St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1956-09-14
THE LOWDOWN
BY l.. sIasco Young

capital has done an abOut-face on
the matter Of exporting our jazz
artists abroad. Deciding that a
new look" is needed in the type
Of entertainment that should rep
represent America abroad, Wash
ingtons brass has axed all Jazz
created like Ambassador"
Louis (SatchmoJ Armstrong and
Dizzy Gillespie. Scheduled 10 go
abroad for the remainder Of this
fiscal year under government
sponsored programs are such long
hair entertainers as symphony or
chestras, ballot troupes, concert
pianists, Wolinists and concert
cellists.
Not to include rock n roll. jazz,
country and genuine blues artists
in any plans for sending entertain
ment packages abroad is to misre-
present the American culture, and
foreign countries are already load
ed with too many false impress
sions Of life in these United States.
A very basic part Of the American
way Of life and certainly deserving
Of the honor Of representing us on
foreign soil as musical diplomats,
are such cultural luminaries as
blues artists B. b. King, Little
Walter, Little Willie John, and
rock n roll specialists like Fats
Domino, Elvis Presley, Gene Vim
cent.
1t might even help II some Of
our foreign friends could listen to
a soul stirring evening Of gospel
singing by the likes Of Clara
Ward and The Ward Singers,
Christine Clark and the Five Soul
Stirrers.
The State Department claims
that aside from the lightweight"
and expensive jazz packages
DIZZY Gillespie and Louis Arm
strong) sent abroad it is even a
fraid of the effect that a produc-
ton like "Porgy and Bess" would
have on foreigners 49, especially
since its setting is a slum-ridden
tenement section in Charleston, S.
c.
With that in mind the state Of
ficials are content to let "a mill
lion American dollars ride on the
l00-member Boston Symphony
Orchestra, which just completed a
European tour. Symphony orches-
tras, ballot artists and concert
pianists are excellent attractions
to have abroad, but let's not kid
ourselves into believing that they
are typical of show business in
America.
Wen bet our last dollar that
the first American youngster
you meet In the street can tell
you very soon who Elvis Pres
ley and Fats Domino are, but
few win recognize such names
as GregOr PaitigorSlOy, the cell
list or Maria Tallchief. the beau
tifuI ballerina-
PEOPLE & PLACES Crazy
Chris Columbo and his Swinging
Gentlemen" are in the feature
spotlight at Pops Musical Bar in
Philly. Chris new small combo is
made up mostly Of guys who quit
Wild Bill Davis's aggregation. All
seasoned musicians, they include
Crazy Chris on drums; Floyd
Smith on guitar; Jimmy Tyler,
tenor sax; Nick Palmer, tenor sax;
Jack weigand, organ and Johnny
Grimes, trumpet and vibes
You'n have TO look long and hard
to find a prettier showgirl than
coluptuous Sally Blair, the vocal
list newcomer who's destined TO
really go places Fats Domino
is co-author of his I'm In Love
Again" hit, sharing the writing
honors with Dave Bartholomew
A Harlem couple named their
twins, Elvis and Elvin "a boy and
girD, because the first thing the
mother said when she came out Of
the twilight sleep" was Il
dreamed that was dancing with
Elvis Presley" Now that Little
Willie John has made Fever"
such a big hit, perhaps somebody
will come along with a tune called
Temperature"
DISK N DATA: The tunes that
are selling the mast in records.
sheet music and juke box and disk
Jockey plays on Harlem's 125th