New Warmth for NBC

When the networks had to drop ASCAP tunes and arrangements from the U. S. air, they ordered many a swingster to stifle his hot-licks for fear of violating an ASCAP copyright. That was hard on many a younger listener. Aside from hot record programs from independent stations, only reasonably warm music on the radio was the show called ASCAP on Parade, aired by an independent chain on Saturday night. Last week, officially because Producer Billy Rose was too busy with private matters to handle it, more probably because ASCAP was toying with compromise, ASCAP on Parade was withdrawn. But more than offsetting its demise was the advent of an NBC program called What's New. Put on by Old Gold over Manhattan's WJZ, What's New sizzled the air waves with its rhythms under the direction of Benny Goodman. Before he retired to the Mayo clinic last year with sciatica, his pie-eyed pipings were used to persuade youths to switch to Camels.

No fear had WJZ headmen that ASCAP monitors would find Goodman poaching on the Society's preserves. His improvisations were never written by anybody, and most of the tunes he uses are of his own non-ASCAP concoction. Since his band plays better when jitterbugs jig, WJZ provided space for the more delirious members of the audience to strut their stuff. Feature of each broadcast is incidental jazz shop talk by Maestro Goodman, retailing in the self-conscious argot of swing the doings of various other popular musical heroes. Sample chatter:

"Coming up now, Kittens, is a terrific little number. ... A record I'd like to mention is Artie Shaw's new release--a hunk of thing called Dr. Livingstone, I Presume."

One of 19 ideas submitted by advertising agency J. Walter Thompson when it took over the Old Gold account last January, What's New will be tried out for 13 weeks, will be put on a national hookup if it makes the grade. Pleasant to hear last week was the smooth playing of Xylophonist Red Norvo as a Goodman guest. Equally pleasant this week should be the famed Goodman trio, which will get together for the first time in over two years. Besides Goodman, it includes Colored Pianist Teddy Wilson, who has his own band, Drummer Dave Tough, lately with Tommy Dorsey.

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