DOWN BEAT CHICAGO NEWS Chicago, April 21, 1950

ciety of Chicago, and memberships view lounge, in the loop, while Al in. Peggy Murdock, now with Jim­ CHICAGO BAND BRIEFS are open to anyone with $1. Pro­ Lopez’ band took off for the Clover my Featherstone’s band, will be the ceeds from the club go into a loan bar in Peoria. Organist Jeri vocalist. fund for temporarily indigent mu­ Brown, who also plays accordion, Palmer House brings Dorothy sicians, of whom promoter Schenck left the Sheraton hotel’s cocktail Shay in April 27, with Eddie knows not a few. First concert, on combo to single at the Preview in O’Neal’s band held over. French Studies Bop, Returns To April 15 at the Gaffer’s club from the afternoons. clown Yonelly, who also happens 5 to 8 p.m., will corral most of the New band in the Melody Casino, to be quite a musician, will be on Dixie musicians in Chicago, and, near Clark and Division, includes the same show. Schenck hopes, most of the Dixie such musicians as tenorist Ira Oriental theater has Lena Horne Original Love, Dixieland fans. Shulman, pianist Irv Craig, and gracing its stage for two weeks By PAT HARRIS As for other goings on, Anita bassist Don Lundahl. Modern mu­ starting April 6, with Fran War­ O’Day returned to the Hi-Note, sic, and six nights a week. ren in the show opening there April C Chicago—Roy Wasson made a decision a couple of years Vans Cute Out 20. Louis Armstrong booked in sue with pianist Stan Seltzer as ac­ eve ago that is almost unheard of among jazzmen. Wasson was companist. Hal Russell’s boys out Eddie Vana, the violinist who there, but the date hasn’t been defi­ playing piano in California and he began to listen to Dizzy of that spot, and new band not has worked with accordionist Leon nitely set. Orc definite at presstime. Shash’ Cosmopolitans for seven Big Regal Bill wit] Gillespie and Charlie Parker records. He liked them. For a let i oaetimr «lament of Jelly Roll Mor-C- Blue Note brought singer Bill years, cut out for a television job. The April 21 bill at the RegaL gaps, one, the cornet spot at Jazz Farrell in March 24 for 10 days, Vana’s in the new band guitarist in addition to Josh White ana Ltd.—Unfilled at presstime—and Julian Stockdale got together for Cootie Williams, will have singers “But I had to choose between the while the Capitol lounge opened ing, beat and the happy sound of Dixie­ the other, the third member of the Skip Farrell and the Mel Brandt the Saturday night Jay’s Jamboree Ruth Brown and Herb Lance. And, trio at the Bee Hive. The Hive program on WGN. of course, Frankie Laine’s show at par land, and the music of bop, and I trio the same day. John Kirby, af the stuck with Dixie. The Dixie beat, hoped to get Lee Collins in, even­ the Capitol, and Tiny Davis, at the Others in this band are bassist the Chicago theater opens the same tually, while the Ltd. was trying to Frank Whitehead, accordionist day. Word that Laine will go into L to me,” Wasson says, “is like the Note, did not live up to expecta­ wer rhyme in poetry. You don’t have find Sidney De Paris. Muggsy ex­ tions. Ought to teach us a lesson Reno Tondelli, drummer Wally Saf- the Chez Paree here in August or pected back at Jazz Ltd. in the be­ fer, pianist Paul Jordan, and sax- September. sew poetry without rhyme, and I about becoming excited on the basis gen couldn’t see playing without that ginning of May. Doc Evans’ band of reputations and reports. Les ist Boyd Rolando. Elliot Lawrence expected at the treks west to follow Spanier at San Drake hotel band shifts April 8, Silhouette sometime soon, while spii Francisco’s Hangover. Paul opened April 7 at the Note. with Payson Re replacing Ron Charlie Ventura’s band opens there Inti John Schenck’s back actively pro­ Doc Evans’ band went in on that Perry in the Camellia room. Jerry April 14 for 17 days. Gene Krupa L Wasson’s now playing with John­ moting the sort of jazz we’ve been day, for two weeks, replacing Art Glidden stays on at the Congress didn’t make the date at the Sil­ ny Lane’s combo at the 1111 club talking about, with a new gimmick. Hodes’ crew. Hotel’s Glass Hat until May 15, houette, so spot brought Cab Cal­ here. A mild, sandy-haired man of It’s called the Musician’s Jazz so- Lino Frigo moved into the Pre­ when Bill McCune’s quintet comes loway in for 10 days in March. 40, he can’t reproduce Jelly’s style perfectly any more, but then, it’s been a long time since Jelly’s tu­ telage. Wasson was 16 when he met Morton, at the Walter Melrose pub­ lishing office at State and Lake streets in Chicago. It was around 1923, and he used to go up to Melrose’s frequently to pick up sheet music for the neigh­ borhood band he played with. “Jelly Roll seemed pleased that 1 knew his compositions, and he offered to teach me to play them just as he did. Studied for Year “I studied with Jelly Roll the better part of a year. We would go up to a place near Adams and Wa­ bash where you could rent pianos by the hour, and, once a week, I’d have a lesson. I’d play aomething, then he would play it, and we’d continue like that until I could du­ plicate his phrasing.” As far as Wasson knows, he was Jelly’s sole pupil at the time, and certainty one of the few pianists Mortar, ever taught directly. In 1924, Waason went to Milwaukee with the Red Flames Syncopators, aad ths lessen« ended. On his re­ SENSATIONAL RAY BAUDUC turn to Chicago he worked with Al WITH JIMMY DORSEY Gale's band at Pete’s Place, Illth and Cicero. The one and only Ray Bauduc and terrific Jimmy Dor­ With clarinetist Gale, who’s now sey are writing music history with their GREAT music! in the sausage business in Minne­ A smashing combination like this can’t be beat! A apolis, were Charles Yaki, banjo; Gene Krupa, drums, and miscel­ Naturally . . . W.F.L. Super Classics are used and / laneous cornet players. It was preferred by both Ray and Jimmy! probably Krupa’s first professional Try them at your dealers! The job, Waason thinks. Though Roy cen Stayed with Gale for almost two mer years, Gene left after about a year Hot to go with Irvin Aaronson’s band. hav Another Teacher ed 1 Wasson picked up another teach­ fort er, too, on his return to Chicago. One This time it was Jess Stacy, who mer waa working at the Midway Gar­ tion dens at the time. Roy’s routine enti with Stacy followed a pattern quite Cou different from that under Morton. thre “I’d go to Jess’ house about 1 I pjn. and we’d have breakfast to­ gether. We’d play all afternoon, and NEW DRUM STAR KENNY JOHN I usually stayed through dinner WITH RAYMOND SCOTT and went down to the job with him in the evening. The Midway Gar­ Rising young star Kenny John is now swinging out dens was a melting pot for musi­ with ultra-modernistic Raymond Scott. "Believe me it cians. I sat in for Stacy a couple takes the finest drums to cut these arrangements’’!, says of times, and I remember Benny Goodman, in short pants, sitting in Kenny. with the band." Yes, Kenny uses oWy W.F.L'j as do the nations TOP Since Wasson’s return to Chi­ professionals! cago last spring, he worked with Doc Evans’ band for a while, then Fill out the coupon for the latest WJF.L. catalog! as a single at the 1111 club. When I------( Johnny Lane’s Dixie band moved ■ SEND WJ.L COLOR-CATALOG.' i into the Bryn Mawr spot, Wasson i i stayed on aa pianist His style is • NAME done to Morton’s, and is one of the J ADDRESS______! brightest spots in the Chicago jazz picture today. • CITY______STATE______}

In addition to the new Jimmy Granato band, which lacks a little af th» spark and push of somt of the other Dixie units in town, other shifts have been made among the ____ RE musicians of the older style. Miff Mole moved into Jazz Ltd. when The Muggsy Spanier left, taking trom­ off 1 bonist Julian Laine with him. disti Others Muggsy took to the west WFL dent eoast were pianist Tut Soper, clari­ DRUM CO. writ netist Darnell Howard, and drum­ lingi mer Eddie Lightfoot. 17 2 8<32 NORTH DAMIN AVENUS • CHICAGO 47, ILLINOIS Bost This Hangover hegira left two Ava cour stud »■111 Sii M—b, Dm B~i, Im, M3 Nerte Wabuh, ChteM» 1- effective. Sead eld addresa with year new. Duplicate eopfare eaaaet be peat oAea U Chteage, llliaoic, ander the aet of March 3, 1879. Ra. UiiMio. »ttbaertp.ioa rule» 45 a year. 33 two yaara, til three year* ia ••at? *«d poet office will aet forward aopie*. Clrculatloa Dept^ 203 entered aa aoeond clam matter February 23, 1943. Copyright, 1950, by han Saaae pri«« ta all parte af the varldL Special aehaaU library North Wabash, Chicago 1, liliaoia. Printed ia U.S.A. Registered U.S. Down Beat, Inc. Member of Audit Bureau of Cireulatiene. Trademark and W 34 a y«ar. Change af addraw aetiee aw< reach dm befare data Patent Ottee. Entered a* eeeoad date matter October 6» 1939, at the rogiatored U. S. Patent Mw 1949. sis,