RCA tion will be a table model, auto­ VICTOR. A few weeks agCl Day ap­ matic RCA VICTOR radio-·phono­ peared in a concert at Washington graph. Winner of the second prize BETTY RHODES Park, Milwaukee. " It Girl" ?-"Oomph Girl"? will receive any five RCA VICTOR Day's first RCA VICTOR single albums he may choose, while third record is "You Keep Coming Back prize gets any three RCA VICTOR WHITTEMORE-LOWE Like A Song" and "Remember albums he may desire.