The coming weeks look very strong from the swing angle with Chick Webb now in residence at the Southland, Earl Hines due in there soon, Charley Barnet at the Raymor, various name bands in and out of Totem Pole and the Roseland State, and the Freshman Smoker's terrific array of talent Monday night.

The Chick is a deluding appelation for Mr. Webb. He is without doubt the most powerful drummer in the country. Vague resemblance to the Goodman brass section can be seen in his playing. Lately, however, he seems to have concentrated on backing the band, which is much better than the days when he used to cut loose now and then regardless of what else was going on.

Star of the band is the Ella, or "Tisket A Tasket" Fitzgerald. Ella, besides being a nice kid personally, is a real showman and a marvelous singer. Heard her do an item, "Chew, Chew-something or other, which brought three encore demands from the crowd solely on the basis of the life that she put into the thing. Eila's singing is a lot like a good "dig" tenor sax player: she sings most of her licks ahead of the beat, so that you get a drive effect which packs power in quantity. Result is that she is just about the back-bone of Chick's band.

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The Smoker this year is musically something, for the Yardlings have, in addition to their other stars, secured four of the finest musicians in the country, backed by an excellent local band.

Star number one is Hildegarde, who has been on the cover of Life and in the columns of Time magazine of late, besides finding time to do a radio program known as "Ninety-Nine Men and a Girl." In addition to her singing, which Time aptly termed "singing like Garbo looks," she is an excellent pianist and plans to do some double piano work while up here.

A few trumpet riffs around star number two betray a guy with a perpetual grin, Roy Eldridge. Roy, besides being one of the top swing men in the country, manages to play more fast trumpet than anybody around. To get an idea of why he got the nickname, "Wild Man," listen to "After You've Gone" (Vocalion).

Star three is Albert Ammons, a former Chicago lad whose boogiewoogie playing with Meade Lux Lewis at the Cafe Society in New York has had every piano man in the country practising up on his left hand. For some of the finest piano jazz ever recorded, get the two Blue Note records, a private release, which has piano by Albert and Lux.

Star four is the previously mentioned Miss Fitzgerald, who will be backed by Jack Hill's band. The Smoker Committee has been diving in and out of every dance spot in the section trying to find a band good enough to back the notables present. Hill's outfit, from the Little Dixie, definitely fills the bill. Fine rhythm, with excellent brass solos, and a tenor sax man that plays Lester Young (Count Basic) ideas all go to make up a very solid swing style.

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Heard the new Casa Loma (Decca) album and it was well worth it. With the exception of Murray McEachern, trombone-sax man recently acquired from Benny Goodman, the band doesn't play much swing. But it does play a great deal of the ensemble work that made it famous as a dance outfit and for excellent commercial. Catch Louis Armstrong's duet with PeeWee Hunt for the difference between someone that phrases and one that just sings . . . Also heard the Victor Herbert album, and while it isn't swing, it is swell melodic stuff--recorded perfectly and done in admirable taste--and is a relief from tunes like "Three Little Fishies"--for which Harvard may or may not be responsible, but which is guaranteed to drive almost any one crazy . . . For a change, and due to Cozy Cole's drumming, Lionel Hampden has turned out a fine record this week in "High Society.