Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1931-09-28
New York
Letter

~EEW YORK.-Scattered notes
from a Manhattan ramble. After
midnight in Sophie fuckers suite
In the Park Central. three Of
the most famous old troupers gath
cred for a sentimental reunion,
celebrating Sophie's return from
her London music show success.
Fannie Brice. Blossom Seeley and
Sophie.
They fell to singing the tunes
that have figured in stage history
Each of them had created .
definite style Of entertainment
years aeo, when the old Barbary
Coast was San Francisco's uncen-
sored "hot-spot." Mile. Seeley was
nutting the Grizzly Bear and kin
dred numbers on TIE map. Fan
ME Brice was doing her great
Monkey Rag number and, after
that. MY Man. Sophie was doing
such songs as "Yiddisher Mamma"
So until dawn began TO break
over the river. the three sang and
chatted. What an all-star cast!
They fell TO talking about old
ReIsenweber's cafe on "the Circle"
This was the first or the night
clubs as they now exist. And here
1t was that the first jazz band got
its break. A small cover charge
eventually appeared for the first
time. And all the stage folk whose
names have since flashed over n
world went there TO play and eat
and sing. There was no Zee Tor
their services. AL Jolson or a Cam
tor or a Berlin or a Brice would
sing. play or dance just for the
fun of tor 10 afnuse their COM
panions.
struggling composers would rush
in with some new hit, hot from the
uianos OF Tin Pan Alley, and would
dash it off to see what the klbitz-
ing show folk thought Of IT,. Some
of the most spectacular hits the
nation has ever seen were thumped
out there by ambitious young mel
ody scribes.
When the Original Dixie Land
band arrived, q sensational change
came over the place. Here was an
aggregation Of youngsters from
New Orleans out of Chicago. No
one could read a note. But how
they could fake" and interpret
The very greatness OF their play
ing brought jazz into being.
They had been hired first for a
southern political rally. Their only
instruction was to make a lot OF
noise" They had gone to hook
shops and secured their horns and
fiddles and such. The noises con-
sisted Of cof-bells and drug CAD
gets and ear-deafeners in general,
all Of which eventually were adopt
ed for regulation baLds.
AT the time, II seemed a freak
ish cacophony; a melange Of as
sorted and weird sounds.
In later years. many who had
contributed talent found them
selves getting their start as enter
tainers.
Nor have these old songs ever
lost their flavor. To this day the
crowds call upon La Brice 70 sing
My Man. And Sophie fuckers
Red Hot Mamma. Well, just a
few weeks ago, Ruth Etting revived
Nora Bayes' favorite. Shine Har-
vest Moon" and it's the song hit
OF the Follics after all these years.
Sophie told me that while visit
ing in Vienna she went into a
photograph store TO see If her
records were on sale. She intro
duced herself to the store -eper,
who almost stopped traffic BY
running into the street shouting
to al pedestrians; pleading with
them 10 come into the store and
see his distinguished visitor.
Incidentally, she's going to take
another chance with the talking
pictures If she Ear get a story to
suit her.