Evening star., 1947-07-01

A pSycnolOglSt mlgnt 40 iaAi Joo
of psychoanalyzing the American
people just by listening to its music.
Maybe it wouldn't have to be psy-
chologist Maybe any one could figure
that the current popularity OF old
tunes is part of a nostalgia to which
people are fleeing from a future that
sometimes looks downright grim.
Or it may merely be that the old
tunes are the ones that are musical
and the new ones aren't interesting.
Sue Milroy, who sings with Johnny
Robb's orchestra at the Madrllion,
was sitting there is musical guam
Diary the other eve.
what sre some good new songs
i can learn?" she wanted to- know.
'I have to learn some new ones, but
what? Johnny gave me music Tor
four new tunes the other day ana
not one of them is any good"
We opened our mouth, then closed
It again. There was not single title
on the tip of our tongue. the new
tunes are Peg O. My Hear" Heart
aches" and things like that. Sep
tember Song" is a decade old (and
still fine, of course). "Stardust ana
"Whispering" are with us every
night. The library Of Cole Porter, OF
the period when he was the top,
that is. gets a thorough going-over.
We couldn't think of a single new
item to mention to Miss Milroy. II
she's smart, the way music tastes are
now, she'll dig up the lyrics TO
"Japanese Sandman" "Dardanella"
and avalon" '"Are You Lonesome
Tonight" ought to go great guns
right now, too.
+ *.*+
This nostalgia extends to per-
formers, too. While the young dance
to music that is older than they are,
they embrace stars who were stars
when the music was new.
The most notable example, OF
course. is AL Jolson, who suddenly
was rediscovered in the past year.
Another is Ruth Etting, who re-
turned rather triumphantly to New
York night life last season.
This state of affairs seems to us
to hint that some recording COM
pany might do itself a favor by look
ing up Little Jack Little Of WEAM
and FL Patio. An album of Mr.. Little
doing his own versions OF some OF
his own songs-"Jealous," "Shanty
in Old Shanty town." "Cecelia," etc.
ought to fit right into the nostal-
gic mood of the moment.
Il +**
A while back we reported that the
boys in Sammy Seymour's Starlgnt
Roof Orchestra manage to creaJe
the impression that they are having
a good time as they work. Mr.
seymour wants it known that this
is no mere impression. His is the
happiest band in Washington, ne
maintains. The boys and Planls'
Mini Baker do enjoy their WORK
atop the Roger Smith Hotel.
Newest arrival on the local enter
tainn1ent scene is Bob Ellis, bari
tone, who is a one-man floor SHOW
at the Wardman Parks Metronome
Room these summer nights. Mr.
Ellis last was seen around these
parts in 1945, shortly after being
discharged from the armed forces
when he played a week at the Capt.
tol Theater.
He followed that with a tour o.
Hollywood duty, after being signee
by MGM. He played bit parts II
10 or u movies before leaving Il
come back East and be a singel
again. He plans to return to movie
making in the fall, though, after III
Wardman Park summer.
One man who Is not reverting u
the nostalgia in the music he play
Is j. c. Heard, the famed jazz drum
mer. Mr.. Heard, whose orchestr
starts a two-week engagement a
1 the Club Bali on July 4, is heade
: in the other direction, in fact. He
all out for "re-bop," even thoug
he admits he can't define "re-bop.
! THE re-bop style Of music is wa
{ ahead of the American public an
B musicians as WE'LL" he has bee
8 quoted on the subject. 'It will tax
8 Is years before it's really we'll un
!. derstood and at least five before
B can be understood at all.
8 "Re-bop music is the next ste
s in musical progression. We starte
3 with ragtime, then discovered JAZZ
g later swing, then jive and finall
ii this new thing,