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MAY
THE MUSIC TRADE
16, 1925
TlJjten rlw Oiw
Ibn Love,
Loves You*
^ £ lieu) Waltz ballad
So Successfully
Swt<$ by
.Vaudeville's Leadw£ Artists
REVIEW
43
BECAUSE
^lhe Waltz InJfwMr v ^ §
^ Heard Everywhere!
^
MIDNIGHT
WALTZ
*A Sentimental Ballad
With A Wonderful
Fox Trot Rhythm/
U
Lyric bu Gus Kahn
j{
£*-w Music by Walter Donaldson .<^*
p
lyric by Walter Hirsch
Musk"; bij Ted Fiorito
Cliff frbd £K Abel
cant do wifoug wtth
square feet. The phonographs are in the rear.
In music, it features the Appleton series,
Schirmer library, Wood edition and other
standard library lines, as well as the famous
Century edition and popular music.
The Williams Music House claims that its
stock is in excellent shape and that it can satis-
fy the wants of the professional musician as
well as the discriminating public looking for
the better type of material as well as the rank
and file who want the jazz tunes.
The Williams boys are live wires, up and
doing from morning till night, working out
schemes for sales and attracting the consumer
to their store. While they are a pretty busy
lot taking care of the over-the-counter trade,
they display a great deal of energy in reaching
out for business.
This house is publishing two tunes which
are meeting with a great deal of success, a
ballad entitled "When I Look Into Your Eyes,"
and the other "Alabama Blues." It expects
to have both the publications recorded on the
various phonograph records and player rolls.
Leera Tilton is in charge of the sheet music
department. The moment you meet this lady
you know that she has been properly trained
in the "Williams" fashion. She surely knows a
lot about salesmanship and that is quite an art,
sure enough. As Miss Tilton puts it: "You
must sell your personality first—the rest is
easy."
Nat Williams, one of the boys, aside from be-
ing active in business, is a good musician. He
knows a "blue" note when he hears one. Here's
a funny one that happened. While I was out to
lunch with Nat, we happened to go into a cafe
where they give you excellent food and as for
the music, I'll let you judge for yourself. It
seems that there was a grouchy individual sit-
ting near our table. After he had listened to
a couple of numbers played by the orchestra
he arose from his chair and approached the
leader, saying to him: "Do you ever p"lay by
request?" The leader very politely bowed and
said: "Certainly, Sir." "Well," said the grouchy
diner, "I wonder if you fellows would be kind
enough to play a game of pinochle until I
finish my dessert." Of,course, this doesn't nec-
essarily mean that th€ musicians were bad, it
may be that our grouchy friend had a sour
taste in his mouth.
Mr. Chalifoux
The music dealer at 108 North Ninth street,
Mr. Chalifoux, has one of the most complete
music stores in the Southern States and he is
very proud of it. In the valuable stock that
Mr. and Mrs. Chalifoux handle, you will find
not only the works of American standard
and classic composers, but the most important
European _ compositions used by the highest
class of professional artists. Mr. and Mrs.
Chalifoux are certainly a happy couple. Mr.
Chalifoux completed his musical education in
Paris, France. He was a pupil of the Conserva-
toire, and was taught by the celebrated Char1p«
a n y FEIST
Dancla, also Pierre Maurin, who succeeded the
famous Felphin Alard there. He received in-
struction in harmony, counterpoint, and coin-
position from Adolphe de Groot, a leading com-
poser of French operatic music. Coming to
this country, he became connected with the
Balatka Academy of Musical Art in Chicago,
111. Hans Balatka, during his life time, was
a conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orches-
tra.
Mrs. Alice Halle-Chalifoux is a graduate of
the famous School "Villa Maria," having ob-
tained first prize for piano and harp playing.
She also received special instruction on the
piano from Emil Liebling and W. C. E. See-
boeck, both very prominent teachers of Chicago
and of world-wide reputation. Mrs. Chalifoux
is a most accomplished pianist and accompanist
and also has charge of the School of Accom-
paniment, Coaching of Songs and Drilling of
Chorus. The art of accompanying is an art
in itself. She is a harp player of rare ability
and gives instruction on this beautiful instru-
ment. Piano students within a short time can
easily learn to play the harp.
The success of this institution is due to the
very many friends and admirers of Mr. and
Mrs. Chalifoux. This lovely couple possess
much charm and dignity. Mr. Chalifoux took
a great deal of pride in showing me through
his marvelous stock, particularly the reserved
slock, but he emphasized the fact that there
were no dead accumulations there. Everything
he carries is saleable merchandise. He has
built up a splendid business and supplies not
only in the general trade but in many colleges
and schools throughout the South.
This store has a unique combination. Upon
entering to the right you will see a display of
jewelry, medium priced, but attractive. All
sorts of trinkets, watches, charms, bracelets,
etc., are nicely arranged. To the left and run-
ning right to the rear, approximately more
than a hundred feet in depth, is the sheet mu-
sic department. Mrs. Chalifoux is almost al-
ways busy ordering her music and taking care
of special customers.
They employ several young ladies who are
properly trained to serve the public. Mr.
Chalifoux is a sort of general utility man; but
he looks more like a college professor than a
music dealer. He is real dignified and wears
a smile that won't rub off. He believes in the
future of Birmingham and that it will some
day be the greatest city of the South through
its natural resources. He works hard every
day of the week, but he knows enough to look
about occasionally and see the splendid growth
the city is making. Mr. Chalifoux teaches not
only music but philosophy. He told me of an
instance, of a youngster who was taking lessons
from him. Mr. Chalifoux asked the boy for
the opposite meaning of a few words. "Tell
me, what is the opposite meaning of the word
'misery?' " "Happiness," said the boy. "What
is the. opoosite meaning of the word 'sadness?' "
"Gladness" was the reply. "What is the op-
posite meaning of the word 'woe?'" "Giddap,"
shouted the boy.
The Song Shoppe
The Song Shoppe is located at 1901 North
Third avenue and is a new shop recently
opened by Ralph Chalifoux, the son of Mr.
Chalifoux. You might call it a "music box."
From the size of the store, it would seem more
profitable to do business with a lean customer
who had a fat pocketbook than visa versa. I
happened to. be in Birmingham prior to the
day of the official grand opening of this little
Music Shoppe. Even then, it looked real snappy
and intelligent. Ralph Chalifoux is thoroughly
pleased with the location of the store. He
figures on getting a lot of transient trade as
well as that of many local friends. He said:
"1 am confident of my success and am very
thankful to my Dad for the training he gave
me in this line. I know what the public wants
and 1 am going to give it to them. My wife
and I are well acquainted with the young peo-
ple of Birmingham and she is going to work
right along with me. With an efficient dem-
onstrating staff, we are going to put it over."
He also lays particular stress on the fact that
his location is directly opposite the S. H. Kress
store* one of the twenty-five cent syndicates.
This syndicate formerly handled sheet music,
but withdrew its department some time ago.
According to actual statistics that Ralph Chali-
foux was able to collect up to the time of his
opening his store, all the music shops in Birm-
ingham, put together, do not sell 50 per cent
of the music that this one S. H. Kress store
did when they handled it.
J. Russel Robinson
About the time that the turkey trot had just
come into its own and everyone was doing the
"waddle," 1 dropped in to a certain music store
in Birmingham, during one of my trips South,
and tound a meek, unassuming, pale faced boy
pianist behind the music counter, demonstrating
music, and how he tickled those ivories. He
asked me what possibilities there were for a
fellow from a small town to get a real hearing
Iroin one of the New York publishers. He
aspired to be one of the big celebrities of the
music industry. Just how it came about that
he did become one is a long story. We know
this, however, that J. Russel Robinson has pro-
duced some of the best moaning, crying blues
ever written. Just how many he had turned
down we don't know. Hut some of the songs
he wrote which became known throughout
"Aggravatin' Papa," "Blue Eyed Sally," "Lena
from Palesteena." One of his very latest—
"Birmingham Papa" is making a few pennies
for him. Russel and his "Jazz hound" partner,
Al Bernard, are responsible for many young
folks leaving the dining table to dance the
"Charleston" in an adjoining room, where the
radio can be heard. He won't worry, either,
when the public becomes tired of syncopation
and jazz.