Big Band Bash

On part-two of our May clarinetists birthday celebrations, we pay a birthday salute to Artie Shaw who was born on May 23, 1910. I have done birthday shows for Artie in the past and you can find them in older podcasts, but today's show is a little different. I have a three disc set of all the numbers that Artie did while he was on the Melody and Madness show. I have picked out several of those numb...

In the month of May, several jazz and big band clarinetists were born. Here are some that I know of: Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Woody Herman, Jimmy Hamilton, Edmond Hall, and Ken Peplowski, who is still with us. So as I usually do, I will be presenting music by these great players and band leaders. Our first birthday celebration is for Benny Goodman. He was born May 30, 1909. I thought it would be...

There were a couple of big bands in the 1940's there weren't satisfied with the typical big band sound. One was Stan Kenton and the other is the subject of our program today. Boyd Raeburn started with a dance orchestra but became dissatisfied and hired arrangers to create some non-typical big band sounds.  Now a days they sound fine but back then his band played some wild and exciting music. We'll...

Duke Ellington was born on April 29th, 1899. This week we celebrate Duke's birthday by playing some of his hits from a four disc set called The Essential Duke Ellington.  Also, instead of telling his biography again I elected to disclose some trivia about Duke and read from an article about Why Duke Ellington is Famous. If you are an Ellington fan as I am then you are sure to enjoy this show. Than...

I call this program A Salute to Doc Severinsen. It is my salute after viewing the PBS Special Never Too Late: The Doc Severinsen Story.  Doc is a first class trumpet player who has played in many big bands throughout his career in addition to leading The Tonight Show big band for 25 years. I have picked out a couple of songs from the many Severinsen albums in my collection and we'll also hear a fe...

This is a show that I produced several years ago. It is on bandleader and record label owner Enoch Light. Enoch started a few record labels during his career as well as lead a sweet band in the 1940's. He started the Command record label as well as one called Project 3. He produced a wonderful set of  big band recreations with many of the original musicians taking part. We will be listening to man...

Bill Savory was a noted sound engineer who enjoyed jazz and swing. He recorded many bands off the air and kept them for his own enjoyment. After he passed, his son contacted The National Jazz Museum of Harlem to see if they were interested in the recordings. They also licensed some of them to Mosaic Records who created a six disc set of these never heard before treasures. I bought the set so today...

There is a new movie out called The United States versus Billie Holiday. It is getting very good reviews so that prompted me to do a show on her life and music. In the 500 plus shows of Big band Bash I have done I have never produced one on Billie Holiday. Starting with some of her early recordings with Teddy Wilson, I have tried to play many of her hits. I hope you enjoy this look at the life and...

To celebrate the beginning of Spring and to play some songs that might be associated with the Spring season, I have put together a show in which all the song titles have the word Tree in it. I wondered how many I could find and as it turns out there was enough for a whole show.  There are lots of different bands on the show today and lots of different songs. But a common thread tying each song tog...

This is part three of my Black History Month Celebration. As in the other parts, I have chosen about eight bands or singers and played two songs from each of them. It has been a labor of love choosing the different bands and then trying to decide which songs to play. I decided to change up the Big Band Bash puzzler this week. Instead of a question on bands I decided to wrap up Black history month...

This past week in Texas saw some of the worst weather that we ever experienced. I was snowed in until Sunday and ths was unable to produce a new Big Band Bash. I have pulled out a show that I ran about five years ago until I can produce a new show. This is one on Duke Ellington as we continue our Black History Month Celebration. I apologize for the disruption but it could not be helped. I hope you...

Our Black History Month Celebration continues this month with eight different bandleaders, small groups, and vocalists. To recap my plan,this year I decided to do a potpourri of bands on each show. I found that if I do eight bands per show with two songs by each band that I could cover twenty four bands in three shows. With some interesting facts thrown in between bands, we will get to hear and le...

The month of February begins the start of Black History Month. This year I decided to do a potpourri of bands on each show. I found that if I do eight bands per show with two songs by each band that I could cover twenty four bands in three shows. With some interesting facts thrown in between bands, we will get to hear and learn about these great African-American bands. I hope you'll tune in for pa...

January 20, 1921 is the birthday of big band vocalist Connie Haines. Since this is the 100th anniversary of her birth I would like to pay her a birthday salute by playing some of those great big band sides she recorded with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey. We'll also take a look at her career. I hope you enjoy this look at the career of Connie Haines as we celebrate her 100th birthday. Please visit t...

During The 1930's and 40's, trains were a popular mode of transportation. There were many songs written about trains in many different styles. This week I have put together a show with the Big Bands playing songs about trains with trains in the title or something similar. There are many train songs, in fact, Duke Ellington composed a number of songs about trains. He was a big fan of trains and his...

There is something catchy about the sound of a big band boogie woogie number. Maybe it's the driving left hand of the pianist, or the 12 bar blues pattern but what ever it is it is sure to get your feet tapping. This week on Big Band Bash we continue our look at some of the great boogie woogie numbers played by the big bands. Starting with Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy and ending with a Harry James numb...

Boogie Woogie has been a big part of the big bands. It seems that every ban d had a boogie number or two. Starting with Pinetop Smith's Boogie Woogie we'll be listening to a variety of numbers and all of them have boogie woogie in common. I have been doing Big Band Bash for 16 years but have never produced one on Boogie Woogie. I hope you enjoy part one of Boogie On Down a look at Boogie Woogie pe...

Bunny Berigan, his orchestra and trumpet, is the subject of this first program of the new year. It has been awhile since I last presented a program on Bunny. He was one of the most in demand trumpeters before he started his band. I'll be taking a look at his career and playing some oh his band's music as well as some of those great numbers he recorded with Benny Goodman and Tommy Dorsey. I hope yo...

Continuing a repeat of a Holiday show from 2017, This is part 2 of a 1940's Christmas Traditions. Merry Christmas and Happy New Years everyone. Welcome to Part 2 of my 1940's Christmas Traditions show. Last time in between the music I read some holiday traditions started in the 1940's. On the show today, I am going to be reading some Stocking Stuffers from the Associated Press. Stocking Stuffers i...

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone. For the holiday season I am rerunning some holiday shows I produced in 2017. This is part one of a program I call 1940's Christmas Traditions Part 1. Many of the ways we celebrate Christmas were started in the 1940's so I thought it would be interesting to learn how some of these traditions started. I am going to start the show with a segment from Frank...

For the 79th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, I have pulled out a radio remote from Glenn Miller. Broadcast on Nov 22, 1941 this show was part of Glenn's Sunset Serenade series. There aren't that many recordings and remotes from December 7th 1941 so I decided to play this show which has some patriotic moments from Glenn and his orchestra. I hope you enjoy the music from Glenn Miller as w...

In all the time I have been producing Big Band Bash, I have never produced one on the band of Ralph Flanagan. Ralph Flanagan led a very popular band in the early to mid 1950's. He led the Glenn Miller revival starting in the early 50's. Ralph started out as a pianist and then became an accomplished arranger with Hal McIntyre, Sammy Kaye, Blue Barron and Charlie Barnet. I hope you enjoy this look a...

This week wraps up my 500th show celebration. Today's bandleaders are Harry James, Les Brown, Jimmie Lunceford, and Stan Kenton. I think I have picked out some songs by each bandleader that you will enjoy. I have some new shows planned and in the works. It has been an honor to be able to go into your homes each week and play music from these great bandleaders.  I hope I get to have a 1000th show c...

Today's show is part 2 of my 500th Big Band Bash celebration. This is a three part series where I have picked twelve of my favorite bands and divided them up into four bands per show. Then I further subdivided them by choosing four sides per band. It has been an interesting week trying to pick my favorites but I think I have chosen songs that you will enjoy as well.  Today's show features the band...

Big Band Bash is a show I created to replace another show that had ceased production. The first show went on the air in 2004. I was very rusty back then but I think I have gotten better. Today's show is part one of a three part series where I have chosen some of my favorite songs from twelve different bands. I broke up my favorites into three shows, four bands per show and 4 songs per band. I had...