[Dixielandjazz] Dixielandjazz Digest, Vol 123, Issue 30

Randy Fendrick jfendrick at bak.rr.com
Tue Mar 26 14:05:35 PDT 2013


I am working on a book about a park band that still exists in Bakersfield, although on life support, that had been in existence on and off since about 1906,  when the Musician's Union was formed in Bakersfield.  What I had known, but not paid too much attention to was the role that the Musician's Performance Trust Fund played in that band.  As I am sure that many of you know MPTF was the fund that Petrillo and the Musician's Union set up as a result of the Recording ban's of 1942-44, and again in 1947.  Contrary to popular belief, the reason for the MPTF was to return monies to Musician's Locals across the United States because Petrillo believed that musicians were being put out of work by the recording industry.  This really began occurring in smaller towns in the late 1920's with the arrival of the "Talkies."  Theaters in those day's had staff musicians, who played shows and providing sound for the movies.  We normally think of these players as being just an organist, in Bakersfield at least, several theaters had actual staff musicians and bands of up to 5 or 6 players.  I know that larger cities had even larger bands, some with full orchestra's, at least for some of the block buster movies of the time.   With the advent of sound on film, these players lost their jobs.  For a short time, the union was able to maintain players in radio stations through a system much like the railroad used for firemen called "featherbedding"  or the that requirement that someone stand by while records play or a local band stands by while  traveling band plays.  While most of us would argue that that doesn't make much sense, if you are losing a job to the traveling player you might welcome the income, particularly in the middle of the Depression.  The same procedure was followed by Unions when a foreign band, from another country, came into town.  In addition, as sound systems got more sophisticated, it was a simple procedure to merely play a record to replace the musicians that had formerly held those jobs.  Radio stations also employed musicians, but as recording technology improved and with the development of FM radio, the sound produced over the radio was much better.   The same thing is now happening to service musicians as their jobs and roles in the armed forces is being curtailed, and you see many instances of "taps" being played by a soldier holding a plastic bugle that is attached to a sound system.
With the agreement between the Musician's Union and the Recording Industry in 1944, MPTF was established, but Congress in their wisdom, passed Taft Hartley, which outlawed Unions establishing funds such as MPTF, some commentators have suggested that the sole reason for Taft Hartley was to destroy MPTF.  The Union countered with another recording ban and the recording industry signed with the union and MPTF was established as a separate entity.
Unfortunately, as the income from record sales plunged, less money was shared with Locals, the Union and Recording Industry suggested that since Sousa was not selling much music these days, that Locals should develop other programs to get their word out.  By that time, Petrillo's fear that local musicians would be out of work had come true, and Locals through out the US failed.  Part of this, I am sure, is an anti-Union reaction, but also, we have learned to get our music from other sources. 
While I agree, the strike in '42-44, and the later strike in '47, contributed to the demise of Big Bands, many commentators of the time suggest that big bands were on life support anyway, particularly as tastes in music changed.  WWII contributed to it's demise as locales such as New York City had a cabaret tax, tires and gas was rationed, musician's were drafted, hence the great bands of Artie Shaw, Sam Donahue and other service bands.  Finally, some people even suggest that Mitch Miller contributed to the demise of music in this county by putting out songs like "How Much Is That Doggie in the Window."
later,
Randy Fendrick 
Southside Chicago Seven





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