PACE 6 THE CAPITOL THE CAPITOL PACE 7 Ì New Crosby Big Plans for Skitch Sketched, Band Hits; Crabs Top NBC No Dixie Summer Show Bob Crosby’s orchestra, now By EVE STANLEY touring up and down the west coast yOUNC PIANIST - BAND leader following its long runs at the Mead- owbrook and the Pally in Los An Skitch Henderson, who always looks geles, is beginning to win the ac like he has all the time in the w orld claim o f musicians. Organized only to spare even w h e n h e ’ s most last November, Crosby’s present rushed, obligingly dropped by Capi g ro u p is b u ilt around the arrange tol’s office when I asked him to tell ments of Tommy Todd, a brilliant young me about his summer radio shows pianist and scorer who leads his own and his orchestra plans fo r next SMOKE SELLERS . . . Martin Block, singing star Jo Stafford and Lloyd little jazz trio— on nights when he isn’t« Shaffer, ork leader, go into a huddle when they fin d it necessary to cut 45 w o rkin g with Crosby — for personal season. Back in Hollywood after a kicks. seconds from a broadcast. All are heard on the Chesterfield NBC show from whirlwind series of eastern p.a.’s New York. Jo’s newest Capitol record features Nat (K ing) Cole at the Crosby and his band have again been with Voice Frank Sinatra as S inatra’s piano and marks a radical change in the type of accompaniment usually renewed for a 13-week by Ford. They musical director, Skitch is all set for a associated with her pretty pipes. She sings in Hollywood Bowl July 13. air every Wednesday via CBS for the motor sponsor. hectic summer of real work. Highly touted sidemen flying the By the time this reaches print, you’ll Crosby banner include, in addition to be hearing Skitch on his Sunday Old Todd and Crosby’s manager, Gil Rodin, 'Amazing Man of Music' in Gold half-hour over NBC (6 :3 0 p.m. M urray McEachern, who doubles alto Pacific time), an all-music showcase and trombone; Ralph Collier, drums; Charlie Cathcart, trumpet; Davey Pell, for his rhythmic piano arrangements, Sock Hollywood Engagement tenor; Gus Bivona, clarinet, and Benny with a string quartet, Jan S a vitt’s band "pHE SPRIGHTLY band which Bennett Lester (Benny) Carter has been Benson, trom bone. and other fancy trimmings added. As leading at the Hollywood Swing Club the past month may not shape up The band in no way is reminiscent of soon as that show’s 13-week period is the old 1935-42 Crosby Dixieland band. over, he will begin his fall program w ith as the best he has ever conducted, but it’s good enough to be attracting Current outfit foregoes the old New Bing Crosby. No m atter who w ins B ing’s widespread attention despite the wealth of competition currently holding Orleans jazz style th a t made it “ the nod as sponsor on his next contract, his forth in the Los Angeles area. Hampton’s groups from the standpoint best Dixieland band in the land” in radio plans for the 1946-47 season w ill favor o f w h a t th e hotrock brigade these Carter, whose versatility is a ot musicianship. He’s been doing excel include Skitch, who is already d e fin ite ly lent biz at the Swing Club despite the days term as “ progressive jazz.” legend among musicians throughout set in the deal. atmosphere in which he plays, and SKITCH HENDERSON the world, has several outstanding KMPC airs his music nightly at 11 :05. ‘ Play It Pretty’ Prima Also Prepping Own Band sidemen. Among them are Bumps The band holds forth at the Swing Another job Skitch will concentrate He hopes to “ retain dance values.” Myers and Hal Clark, on tenors; until July 7, then will probably move Soon Due at Casino on this summer is building his band had the best musical training from the when he talks about music, which he Sonny White, piano; Ira (brother of back east for the remainder of the sum Loui Prima and his “ play it pretty for library, in which he has already accu age of five. After he came to America, believes is the w orld language. He never Oscar) Pettiford and Walter Williams, mer and the fall. Carter’s brilliant alto the people” tagline and band are set to mulated a number of fine original trumpets; Jimmy Cannady, guitar, and and trumpet solos, his distinctive ar play the Casino Gardens this summer. arrangements. Accent w ill be on classi he was identified with famed orchestras belittles any musical style, feels that Candy Ross and A l Grey, trombones. rangements and his personable, unobtru Engagement is the first for the New cal themes generally recognized as lend for several years .traveled extensively as people get a lot out of any interpreta Ross fre q u en tly lays aside his ’bone sive manner of “ fronting” his big crew Orleans trumpeter, on the west coast, in ing themselves to piano adaptation. soloist-arranger, and became an Ameri tion well performed. For his personal | to take over the mike as Benny’s fea are assets few of the top maestri of five years. Band is slated to play the Skitch’s piano naturally w ill establish can citizen when he entered our Air barometer of reactions and musical tured male vocalist. Fern vocals are today possess. usual west coast one-nighter trail be Ns new band’s style. A decided factor Force at the outbreak of war. After preferences of the younger public, he handled by the promising young Lucy fore re tu rnin g east in September. in the outfit will be a section o f French serving as an instructor, he became a depends a lot on comments written in Holdover For Donahue B-29 pilot, returning to civilian life at by the men who flew with him during E lliott. Sam Donahue, who recently organized horns, for classical e ffect, w ith every the end of 1945. the war— and from the sample letters Closes on July 7 his civilian band after three years in the care being taken to retain dance values. Ciro’s, Maxie’s Dark Skitch is tall, handsome and blond. I’ve seen, he can’t go far wrong follow With a few personnel changes, navy, drew a holdover at the Roseland Come autumn, the band w ill be ready Ciro’s and Slapsy Maxie’s niteries in His voice is quiet, but very definite ing that policy. Benny’s 1946 aggregation might well be Ballroom in N.Y. in late June. He fronts f°r a strenuous schedule, and negotia Hollywood went dark in June. Clros classed alongside Ellington’s, Basie’s and his crew with his tenor and trumpet. tions are now being completed fo r an shuttered because of a violation of Cali important date in a major New York fornia liquor laws while the ops o hotel spot. Maxie’s declared they would redecorate their spot and reopen it “ sometime in Born in Creat Britain July.” In answer to the numerous queries We get about how-come the “ S kitch ” monicker, that was picked up in Chi- MCA Nabs Kid Ory rago when he first started to play piano V eteran trom bonist Edward (Kid) r° esaonaHy, ¡n Louis A drian’s p it band Ory, who has been performing in an cl:,. e Chicag0 Theater. English-born Francisco w ith his New Orleans ja^ Skitch was christened Lyle Cedric Hen- orchestra, last month signed a booking derson. His early education was obtained agreement with MCA. Wl 2er*and and London, where he