The Washington times., 1927-07-20
ROMPlNG AROUND THE RADIO DIALS
ACC[AIMS.
ISHAN JONES

Enough crashing static to keep
dial twisters working the home
stations was the prevailing con-
ditioI last evening. There was
also q tightness In the atmos-
phere that made tuning even
high power stations q task. The
West responded to sharp tuning
fairly well and the South was
loud speaker volume. Local
even to local broadcasters.
That Isham Jones is. back on the
air again-and in his old.time
form, with even a few added musi.
cal wrinkles. will be good news to
the thousands Of radiotics who
have learned to search out this re.
markable, individualistic orchestra
leader wherever he nlight be. For
two hours he kept the dials in al
sections set for WMAL last night,
presenting, among other things,
one Of the most vivid and brilliant
interpretations of Gershwin's ia
nous Rhapsody in Blue" we've ever
heard--not even excepting the New
York Symphony Orchestra's playing
Of the same number with the COM
poser at the piano.
Jones is a daring adventurer in
music. Skilled in the science OF
composition and orchestration aud
knowing thoroughly every shade Of
tone color as well as the way to
produce 1t. he has the courage to
take the idea Of a composer and
dress it in his own brilliant way.
His orchestrations are full of sur.
prises, sharp contrasts and real
music and he uses his ability with
amazing impartiality giving a
symphonic Interpretation to an
otherwise juggling fox trot at one
time, inserting grand opera themes
in a popular song or staging a cat
fight with trick tones from trumpet
and clarinet-all Of which he did
last night to the delight Of music
lovers for the amusement of those
simple souls who like to see the
trap drummer earn his pay.
YOUNG CONTRALTO
BECOMING A STAR
While the WMAL Movie Club
program last evening was essen.
TALLY an Isham Jones occasion, we
do not want to overlook the very
lovely singing of Dorothy Wilson
Halbach during the short intermis-
sion between the orchestral sections.
This singer has become one of our
best radio soloists and we attribute
some Of her excellence to the sug-
gestions and tutelage of Colby Har-
riman, the versatile production man
ager Of the Palace Theater, under
whose direction she has been sing
ing recently. A year ago she had
simply a lovely voice-now she is
using 1t to sing the music and in
terpret the poetry of her songs and
she is worth hearing.
One of the surprising things in
radio performance last night was
the continuance Of the use of the
squeaky organ by the Hotel Penn.
sylvania orchestra. The instrument
sounds like one OF the old barrel
organs that was played only on
Sundays and holidays-and not very
well played at that. Every time
the organ is inserted in a Pennsyl-
vania concert 4 manages to sub.
tract from the enjoyment of the
evening and is hardly worthy of
WRC or WIZ. from which its
broadcasts originate and are sent
over the country.
Speaking in New York, Gilbert
H. Montague probably said interest.
ings about "Mussolini-Prices and
Labor" for WRC and WEAF early
last evening, but they were not alb
sorbins enough to distract US from
the task Of searching out the
raisins in our rice pudding, which
came along about the same time.
Wed suggest the chain broadcast.
ers put economics a little further
past the dinner hour in the future.
In the Eveready hour we en-.
toyed Cali, the banjoist, and some
of Nat Schildkrets orchestral eff
fects and we were glad to find
Jimmy in funds as a result Of his
aviation exploit in the soft drink
advertising serial. The regular
radio cavalcade presented a snappy
program-with a comedian carry
ing away all the honors. Radio
could stand quite a lot Of this type
OF comedy judiciously applied here