The Phoenix index., 1940-03-30
Tapping
The Wires
lag tapping wires stk

Langston Hughes, famous Ameri-
can race poet, has been commission
ed by the Columbia Broadcasting
System to write drama based on
the classic Booker T. Washington
autobiography, "Up From Slavery"
The finished work is to star Rex
Ingram in an especially prepared
program for CBS's Pursuit Of
Happiness" on Sunday, April z.
This date has several important
Booker T. Washington" relation
ships, according to Pursuit Of Hap
piness" director, Norman Corwin.
DR.. F.. D. Patterson, president of
Tuskegee Institute, Alabama has
announced April Z as Founders
Day at Tuskegee Institute" Booker
T. Washington, who established the
famous educational institution in,
1881, is to be honored by the
United States Post Office Depart
ment by the issuance on that day
of a 10-cent stamp in the Famous
Americans" series.
Because there is no post office at
Hale's Ford, Va, Washington's
birthplace, the stamps are to be
issued at Tuskegee on April 7.
Selection by CHS of Rex Ingram
to portray the famous American
educator is based on his world fame
as a representative dramatician-
who, among many other great roles,
was seen by millions as "De Lawd"
in the motion picture Green Pas
lures" He has just returned from
England where he was featured in
re-make of THE Thief of Bag
dad" and IS heard regularly on the
NBC daytime script show, Against
The Storm"
That hot trumpet solo and
equally tolrid vocal bit on Mildred
Bailey's new platter of "Wham" is
contributed by none other than
Little jazz Roy Eldredge. .....
Beat the drums for Benny Good
mans latest Sextet version of
"Gone With What Wind and Till
Tom Special" for record fans. +.
Count Basic sits in at piano all
Lionel Hampton contributes somc
of the finest vibe-pounding ever
recorded. Goodman himself thinks
it's the best sextet waxing he's
ever done and so far the feelings
unanimous One of the most i'm
portant features of any record
catalogue Is the race department.
Looking through the recent releases,
that everyone can enjoy for listening
and dancing as well, are quite a few
discs. Louis Jordan and His Tym-
pany Five have made "You Run
Your Mouth and I'll Run My Bust
ness" plus Hard Lovin' Blues" for
Decca as good example of fine
blues playing and singing. Also
catch the Vas Vas Girl in "I'll Try
to Forget" and Want to Woogie
Some More for real enjoyment.
THE TAPER TATTLES: Mildred
Bailey has postponed until Novem-
Der her Town Hall concert originally
scheduled for May. REASON: To
allow Duke Ellington, composer
more time to create a series of orig
inal songs. RICHARD HUFY, who
jovially conducts Mutual'S SHEEP
AND GOATS CLUB revue, is 24O-
FOUNDER who says he got that
stout eating barbecues in his own
Harlem restaurant. Aunt Dinah's
Kitchen" The National Urban
Leagues Eighth Annual Vocational
Opportunity Campaign program
with Speaker DR.. Charming H. To-
bias. senior secretary for colored
work of National Council of YMCA,
talked On employment <e@s-.---ns Of
the Negro" via NBC, Friday, March
% =. Charlie Christian and Lionel
Hampton, guitarist and vibe man,
respectively, with Benny Goodmans
top swing band can be once again
heard broadcasting over NBC. since
they opened at the Swanky Ambas-
sador Hotel in l.. A. Rochester's
most recently revealed hobby is a
model railway, most of which he
built himself. He has been work.
ing On it secretly ever since Jack
Benny gave him his first radio hit
.. the role of Pullman Porter.
Don't forget Marian Andersons ap-
pearance with the Ford Symphony
Hour, Sunday, March 81, 8 o. m