Mostly Miscellaneous Things: Even ardent musician unionisis had to suppress grins when Local 77, Philadelphia, demanded and held tryouts for a musician to fire a cannon during the Tschalkovsky "Overture 1812" . . . New York scribes are listing Lester Young's solos (Count Basie) as being by "Jack Hoak" . . . Orchids to Red Nichols for the clever stunt of mailing all the record critics in the country five pennies separately with an announcement of more to come and then a nickel painted red with publicity about Red Nichoin and the Five Pennies.

Charlie Barnet is scheduled to do six twelve inch sides on Otto Cesana's "Symphony in Swing"--the longest jazz yet recorded . . . Bob Crosby's band gets some punch it has long needed with Doc Rando going in at third sax and Hank D'Amico going in shortly at lead. This will give the band three great clarinetists: D'Amico in the New York style and Rando and Fazola in the New Orleans style . . . Eddla Durham is starting a band--big news since he was responsible for much of the Lunceford-Basie-Savit success.

Proving something or other, this reviewer made an auditional recording a short time ago. In the band on the record was drummer Freddy Moynahan of Boston. He didn't sound too sharp and most of the men on the job kidded him about his playing . . . So word back from Chicago says that he is now Bud Freeman's drummer and is hailed as a sensation . . . Rumor has it that Benny Goodman is going to release drummer Fatool, that he traded punches with "Handy" Stokowski, and that he is going to make records with Fred Astaire.

Eddie South's band (he of the violin) is causing a sensation at Jiggs' in New York . . . And we hear dirty rumors to the effect Artie Shaw is trying to get his old band back again . . . Harry Newman, impresarlo of the class of 1942 and booster of the King Cole Trio from California will be glad to know that well-merited recognition is finally coming their way as Lionel Hampden used them in a recent Victor recording session. The "Cardinal" will also be interested, as will most of you, in the middle part of the Earl Hines theme, "Deep Forest," released this week on Bluebird.

While I don't like Harry James' hot trumpeting, it must be admitted that his playing on "Flight of the Bumble Bee" is excellent technically speaking. The record compares favorably with an earlier one by Jimmy Dorsey in which Jimmy displayed his ability on sax for two choruses. Only quibble with the James version is that parts of it are swiped from the Dorsey--and we still don't think swingin' the classics--even something as dinner-musically as the "Bee'--is worthwhile.

"Rigamaroie" by Duke Daly is just okeh--band in very heavy and never really gets swinging . . . Tommy Dorsey's "April Plays The Fiddle" gets our vote as the most likely new tune most competently played . . . Benny Goodman's "The Sheik" keeps up the good standard the sextet has set--and shows for the first time what excellent drumming Nick Fatool is capable of . . . "Bluin' the Blues" is another disc by the amazingly little Dixleland gruop Muggay Spanier gathered around him. Besides good solos and the drive that all the records of this series have, the reverse face. "At Sundown" has the ost sudden shift this reviewer has ever heard from Dixleland (two-four) to four-four tempo--it's worth hearing.

More Goodman repressings: This time "You Know" by the Trio. First good clip tempo with "Flash" Krupa showing the folks back home he can play. Second side much better with ideas, swing, and Today Wilson piano galore . . . Freddy Slack claims that he'd arranged "Rhumboogie" and that the Bradley band was playing it long before the Andrews Sisters did it. At any rate their recording of it is a good one . . . "I've Got Rhythm" by Horace Henderson is marked "Special Version"--we like the original better. "Shuffin' Joe" on the back isn't bad.