Man With Ideas

Radio Record, Volume X, Issue 9, 11 September 1936, Page 3

Man With Ideas

Lew Stone’s. Fame L=Ew STONE, the man with ideas about dance music, pianist, arranger, leader, has reached the peak of dance band fame in record time, Lew’s first musical recollections are of being taught to play the piano as a child. In fact, he was something of an infant prodigy; star performer, when only eight or so, at the London schools’ concert, Guildhall. Lew settled down to half an hour’s pure enjoyment when a £12-a-week night-club pianist was called in to Lew’s father’s business to test some pianos. Disillusion! The — idol had feet of clay. Lew could play better than that himself. Ideas began tv form in young Lew’s mind: ideas whieh he soon put into practice by getting a job as a pianist at an obscure night-

club-but not at £12 a week! That job didn’t last long. The club died a speedy and unlamented death. Shortly afterward Lew signed up with Bert Ralton’s Havana Band, one of the best in the profession. A number had to be arranged in a hurry; none of the band’s

members knew anything about orchestrating. They were hard up against it. Lew, with grave misgiving, had a shot at it. From that day he had definitely arrived. Hig band is a favourite with dance session listeners on all stations,