OCR Text |
Show ROUE WILL LEAD " BAND WITH NEW AND UNIQUE IDEAS That there I a decided difference between be-tween a musician who ia merely great and one who la successful as well a great Is demonstrated by B. A. Rolfe, who, with hia company of Instrumentalists Instrumental-ists and vocalists. Is presenting "The Roi-fonlana" Roi-fonlana" at the Orpheum this week.. Besides being a comet virtuoso of ability, abil-ity, credited with attaining the highest register ever played on that Instrument, Mr. Rolfe Is the originator and producer of a doxen or more musical acts, each of which is distinct novelty. Theee Include In-clude "The Courtiers," "The Leading Lady." "Te Colonial Septette." "Ten Dark Knights." "The Piano Phienda," "The Immenseophone" and others. "I think I can claim." said Ma. Rolfe. In the couree of a conversation, "thai when I first conceived the idea of Producing Pro-ducing a musical act which waa out of the ordlnarv. there had not been up to that time anythtna of the sort attempted. "The conventional vaudeville musical act. with the Instruments spread upon a table, the player In evening drees ar uniform, waa th rule." Mr. Rolfe brought to bear fund of orlainal Ideas; he waa aided at first by Jessie Laskev but some three year ae they dissolved partnership and have since been friendly rivals in the same held. -One of the difficult thine In arranging arrang-ing thla sort of act." aald Mr. Rolfe. "Is to And Just what will so It s a samMe alwawx. Every attempt runs Into big money. The cheapest act I have put on coat 12606). you mum nmv your production produc-tion In radlfita before you can hop to ct a, hearln ao. I MX. it iv gamble. gam-ble. "A fw vtara suro I wanted to be i (Treat rornetlat later 1 found It waa alao neeaaarv to be a ood bualneaa man aa well. The are-rteat cornet player I ever heard, accorrtlnff to mv belief, ta practically practi-cally unknown to fame and fortune alike' From a New York office the varfoua Rolfe com pan iee that are dlatrfbuted over the vaudeville clrculta are handled by a capable corpe of manatcei-a. Rolfe had practlcallv (riven up piaylmr until be dH-oovered dH-oovered that uiUfaa he resumed It he would lose out altosether. He eaya that It t&kea a full year to vet back In tune for cornet playlne- after ha vine dropped It for any ronaiderable lenxth of time. So the preaent act waa built to aurround and feature Rolfe himself. The one treat hobby of this mterprla-tns; mterprla-tns; musician and producer la, however, to direct and control a bis band. In fact, he admits be is after Mr. 8ousa'a tor "The Idea, first came Into my head when X was over In Ens land a year or ao SCO," Rolfe stated. "I had an as reaction reac-tion over there called 'Rolfe and hia American band. They alt wore blue sulta. sod 1 waa the only American In the lot but that didn't matter."- To bis latest enterprise, then, Rotfe will brine a number of Innovations. The Idea of the leader turn In hia back to the audtence to direct tola band appeals to him as a breach of etiquette, which he will make It his business to correct. Also the arrangement of the members of the band will be . accorrllns . to a new plan' and the Huh tin effects will be In harmonv with the muale. These are only a few of the radical departures from time honored customs In the matter of concert bands that he will Introduce. Rolfe will try out his ideas this summer sum-mer at Atlantic City, where he will direct a forty or flfty-pirce band. tn hi varloua enterprlaee and performances perform-ances Rolfe la ably asslated by hia char minx wife, who la also an accom-pllahed accom-pllahed musician. "We will be back with a hia band In 1916." aald he In conclusion. |