Big Band Jazz Radio

A few years ago, I stumbled across this treasure trove of  recordings of old radio programs in an antique shop. There were nine or ten records in the bins. I knew nothing about them but the price was good so I took a chance on one, loved it and quickly returned to purchase the others. Shortly later, I discovered three or four more records from the series in my local record store.

Live recordings of Big Band Jazz and Swing from the 1930's and 40's on the Hindsight Records label. I think there's a few from 1950's programs as well. There's an announcer introducing each song which gives the feeling of sitting around a radio in those years, possibly on a Saturday or Sunday evening ..... Maybe a glimpse into what my parents and grandparents life may have been like.

Mono recordings. Interesting liner and song notes on the back side of each album cover. Part of my awakening in recent years into styles other than the music I grew up with. Sometimes the search for vinyl records leads to great discoveries. History!!!

Such Sweet Thunder

Found at the Salem Public Library. It's mine now!!! ..... For two weeks anyway. Recorded in 1956-57. I'm always fascinated by recordings from the year I was born and love Jazz Big Band sounds from those years.

All Music Guide Review

Today's Vinyl Jazz Discoveries

An afternoon stop at my local record store. Seems to be a Jazz kind of day. Lured in by the liner notes, song notes and album cover artwork of each.

• Don Shirley - Drown In My Own Tears
• Jimmy Lunceford and His Orchestra
• Clark Terry / Bob Brookmeyer Quintet - The Power of Positive Swinging

Then listening to the "Divaville" Jazz program on KMHD-radio, Gresham, Oregon ..... Dedicated to exploring Jazz Vocal recordings primarily from the 1930's-1960's years. Great voices heard here!! Despite the news and rumors over the past decade that it's dying, there's still good sounds to be heard on the radio.

Divaville Radio
KMHD Jazz Radio

In the liner notes ..... "One index of the singular pleasures to be had from the music of the Clark Terry - Bob Brookmeyer Quintet is that it not so much defies categories but rather ignores them."

I wonder occasionally that if it wasn't for myself, would some of these records ever be taken home?  I often declare, "No more!" ..... but then a week or two later, I'm back searching through the vinyl bins. There always seems to be something previously un-noticed. It's my addiction I suppose.

Could Have Been My Parents Playlist

Foggy outside. Dreading going to work in the morning. Late Sunday evening. The Music Choice cable TV audio theme channels. The Singers & Swing channel. Still developing an appreciation for the genre. I surely need more of these sounds in my collection. I love the mood created. I usually get overly nostalgic with music from my youth but these sounds are from times before I was born (assumedly) so I'm doing OK with it ......

• Duke Ellington / Ivie Anderson - I Got It Bad and That Ain't Good
• Pete Fountain - Avalon
• Jack Teagarden - Beale Street Blues .... Read a Rolling Stone magazine, interview with Jackson Browne many years ago where he spoke of his father recording or playing live music with Jack Teagarden.
• Jackie Gleason - Paddlin' Madelin' Home .... Learning something new. Until now I thought he was known only as an actor.
• Glenn Miller - Tuxedo Junction .... Seem to recall seeing a few of his records in my parents collection.
• The Leiber-Stroller Big Band - Kansas City
• Teddy Wilson / Frances Hunt - You Brought a New Kind of Love To Me
• Billy May - There Is No Greater Love
• Count Basie - Blues In Hoss' Flat
• Django Reinhardt / Stephane Grappelli - St. Louis Blues .... Recognized the players immediately without looking at the caption on the television screen. 
• Helen Forrest with Harry James - Mister Five By Five .... From 1942. I'm fascinated with the sounds that came out during World War II. Wondering what they meant at the time to a nation?
• Sy Oliver - Oh, Them Golden Slippers
• Kay Kyser / Sully Martin - Ma (He's Makin' Eyes At Me)
• Andy Kirk - Bear Down
• Louis Prima / Keely Smith - That Old Black Magic
• Peggy Lee - Why Don't You Do Right .... Fascinated by the lyrics of the songs with vocals. It's like looking into history at decades and generations of peoples attitudes and what music meant to them.
• Billie Holiday - East Of the Sun .... Heard enough in the past to recognize this voice!!