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42
THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
JANUARY 10, 1924
THE TALKING MACHINE TRADE
Brunswick Dealers of New
Richard Crooks Makes His
Memphis Columbia Dealer
Haven
Form
Organization
First Victor Recording
Makes Clever Display
Famous American Tenor and Victor Artist
Makes First Double Recording—Included in
January Victor Supplements
The first double record made by Richard
Crooks, the celebrated American tenor, was re-
leased by the Victor Talking Machine Co. dur-
ing January and by reason of its merit it will
do much to add to the fame of this artist, whose
Richard Crooks
artistic career is one of which he can well feel
proud. The closing of a contract by Mr. Crooks
with the Victor Co. late last year excited con-
siderable interest, because he has quite a fol-
lowing throughout the country.
Mr. Crooks has been before the public since
twelve years of age when he shared honors with
Schumann-Heink before an audience of 14,000
people at an important music festival. At
twenty-one Dr. Walter Damrosch, the distin-
guished conductor of the New York Symphony
Orchestra, after listening to him at a requested
audition at Aeolian Hall, New York, engaged
him for seven performances with his orchestra
in New York, Washington, Baltimore, Phila-
delphia and Rochester.
His professional career really began with the
1922-23 season. From the start he has proved
a sensational success everywhere. He has filled
engagements throughout this country and Can-
ada with leading orchestras, as well as with
well-known choral and oratorio societies.
Richard Crooks was born in Trenton and
when a mere boy joined the choir of the All
Angels Church, of New York, as soprano solo-
ist, later returning as tenor soloist. During the
war he enlisted in the 626th Aero Squadron
and after the war returned to his church posi-
tion and in 1921 was chosen from forty-five
others for the important post of tenor soloist
at the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church.
Consult the Universal Want Directory of
The Review. In it advertisements are inserted
free of charge for men who desire positions.
Brunswick Dealers in New Haven Hold Inter-
esting Meeting—Will Use Joint Newspaper
Advertising to Promote Musical Prestige
NEW HAVEN, CONN., January 12.—Brunswick
dealers in this city held a joint meeting recently
where they discussed policies and plans, and
concluded with the formation of an organiza-
tion for a mutual exchange of merchandising
ideas. The meeting was attended by about four-
teen dealers from New Haven and vicinity and
one of the most encouraging features of the
session was the decision of the New Haven city
dealers to use space in the local newspapers for
joint advertising. The dealers agreeing to this
plan were the Duncan Piano Co., Mathushek
Piano Mfg. Co., Dean David Smith and Blair &
Brodrib, and the first newspaper copy carrying
this advertising has already appeared.
As a further pledge of mutual co-operation,
the New Haven dealers have ordered cards to
be printed for hanging in their stores, listing
the authorized dealers in their community. The
meeting was attended by P. A. Ware, manager
of sales promotion, Eastern phonograph division
of the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Co., and Ned
R. Mann, sales representative for Connecticut.
Columbia Phonograph Go.
to Have March Campaign
Comprehensive Advertising Campaign on March
Records Under Way—Popular Artists Listed
The Columbia Phonograph Co. has prepared
an exceptionally effective advertising campaign
featuring Columbia records on the March list.
The company believes that this list affords an
exceptional opportunity for timely publicity, for
among the popular artists featured are Al Jol-
son, California Ramblers, Ted Lewis and His
Band, Art Conn and His Orchestra, the
Georgians, the Original Memphis Five, the
Silver Slipper Orchestra, Frank Westphal and
His Orchestra, the Midway Dance Orchestra,
Paul Specht and His Hotel Alamac Orchestra,
the Romancers, Van and Schenck, Louis James,
Shannon Four and Guido Deiro. In standard
and operatic music there is presented in the
March list records by the Columbia Symphony
Orchestra, Pablo Casals, Rosa Ponselle, Toscha
Seidl, Barbara Maurel and Louis Graveure.
E. R. Johnson Makes Gift
CAMDEN, N. J., January 12.—Eldridgc R. John-
son, president of the Victor Talking Machine
Co., has further endeared himself to the resi-
dents of Camden by making possible the erec-
tion of a first-class modern hotel in that city.
The new hotel is to cost approximately $1,250,-
000 and Mr. Johnson, by his outright gift of
$100,000 to the Chamber of Commerce, and his
pledge to buy $50,000 worth of stock in the hotel
company, has been largely responsible for the
whole undertaking.
Leo Kahn, President of Leo Kahn Furniture
Co., a Progressive Dealer—Believer in Un-
usual Displays as Sales Builders
MEMPHIS, TKNN., January 12.—Leo Kahn, who
was recently elected president of the Memphis
Exchange Club, is the president of the Leo Kahn
Furniture Co., a Columbia dealer who is attain-
ing exceptional success in developing Columbia
Window Display of Kahn Furniture Co.
business in this city. Mr. Kahn recently decided
to introduce a unique window display in connec-
tion with the Columbia record "Cemetery Blues,"
made by Bessie Smith, exclusive Columbia
artist. A graveyard was used to give atmos-
phere to the display. The illustration indicates
how the window trim was prepared.
Victor Co. Using Every
Effort to Meet the Demand
Every Effort Being Made to Supply Needed
Stock—Satisfactory Business Closed—Ralph
L. Freeman Optimistic Regarding Outlook
When seen by the representative of The
World this week, Ralph L. Freeman, director
of distribution for the Victor Talking Machine
Co., reported a record Victor business for 1923
and stated that, with the exception of two or
three cities, the holiday business had proved
good and that, in fact, the Victrola business
had fared proportionately much better than
practically all other lines of merchandise out-
side of the talking machine field. Mr. Freeman
is thoroughly optimistic regarding the outlook
for 1924 business and the great Victor factories
are starting out the first month of the new
year working on overtime schedules in order to
keep up with orders.
Features New Victor Artist
Attractive window posters, featuring Ted
Weems and His Orchestra, who are among the
latest Victor artists, have just been sent to
the trade by the Victor Co. The poster is
attractively designed in black and orange, with
a splendid photograph of Ted Weems and his
orchestral organization.
THE BRUNSWICK-BALKE-COLLENDER CO.
CHICAGO
NEW YORK
CINCINNATI