I've recently added some great instrumental tracks by Ella Fitzgerald and Her Famous Orchestra to the Swing City Radio playlist. They include songs from various 1939 performances broadcasted from the Savoy Ballroom, located in Harlem, as well as gigs from The Grand Terrace in Chicago and The Roseland in New York City. The Roseland performances took place in early 1940.
The spotlight on these tracks shines more on the band, and not on Fitzgerald. In 1939, bandleader Chick Webb sadly passed away and left the control of his top shelf band in the hands of Ella Fitzgerald. She led this incredible band until 1942 when she left to pursue her solo career and became the vocal icon we remember her as today.
Listen to: Ella Fitzgerald and Her Famous Orchestra – "The Harlem Stride"
This great band included names like Taft Jordan, Dick Vance, George Matthews and Sandy Williams. These tracks were all broadcasted within a year of Chick Webb's passing and you can still hear the influence he had on the orchestra. In my humble opinion, Webb led one of the most rockin' bands of the 1930's and you can hear it in the recordings.
Listen to: Ella Fitzgerald and Her Famous Orchestra – "Everybody Rock"
Hey everyone! I posted a new batch of 78's on YouTube today. Songs by Bunny Berigan, Harry James, Nellie Lutcher, The Pied Pipers and Gene Krupa. Very good stuff and most of them cleaned up nicely.
Included is a song called "Russian Lullaby" by Bunny Berigan And His Orchestra. It was a part of a 4 disc set that was originally released in 1942. Also, have a listen to Gene Krupa And His Orchestra's song called "I Know That You Know" This was released on the Brunswick Label in 1938.
Listen to: "Russian Lullaby" by Bunny Berigan And His Orchestra from 1942
Listen to: "I Know That You Know" by Gene Krupa And His Orchestra from 1938
If you'd like to listen to more 78's, here is the direct link to the YouTube playlist: Ronnaldo's 78rpm Collection.
Today's Soundie is "Watcha Know Joe?" (notice the spelling of the title) by Larry Clinton. This is a simple, straight-forward Soundie that features the band playing on a studio stage. The vocals are handled by Butch Stone.
The footage was originally filmed in 1941 but was released as a Soundie in August of 1943. By the time of it's release, Larry Clinton was already serving in the armed forces in World War II.
Take notice that the Phonovue prints (the credit overlay at the beginning) cite the title of the song as "Watcha Know Joe?." I know the budgets on the production of these Soundies were quite tight, but you think they could have afforded that extra "H" they left out of the word "Whatcha". :)
All jokes aside, Clinton and the boys perform a unique and entertaining version of this song. Enjoy!
Watch: "Watcha Know Joe?" by Larry Clinton and his Orchestra.
Today's Soundie features Sonny Dunham and His Orchestra performing their version of "Skylark". This was released to Panoram in June of 1942 and is just one of eight Soundies put out by this respected trumpeter. The vocal are handled by the beautiful Harriett Clark, who seems to be quite relaxed while performing her singing duties. Look for the superimposed caption that identifies Sonny Dunham during his solo.
Enjoy!
Watch: Sonny Dunham and His Orchestra perform "Skylark" from 1942.
Starting in 2024, I will no longer be sending out a Monthly Newsletter through Mailchimp. Mailchimp is a very good company but it's not really filling my needs.
But, this doesn't mean that I will no longer be sending you emails! You can still be on my Mailing List and receive Articles, Station Updates and Video Clips in your Inbox from Swing City Radio. Read further to learn how...
My Patreon Page now has a JOIN FOR FREE option that will enable me to email you on a more timely basis rather than waiting for the beginning of the month. It's easy to join, just click here: Swing City Radio Patreon Page and then click on the Join for Free button. (See Picture Below)
I'm very excited about this new Mailing List setup because I will be able to deliver you content in a more efficient and timely way. Just make sure to Join For Free by the end of this year. Also, if you currently a Hepcat Supporter, you will receive these emails and no action is needed on your part.
Today's Soundie is yet another one from Stan Kenton. "It's Been A Long, Long Time" was released to Panoram in December of 1945 and just one of the eighteen Soundies Kenton and His Band filmed through the years. It features the beautiful June Christy on vocals along with the postwar lineup of the Band.
This Soundie was filmed very well and manages to capture Stan Kenton being Stan Kenton. Enjoy!
Watch: A Soundie by Stan Kenton - "It's Been a Long, Long Time" from 1945
Liz Tilton was the younger sister of famed Benny Goodman vocalist, Martha Tilton. She never enjoyed the popularity achieved by her older sister, but Liz managed to put together a pretty good career in her own right.
Her career started in 1938 with Kenny Baker's band while she was still in high school. She was also featured by Buddy Rodgers before joining Ray Noble and His Orchestra in 1940.
In early 1941, she left Noble's band to join on with Bob Crosby's outfit. This move greatly increased Tilton's exposure. Shortly after World War II broke out, Liz was featured on many AFRS Programs and performed at many USO shows.
By the mid 1940's, Liz Tilton had created a bit of name for herself and was no longer just known as Martha's kid sister. She joined up with Jan Garber and His Orchestra for a couple of years and and also enjoyed a mildly successful solo career.
Listen to: "It's Been a Long, Long Time" sung by Liz Tilton.
Note: Liz was billed by her full name, Elizabeth Tilton on many recordings as well.
You can hear the beautiful voice of Liz Tilton right here on Swing City Radio.
This month I've added some pretty cool tracks to the Swing City Radio rotation. As always, I had to clean up the audio on these but they came out sounding very good. Here's a quick breakdown of some of the new additions:
Harry James
Source: Various Chesterfield Show Broadcasts from 1943
Tracks include: "That Old Feeling", "Mexico City" and "Somebody Loves Me".
Jimmy Dorsey
Source: Downbeat (AFRS) - May 26, 1943
This show contained some fantastic Dorsey music including: "Paper Moon", "Turn Right" and a great performance of "You Can't Get Stuff In Your Cuff".
Guy Lombardo
Source: Musical Autographs (AFRS) - Sep 11, 1945
I have to admit, I'm not the biggest Guy Lombardo fan. But, these tracks are very entertaining. Keep an ear out for: "Bell Bottom Trousers", "Oh! Brother" and "You Never Miss The Water Till The Well Runs Dry".
Also added to the station playlist this month are songs by:
Louis Armstrong, The Pied Pipers, The King Sisters, Sammy Kaye, The DeMarco Sisters and Johnny Desmond.
Kid Ory, born Edward Ory in 1886, is widely considered one of the best trombonists ever to play Jazz. He began as banjo player but then moved on to slide trombone in his early teens. He learned the instrument by playing an old trombone handed down to him from the Civil War era.
In 1910, Ory moved to New Orleans and had one of the best known bands in the city. The band was a bit of a revolving door, but at times contained names like King Oliver, Mutt Carey, Johnny Dodds, Jimmie Noone and Louis Armstrong.
During the 1920's, Ory would move his band to Los Angeles and then to Chicago. He was helping spread the sound and popularity of New Orleans Jazz nationwide. He was very active in Chicago recording with Armstrong and Jellyroll Morton. Ory would also mentor Benny Goodman and Charles Mingus.
Then, out of nowhere, the Great Depression happened. Ory retired from music to run a chicken farm in Los Angeles.
In 1943, Ory returned to music and became an important force in reviving interest in New Orleans Jazz. His band of All Stars made many radio broadcasts on The Orson Welles Almanac program in 1944. This led to a series of recordings for the Crescent label.
Listen to: "Tiger Rag" by the Mercury All-Star Jazz Combination
featuring Kid Ory from 1944.
Ory retired from music in 1966 (this time the retirement stuck) and he spent his last years in the beautiful state of Hawaii.
You can hear Kid Ory's great blend of New Orleans Jazz right here on Swing City Radio.
During the last week of this October, I actually had some free time to clean up and digitize some of the 78's in my collection. I still have a milk crate worth of Shellac to work on, but I'm also hoping to get out to the record stores sometime in November. I miss those dusty, discount bins.
Here are two of my favorites that I cleaned up this month:
"Jersey Bounce" by Earl Hines from 1941
"Fralich In Swing" by Ziggy Elman from 1939. This later became a hit for Benny Goodman when Johnny Mercer added lyrics and the name was changes to "And The Angels Sing"
If you want to listen to more of my 78rpms click here.
This October, Swing City Radio will be streaming for 4 years. Time flies when your playing Swing! It still blows my mind that so many people tune in daily and I want to thank all of you that listen to the station so passionately. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you! -
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I really appreciate you listening and I'm so glad you enjoy this great music so much!
The Boswell Sisters were one of the most influential female singing trios of the Swing Era. Martha Boswell, Connee Boswell and Helvetia "Vet" Boswell hailed from New Orleans. The Boswell Sisters are remembered for their unique harmonies and ground-breaking arrangements. Simply said, they were HUGE in the United States during 1930's. The trio was also known for fusing a wide range of styles, vocalization and instrumentation into their music. Their collaborations with the popular musicians of their day including the: Dorsey Brothers, Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw, had a huge effect on the development of Big Band Music.
Martha, Connie, and Vet grew up with formal, classical musical education. But in addition to that, their mother would take her daughters regularly to see the leading African–American performers of the day at the Lyric Theatre. These experiences would later influence their "sound". In interviews, the sisters remembered driving around New Orleans listening for new and interesting sounds, which they often found outside African–American churches and barrooms. As the Boswell girls got older, Vet took up the banjo and Connie the saxophone. Martha continued playing the piano but focused on the rhythms of ragtime and jazz.
Listen to "The Object of My Affection" by The Boswell Sisters from 1935
In 1925, they made their first record for Victor Records. After touring with a vaudeville company through the Southern portions of the United States, the sisters arrived in Los Angeles in October 1929. They began appearing on radio programs and recording music for movies.
Their unique approach to reworking melodies and their improvisational styles had mixed reviews in the beginning. But, as we all know, most ground-breaking artists go through that and after relocating to New York City in 1930, the Boswell Sisters soon attained national attention. They began making national radio broadcasts including a program on CBS that ran from 1931 to 1933.
Also in 1931, The Boswell Sisters signed a contract with Brunswick Records and made recordings from 1931 to 1935. While recording for Brunswick, They were granted great artistic control and took greater liberties in their music like regularly changing style, tempo, lyrics and time signatures.
In 1936, the group signed to Decca, but after just three records they broke up. Connie Boswell continued to have a successful solo career as a singer for Decca. In the 1940's, she changed the spelling of her name from Connie to Connee.
The Boswell Sisters chalked up 20 hits during the 1930's, including their number-one song "The Object of My Affection" in 1935.They also appeared in movie during this time as well. When you get down to it, The Boswell Sisters were among radio's earliest stars. They were an influence to other artists as well, like Ella Fitzgerald and The Andrews Sisters.
The Boswell Sisters in a movie clip. Abe Lyman makes a cameo appearance.
You can hear the music of the Boswell Sisters right here on Swing City Radio.
I apologize that I haven't been able to upload videos to the channel at the rate I was achieving in the summer. But recently, I carved out some time and added some new vids. Also, I have another milk crate of 78rpm to digitize so you should see more of these videos released during the Fall months.
Here's a small sample of Shellac I recently posted:
Listen to: Johnny Long And His Orchestra – "How Are Things In Glocca Morra" from 1947.
Listen to: Benny Goodman And His Orchestra – "Perfidia"
Listen to: "Don Voorhees And His Earl Carroll Vanities Orchestra" – The Riff Song from 1929.
Sam Donahue was an excellent saxophonist and a darn good bandleader as well. Before leading his own band, Donahue was a sideman in the bands of Gene Krupa and Benny Goodman during the 1930's. He started his own band in 1940 and recorded some sides but then was called into military service in 1942 where he served as a sideman again in Artie Shaw's Navy Band. When Shaw was discharged in early 1944, Donahue took over that band and made it his own. You can hear many recordings by Donahue's Navy band right here on Swing City Radio. He recorded many V-Discs and some great live performances for the Armed Forces. Great stuff!
Listen to: "LST Party" by Sam Donahue's Navy Band from a 1946 V-Disc
After the war, Sam formed his new, civilian band and it enjoyed some moderate success. His orchestra featured names like trumpeter Doc Severinsen, vocalists Frances Wayne and Jo Stafford, and even had Leo Reisman aboard as an arranger. It was a good band, but in 1951 it dissolved due to Donahue re-enlisting in the Navy to serve in the Korean War.
After serving his second tour of duty, Donahue returned to the States and again worked as a sideman in Tommy Dorsey's band in 1952, in Billy May's Orchestra from 1954 to 1956, and with Stan Kenton in 1960.
Listen to: "Sunny Side Of The Street" by Sam Donahue's Navy Band
from an episode of Yank Bandstand (AFRS)
In late 1961, Donahue was named the leader of the late, Tommy Dorsey's band. Donahue and the Dorsey Orchestra recorded and toured throughout the early part of the 1960's and the band would later feature the vocals of a young Frank Sinatra Jr.
You can hear the music of Sam Donahue right here on Swing City Radio.
Today's Soundie features Will Bradley and His Orchestra performing "Boardwalk Boogie." Such a great song. The Soundie itself was filmed in 1941, and filmed quite well capturing a great band in it's prime as well as some very good dancing. While watching this you can feel the raw energy that defined the Will Bradley Orchestra.
The "Beach Party" where the "jitterbugs" are hanging out is really a soundstage in New York City. Ironically enough, this was shot in the chilly month of December.
There are some big names that appear in this clip including: Ray McKinley, Freddie Slack, Peanuts Hucko and, of course, Will Bradley himself. This song was originally titled "This Little Icky Went to Town" but was later changed to "Boardwalk Boogie" for this Soundie.
Enjoy!
Watch the Soundie: "Boardwalk Boogie" featuring Will Bradley and His Orchestra
Many of you probably know by now that I've been spending some time transferring my growing collection of 78rpm recordings to MP3. I've been publicly sharing the music on The Swing City Radio Youtube Channel. Here's a direct link to the playlist: Ronnaldo's 78rpm Collection
Here's a couple that I've posted in mid-July:
"Love Me! Love Me! Love Me!" by Sammy Kaye
This was released in 1949 on the RCA Victor Label. It includes vocals by The Kaydets.
Listen to: "Love Me! Love Me! Love Me!" by Sammy Kaye from 1949.
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"Bolero At The Savoy" by Gene Krupa and His Orchestra
This great track by Krupa was recorded in New York, NY on November 25, 1941. It was originally released on the Okeh label. This is from the Columbia release from 1944 and features Anita O'Day on vocals.
Listen to: "Bolero At The Savoy" by Gene Krupa from 1944
The Casa Loma Orchestra was one of the top Dance Bands in the early to mid 1930's. The band was active from the late 1920's to 1947 and then re-emerged in 1957. The Casa Loma Orchestra had a few leaders over the years but the most notable was saxophonist, Glen Gray.
The band originally assembled under the name The Orange Blossoms in Detroit, Michigan. By the time of their first recordings in 1929, they had changed their name to The Casa Loma Orchestra.
The business model and structure of this band was much different than most others. Almost all other bands at this time had a "leader" for whom everyone worked. Casa Loma operated as a collective group. In 1930, the Casa Loma Orchestra was incorporated in New York with the members becoming owners, shareholders, and board members. The band members were hired on the grounds of musical competence and would have to follow a strict code of conduct and financial rules. Members who broke the rules could be summoned before the "board", have their contract bought out, and be ejected from the band.
Listen to: "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" performed by
Glen Gray and The Casa Loma Orchestra (1942).
This recording is from my personal collection of 78 recordings.
The band was led by a person that was hand-picked by the band itself. Casa Loma's first bandleader was violinist Hank Biagini. In 1937, the band overwhelmingly voted in favor of Glen Grey leading the orchestra, and Gray finally accepted the job.
The Casa Loma Orchestra released A LOT of music during their run in the 1930's and 40's. They scored a boatload of hits and enjoyed a long run on radio including extended stints on Camel Caravan.
After 1947, the Casa Loma band had ceased touring, and Glen Gray retired. The later recordings on Capitol Records, beginning with Casa Loma in Hi-Fi in 1956 and continuing through the Sounds of the Great Bands series, were done with Gray leading a group of studio musicians in Hollywood. Several of the Casa Loma alumni would occasionally be featured as well. In all, some 14 high-fidelity and stereo recordings were made for Capitol Records under the name of Glen Gray and the Casa Loma Orchestra before Gray's death in 1963.
... and speaking of Casa Loma alumni, a few of the names that passed through the band over the years included: Pee Wee Hunt, Sonny Dunham, Kenny Sargent and Horace Henderson. Keep in mind, the band maintained a stable collection of personnel that didn't change much because of the member ownership structure they had in place.
Listen to: "Come and Get It" performed by
Glen Gray and The Casa Loma Orchestra.
Interesting Note: In 1943, Eugenie Baird became "the first girl vocalist ever featured" with the Casa Loma Orchestra.
You can hear the many hits of The Casa Loma Orchestra right here on Swing City Radio.
Jan Savitt was born in a part of the old Russian Empire which is now a part of Ukraine. He moved to the United States with his family very early in life and grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At an early age, it was quite apparent that Jan was a very good violinist. This caught the attention of Leopold Stokowski who led the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra at the time. When Savitt finally joined on with the symphony he remained with them for a good part of seven years. Hence his nickname "The Stokowski of Swing".
But don't be fooled by Savitt's classical training. Jan Savitt really knew how to swing. In the late 1930's, he formed his own band and became one of the biggest swing acts in the Philadelphia area. He also received a lot of air time on the radio; for years his band, Jan Savitt and The Top Hatters, was the staff band on KYW radio in Philly.
Throughout the war years of the 1940's, Savitt's band released many recordings and made quite a name for themselves. Even after the war, the band continued to tour and enjoyed a good deal of popularity. While touring the west coast of the U.S. in October of 1948, Jan suffered from a cerebral hemorrhage before a show and was rushed to a local hospital. Savitt passed away two days later at the young age of 41. Such a shame.
Listen to "Green Goon Jive" by Jan Savitt from my 78's Collection.
You can hear many of Jan Savitt's songs right here on Swing City Radio.
Consider supporting Swing City Radio by becoming a Hepcat. Learn more at: SupportSwing.com.
Here's a breakdown of some of the songs that I've added into the Swing City Radio rotation this week. I've also included some information about programming change as well. Hint: It's New and Improved!
- Newly Added -
Select songs from "Here's To Veterans": -
"Here's To Veterans" was produced and distributed by the Veteran's Administration to help promote services and provide helpful information to U.S. Military Veterans. The successful series ran for a few decades or so. Each transcribed episode lasted for about 15 minutes and it was shipped to local radio stations for airplay across the country.
Most importantly for us, it contained some great music. Keep an ear out for some great tunes by Ray Anthony, Stan Kenton, Tommy Dorsey, Tex Beneke, Glen Gray and more.
Select songs from "Cocoanut Grove Ambassadors":
For those of you that like some of the more "sweeter" sounding Dance Bands from the 1930's, I have been adding select songs from a show called "Cocoanut Grove Ambassadors" that originally aired between 1931 and 1934. The sound quality is excellent on most of these and features music by bandleaders Gus Arnheim, Jimmie Grier and Ted Fio Rito.
The Cocoanut Grove was a huge nightclub located in the famous Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, California. For years it was the center of the music universe on the West Coast. Along with the great music, the club was also famous for having a policy forbidding unwanted cameras. As a result, The Cocoanut Grove became a magnet for high-profile guests including many Hollywood celebrities who wanted to enjoy themselves away from the prying eyes of the press.
Vintage Radio Ads and PSAs:
To give the station a more "vintage feel", I've decided to now play Classic Radio Ads and old Public Service Announcements throughout the day's programming. I truly feel that this will add to the listening experience.
Please keep in mind, these are for entertainment and educational purposes only. Swing City Radio does not endorse any of these products and does not receive any compensation for airplay. Heck, many of them don't even exist anymore. 😀
This month, I decided to showcase a 78rpm from my collection featuring Doris Day and Harry James. This was originally a part of a 4 disc set called "Young Man with a Horn", but I found it at the bottom of a dusty pile, no sleeve, lost to time in a second-hand store. I cleaned up the shellac so we can enjoy this great music together. The two songs I've included are: "The Very Thought Of You" written by Ray Noble and an instrumental called "Melancholy Rhapsody".
Listen to: "The Very Thought Of You" by Doris Day and Harry James from 1950
"Young Man with a Horn" was an album that was released by Columbia Records in March of 1950 featuring trumpeter Harry James and vocalist Doris Day performing songs recorded for the soundtrack of the film "Young Man with a Horn".
The film was loosely based on the life of Bix Beiderbecke. The soundtrack was played by Harry James and His orchestra. Doris Day, who appears in the film as well, provided the lead vocals on many of the album's tracks.
Listen to: "Melancholy Rhapsody" by Harry James and His Orchestra from 1950
As I wade through the archives of old radio performances and recordings from the 1940's, a name that pops up from time to time is a vocalist named Betty Bonney. After singing with various regional bands, Bonney joined Les Brown's Orchestra in 1941. She sang in the band's first major hit "Joltin’ Joe DiMaggio.” Bonney recorded and toured with Les Brown until August of 1942 and then left the band to get married.
She returned in early 1943 as a featured vocalist in Jan Savitt's Orchestra. This became the start of a carousel ride that would see Bonney sing for a bunch of major bands in a short amount of time. During the years of 1943 through 1945, Bonney sang in the bands of Jan Savitt, Jerry Wald, Frankie Carle and Charlie Spivak.
Listen to: "I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good" by Les Brown
Throughout the rest of the decade Bonney appeared on Broadway, had a stint in Hollywood and did quite well in the nightclub circuit. She also ended up doing a number of Soundies as well.
In 1950, after changing her name to Judy Johnson, she briefly joined Sammy Kaye's band. She eventually made a move to television where she made many appearances on shows like "Arthur Murray's Dance Party" and "Your Show of Shows".
You can hear the voice of Betty Bonney featured with many different bands right here on Swing City Radio.
Jimmie Lunceford was born in Mississippi but spent the majority of his childhood in Denver, Colorado. He grew up learning how to play a variety of instruments, but the alto saxophone became Lunceford's instrument of choice.
He led a popular and influential band from 1929 until his untimely death in 1947. Lunceford's Orchestra made their first recordings in 1930 and toured throughout the early part of the decade. In 1934, the band accepted a booking at the Harlem nightclub "The Cotton Club." This is where Lunceford's reputation began to take-off. The band's tight musicianship and the often outrageous humor in their music and lyrics, Lunceford's orchestra made an ideal band for the club. Lunceford's stage shows often included costumes, skits, and obvious jabs at mainstream white bands.
Jimmie Lunceford and His Orchestra were responsible for many hits in the mid to late 30's including the songs: "Wham (Re-Bop-Boom-Bam)", "Lunceford Special", "For Dancers Only", "Uptown Blues" and "Stratosphere" to name just a handful.
Even though Lunceford released some very good music in the 1940's, his band was in decline because he was constantly losing talented sidemen to better paying bands. Lunceford sadly passed away in July of 1947 at the age of 45. There has since been many rumors and allegations that Lunceford had been poisoned.
Listen to: "Blues In The Night" by Jimmie Lunceford (1942)
from my personal collection of Shellac 78's.
You can hear the music of Jimmie Lunceford right here on Swing City Radio.
The Chamber Music Society of Lower Basin Street was a fantastic show that first appeared on NBC's Blue Network in February of 1940. The show ran until 1944 and some of it's later episodes were also carried by Armed Forces Radio Services (AFRS). The show was rebooted in the 1950's, but in my opinion, lacked the appeal of the first run.
Last week, I spent a considerable amount of time "mining" the series: identifying, isolating, and cleaning up the audio of select tracks to add to the Swing City Radio Playlist. And I have to say, I feel that I've uncovered some true gems that I'm sure you will really enjoy, over 50 different tracks. So be sure to listen for them on the station.
As I wrote above, the show itself was fantastic. "The Chamber Music Society of Lower Basin Street" was a satire of those old, stuffy, highbrow symphonic broadcasts that were so popular on 1930's radio. The show featured Dixieland, Swing, Jazz and Blues music but introduced it in a comedic manner mimicking the dry, snobby way similar to those Classical Music Shows. It was hosted by Gene Hamilton. I rarely ever say this, but I enjoyed Hamilton's introductions just as much as the music itself.
"The Chamber Music Society of Lower Basin Street" featured two house bands which were both excellent. Henry "Hot Lips" Levine, a former member of the Original Dixieland Jazz Band, led an eight-member combo that handled the Dixieland songs and Paul Laval (who later changed the spelling to Lavalle) led a band that would perform the more swing based material. Both of these bands were tight and talented and many of their show performances have been added to Swing City Radio.
The beautiful voice of Dinah Shore was discovered on this program. Some other vocalists featured were Delores O'Neill, Diane Courtney and Linda Keene. I was also able to capture some very good guest appearances by Erskine Hawkins, Lionel Hampton, John Kirby and Toots Mondello. The John Kirby appearance was especially good which included a great rendition of "Close Shave".
I plan on playing select tracks from this show on The Big Band and Swing Podcast in April, but until then, enjoy these classic Dixieland, Swing and Blues performances on Swing City Radio.
Here are two sides I have in my personal 78rpm Collection for you to enjoy:
The Dixieland Jazz Group Of NBC's Chamber Music Society
Of Lower Basin Street performing East St. Louis Blues from 1941.
The Dixieland Jazz Group Of NBC's Chamber Music Society
Of Lower Basin Street performing Aunt Hagar's Blues from 1941.
Johnnie Davis is more remembered for his work in Hollywood. He appeared in over a dozen films including "The Varsity Show", "Hollywood Hotel" and "Cowboy From Brooklyn". His success as an actor was a direct result of the attention he received while in the music industry.
Davis was a singer, trumpeter and led a band of his own for a brief time. While still in high school, Davis worked as a musician in the bands of Paul Johnson and Leo Baxter. It was also at this time that Davis Discovered and developed his skills as a scat singer. Hence the nickname, Johnnie "Scat" Davis. In the mid 1930's, he worked with Fred Waring as a musician and vocalist, and his success during this time led him to Hollywood.
In 1937, he appeared in the movie "Hollywood Hotel", where he introduced the Johnny Mercer song "Hooray for Hollywood". His lively rendition became extremely popular and became closely associated with the film industry. Note that on the 78's below, he is credited as "Johnny". I've found that he was listed as both "Johnnie" and "Johnny" throughout his career.
Listen to: "Hip Hip Hooray" (1942) by Johnny "Scat" Davis And His Orchestra from my 78rpm Collection.
On the other side of this fine piece of shellac is his version of "White Christmas". There's nothing like listening to a good Christmas Song when the weather is warm outside.
Listen to: "White Christmas" (1942) by Johnny "Scat" Davis And His Orchestra
from my 78rpm Collection.
Remember, I have a boatload of 78 recordings that I've posted on the Swing City Radio YouTube channel. Check it out.
Recently, I've added some great music into the Swing City Radio rotation. The bulk of the tracks come from two classic radio shows, "G.I Journal" and "Club Fifteen". I thought it would be a good idea to provide a brief summary of the shows and the artists and music that was featured on both.
G.I Journal:
G.I. Journal's "first edition" was recorded on June 29, 1943. The show can be described as "a news paper of the airwaves" and was from the same mold of other AFRS variety shows like "Command Performace and Mail Call". The show host was known as the editor. Throughout it's run Kay Kyser, Bing Crosby, Bob Hope and Jack Carson all served as "editors".
Some of the great tracks you'll hear from this show are songs by Kay Kyser, Skinnay Ennis and Glenn Miller. Very good stuff!
Club Fifteen:
Club Fifteen is a radio program that ran from June 1947 until January of 1953. It was hosted for the most part by Bob Crosby, except for 1949-50 when Dick Haymes took over to host. The program was sponsored by Campbell Soups.
Jerry Gray did a fantastic job leading a very talented show orchestra and Del Sharbutt was the announcer and played a big part in the show. I was able to extract and "clean up" great tracks by the regulars and guests including songs by: The Andrews Sisters, The Modernaires, The Pied Pipers, Margaret Whiting, Gisele Mackenzie and many more. Oh, and of course, Bob Crosby and Dick Haymes. Very good music that I think you are going to enjoy.
Also, I was able to recover a boatload (or I should say, a heaping bowl full) of Campbell's commercials that are fun to listen to.
So keep an ear out for songs from these two classic shows. They were added to the rotation the first week of May. Enjoy!
John Kirby led a successful band in the late 1930's - early 40's, and was a fantastic double-bassist. He also played trombone and tuba.
Kirby began his career in the late 1920's and by 1930, he landed a spot in Fletcher Henderson's great band as a tuba player. As the tuba fell out of favor as a popular instrument, Kirby switched over to double-bass and later played in the bands of Chick Webb and Lucky Millinder.
In 1937, Kirby put together a sextet that later became known as The Onyx Club Boys and was promoted as "The Biggest Little Band in the Land". Kirby and the band were famous for their Chamber Jazz style, which was a lighter, Classical influenced style of Jazz. They scored a few hits including "Loch Lomond" and "Undecided".
Listen to: "Tweed Me" by John Kirby from my 78's Collection.
The most prominent vocalist for John Kirby's band was Maxine Sullivan, who later became Kirby's second wife. As Kirby's career declined in the late 1940's, he drank heavily which led to an issue with diabetes.
Listen to: "Loch Lomond" by John Kirby with Maxine Sullivan on vocals.
Kirby planned a comeback in the early 1950's but died at the young age of 43.
You can hear the music of John Kirby right here on Swing City Radio.
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The Ink Spots were a Vocal group who gained world wide fame in the 1930s and 1940s. They had a unique musical style and landed over 30 hits on the US Pop Charts with 18 of them on the top 10 during the 1940's.
The Ink Spots formed in 1934 in Indianapolis. The original line-up included Charlie Fuqua, Deek Watson, Jerry Daniels and Orville Jones. They achieved so initial success when touring the United Kingdom with Jack Hylton's Orchestra. Their early record releases were not commercially successful but they were steadily gaining a following.
In 1936, Daniels was replaced by Bill Kenny. When Kenny added his unusual high tenor ballad singing style with the rest of The Ink Spots, the result was almost magical. This was when things really started to happen for the vocal group and this lineup is considered by most to be their "classic" lineup.
In January of 1939, the band recorded "If I Didn't Care." This ballad became one of their biggest hits and has sold over 19 million copies through the years. It was also their first of many, many recordings to reach the US Pop Charts.
Listen to: "The Gypsy" by The Ink Spots from my 78rpm Collection.
In 1943, singer and guitarist Fuqua was drafted into the US Army and Jones died in October of 1944, after collapsing on stage in New York City. This started a merry-go-round of line-up changes within the band that lasted until their break up in 1954.
An interesting note: Since the Ink Spots broke up in 1954, there have been over 100 vocal groups calling themselves "The Ink Spots" without any rights to the name, and without any original members of the group. These groups often have claimed to be "2nd generation" or "3rd generation" Ink Spots.
You can hear many of The Ink Spots ballads right here on Swing City Radio.
Red Norvo was known as Mr. Swing and enjoyed a musical career that spanned over six decades. Along with Lionel Hampton, Red helped establish the xylophone, marimba, and vibraphone as jazz instruments.
Norvo began his career in Chicago, IL in the mid 1920's playing for the famous "Collegians" in 1925. Throughout the 1930's and 40's, Red played in the orchestras of Benny Goodman, Paul Whiteman, Charlie Barnet and Woody Herman. He also led his own band at times, which proved very successful.
In 1933, Norvo married vocalist Mildred Bailey, and they soon became known as Mr. and Mrs. Swing. The marriage lasted almost ten years and even after their divorce in 1942, the two remained friends and continued to record together.
During the height of his career, Norvo also recorded tracks with Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday, Dinah Shore, Dean Martin and many others. He landed a bunch of charted hits and also managed to appear in a handful of films.
Listen to: "Please Be Kind" by Red Norvo with Mildred Bailey on vocals recorded in 1938
from my personal 78rpm Collection.
You can hear the music of Red Norvo right here on Swing City Radio.
Bob Strong is not a name that most remember from the Big Band Era. The majority of his body of work came as a staff musical director for a few radio shows but he did manage to assemble a pretty good touring band to take out on the road in the mid 1940's.
Strong got his start in Chicago as a sideman in the orchestras of Paul Ash and Jean Goldkette in the 1920's. He was an accomplished musician on every instrument in the reed family and could also play oboe, violin and mellophone. A very talented guy!
He eventually made a home for himself working in Chicago radio market and this led to him being one of the busiest staff music directors in the Midwest. Two of the biggest shows he worked on were The Buddy Clark Show and The Red Skelton "Avalon Time" Show.
During the mid 40's, Strong took his band on the road and they played all the main spots, including gigs at the Glen Island Casino and the Roseland Ballroom. Bob Strong and His Orchestra also spent a good amount of time performing for troops and war workers all over the United States.
Largely due to The Musicians' Strike of 1942-44, only a small amount of Strong's work made it onto shellac. Below, I included a track that I transferred from my 78rpm Collection. There's also a few others to listen to on my Youtube Channel here.
Bob Strong passed away in March of 1976.
Listen to: "Come Out, Come Out Wherever You Are" by Bob Strong from 1944.
.JPG "Jimmy Dorsey")
