Larry Clinton and his Dipsy Doodlers played a one nighter at the Roseland Tuesday. All that can be done about it is to wave one leg feebly in the air and pray that the invasion won't come again. If there is one thing that can arouse good musicians from their usual torpor, it is the mention of Mr. Clinton's name, the reason being that he is the most unadulterated copyist extant. He was put where he is because a high executive of a record company had him under personal contract and spared no pains to see that his investment was protected. In regard to his copying, examine "Fon To You" and you will find "Don't Be That Way" and "If Dreams Come True" in full splendor; "Dodging The Dean is made up of "Blue Skies" (Benny Goodman's arrangement) and "How Am I To Know"; "Study in Green" bears strange resemblances to one of Glenn Miller's riff tunes; "Midnight in Madhouse" has a large chunk of Ambrose's "Night Ride" present; "Chant of the Jungle" is an almost exact carbon of the old Casa Loma arrangement; these are just a few of Mr. Clinton's attempts at being original. Benny Goodman imitates Count Basic; but at least he has the courtesy to put Basic's name down as the author of the music he is playing. Clinton does (and badly) Pine Top Smith's "Boogie Woogie Blues," and on the credit line in resplendent dignity is Larry Clinton. The band seems to reflect all this in its playing. It plays without any life, any dig. The soloists are all uniformly uninspired with the exception of the tenor man who occasionally works passably.

The main objection to this band is that it plays a stereotyped style of music, very often not original. By clever buildup and publicity the public has been led to believe that this is the real thing in swing. Shallow stuff like this will lead the listening audience to become very tired of something they have been told was swing, and therefore to condemn it. "Swing is a verb, not a noun." You can play things in swing, but there is no such thing as a swing tune. Without good, sincere swing men in the band, unhampered by stiff, copied arrangements, swing is an impossibility. And what Mr. Clinton doesn't copy, nobody else would play. By the way, take a look at Jelly Roll Morton's record of "Kansas City Stomp" and "Georgia Stomp" if you wish to hear from whence the "Dipsy Doodle."

Notes between the notes: Magic Key program Sunday went sadistic, putting on a swell new swing band, and saying. "That's all, kiddies. We'll tell you the name of the outfit in a few weeks" . . . Ha! Kemp's record of "Blue Moonlight" (Victor), a concert jazz extract like "Deep Purple," is one of the best the band has done in a long while . . . Contrary to general reports, Jack Harlow's ('41) imitation of Bix Beiderbecke at the Sanders Theater Tuesday evening was very well done. Considering the handicaps under which the band was working, the evening was a success . . . Harry James starts half way through "One O'Clock Jump," and ends up playing "Two O'Clock Jump" (Brunswick). The brass section plays too softly. Just a bit louder, and one could do away with the chapel bell . . . Asked Joe Jones, Count Basie's drummer, the other day how he could stand playing the pop tunes that all bands must. Reply was "Ah just leans back and Ah thinks of low lights and the right girl." Excellent criteria for the judgment of swing. The rhythm section of the band turned out a record this week called "How Long How Long Blues" and "Boogie-Woogie" that swings quietly . . . Jimmy Dorsey celebrated his tenth anniversary about a month ago. You'd think he would have run out of ideas by now, but his alto chorus on "All of Me" is really one for the books. Helen O'Connell's vocal shows much improvement, being more like Mildred Bailey, but is still too stiff. Listen to Bobby Byrn backing Helen's vocal, and figure out whether he plays trombone or trumpet.