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The Music Trade Review
32
Nora Bayes Makes Hit
With "Muddy Water"
You Cant Go Wronti
With Anv FEIST' Stuff"
The 1927 Waltz Hit
New Mississippi Moan Song Achieving Imme-
diate Success Wherever It Has Been Sung
Nora Bayes, well-known musical comedy and
vaudeville star, who is appearing on a popular
priced theatrical circuit this season, is said,
however, to be receiving one of the largest
weekly salaries in her whole career. Another
feature of her present tour is the selection of
"In A Little
Spanish Town
A Hit Any Day!
fcfc
SUNDAY"
JANUARY 22, 1927
photoplay) is to have a tremendous organ. The
new Roxy Theatre will have three large Kim-
ball organs.
From the present trend doubtless all future
theatres will have organ equipment. The organ
is an important feature of every photoplay thea-
tre and nearly all new theatres are probably
being built for adaptation to feature photoplay
production showings.
Another important evidence of the sway of
the organ is shown by the frequent additions
to the catalogs of the standard music houses of
music covering every phase of organ entertain-
ment. The Oliver Ditson Co.'s novelty list gen-
erally includes a series of organ pieces and an
analysis of these compositions proves their
availability for the most modern type of rendi-
tion. For instance, the latest novelty list in-
cludes "Choral Symphonique," by Roland
Diggle. This is a fantasia on four well-known
hymns making really four themes. There is
also "Dawn" by Alfred T. Mason which as the
title suggests is a smooth flowing melody having
unusual charm. Included in these issues are
"Marche Nuptiale," by W. Berwald and "Album
Leaf," by Arthur Traves Granfield, arranged by
Roland Diggle.
"In a Little Spanish
Town" Goes Over Big
Feist Number Being Purchased Heavily in
Every Section of the Country, Reports Pub-
lisher
A High Flying Hit
" Just A
Bird s-Eye View"
(OE My Old Kentucky Home)
The Netv "Cry" Hit
"It Made You
Happy"
(When You Made Me Cry)
Its "(rut"
Everything
"I've Got the Girl"
The !\'e,r liatlad Hit
"Take in the Sun,
Hang Out the Moon"
(Rock Me in a Cradle
of Dreams)
LEO. FEIST, Inc.
Feist Bldg.,
231-235 W.4O5- h St
NEW YORK,N.Y.
Nora Bayes
her song material. Undoubtedly she is reach-
ing a new high mark in the field of entertain-
ment through the presentation of particularly
appealing songs. These, naturally, cover sev-
eral phases of vocal offerings, but none, how-
ever, is of more importance in characterization,
interpretation and scope than her rendering of
that overnight success, "Muddy Water."
"Muddy Water" described as a Mississippi
moan, is much more than that. It is a blues,
a spiritual and a combination of all those things
which have made the songs from the South
widely popular. Like a spiritual, it has musical
value that commands the respect of even the
most musical. Here is a number that lends
itself to the individual artist's method and in-
spiration of rendition. It has a background,
despite various interpretations either in song
or instrumental form, that holds true. It is
classical, and at the same time novel, a com-
bination of great rarity, when played instru-
mentally. Vocally it is a song of home, a song
of the Mississippi and a hymn to the South. It
is not so much of magnolias and birds and bees
with shady nooks, but it is rather a truthful pic-
ture and a lovable one.
Because "Muddy Water" adapts itself to a
wide range of interpretation, because vocally it
lends itself readily to solo, duct, quartet, or en-
semble, and because its range for various types
of orchestras is also wide, it has indications of
not only achieving unusual prominence which
all this exploitation will give it, but also
promises to set a new mark, at least for recent
years, for various types of mechanical renditions.
Organ Music Has
Big Place at Present
From all sections of the country reports show
that "In A Little Spanish Town," an unusually
appealing waltz song, is having a remarkable
sale. The song is being purchased by the trade
in hundred lots or more and the sale being brisk
moves the goods promptly. The number has
become so popular that the professional de-
partment and the various branch offices of Leo
Feist, Inc., the publisher, are trying to hold in
check some of the radio renditions in order not
to overdo its popularity. Of course, the fact
that it is a waltz number will tend somewhat
to keep it in the limelight for a lengthy period.
Fred. K. Steele, Inc., Is
Now in New Offices
New Music Publishing House Located in Wing
of Building at 745 Seventh avenue, New York
Fred K. Steele, Inc., is now housed in its new
home, 745 Seventh avenue, New York. This
firm occupies a wing in the building which gives
it space for a large reception foyer, a series of
piano demonstration rooms, the executive offices
of the company, with stock and shipping depart-
ments in the rear. Fred Steele, head of this
thriving young organization, was paid many
tributes during the week of the opening and
many of his vaudeville friends and not a few
orchestra leade.s were visitors. The Steele Co.
will continue its campaign on "Ev'ry Little
While." This song continues to have a heavy
sale.
Now "The Gat" Follows
Flock of Bird Songs
Leo Feist, Inc., Publish New Number Under
That Title Which Is Being Tried Out in Chi-
cago—May Lead to New Epidemic
It may be just a coincidence, and then maybe
there may be a dark plot involved, but anyhow
it does seem kinda funny that, just when "Red,
Red, Robin," "Bye, Bye, Blackbird," "Hello,
Bluebird" and "Bird's-Eye View" looked like
The importance of the organ as a means of the forerunners of an epidemic of bird songs,
public entertainment is demonstrated by the along comes Feist with a mysterious, sneaky,
equipment of two new theatres in New York spooky song called "The Cat." Right now it's
City, now under way, one of which, although a prowling around Chicago, where it was written
dramatic and a musical comedy playhouse (not by Gus Kahn and Johann Jonas.
Indication of Wide Demand for Such Composi-
tions Shown in the Latest Ditson Novelty
List