“A Smile Will Go A Long Way”—Vic Berton

One the composer duos who had a fruitful collaboration was formed by two New Yorkers: Harry Akst (1894-1963) -- who wrote "Dinah," one of the most recorded songs of the 1920s -- and Benny Davis (1895-1979) -- who had his first 1920s hit with a song about another girl, "Margie." Together they wrote such hit songs as "Baby Face" and "There's Nothing Too Good For My Baby." And this one: "A Smile Will Go A Long Long Way."

This recording was made by drummer Vic Berton and his Orchestra in New York on February 1, 1935.

The soloist are: Spencer Clark-bass sax; Sterling Bose-trumpet; Matty Matlock-clarinet; Artie Foster-trombone and Irving Brodsky-piano.

Beside leader Vic Burton on drums, the remaining members of the rhythm section are arranger Darrell Calker on guitar and Merrill Klein on bass.

Chicagoan Vic Berton (real name Victor Cohen, 1896-1951) might be considered as the inventor of the hi-hat. The first jazz drummers, such as Baby Dodds, did not use these yet.

Around 1920/1921 Vic Berton constructed two cymbals mounted on a metal stand, that could be pressed against each other with a foot operated pedal. That way the top cymbal, mounted on a rod, can be moved towards the bottom one.

This effect can be heard right after Sterling Bose's first trumpet solo. Following Bose's second trumpet solo, Berton used a pedal timpani to produce a glissando.

In 1926, five years after Berton's original idea, Barney Walberg of the drum accessory company Walberg and Auge began contructing hi-hats. The Ludwig Drum Company, the largest manufacturer of percussion instruments in the world, did not have one in its catalogue until 1928.

The trumpet player on this Vic Berton recording is Sterling Belmont "Bozo" Bose (1906-1958) from Alabama.

Bose played trumpet and cornet in the style of Bix Beiderbecke and actually succeeded the latter in Jean Goldkette's Orchestra when Bix left that band in the late twenties.

Via the bands of Goldkette and Ben Pollack, Bose came to New York. Besides playing in the band of Vic Berton, Bose also played in the big bands of Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, Victor Young and Glenn Miller.