Evening star., 1941-10-26
Former Music Teacher
Al Howard j. Leads
Army Swing Band
Fort Bragg Musicians
Provide Hot Tunes at
CuroIinu Muneuvers
The Stars Special News Service.

LEDBETTER, S. c., Oct. 25.-
There's a boogie -woogie beat in the
1st Army's war maneuvers over the
sand hills of South Carolina.
Out of the scrub oak and pine
woods, the 4lst Engineers Negro
band Is pouring the hottest swing
music that ever came to these back
woods. Because when Pvt CFirst
Class Charlie "Cinch" Anderson
rolls back his eyes, points his trumpet
at the trees and lays a riff right in
the groove, it's a little bit of Harlem
in the hills.
The 41st, from Fort Bragg. N. c.,
brought its swing band along for
the war maneuvers. If there's to be
any work or fighting, even the make
believe kind, these boys want it set
to music.
They're called the Singing Engi-
neers' and fast becoming one of the
most noted Negro regiments in the
Army. They sing when they work,
and sing when they march and in
between times litter to the jumpin'
jive.
Hard to Make First Team.
Most of the young Negro musicians
who are being drafted want to join
the 41st so they can continue their
music. But they've got to be good
to make the first team in this outfit.
Warrant Officer John j. Brice, the
band leader, believes he can Or
ganize one of the greatest swing
<ands in the country if he can get
permission from the higher-ups to
pick his men. He thinks they rank
now with the second half of the 10
best Negro bands in the country.
All but three of the bands IA
members volunteered for a three
year hitch in the Army rather than
wait to be drafted. because they
wanted to join the 41st. BY volun-
teering they had choice of assign
ment.
The regiment is one year old and
under the command Of 1t. Col John
E. Wood. It's the first unit in the
Army to have official permission to
sing it's regimental song while
marching at attention. Brice, who
was music instructor at Howard
University at Washington, for Is
years. took over the job of organiz-
ing a regimental band. The swing
section was a natural complement
to the marching band which has 38
pieces.
Members of the Band.
Among the musicians are Sergt
Frank Wess, a l9-year-old boy who
played the tenor sax and clarinet
in Blanche Calloway's Band; Sergt.
Wilburn "Fathead" Pogue, alto sax
with Ethel Waters: Pvt. George
Deacon" Wolfe, a graduate of the
New England Conservatory of Music
at Boston and trumpet player with
Ethel Waters; Elmon "Jinks" Simon,
arranger and trumpet, and Jimmy
Wright, trumpet, who studied at the
Boston Conservatory of Music.
Col. Wood had his men build a
stage and rough wooden benches in
little glade near the camp and
each Sunday the band gives con-
cert. Hundreds of Carolinians come
by foot, mule, horse, wagon and
automobile over dusty roads to hear
everything from Wagner and Bach
to Frank Wess' own composition,
Move in the Groove"
When correspondents visited the
41st Engineers camp in pine grove
out on Ledbetter Ridge, the swing
band was tuning up IN the mess hall
for practice session. It just about
threw the camps routine into a
rhythmic snare.
Negro soldiers went truckin' down
the tent streets. Hands clapped and
feet stomped.
Yeah, mani" a soldier sang out
and for the next two hours the 4lst
moved in the groove.