Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1931-10-20
New York
Letter


.tion-land's golden phenoms Is
Meyer Davis, the "ork pilot"-or
orchestra leader, If you prefer.
At 81, Davis is something Of a
p. Morgan Of jazz. He has made
his fiddle and a little sound bust
ness sense pile him up about
S3,O0O,O 900 or more. And growing
every minute.
Rudy vallee. TO be sure, has q
million or 50 tucked away. And
Paul whiteman need not worry
about the mortgage. II any. on the
old Colorado rancho.
But Davis has a little story all
his own. While others YER build
ing their regulations In night re-
sorts, concert halls and such, he got
the notion that there would be big
money" in catering to the swanky
and exclusive social set. After all,
they had plenty of money! And he
was right. Within the past few
years he has played for the Goulds,
the Whitneys. the Mackays, the
Otto Kahns, the DuPonts, the
Dukes, the Rockefellers and most
OF the Who's Who. He got the no
ton that IL there could be chain
stores, there could also be chain
bands" At the moment ne mas
something like lis bands playing
in all parts Of the universe.
Just a few months ago he APP
peared at a party given by Ralph
S-trassburger, Philadelphia pub
Usher, and Is said to have received
a check for $l0,0o0-just for a few
hours.
But that's getting a bit ahead CT
the storyl There's an interesting
beginning:
At 20, Meyer Davis was a studeL.
at George washington University.
He was working his way through
college after the best traditions Of
the Alger stories. His first job con-
sisted OF tipping sermons for one OF
the town clergymen. Then he got
81 a performance, fiddling in a
town orchestra.
At that time the official WASH
ington set was dancing TO the
music OF the Stanley Marine Dand.
Marches and two-steps were being
done. But out san Francisco way
some rougher dance vogueS were
being conceived-the grizzly bear,
the Texas Tommy and the bunny
hugl
During a summer vacation. Davis
bummed his way westward. When
he got back. he gathered some Of
his musically inclined college pals
and showed them how they were
playing out In Frisco. And did the
capital folk arch their eyebrows.
The willard was quite the
swankiest hotel there. The man
agement wanted novelty. Davis was
hired TO play the rough-and-ready
rhythms for 500 a week. He deserted
law school. Four years later he in
troduced a unit in Philadelphia's
Bellevue Stratford. He became a
musical pet Of the society folk.
From Palm Beach to Bar Harbor
his bands began to follow the social
seasons. He went in for party
bookings" where the fees were
from $500 up-and usually up.
One day a young fiddler named
Leo Reisman came looking for a
Job. Davis let Reisman run his
Boston unit. Today Reisman is an
other society band leader. Rudy
Vallee also came in looking fox
work. Davis turned him down be-
cause "he looked too listless."
Harry Rosenthal, the pianist who
created a Juror in June Moon:
Nat Brusiloff. of radio broadcast
fame; Jacques Renard and dozens
Of others were in Davis groups.
Kate Smith took a job at $3.50
a night singing in the Chevy Chase.
She was so good they transferred
her to the La Paradis at SIS. Eddie
Bowling noticed her and started
her or the way to her present fame
and fortune.
AS a business man. Davis an
nexed himself a "piece" in amuse-
ment parks and hotels: in dance
pavilions and swanky resorts. Half
a dozen such he now owns. He Is
reported to have a "slice" OF the
new Waldorf. One Of his properties
Is the Chantecler Club in Washing
ton.
Today he's considered the wealth.
lest orchestra man in the world.