Evening star., 1949-11-24

Anyone VINO says IL seems ike
only yesterday is crazy, since 1t
was q dozen years ago that this
column was shouting the praises
of a singer named Helen Forrest
with what must have become
monotonous regularity. "You
haven't lived" it was alleged here
In mid-November, 1887, until
you've heard the Madrillon's
Helen Forrest sing That Old
Feeling"
Miss Forrest, it was reported
often, made songs sound better
than the composers had any right
to expect, even though she was
singing and we were listening in
fragrant violation of child labor
laws. That Is our story, anyhow.
Well, Miss Forrest is not the
Madrillon's Helen Forrest any
more. It was back in that same
November, 1887. that Artie Shaw
made his first overtures to her.
She turned him down, too, but
Mr.. Shaw was persuasive and be-
fore long Miss Forrest was sing
ing with his orchestra and on her
way to some fame as recording
star. She made some fine records
with him in those days and some
others with other people later on.
Nothing has happened in the
years between. however, to alter
this corners original appraisal Of
Miss Forrest. She has turned up
now at the Club Kavakos, for this
week only before going on to a
date at the Strand in New York,
and she is worth the trip over
to Eighth and H NE.
You will have to put up with
some unsavory and unfunny
comedy and some loud music by
some people called the Five Blue
Flames and if you are in point
blank range of a Kavakos loud
speaker you may get blasting,
but Miss Forrest makes up for all
OF this. She is q definite stylist
with a manner of phrasing that
Is distinctly individual. When she
really gets down to work she can
make a song run its fingers
through your hair.
This columns appreciation OF
the art of Helen Forrest probably
Is the most stable attitude it ever
displayed.
You never heard an idle CONVEX
sation take on a more expectant
hush than one at the Statler En-
bassy Room the other night when
somebody asked, "1s that Guys
brother?" People just sat waiting.
Finally some one said, "Is that
guys brother WHAT?" There are
nights, of course, when this sort
of thing goes on all the time and
it might have been better to stay
at home. All the man wanted to
know was if that Victor Lombardo
on the Embassy Rooms band
stand was Guy Lombardo's broth
er and the answer, of course, could
have been a simple eyes"
It was no burning urge to react
from the sweetest music this side
Of heaven that drove Victor to
leave Guys orchestra and form
his own a few years ago. This is
obvious as soon as the band starts
to- play. This Lombardo music
is of the same school as any other
Lombardo music, though Victor's
Is no copy of Guys. It's just
melodic, with a solid rhythm for
people who never learned to dance.
The drummer does sneak in a
little of that Chicago rhythm now
and then that makes you think
you are about to hear Henry
Busse, and Mr.. Lombardo plays
q soprano sax, even if you thought
only Sidney Bechet did, but don't
be looking for bop in the Embassy
Room.
It was no family rift that caused
Mr.. Lombardo to set out on his
own, either. He likes his brothers
and sisters fine and was as proud
as any one when Guys Is years
In show business were so widely
celebrated this year. Victor just
did when he was managing Sam
noticed one day, as Blue Barron
my Hayes orchestra, that orches-
ira leaders make more money
than other orchestra people. He
decided he ought to be getting
some of that loot.
Victor also was induced to es-
tablish himself as a band leader,
he admits, by a vagrant thought