The Dayton forum. [volume] (Dayton, Ohio) 1913-1949, 1936-10-02

s a the present genera
ito are doubtless
the Mills Brothers, born further out
in Ohio, yet lived here and started
their meteoric skyrocket to the height
in the Queen city. Female ceicbri-
ties Ethel Waters and Alberta Hun
ter owe no small part of their Gin
derella whisk to fame to the appren-
tieeship served iii Carlisle and Mound
at the old Palace Cabaret {now the.
Clark Club) Harlem baltimore is
home town 10y too
Americas greatest and unsung
colored dramatist, Jesse Shipp, au-
thor, actor. kcyinan and director Of
Williams and Walker truly artistic
Minstrels, was a Cicinnatian. Mr.
Ships shows gave America music
that will be evergreen ..
Another accomplished Cincinna-
tian is Arthur Porter. legitimate and
GlIGiila alL0is stiI2Gi dH0 ~ TN t1Al1@
poser Of note
Deboniat Charley Alexander, al
ways Immediately groomed, was q
trail blazer in the introduction Of
Jazz music. He with tuxedoed gal
axy OF home town troubadours Tin
gliding two Jewish saxophone toot-
ers now internationally famous a.
oMHaes of Bernie Cummina, Rand)
merlts more credit in the annals Of
contemporary syncopation, than has
been accorded him. Between 1920
and 1924 Alexander pioneered hot
rhythms at Daisey Merchants Toad
stool Inn. Packed it with customers
IN mink, white ties and tails. Mod
ern swing music was in its babyhoodi
and the high handshakers IN the tor
hats loved the way Chariey's outfit
dished il
Same time, sleek, and laveseent
Earl Moss with the dreamy eyes and
dttIltiE0 Hall Wda LGSSlHS Sht ~
zarre impfoyisions at Schmeesing
Garden Iii manner not unlike Cal
Galloway, his prototype Of another
day Too, Earl, like Cab was singer,
Various ofay joyspots featured tie
aegregations Of Higginbottom and
Hel4ey who we're then unknoWingly
carving syncopated patterns TO be
picked up by Paul Whiteman and
otheJ names now splashed in electric
snleGdof along Broadways Of the
world
How many Of you remember "Ales
Jack on's Plantation Band, and fore
runAer fot Duke Ellington's- Jungle
BRAID rhythms. Alex found usful
materials here. made this city his
Headquarters, played first at Castle
Farm. signed up with Land @
Dance" His torrid tunes swept that
pleasure palace out front with bang.
TUNED capacity crowds away night
ly Jolly Joe Stewart with the Sun
burst smile. was our local Fats Wal
ler Joe was 4 nimbled fingered Wiz
ard on the keys. Wonder where he
is now? also those popular piano
punchers Clarence Jones and Johnnie
Johnson On the heels of these one
time headliners marched Clarence
Paige and Allen White who changed
his name to 'sZack."
Just previous to the period Artie
Matthew's. one of our outstanding
ella sic instructors examined this yo.
que in a new racial folk art, meddlet
With its forms and smacked out 'Thl
Weary Blues" The number proved
the most financially successful of it
kind ever written with the one ant
only exception of st, Louis Blues.
Mr.. Matthews sold it outright. Hi
buyer in return peddled it to plug
ger who introduced it at the naug
uiation ball Of War time Presiden
Wilson with the result II went int'
three million records. Incidental,
Artie also arranged that novelt.
number, Hobo You Can't Ride Thi
Train" for ye scribe. Louis Arm
strong's manager who bought IT de
clare il his third best hit in the Sc
end month it was recorded. | aris
to thank Mr.. Matthews
Few know that versatile Mr.. "
r. Dabney was cnce the musical guid
Of the Fleisllmans and other sif
stockinged Cincinnatians.
Or thar Mrs. Helen Walker Kin
might have been press-agenfed alon
with the beiewled charmers Eta MS
ten and Marion Anderson, had sh
not shielded from association wit
the purely theatrical. Then there
Mias Nadine Waters, loesl cosaes'