(George Avaklan, who is one of the country's leading jazz critics and the man who produced so many good records for Columbia and Decca that even he hasn't got 'em all, enjoys nothing better than reminiscing about the old days in Chicago. He freely admits that during those old days he was in New York and somewhat unaware of the joys of gin, Jazz, and allied pursuits; but then Gibbons never met the Caesars, and at least George knows the Chicago boys as their mothers never did. This is the first of what's tending to become a series.)

Today marks the sixteenth anniversary of the first recording session on which a full set of drums was used. It happened in Chicago at the old Okeh studios, and the percussionist who broke away from the hard and fast rule of showing up with only a snare drum, cymbal, woodblock, and cowbell was Eugene Krupa, fresh out of school and still on Camels.

Two sides were made--"Sugar" and "China Boy"--and the record was released under the name of McKenzie and Condon's Chicagoans. William the Red McKenzie acted as contractor and Albert Condon played his 4-cable banjo as only Edward Condon can play it. This was easy for him, as Albert is Edward and Edward is Albert, except to his friends, who know him as Eddie.

Also assisting in the ceremony were James MacPartland, Franklin Teschemacher, Joseph Michael O'Sullivan, Lawrence Budleigh McFriedman, and James Lanigan (no relation to Studs, also of Chicago, or Wayne, late of the R. C. A. F. and Beckman Hill.) The company liked them well enough to arrange a return engagement a week later, at which time the boys gave birth to the classic disc of "Nobody's Sweetheart" and "Liza."

If you don't think the labor pains were terrific, just listen to those last choruses again.