The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-12-04
In New York
By PAUL HARRISON

New York.-You hear . good deal of the fortunes garnered by the Vallees and Whitemans in the melody dispensing business. You hear a lot less about the boss music-m erchant of them all, who could buy out the Maestros Rudy and Paul and still have enough left over to staff dozen jazz symphonies.
 The name is Meyer Davis. You may have heard a great many of his bands without ever having seen Maestro Davis himself. See ing him is not much of an experi- ence anyway. He Is tall and husky and baldish, with a seven-inch grin and an air of complete assur- ance, and he plays tennis about as skillfully as he plays the fiddle.
 Maestro Meyer is not a great musician, and he would be one of the first to admit it. Musicians are a dime a dozen, as anyone can testify who has strolled through the throng of bandsmen cluttering the west side of Longacre Square every afternoon. Davis is a busi- nessman.
 His most fortunate mistake came when he got a job as a re- porter in Washington. One night at newspaperman's ball he tried leading the orchestra, and his boss darkiy hinted that maybe he'd bet ter keep right on leading it. So he organized a band (this was 20 years ago, when the ragtime rage was just getting under way) and soon found himself on Broadway. Blew His Own Horn
 By seeking the right engage ments, and knowing the right peo- pie, Davis has become society's favorite tune broker. He has played at the White House for Presidents Wilson. Harding, Hoo- yer and Roosevelt. He has helped bring out more heiress-debs than wou could shake a gold-headed evening stick at. The other day he signed an agreement to play for the New Years party of the Fitz Eugene Dixon's in 1886. He in New York and other American cities.
 The chain-store idea in band organization made him a million aire, but Davis has a hand in vari- ous other enterprises. Owns ohe of the biggest bowling alleys in the country. Put $l5,000 into miniature golf and got out with q fortune before the craze crashed. owns a half interest in amusement parks in Washington and Phila. delphia. Organized motion pie ture company last July. and .s associated in the production of shorts for another concern.
 He has homes in New York. Long Island. Newport and Phie- hurst-and keeps all of them open all year around. Has q three-story penthouse in Manhattan. and residence next to the Vanderbilts on Fifty-first street Once he was the employer of Kate Smith: paid her $7.5O an evening. When Rudy Vallee first came to New York he asked Meyer Davis for job. Davis turned him down-said Rudy didn't have enough person. ality. Harmonious Business
 You've heard of Glen Gray and his Casa Loma orcheStra. Gray doesn't own it. He doesn't even direct it. He just happens to be the president of the corporation which is owned and controlled by the musicians. Gray sings now and then, but when he isn't war; bling, he plays a saxophone and the first violinist does the conduct Ing. It's the only self-governed band in big time.
 One more note from Tin Pan Alley, and this note about Don Bestor, almost as old q veteran as Meyer Davis. Bestor. Is at som- bre and bespectacled fellow; does- n't look in the least like rajah of hot-cha. Officials of New York's musicians union were pretty stern when he appeared before them. Why" said one of them, bluntly, have you come to Manhattan?"
 Well" said Eestor, "I've been rehearsing for sixteen years in towns such as Pittsburg, Chicago and Atlantic City. I figured 1t was about time to try for a job on Broadway"
 A-l-