[78-L] Rex Hollywood

[Julian Vein]

Glenn Longwell wrote:
 > Having read that Maurice Rapoport, the owner of Rex Records record 
store and the Metro/Rex/Rem labels, didn't pay royalties to the artists 
then skipped off to Mexico I was wondering if these Tatum sides on 
Rex/Rem were bootlegs or legitimate reissues. So I did a little 
searching in Billboard.
 >
 > It turns out he paid for the masters with a bogus check on a closed 
account then didn't show up on the court date (3/8/47).  Cited with 
contempt of court he must have eventually paid.  An article a year later 
(5/15/48) about MGM stopping him from using the Metro name says that was 
pressing numerous disks from purchased ARA masters.  This article says 
he received a 30 day jail sentence and fined for not adhering to an 
injunction to stop selling Metro records after a certain date.  This guy 
just couldn't be trusted could he?
 >
 > Glenn
========
The following is from the notes by Mark Gardner on Onyx 215 (Central 
Avenue Breakdown; Volume 2 Teddy Edwards/Barney Kessel/Slim Gaillard):

"One of the labels that sprang up in that period was Rex, owned by one 
Maury Rappoport and among his signings was a young guileless tenor 
saxophonist called Teddy Edwards. In July 1947 Teddy agreed to make 
eight sides for Rappoport and contracted trumpeter Benny Bailey, pianist 
Duke Brooks, bassist Addison Farmer and drummer Roy Porter for the date. 
The five musicians were never paid.

According to Teddy they took Rappoport to court but the Rex attorney 
managed to obtain a postponement. 'We didn't get back to court before he 
was busted. This character was about as crooked as could be. If he could 
make more money doing a legitimate deal, he would have to lose. He 
eventually ended up on Alcatraz for selling pornography to minors,' 
recalls the saxophonist. 'In spite of it all he was a likeable 
guy...fool that I am!'"

      Julian Vein


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