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The Music Trade Review
Broadway Music Corp.
Launches Strong Campaign
Elaborate Plans Made for Exploitation of the
Company's Newest Success, "Where the Cot-
Cot-Cotton Grows"
With a large printing of the orchestrations of
•'Where the Cot-Cot-Cotton Grows" fresh from
the press, the Broadway Music Corp., New
York, is embarking this week on an exploita-
tion campaign similar in every way to that used
for "Muddy Water" last season. Will Von Til-
zer, president of the company, has been waiting
anxiously for several months for a successor to
this number in the firm's catalog, and has con-
cluded that "Cot-Cot-Cotton" is the one. The
circumstances surrounding the selection of this
number by Mr. Von Tilzer are highly inter-
esting and caused no little excitement along
Broadway, when it became known that he
claimed another great "find."
The number was brought to him a few weeks
ago by Jack Le Soir, Ray Doll and Sol Klein,
composers of the song and hitherto unknown
in the song-writing field. From the first time
be heard it Will Von Tilzer was completely
sold on the tune and called in his entire profes-
sional and business staff to hear it. In an hour
or so everybody about the office was whistling
it, but in that time the composers had been
added to the professional staff of the firm and
the number was being rushed off to the printer
for first copies. Since them, of course, dozens
of headline acts and orchestra leaders have
been introduced to "Cot-Cot-Cotton" in Mr.
Von Tilzer's sanctum and without exception all
made immediate requests for the number. The
balance of the story of the firm's experience
witn the song is yet to be written, but Mr. Von
Tilzer is more than positive that it will have a
happy ending.
Carl Fischer, Inc., Issues
Imposing Fall List
Notable Assortment of Vocal and Instrumental
Numbers Offered—New Two-a-Month Sub-
scription Plan Meets With Favor of Pro-
fessionals
Carl Fischer, Inc., New York, in his first an-
nouncement for new issues for Fall presents an
unusually strong and interesting series of pub-
lications including some notable secular songs,
a number of octavo choruses, some two score
excellent piano selections, including a group of
twelve Schubert songs transcribed for the piano
by Leopold Godowsky, and a generous assort-
ment of other instrumental music and orchestra-
tions for bands and orchestras. The list is one
that is calculated to provide a full range of
musical appeal.
The company has also made formal an-
nouncement of the Carl Fischer Two-a-Month
Club, which represents a particularly generous
subscription proposition for the professional
musician on terms that mean profits for the
dealer. The arrangements call for providing
two compositions each month for piano con-
ductors, and small and full orchestras as well
as extra parts when desired, and is representa-
tive of the works of prominent composers. A
number of noted orchestra leaders are included
among the subscribers, among them Erno
Rapee, general musical director of the Brockton
Theatre; David Mendoza, musical director of
the Capitol Symphony Orchestra, New York,
and Nathaniel Shilkret, general musical direc-
tor of the Victor Talking Machine Co., and
well-known as director of radio orchestras, in-
cluding the "Maxwell Hour" and "Eveready
Groups."
Joe Venuti
written exclusively for the firm. "Doin' Things,"
the first of these specialties, is now on the press
and will be released in a short time. Joe Venuti,
whose violin virtuosity in the "hot" idiom has
attracted the attention of leading concert
violinists, is regarded as a leader in this type of
playing, and Fritz Kreisler, on hearing Joe
Venuti's work, is quoted as having called him
a genius, and expressed doubt as to his own
ability to do the things Mr. Venuti does.
Each of the numbers in the Venuti series
has been recorded recently by the composer on
Okeh and Columbia records. The balance of
the series, to be published by the Robbins
Music Corp., includes the following: "Goin'
Places," "Wildcat," "Sunshine," "Kickin' the
Cat," "Beatin' the Dog," "Stringin' the Blues"
and "Black and Blue Bottom."
The Association of Music Men held their first
meeting following the vacation season at the
Central Opera House, on East Fifty-seventh
street, New York, last Tuesday evening, and
the session was particularly well attended. The
association had as its guest J. Birnie.
MAKE M Y COT WHERE THE COT-COT COTTON GROWS
RAY DOLL — JHCX LE SOIR »~° SOL KLCIN
-# i
DANCE EDITION WILL BE LIMITED - GET YOURS NOW AND DONT BE SORRY LATER
//NATURAL BLftCK BOTTOM-HOT ENOUGH FOR ANY ACT Oft S/NG/NG ORCHESTRA.
PMJ5IC CORP.
Former Manager in Los Angeles for Irving
Berlin, Inc., Wins Stage Career for Ability
as Master of Ceremonies
Charlie Melson, for many years manager of
the Los Angeles, Cal., office of Irving Berlin,
Inc., has lately distinguished himself in the po-
sition of master of ceremonies in vaudeville,
Much interest in dance music circles has cen-
tered on the recent announcement by the Rob-
bins Music Corp., New York, that it is to pub-
lish a series of "hot" fiddle solos by Joe Venuti,
WE TAKE GREAT PLEASURE IN PRESENTING
BROADWAY
How Charlie Melson
Broke Into Theatricals
Robbins Music Go. Offers
Some "Hot" Violin Solos
MERE'S THAT MYSTERIOUS MELODY, BOYS -THAT EVERYBODY'S TALKING ABOUT/
Sy
OCTOBER 15, 1927
IfoOO BROADWAY, NEW YORK
Charlie Melson
which still links him to the sheet music busi-
ness. The story of how he came to leave the
music line is interesting. While with Irving
Berlin, Inc., in the West, he was in the habit
of calling on theatrical managers and actors
prominent along the Coast, and his most likable
personality endeared itself to all of them. One
evening in making the rounds Mr. Melson was
called on to act as master of ceremonies through
the illness of the regular entertainer at a cer-
tain cafe.
His work that evening was performed so well
that he soon was called upon to act in similar
capacities at various other night clubs and
theatres around Los Angeles. His services
became so much in demand that a very sub-
stantial offer was made to him to form an
orchestra and appear on the stage. Fanchon &
Marco took a very keen interest in Charlie
Melson and after a run in one theatre in Los
Angeles for six months he was booked in the
State Theatre of Detroit, where he enjoyed a
run of over five months.
Following this engagement Mr. Melson was
booked in the Branford Theatre, Newark, N. J.,
where he has been most successful, still holding
the post. He has created thousands of followers
as a featurer of popular songs. Newark music
dealers have been quick to take advantage of
this fact, and several full window displays have
been created tying up with his act at the Bran-
ford Theatre, adding a marked impetus to music
sales.
G. Schirmer, Inc., Again
Controls Retail Store
G. Schirmer, Inc., New York, has again ac-
quired complete ownership, management and
control of the retail store on the ground floor
of the Schirmer Building, 3 East Forty-third
street, which has been operated for the past
seven years as Retail Music Corp. The store
will again be called G. Schirmer, Inc. (Retail),
and the sales personnel and department man-
agers will be retained as before. Announcement
has been made by the firm to the trade that
all purchases for the works of other publishers
will be placed by G. Schirmer, Inc. (Retail),
for which special order blanks have been pre-
pared.