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Notes between the notes: This week's collection of facts and rumors assumes such proportions that we have to stack it up at the head of things. No. 1 is that the Goodman brother act has ceased. Since the formation of the present band, brother Harry has been playing bass and brother Irving has been doing trumpet work on and off--mostly off. Now definite word arrives that Harry is leaving to devote full time to his Pick-A-Rib joint on 52nd Street in New York, while brother Irving is just leaving. This is not to be considered a downward step, however, for both these two boys were considered two of the worst in the business, with Harry ranking well up in the corn bass division. Goodman has added Artie Bernstein, one of the most experienced and best of the bass men around, and has replaced Irving with Corky Cornelius, who, while he plays just as loud as Irving did, has many more ideas . . . Next item of interest is that Bob Zurke is leaving Bob Crosby to form his own band and to record for Victor. While it's true that there was some friction between Bob and the other members of the band, readers must remember that the big booking agencies are getting grey hairs trying to find new bands to fill the spots which are opening for name band attractions, and that every effort is being made to entice good side-men away from their leaders to fulfill contracts . . . Buddy Shutz, Goodman's drummer, who always gave me a pain in the neck, is leaving with no replacement announced. For a guy that's supposed to be leaving the business. Goodman is making an awful lot of excellent changes. If he keeps on this way, he may soon be back to the level he was in 1935 when he had a band that really swung. And incidentally, it looks as though Martha Tilton, whose good looks far surpassed what warbling she attempted, is going to leave the band to marry its manager. Louise Tobin, Harry James' very pretty wife, who sang extremely well with Bobby Hackett, is going to handle vocals from now on . . . Artie Shaw, who has been suffering from a very rare and usually fatal blood disease, is now definitely out of danger and is recuperating on the Coast . . . Strong rumor has it that Bea Wain, Larry Clinton's song stress, is going to leave at the end of her contract to do solos. This is supported by the fact that Larry has signed Marion Douglas of New Jersey.
Not rumor, but definite fact is it that the swing end of the Freshman smoker the other night was really swell. Jack Hill's band was very solid backing and played good swing on its own numbers, Roy Eldridge and Albert Ammons stole the show with their fine jazz, Ella Fitzgerald really made a tremendous hit (she later said to me that she had more fun working the Smoker than anything she had done in a long while) by here very swell singing, and Hildegarde proved herself far more than just a good piano player and better singer by her showmanship in handling the crowd. Word has sneaked around that Jeff Fuller '38 has opened his own hot shop in New York City. Come, gentlemen, a little reciprocal trade between Harvard, what? Fuller knows his stuff about records, and from what I can hear about the trips he has been making he has a lot of good rare stock on hand . . . Helen O'Connell, Jimmy Dorsey's singer, goes to RKO in Hollywood at the end of the year.
About records: Mildred Bailey releases six sides of blues, backed by her Oxford Greys (an all star colored band) next week that should make record history . . . Charlie Barnet's "Echoes of Harlem" while not up to the Duke version of same, is quite good . . . The Woody Herman of "Woodchopper's Ball" is a very good side of blues with trombone by Neil Reed. No adjectives needed. . . For some remarkable changes, even for Ellington, get "Something To Live For" (Brunswick) and listen to the introduction. . . Hampton's "Wizzin' the Wizz" is supposed to be even better two fingered piano. I still think that they record him slowly in order to get that "Ride of the Walkyrie" effect, but . .
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