New American Music series (Folkways)

Part of a four-record series produced by Horace Grenell, circa 1975.

Ad from MASSES & MAINSTREAM (May 1948)

Pamphlet Press

Caption reads: Staff of Reynal and Hitchcock's newly reorganized Pamphlet Press, which is entering the book publishing field. Left to right: Ray Abrashkin, in charge of promotion and selling; Sheila Miller, who is handling production; and Leo Huberman, editor. PM Photo by Morris Engel.

Huberman, whose The Truth About Unions was one of the first books that came from this, co-founded The Monthly Review three years later.

Broadcasting Yearbook 1938

Listing for Universal Recording in the 1938 issue of The Broadcasting Yearbook.

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Henry Brant 1913-2008

Henry Brant, composer of PENNY WHISTLE, KITCHEN MUSIC, and THE LONESOME HOUSE, died this past Saturday, 26 April 2008. He was 94. I believe that KITCHEN MUSIC, which was commissioned by Young People's Records in 1946, was only the second recording ever made of Brant's music -- the first being EIGHT SONGS FOR SOPRANO, THREE VIOLAS, AND PIANO which was issued by the New Music Quarterly Recordings label in about 1937. YPR's Horace Grenell later recorded several of Brant's pieces for the American Recording Society and Desto labels. I should also mention the wonderful orchestral arrangements he did for the Charity Bailey records SINGING IN THE KITCHEN and MORE PLAYTIME SONGS ("LOOK AT MICHIE BANJO"), both issued by Young People's Records, the latter also by Children's Record Guild. And if you haven't heard THE LONESOME HOUSE, it might be the most musically unusual children's record ever made, so look for it on Ebay. Here's the Washington Post obit.

Lester Troob 1912-2008

Lester Troob, one of the main movers of Young People's Records, died on 22 March 2008. He was 95. His career in the record biz goes back to the mid-1930s, when he was among the first to work with lacquer ("acetate") disc recordings. During World War II, he was a recording supervisor in the news division of the Office of War Information. He was with Young People's Records from the beginning, as production manager and, later, President. After YPR, he developed the recording division of the Book-of-the-Month-Club, which he ran from 1954 to 1979. In 1953, he was the film editor and music supervisor of the classic movie Little Fugitive, which was nominated for an Academy Award, and won the Silver Lion award at the Venice Film Festival. Lester is a major character in my book, and I remember him with great fondness.

Ofslager book

In 1957, Norman Ofslager took 20 Music Treasures of the World booklets and hand-bound them beautifully into a hardcover book. He also created an ingenious table of contents in his own meticulous handlettering, which he printed and bound into the book (see picture above). I know all this because on the inside back cover it is written: "Handbound by Norman Ofslager 1957." Thank you, Norman, whoever you are!