ADMIRAL'S KINDLY THOUGHT

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 90, 17 July 1945, Page 5

ADMIRAL'S KINDLY THOUGHT

BRINGS RED-HOT JIVE

TO N.Z. JAZZ-HOUNDS

That the American Vice-Admiral Wm. C. Calhoun is tireless in securing the best possible conditions for even the humblest members of his South Pacific Area and Force Comman(l; is the considered opinion of our own Commander Gordon Bridson U.S.D.S.C. of 'Kiwi' fame. New Zealand herself found J'resh proof of of the Admiral's tireless efforts to kc.ep high* the morale of the fighting men of. his far-flung command, when the Claude Thornhill All-Navy Show burst in upon the Auckland Home Front last week like a musical 'doodle-bomb.' Early in the fighting Admiral Calhoun realised that the actual logistics incurred in maintaining and supplying a fighting front covering so many .scattered little islands left poor hopes of much morale-lifting entertainment from U.S.A. With Characteristic vigour the Admiral attacked this problem from the inside; and Chief Thornhill received his orders to recruit some first class entertainment talent from existing Naval personnel. The Claude Thornhill Navy Band is abiding proof that such talent was latent in the Service—and that the owners thereof were ready and willing to leave their well-understood ordinary duties to shoulder the. backbreaking task of producing familiar red-hot band music on Wery dirty, murderous and bloody beach within even theoretical reach throughout their Pacific area. ' In the last seven months this little outfit of star troupers have produced between 180 and 190 shows anywhere they could gain foothold. At Tarawa alone (a name now imperishable in American history) many men of many ranks went into a hail of withering lire with the rhythm of jazz music chiming subconsciously in their minds—for the Navy Band played to all ranks before the landings. So exhausting was tlieir schedule and so successful their virtuosity— the Admiral granted them special leave to New provided they organised six or seven concerts for local convalescent camps and hospitals under the N.Z. Returned Services' Association's guidance. This idea spontaneously burst into flames when the two associations met and mingled;, and, when I left Auckland it looked as if the Band was going to give a show every hour on the. hour, arqund the clock. Chief Petty Officer Rafsky was good enough to introduce the writer around; and this is the round-up. Ensign Dennis Day singing star for five years with Jack Benny's Radio Show. Mus. 3/c Tommy Riggs who worked with the Rudy Vallee Radio Show ? headlining for 40 weeks is with Kate Smith's Hour 16 weeks, and who was, running his own Radio Show when he enlisted. When you meet Tommy Riggs you also meet an even more l'amousc Radio personality, 'Betty Lou'; for Tommy provides both voices- for this inter-nationally-known Radio duet. Musician Third Class Jackie Coop-, er needs no introduction to N.Z. movie audiences. With Wallace Beery in 'The Champ'; in 'Skippy'; 'White Banners'; 'The Navy Comes Thru' and finally 'These Are My Children' Jackie Cooper occupies an unrivalled place in the. hearts of N.Z. moviegoers. The Brothers Graziano are topranking vaudeville . stars in America and their team dancing is a household word in the United States coast-to-coast vaudeville circuit. Mus. 3/c Mort Abrams is a doublethreat youngster if ever there was one. His digital dexterity with an accordion made him winner of the American National Accordion Championship in Chicago in 1943 but to see him with mere manipulation make the Royalty in si deck of playing cards sit up and beg is enough tQ make a man take to billiards as a sport! Mus. 2/c Ted Vcsely directs the Band with the sure touch acquired in association with Benny Goodman, Frank Waring and many of the 'name' band leaders of the. States. With him are associated Mus. 2/c Rollie Moorehouse, Clarionet; Mus. 3/c Fred Greenwell Tenor; Mus. 2/c 19 . | Eddie Sears; Trumpet; Mus. 3/c Don Jenkins Trombone; S.P". (A) 1/c. Johnny Fritz plays Bass and as a

.singer produces some excellent parodies. Then Mus. 2/c Harold (Smoky) Stover, Drums.; Mus. 3/c Bob Harris, Guitar; and last never least Mus. 9 2/c Art Bergman who doubles in Guitar and is the Band's head-man arranger. And now for a description of the Band actually at work. Relax folks ! Walk do not run to the nearest 5 9 exit ! It is not intended that you should, read an ecstatic "out of this world" description of swing rhythm complete with weirdly complicated slang and musical terms —although the writer can vividly remember Epi Shalfoon in his music shop in Rotorua years ago displaying gramophone records to a real live. Maijphioness lof almost the. Blood Royal. Saitli the Voice of England, and I quote, "Have you any recordings by a Mr Jcllyr6ll Morton? I understand that they aptly exemplify 'Le Jazz Hot' and I should like some." Epi adjusted his horn-rimmed specs -with one hand and spun the disc with the other —fitted a new needle—and replied Madam ! Why they are dirty ! !" and Jellyroll dug into 'Deep Creek Blues' recorded about 1920. Her Grace bent an attentive ear, and as Jellyroll finaleed with a high minor piano trill she quoth, "By jove they ARE dirty, and I'll take them all!" Sufficient for us to say that the Navy Band's tour opened at the Auckland Town Hall last Friday to 'Queen Street Stomp' and ran through ninety-eight, minutes of streamlined musicianship at breakneck speed. Vocal solo and instrumental specialties were sandwiched between riots of swing rhythm which in America would have had 9 '? the dance, fans cutting the rugs right down to the bricks. As it was, one lone negro wardroom steward, was so entranced by the Rhythm Section—that, he was observed to sneak out' back of the hall and "give out" with a complicated "Mr Charlie" dance solo of his own that would, have wowed them back to Harlem. The programme smashingly concluded with Jackie Cooper and "Smokey" Stover beating the heck out of the drums in a duet "Bugle Call Rag." So startled was our Grandma the "Auckland Herald," that specs and knitting were, laid aside and saith she "A veritable feast for 'Swing fans' was provided, by the concerted numbers; where the brass conspired to make the Town Hall vibrate as much as it ever lias to any tripleforte chord on the Grand Organ." Every available seat for two Town Hall performances was booked out in a few hours —which should have some significance for the musical pundits who devise the IYA Sunday morning programme. When quiet at last descended ? the boys scattered fun wards in all directions. Smokey Stover went hossback riding and was he sore ! Johnny Fritz, Bob Harris and Yours Truly used all the New Criterion Office blotter comparing American and New Zealand football. Moans a fretful voice, "Gosh, I takes the girl out dancing for the ijrst time in almost two years—and I got so embarrassed I darn near ran home." Jackie Cooper proved upon acquaintance to be an intensely serious young man. Both he and C.P.O. Rafsky admitted they had heard of Whakatane. through (1) an American Doctor (2) two Marine Transport Pilots and (3) a Colonel in the Army Air Corps who had shot deer down here. When warned that if he showed his nose in our town Mr Russell Chapman our enthusiastic theatre manager 'would bag him lor a per--9 sonal appearance, Jackie smilingly agreed—provided no one hurled vege- i tables at him. Vital statistics—Yes, he is married to June Home of Glendale California, who was not in Picture Business before marriage. Wallace Beery is, of all , movie peopl# nearest to his screcri self — a big lo>ttfcle man. Spencer Tracy is Jackie's favourite movie performer, and his jDet food is anything to eat. When pressed for a personal message said he "You of all people know ho;v Movie Folks try to dodge direct quotes; but you can say that this war lias made me acutely conscious of hundreds of things I regarded as a matter of course." "In all modesty I can claim that my work has pleased the public "enough-to bring rich rewards to me.

I always thought I was duly grateful —but Boy—you watch me when I get back to work alter all this!" C.P.O. Rafsky arranged for your correspondent to bring back a message to Wha'katane "from the Fra Graziano but honestly the fun was so fast and hilarious that all I can remember was the night porter's voice "It's four o'clock — please go lo bed so I can call you at 5.30 to catch the early car." Finalljr, 1 can still remember the Town Hall rocking under the impact of American jazz; and these peace terms will have to include much of that American influen.ee. Our diehards (in common with die-hards all over the world) will T am afraid » > have lo like it—or lump it.