Podcast Listening Update

Hey there everyone.  Just wanted to let you know that I will no longer be posting episodes of The Big Band and Swing Podcast on this website.  It's become a bit of a hassle. I checked the stats and most listeners are accessing new episodes through their podcast provider, through The Big Band and Swing Podcast Website or on my Patreon Page.

Listening Options:

Listen on: The Big Band and Swing Podcast Website

Listen on my: Patreon Page

Listen with: Apple Podcasts

View more: Podcast Listening Options

In fact, if you sign up for my Patreon, new episodes will be emailed to you every week similar to the old newsletter. (In case you didn't know, I have a "Join For Free" option on my Patreon.)

Let me know if you have any issues with this or if you would like know of additional methods on how to listen to the podcast.

As always, thank you for listening!

~ Ronnaldo

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Watch: Jan Savitt and His Band

Today's video focuses on Jan Savitt and His Orchestra.  This fantastic short film was filmed in October of 1945 and released to the general public in March of 1946 by Warner Bros.

It focuses on some of the highlights of Jan Savitt's career up to that point, describes Savitt's jump from classical music into swing, and contains some great music by Savitt and his band.  You can definitely tell this was filmed by a major studio like Warner Bros. by the very good camera work and use of sets.  A big improvement over the Soundies we are used to watching here.

Enjoy!

Watch: "Jan Savitt and His Band" from 1946

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Podcast: Show 216 - Hey, Let's Go To Town

The Big Band and Swing Podcast - Hey, Let's Go To Town - Show 216 - 

Features vintage music by Tony Pastor, Johnny Long and Les Elgart.  We also learn about the show "Let's Go To Town".

* The musical performances and recordings featured in this podcast are in the Public Domain.  Artists are credited within the podcast.

Listen to: Hey, Let's Go To Town (Show 216)

Listen to more episodes of The Big Band and Swing Podcast at: BigBandPodcast.com

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Soundie: "Everybody's Jumpin' Now"

Today's Soundie stars Noble Sissle and His Orchestra performing "Everybody's Jumpin' Now".  This was released to Panoram in December of 1946, which was near the end of the road for Soundies themselves.  Noble's band only had seven members, and at the time, that was considered small for an orchestra.  (That would soon change as the era came to a close.)  The director compensated for this by spreading out the members over a wide range of space to make the band look bigger.

Also featured as a dancer is Mabel Lee. Mabel Lee first appeared in Soundies as an extra in Louis Jordan's "Old Man Mose".  She eventually received more attention and soon became Soundies' own musical star. Mabel Lee ended up appearing in over a dozen Soundies, many of which, she herself, was the featured singer or dancer.

In this particular Soundie, both Sissle and Lee team up to provide so much energy.  Such a great performance.

Enjoy!

Watch: Noble Sissle and His Orchestra performing 

"Everybody's Jumpin' Now" released in 1946.

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Podcast: Show 215 - Plenty of Dance Time

The Big Band and Swing Podcast - Plenty of Dance Time - Show 215 - 

Features vintage music by Raymond Scott, The Dinning Sisters and Billy May.  We learn a little bit about the show Dance Time U.S.A. and Ronnaldo reads some listener mail.

* The musical performances and recordings featured in this podcast are in the Public Domain.  Artists are credited within the podcast.

Listen to: Plenty of Dance Time (Show 215)

Listen to more episodes of The Big Band and Swing Podcast at: BigBandPodcast.com

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The Melody Hour (AFRS)

I've recently cleaned up and posted some great tracks from an AFRS show called "The Melody Hour" to the station.  I've included a brief history of show below.  Some of the artist you'll hear are Buddy Clark, Jo Stafford, Dick Haymes, The Dinning Sisters and the Mullen Sisters.  The majority of the music was supplied by Percy Faith and His Orchestra.

Listen to Swing City Radio for Buddy Clark's upbeat versions of "On A Slow Boat To China" and "Fun And Fancy Free".  Also keep an ear out for Jo Stafford and Dick Haymes teaming up on "Darn It Baby, That's Love" and "The Old Piano Roll Blues" along with a fantastic version of "Sooner Or Later" by The Dinning Sisters.

Listen to: Buddy Clark singing "On A Slow Boat To China" from 1948

"The Melody Hour" was the retitled name of NBC radio's long running series "The Carnation Contented Hour". The AFRS obtained rights to rebroadcast the program to military personnel during and after World War II.  It was a 30 minute musical show re-recorded by the Armed Forces Radio Service without commercials or sponsorship messages. During the mid 1940's until the early 1950's, this program was distributed and broadcast throughout the AFRS Network by means of radio transcription discs.

"The Carnation Contented Hour" (the original version of the series) began January 4, 1932, on the Blue Network and was broadcast for two decades until its final broadcast via CBS on December 30, 1951.

Enjoy!

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