CYRIL STAPLETON.
Column
- THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, : OCTOBER” 18, 1958.
DUKE
THINKS HE'S
THE GREATEST
AND THE HAT FITS
THE finest band in the world" has been launched on us-the Duke Ellington Orchestra. It has arrived in the Ile de France for a 13-town concert tour of Britain.
Who blows the loudest fanfare on the band's behalf? Duke Ellington himself. "If I am to be frank," he pronounces, "my band is the world's greatest."
•
Tin Pan Alley shuddered at Joy," a compound of tuneful
his titles things like "Black tophistication and sardonic And Tan Fantasy," "Mood humour, ran for 12 packed Indigo," "Creole Love Call," weeks in Hollywood. "Black, Brown and Beige," airl
"Rockin' In Rhylum." They are now all Jazz standards.
Stalwarts
The Ellington musicians can
He was years befors his time. and other bandleaders borrowed from him extensively: The doo- apparently stand his company. wah, doo-wah rubber-cup- Two stalwarts, saxlsis Harry muted trombones that helped Carney and Johnny Hodges, the Glenn Miller band to fame have been with him for nearly From another man that Not to be taken too seriously, were not new. Ellington thought 30 years. Some of the newer would be immodest. But the
nt course. Ellington's "It of them 20 years carller,
boys have a mere 18 years to Duke speaks will: ealm Don't Mean A Thing" is 1 Ellington is regarded by their credit. authority as "The First Gentle rounder statement of his musical many os the most original Stars of the Ellington band! man of Jazz."
philosophy. It hurt ucleat musical bruin that America has They are all stars. But if I had power To bring that word "swing" into wide usage.
yet fostered. His prodigious to plek out the show-stopper it talent is virtually still un- drummer Bany Woodyard. What kind of a man is Elling-
He whips up such a storm that tapped. to?
our drummers will be green. I have met him twice--
So, if the Duke himself says hig band is the greatest, that is good enough for me.
As a minor member of "The Banded
William Gentry," "Count" Baie bend, a deferen- tal knee. Someone asked him if als own band was the best quiet, gentlemanly sort of in the world "No, sir." replied fellow of somnambulent aspect. the Count. "That band is led He is a great sleeper and the by my friend, the Duke af shrillest telephone cannot rouse Ellington."
him. In his gentle fashion, he
Edward Kennedy Ellington in, in fact, the only fully fledge Renlus alive and he 15 undeniabiy, kicking-cș the jazz cene. George Gerliwin revered Jl. Leopold Stokowski and Ferey Grainger were among the many eminent, long-haired con- pozers to appland his brilliance.
Composure
The urbane, Washington-Born Duke he got the tag ng a rchoolboy on account of his elegance takes the tributes gracefully.
He
been known to put the closure to tedious interviews by nodding off.
But h is also a ferocious worker. His popular songs have enned him a small fortune. You will remember he wrote "Soli tude," "Don't Get Around Much Any More," "I'm Beginning to See the Light." "Caravan" "Sophisticated Lady" and muny
more.
No training
Now, pushing 60, he is still
at it.
He excels of writing revues, His coloured show, "Jump For
1
CRIME SHELF
By CYRIL KERSH-
LATER THAN YOU THINK. ● SPOTTED HEMLOCK.
hf. M. Kaye, Longmans. Gladys Mitchell. Joseph, 138. ed.
128.
•
Duke Ellington
blowing his own trumpet the loudest.
I don't use the word lightly;
yes, he's a
By NANCY SPAIN
Giant
weighed about a ton) and at least one masterpiece.
Father
រំច Q stone-cutter (Wolfe's own father was a stong- cutter, with a passion for spout. lng pootry),
Mother is a strange, grasping, This one; LOOK HOME- pathetic woman who runs A WARD, ANGEL (Heinemann, boarding-house. (So did Wolfe's
[E was obviously one hell of a fellow....six foot 21. in republished on the an- mother.) She buys real estate, HE
with his SELECTED LETTERS any money spent out on her
dreds of people, who are confiel with
of being a genius, are going to burning husband.
His head was magnificent. It was like a enjoy for the first time." HUSH-A-BYE MURDER.
sculpture by Michelangelo.
her generous,
Ga. Multiple murder on -Poisoning at an ogricultural | six, and because no desk was big enough for niversary of his death, together collects string, hoards it, grudges Kenyn farm-net by Mau Mau college for women solved by him, he would have to write standing, leaning up (Heinemann, 23.), which hun- growing family. she is in Most un-British, of course, but Dame Beatrice Bradley. Wordy
sors, and whimsical; tends to tedfum. against an ice box, holding his paper down on top interested in the bloody business fapossible, extravagant, bright- Atat-class detective Overlong, perhaps, but you'll go For Mitchell fans only.
of it. on reading. Over the years, his output- Jausic of all
bees A SHROUD FOR UNLAC. David types--has
Couriler. Hammond. freinendous. Some
he S. H. of it serawled on the back of inenus 128. 6d. Murder, arson, kid- napping and other vile deeds on and programmes.
Australian sheep station, Sinister characters and a tough, insi pace, although denonement a cheat,
displays the same com- posure during periods of stress, such as the time they threw
He had no academic musical punnies on the stage while bis
apart from piuno bund topped the bill at the training.
Jussia. London tulluctum in 1933, and
"It sounds all right on the when, much later, his drums, plano, then I use it," Is one of
ANOTHER MAN'S MURDER. pendulum. swinging
off his maxims.
AL. G. Eberhart, Collins 10s. Gd. swung himself backwards
York's He leaped from obscurity to-Murder among the Florida the bandstund! at New Carnegie Hall, The
the Duke maturity In late twenties.swamps and orange groves, Tout cocked
n bland
at the Jazzmen sat up and gaped at and gripping, and distinguished !y་ much rhythm, the
new sounds heby the author's usual surrness of strange audience. "Too
touch, produced. y'know," he cbserved silkily,
VIGNETTES OF LIFE
Having wonderful time Wish your wait Leve -plaase. and auth
non
LETTER FROM A VACATIONING WIFE TO HER ERSTWHILE HUSBAND AND
TEMPORARY PEN PAL.
WHEN YOU ARE ALONE, YOU CAN LET THE PHONE
RING. A WOMAN THINKS THE LAW SAYS YOU MUST ANSWER IT.
Alexander. Boardman
0
newspaper
His eyes glowed, his hair was a black ragged mat; his manner was a blend of assurance and
When he loved he did so with "
From the titanic struggles of The lime is ripe for a great this couple. Wolfe has built a revival of Thomas Wolle.
great, thick, excling story, it with the Bickering brilliance of a personality of genius.
So young
10s. Gd.-Murder of unpleasant
"Look Homeward, Angel", Is chief Broadway gossip columist, suc- cessful Investigated by
"an intemperate excess." Ho nt the moment doing great editor. suspect,
was passionate about America, business as a play in New York. food, drink, women, travel, and Amateurish, but light and lively.humily.
words.
He loved the whole of Paramount holds the option on
the work, movie-wise, When he hate:
• TREASON IN THE EGG.'
life, in fact,
"Look Homeward, Angel". La Wolte wrote this, book when I.. A. . Strong. Collina, 12s, od,
he was a pretty good hater too.
the story of a remarkable family he was 28. He did everything Dopo anuggling, murder and
Blk name was Thomas Clay- called · Gant, who live in a omad reason mar the high jinks al
course
art. Everything he did, he did on a fon Wolfe and he died 20 years American town called Allan He even went to univer- U modern
When he wrole a ago this month of pricumionta, mont.
The father, who wanted ly when he was 15,
"Look Homoward, Angel" was Fucctious writting and a con-rand scale.
"War and
PERCE."
When he of the brain, leaving behind him his private fe as though he first published in 1020 and when fusion of characters spoit a com-novel It was twice as long as followed by mm deute intellon to be an actor, ranta througit petent mystery-thriller.
tried to cut it he would take out a few million words (mostly in were doing the big scenes from he left his publishers" office 150,000 words and add 70,000. -{London Express Service).
REGARDING DIRTY 'DISHES, SOME MEN
THINK THE BEST
SYSTEM IS TO
WAIT UNTIL THERE IS A
REAL PILE
"AND A FULL
DAY'S WORK.
FOR SOMEONE.
OTHERS CONTEND IT
IS POSSIBLE TO GET ALONG WITH ONE CUR ONE SPOON, ONE KNIFE. AND FORK-
AND AN
OCCASIONAL
FRYING
PAN.
All Alone
"YOU
POOR
MAN !"
So grand
THE WELL-MEANING NEIGHBORS WHO CANY UNDERSTAND
THAT A LITTLE SQLITUDE IS. WELCOME ONCE
IN A WHILE,
1941 IT GEHIKAL FEATURLE
CORP. THE WORLD 110405 BRIEFVER 7. ZO
Casca
wooden packing
that "King Lear,"
By Harry Weinert
ALL ALONE WITH THEIR WIVES IN THE COUNTRY, THESE POOR CHAPS ARE JUST SWEATING IT OUT AS BEST THEY CAN.
SKA LEVEL
HEIGHTS
AND
POINTS
"EAST
IF YOU CAN'T EVEN BOIL WATER, HUNT UP
A BOY SCOUT AND
TAKE A LESSON.
WE HAVE NO USE FOR THE MAN WHO SENDS: THEM OFF WITH A GRIN - THE LEAST HE CAN DO IS WAIT UNTIL HE IS ALONE.
with a cheque for 500 dollars in his hand, he said: "It was the Orst time.....that anyone had concretely suggested that any- ring 1 nad written was worth as much as 15 cents."
When "Look Homeward. Angel" came out the people of Asheville, North Caroltrin, where Wolfe spent his childhood, went slightly crazy. One old lady wrote to him that she would like to have him lyriched,”
Wolfe was slightly hurt.
But eventually he produced or TIME AND THE RIVER, another sprawling, thundering, stautobiographical work, that follows his hero of "Look Homeward, Angel" to Europa,
Wolle was desperately home- ait for America when he wrote this one, living in rooms). In Ebury Street, London, SW.
Now, there is only one way lebe aure of great writing. Great writing yes. And It seems to me that Wolfc'a writing is as alive in 1958 as it was in 1929, undated as a great classic is undated,
Up to date
If anything is left of our Hiterature, Let's say, in A.D, 2000 my money is on Thomas Wolfe. rry Thomas Wolfe will be in print long after the Sitwells, Hemingway, Nancy Milford, John Osborne, Kingsley Amis, Old Uncle Jack Pilestley and all. have gone.
This is a week for fremen- - deus, fellows. Here's a home
grown one: Old Etonian trumpe- r Humphrey Lyttelton, whose ancestor Humphrey Lyttelton the First was fonged and quartered in Guildford for "treachery" in the Gunpowder Plot, has wrii» ten his second volume of auto- blograph: BECOND · CHORUS (MacGibbon and Kee, 15%);
I loved his first book, I Play As I Fiesto, and this one brings the story up to date, with pictures of Louis Armstrong and | Lyttelton's small sun, who plays the guitar as other, music lotia ulay the double · bass," upright, Phía favourite twig bekg Dinger-
bowl (Jingle Bells).
-Hump's first book fool nine months to write, soviï of which (says Humph), were spont over the Arst entered/ 17 was a big succeed, mid all Humph's folenida felt he had arrived."
And then one day he went to the Schoolboya" ay hihibition.. Thousands of boys handed this famous Old Elonilan trumpeter autograph books, talled dubiously to decipher his signature and Anally 'rked: "How many, sqala have you, scored – this sunTOR,