l
The Evolution of
"
MOHR SERVICE TOPS
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Jobbing firm music depart-
ment among best In natlon_ -
THE rat-ta-ta-tat of nickels into the
coin chutes is the phonograph operator's
best interpretation of that kind of music
called "swing_" Usually he doesn't know
just what it is, often can't understand its
disregard for tune and tempo, but is con-
tent to let the cash box register his .~,~us
tamers' approval of that thing they now
call sow-ion-g.
Why the public only in recent months
has caught on to this expressionistic type
of music is unexplainable. The lact re-
mains that we've had "swing" music-may-
be under different names-since the turn
of the century_ Some say it originated in
New Orleans about 1909_ That was the
year that the Dixieland Jazz Band started
doin.g strange things in a hot way with
musIc under the inspiration of Dominick
Larrocca.
A musician in those days didn't have
the radio to help him pick up ideas from
his. fellows_ Possibly there was more origi-
nality, at that_ Anyhow, rag-time had de-
lighted the beaus and belles of an earlier
day and jazz found a steadily increasing
acceptance with succeeding generations_
Trumpeters took the lead in breaking off
from traditional melodies_ Cornetists and
fiddlers picked it up_ Ad libbing they
called it_ They just played as and when
they felt-the time or the tune didn't
matter as long as there was rhythm.
Unappreciative response didn't deter the
early swing addicts. The idea spread_ Fed
up with the sweet stuff they were paid to
play, they took to a new-found recreation
on their own time--jam sessions. Just as the
struggling young musician becomes mer-
cenary by giving piano lessons for bread
and butter money, the swing boys got a
living out of dutifully dishing out com-
mercial jazz of the ballroom variety for
the stage, the hotels and the night clubs_
But their hearts weren't in their work.
The evening's chores done, tuxedos dis-
carded, you'd find them down at Annie's-
there to free lance until dawning_ Coffee
cups pushed back, feet on the table, one
of the boys takes a clarinet out of his case
and warms up_ A sax on the other side
of the room springs into action with some
variations_ A trumpeter contributes some
new breaks, and the jam session is under
way. Call it true expression of the soul-
or what you wish_
Hot Clubs came into being_ They even
organized the United Hot Clubs of Ameri-
ca, a movement started last fall by John
Henry Hammond, Jr_, whose father is a
New York attorney. They wanted to gain
recognition for swing music_ They wanted
to re-cut in their own way the swing ver-
sions of tunes long since discarded and
covered by dust on the shelves of the rec-
ord companies_ Los Angeles has a Hot
Club, so has Chicago, and Birmingham,
Boston, New Haven, Cleveland and New
York_
Recognizing new potentialities for the
discs, the record companies took it up_
They would warm up a good band and
put it before the mike with no idea of
what it was going to play_ Unbelievable,
but it worked! The result is music no
amount of work with a pencil could com-
MARCH,
19 3 6
pose_ · -Spontaneous rhythm, the music op-
erators agree, finds a ready market_
, .. You know the reaction to a scorching
variation of what wouldn't have been recog-
nized a couple of years ago as St_ Louis
Blues or Tiger Rag_ They gather round
the phonograph, set unemptied glasses on
top of it, and ask for more of that "hot
stuff_" .
It's gotten so that nowadays a good
swing artist holds only contempt for a
straight dance band; It's probably because
of the long struggle for recognition, and
now that they've arrived they glory in be-
ing on top_ But nobody knows what to-
morrow holds in store in the way of musi-
cal appetites_ "
.
It's not so much a case of swing music
grabbing the limelight in all or any types
of locations. The experienced phonograph
operator knows the demand for variety,
and you never find twelve swing numbers
on one phonograph_ But the fact remains
that there is a place in every music box
for swing music-whether you call it hot
dance, blues or novelty stuff_
As Louis Armstrong puts it_ "Swing is
my idea of how a tune should go_"
COLD SHOULDER
•
S'lugs given Icy reception by
new Mills coin chute.
CHICAGO_-The new Mills coin chute,
standard equipment on the Do Re Mi
phonograph, Mills cigarette vending ma-
chine and Mills Coca Cola machine, is
claimed to be 99-9/10 per cent slug-proof.
Solid brass slugs are now added to the
list of "old boys" which are thrown out
by the new bogus coin detector which has
been in the process of development since
Mills Novelty Co_ first started making
coin-operated machines in 1889_ Slugs of
aluminum, iron, lead, copper, tin, wood,
linoleum and paper, tokens and candy
discs are other types said to be on the
"no-play" list_
When Fred Mills issued orders to the
Mills engineers to develop a slug-proof
coin chute, a 47-year task begun in the
small backroom shop on Clinton Street
was resumed. The final res,ults were dem'-
onstrated when the new chute appeared on
the Do Re Mi phonograph at the 1936
Show_
WHO IS "ALONE"?
LOS ANGELES_-Definitely recognizing
the future in automatic music the Mohr
Brothers jobbing firm here has gone in for
music il\ a big way and has opened one
of the largest and finest music qep!lrtments
in the entire nation_
. ,
"We're equipped to handle music busi-
ness in any volume," said Mac Mohr of
the firm_ "We have disposed of several
carload shipments of phonograph machines
and more and more are on order. Within
a few days our first car will arrive in Oak-
land, Calif., where the machines will be
warehoused for immediate deliveries to
northern California operators_"
The Mohr firm now employs two full
time service men who assist operators in
every way at all times_ A complete stock
of parts, repairs, etc., is carried on hand
at all times in addition to a full line of
accessories including plate glass tops for
all models, microphones of all types, pro-
gram slips, blank identification . facto~y
2-color cards for operators to use m theIr
machines, new record recommendation
lists, and needles_
Mohr Brothers do not operate machines
in competition to the operator and all
requests from locations for machines are
referred to operators_ From 15 to 20 such
calls come in every week. "First, last and
always . _ _ Service to Music Operators"
is their timely slogan.
METAL RECORD CASE
.•
MIISic operator markets new
aJl-me1al container for discs_
GREENVILLE, N_ C-L. B. McCormick,
president of the North Carolina Automatic
Music Association and widely known opera-
tor is the designer and manufacturer of a
ne~ all-metal case for carrying records
which has just been placed on the market_
McCormick made up the case for his
own service men and has found a wide
demand for it from other operators.
OLSEN BACK
•
Permo executive e n JoY s
southern trip combining busi-
ness with pleasure.
CHICAGO_-Art Olsen, head of the Per-
mo Products Corporation, is back at his
desk after a business and pleasure trip of
about 3 weeks in the southeast.
While gone Mr. .Olsen did a little deep
sea fishing and if our luck is as good as
Art's we'll have a little photo evidence of
his catches for REVIEW readers in April. .
Trip covered most of the southeastern
states_
LOS ANGELES.-It doesn't make much
difference whose alone it is-any recording
artist will do-just so the gent with the
nickel in his hand sees that magic name
"Alone" on the program menu. "Alone"
LOS ANGELES_-Miss Eva Black, west-
has held the number one place in popular-
ern field representative for the RCA Victor
ity during the past five weeks_
Mfg_ Co., has been given additional terri-
"A Lovely Lady in Blue" and "She Wore
tory which now includes the elev~n western
a Little Jacket of Blue" are _ two other_ states_ Miss Black was here durmg Febru-
numbers that are far from giving the oper-
ary on her return from Denver and planned
ators the blues_ They are also riding the ·to head north for San Francisco, Portland
crest of current favor.
and Seattle.
DISTRICT ENLARGED
This space reserved for the
Amusement Co_, Harlingen, Texas_
Valley
Chicago boasts of three more new sub-
scribers, A. Van Allen, Walter Liberman
and James Smiley.
COl N
CARLOAD FOR OSBORN
LOS ANGELES.-The first of a series of
carloads of 1936 Wurlitzers arrived here
February 27th consigned to the Osborn
Music Company_
MACHINE
REVIEW
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