Make Believe Ballroom - 6/12/26 Edition

0:12 It's make Believe ballroom time. Put all your cares away. All the bands are here to bring good cheer your way. It's make belief. Ballroom time and free to everyone. It's no time to friend your Dalis. Said, baby. Yours. Close your eyes and visualize in your solitude. Your favorite bands are on this dance and mister Miller, what's you in the mood? It's make believe ballroom time.

0:55 We are a sweet romance is to make Believe Ballroom. Come on, Joe the. Last Dans Last, Hello world, I'm Jeff Bresler, turning on the lights of the Make Believe Ballroom and welcoming you into my Crystal studio for another program of classic big band music from the nineteen thirties and forties. Please get ready as I play for you some amazing jazz, swing, blues, and boogie woogie favorites. Folks, you're listening to the Make Believe Ballroom, broadcasting almost continuously since nineteen thirty five, and to welcome, Welcome, welcome, one in all into the Crystal studio, and thanks so much for joining me today. You know, one of my favorite things to do on the ballroom is to play music. Music that's never been heard on this program, provided by bands and band leaders who weren't exactly household names. And you would think that after hosting this program for over ten years, in substituting for many ballroom DJs prior to that, that I would have played just about all there is to play. Well, obviously not, and I have a number of new, well relatively new artists to offer you today on the Make Believe ball Row.

3:43 You Pole. Boeople everything they were. Naming on a standard transcription disc produced by the Standard

5:15 Radio Company, I just played Freddie barn and his orchestra with a Well, it was a pleasant treatment of the popular tune at the time. I haven't changed a thing recorded back in nineteen thirty eight. Freddie was the CBS Radio music director for a good portion of the nineteen thirties into the nineteen forties, so most of his work took place in the studio on the radio, and he was not really that well known as a mainstream bandleader. Per se. Freddie barns to start things off today on the Make Believe Ballroom, And as I play some of this first time ever recordings, please understand that due to the nature of the band leaders, these recordings were not mastered as you would do with Dorsey or Goodman, Miller or Shaw, so a few scratches and pops here and there, although I have tried my best to remove most of them.

6:20 Let's see, how did I do with this one? Trying to clean it up by a band leader and trumpeter who you might never have heard of, but was voted nineteen forty's number one hot trumpeter.

7:19 Their soon, he said, lonely the rocks and ray the lonely too. The airs. He wants you only no one but. You ser soon. The rosses wee, their tears are falling. The gentle die no longer cool? Or can't you hear?

8:00 Is that hort calling calling for you?

8:52 On Varsity Records recorded in nineteen forty, Johnny McGhee and his orchestra with the popular tune and see Arasoue vocal by Betty Bradley McGhee. Johnny McGee was riding high back in nineteen thirty nine and forty, having his own radio show on NBC and being hailed as the second coming of Bix beider Beck, But due to the musicians strike the next year and some other financial factors, he sort of petered out after nineteen forty, but I was still delighted to bring to you for the first time ever on The Make Believe Ballroom Johnny McGee and his orchestra.

9:39 I'm Jeff Presler, and you're listening to the weekly edition of The Make Believe Ballroom, And during this segment, I'm playing some artists never before heard on the program, including this wonderful blues vocalist. Oh my mellow man, Can nobody thrilled me like my mellow man? Can? He don't stand on no corners, he don't ribe and steal, come home to me, He stay to getting me as Oh my man, can nobody thrilled me like my mellow man can? Now he ain't a logan grinder, He's just

11:12 nice and sweet. I love that. Man from his head down to his feet grind hole. Ah my mel man, Can nobody three of me like my mellow man? Can?

11:59 My man? It's so mellow They call him sponge boy, but that ain't his name. His name is Sainley Roy. Oh my melow man. Can nobody thrilled me like my mellow Mankin.

12:49 From Bluebird Records with Simeon Henry on the piano, Big Bill Bronzie, the guitar Ransom Noling the bass. Was Lil Green singing the Blues with My Mellow Man, recorded in nineteen forty one, the popular Lil Green blues favorite in the thirties and forties, who unfortunately died in the very early nineteen fifties, but partnered with the guitarist Bill Bronzie quite often during that time, playing the club circuit together. Happy to introduce to you, Lil Green. Let's play one more never heard on the Ballroom courtesy of pianist Eddie Oliver.

15:46 Pianisteady Oliver is orchestra really dished down a nice instrumental swinger with off the Deep End that we just heard record played for the first time ever here on the program Eddie Oliver and his Orchestra, recorded in a standard radio transcription back in nineteen forty four. I'm Jeff Prestler in the Crystal Studio. When you're listening to the one, the only, the original Make Believe Ballroom broadcasting since nineteen thirty five, and the nation's third longest running music program ever on the air. Now, let's see here, let me look at my playlist. Well, let's go from some artists who we played here on the ballroom for the first time to a drummer that is a frequent guest.

17:56 Ask him anything, fan.

19:22 My Wild Irish Rose. Chick Web and his orchestra recorded live at the Southland Cafe in Boston, Massachusetts, on May the fourth, nineteen thirty nine, and unfortunately just weeks before the death of this legendary drummer who had a host of medical issues, but fortunately here still with us today through his music and now here on the Make Believe Ballroom. Well, you know, I'm thinking chick Web's broadcast from the south Land were a radio listening treat has heard from My Wild Irish Rose, and I can't leave that May fourth, nineteen thirty five broadcasts that easily. We have some time on the show today. So let's go back to the Southland as I multitask here talking to you and looking for what I need from my playlist. All right, let's go back to the Southland as if you were listening to your radio in nineteen thirty nine for a Chickweb Back to back.

20:44 Chickweb, King of a dum from the South and in the city of Boston, we present a. Program of dance music played by chickweb. In this orchestra, I'm featuring the first Lady of Swing, Ella Fitzgerald. Chickweb warpings with an obvious contradiction, but a really fine. Tone is a real chickweb specialty. Breaking them down.

22:15 And ever the. Was the awa to them. For he later, go birl.

24:53 Campa, have ourcluding number, hell, I really go to come with queue cue. Your follow gun.

26:37 To cho cho cho your bumble gum cho cho cho your bubble gum. To to to chu your bble gum j jujo baby. To to to chew, to ju too to your boun to to to chew your bblegum juj your baby. Birst you then you stop. The gum gets bigger round. No, your somethings were like vocals. When you hear that funny little sap to to to to you up to to to, you've a gone to to you've overcome to to che your bubble.

27:20 Gum your boys you ride. I'm having fun chewing bone of my bubbles. Come bubble gum. It makes me sing. Here Joe up will make good. Stop the stuff. Don't get big around y.

28:11 When you hear about your song, joy your. Jo your moot. Jr. Jo music. Chick Webb from the south Land Cafe back in nineteen thirty nine. Let me play one more than a weird story has relayed by a big band vocalist.

29:24 Name A.

31:37 D s.

33:56 I played an extended chick Web at the Southland So why not the extended both A and B sides? I just played to Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra's famous two part big band swing arrangement of the classic jazz standard Millenberg Joys from January the nineteenth, nineteen thirty nine for Victor Records. Millenberg Joys If You're Not Familiar is considered well. It's considered a seminole New Orleans jazz standard. It was originally co written by the great Jelly Roll Morton, Paul Maris and Leon Roppolo all the way back in nineteen twenty three. Dorsey's swinging iteration successfully transformed that classic Dixie Land tune into a high energy, seventy eight rpm big band classic and hit record. I'm Jeff Pressler and this is the Make Believe Ballroom from the Crystal Studio in broadcast Stink to public, university and community radio stations across the United States, as well as in the United Kingdom.

35:09 So I told you before Tommy Dorsey that I was going to tell you a bizarre story as related by a big Van vocalist. Let's hear her sing first, then her eerie tale.

36:56 I say, I love you really, for I am yours sincerely, with all my hart, with all my hart, with all far or wayfore your all. I lever came all with all my hart, And if I were lyricals, I would write a thought telling all the miracles to the day came along, and very night I'll tell the stars of you to stay again.

37:53 I of you. With all my hart.

38:36 From Brunswick Records. With all my Heart by Hal Kemp and his Orchestra vocal by Max seen Gray, recorded in New York City November the twenty first, nineteen thirty five, and that record number three hit on Your Hit Parade back in thirty five. So Max Seene Gray, as mentioned, was the primary vocalist for Hal Kemp and his orchestra, both in ballrooms, in records, on the radio, and in addition to being with Hal, she was on the very popular California Melodies radio program that hosted by conductor Dave Rose, and we played many of those broadcasts songs from those broadcasts here on the ballroom over the years. But she had, as only can be described, an eerie tale that carried with her throughout her life. And it happened on an overnight train. And as the story goes, the train was going at about eighty miles an hour to Chicago. The hell Camp band had been arousing success the night before at the University Saint Louis, and Maxine was very lucky to be the girl vocalist, earning one hundred dollars a

40:07 week singing with a great group of musicians. The hal Camp Orchestra voted twice by Metronome magazine readers as the best suite band in America. True, there were other outfits capitalizing on the swing craze, but the college kids, for whatever reason, were partial to the sophisticated, cheek to cheek style of hal Kemp. So, nevertheless, Maxine had been awakened on that train by a persistent in her voice as the band slept, and as she explained it to the writer Walt Beauprey, granted, Walt, I'm a religious person, but I heard my guardian angel say, Maxine, there'll be a train wreck, and I kind of listened. I argue, though we've traveled on trains so many times. Then the voice asked, will you be dressed? I said I probably will be, because I'm always up before the rest of the guys.

41:22 The voice then said, Maxine, you should get yourself a room. Met no, I thought, the boys will laugh at me if I get a room. Unable to shake off a premonition of disaster, she made her way to the ladies room, careful not to jostle any of these sleeping musicians. As she was leaving the ladies room, it happened the train broadsided at eighty miles an hour a truck at a crossing. The engine became uncoupled from the passenger cars, and the final coach, where the Kemp band was sleeping, whipped off the tracks. The engineer and the truck driver were killed instantly.

42:08 Many others was seriously hurt, including some band members. Maxine's shoes remained at the door of the lady's room while she was thrown the length of the train car, landing in a heap under some seats. She had a concussion and remained unconscious for three days. The full extent of her injuries wasn't known until later in a small hospital just outside of Chicago. Ironically, bandleader Kemp had been in the men's room at the other end of the car and wasn't injured. Maxine chuckled when she noted that Hal was standing up at the time. He just held out his hands and braced himself. With a broken back and foot injuries, along with symptoms related to the concussion, recovery from Maxine Gray was to be a long, slow process.

43:06 Kemp generously continued to pay her salary during her convalescence. So a tale relayed to many by Maxine Gray about her guardian angel and a troubling night outside of Chicago. PLEASESE, keep me in yardrys, in your sweet dreams. Let me hold you. When through your window. Not frease comes winging. It's just bringing this love song that I'm singing.

43:53 Please keep me in yardreams. My kisses scenes must I've told you. My heart you barb hunt chairs. To my role Solf. Please keep me in your dreams.

44:56 PLEASESE. Keep me. Ya dreams in yon sweed dreams. Let me hold you. Win through your window, No breeze come winging. It's y'all bringing this love song. That I'm singing. Please keep me. In yr dreams, my kiss it things, my path, No, you, my heart, you borrow I'm fil tomorrow. No, please keep me in y'all.

45:39 From Vocalian Records with vocalist Billy Holiday. We just heard Please Keep Me in Your Dreams, recorded in nineteen thirty seven, music by the Lawnhurst, lyrics by Todd Seymour. Let me spend a moment talking about Lawnhurst and see more. Because they were notable in the nineteen thirties, the Tinpaan Alley songwriting team of composer v Lawnhurst and lyricist Todd Seymour were trailblazing pioneers. Is one of the first successful all female commercial songwriting partnerships in the American popular music industry.

46:26 They wrote a lot for Fats Waller and Tommy Dorsey, and also for Benny Goodman.

47:27 No other one, no other one can even do what you do when you do what you can't no other one, no other one can ever make me like you, like you, like that, like you constantly. Talk about have resident with an eighteen charac thrill, I don't have to make me guess when thinking of someone to build the fill no other one. Yes, no other one can ever make me want to want to say on the Great Big Way all no other one.

49:11 From Victor Records with Benny Goodman and his orchestra. Vocal by Helen Ward, no other one recorded back in nineteen thirty five. Music by V. Lawnhurst, Lyrics by Todd Seymour and friends. We are now at that time in the program when I play a few requests. I'm Jeff at MakeBelieve Ballroom Radio dot com. That's Jeff at MakeBelieve Ballroom Radio dot com. And first up, Joel how our good friend in Dallas, Texas who writes, and I am looking for his email on the cell phone here. So bear with me, since the studio computer I use for emails and stuff just went on the fritz. Does anybody use that expression anymore on the frets? Well, my cell phone, my smartphone is not on the fritz, because I found it, and here it is. Dear Jeff, I just listened to last week's program that was actually a number of weeks ago, and heard you read Walter Coleman's request for recording by his distant relatives Stuart Allen. I do indeed remember that segment and you responded with you hit the Spot sung by Alan with Richard Himber's orchestra. Stuart Allen recorded another song with Himber that I really like, but I never

50:43 heard it performed by any other singer. The song is Monday in Manhattan. Could you find it and play it for me and for Walter. The show continues to lift my spirits each week. Thanks for all you do, and that's regards Joel, and I appreciate that email, Joel, and I do indeed have that record, and I did indeed read that email off the smartphone without my reading glasses. So big victory they are in a big victory for you, Joel, because I do have the record.

52:41 Woo flatic oring in my ears and booms my DearS. I'm in my flat in man patterns. My vapatient days are in the pals they went to pass. Why couldn't they lie? Jeez? Monday in Madden where it ends my holiday. I hate Monday in Manhattan when my heart is miles away. Streets of leaning. Power seem to be my only view. But I'll close my eyes for hours and I know that I'll see you.

53:28 Then. The Paven changing into Harwood is glad beyond is my arms again, and it all seems so real. Near the sky line of Steel. Shouts it's Monday in Manhattan. That away your dreams have low jee. It's Monday in Manhattan, and it means that I'm alone.

54:23 From Victor Records, Monday in Manhattan by Richard Himber and his Ritz Carlton Orchestra, vocal by Stuart Allen, recorded in New York City, January the nineteenth, nineteen thirty five. And thanks Joel for the kind words and the request. Now some. Not so kind words by a frequent listener in the Great State of Wisconsin, the One and only while Bill Adams, who says you used to play a lot of kay Kaiser but no more. Well, Bill, I be with you.

55:14 I want to sit suit with the ree, sleep with the great shape and stuff. Come to look sharp enough to see my Sunday girl. I want to read sleep with the right stripe and the dress best, and the black flat and the ladies bad, the seeld Sunday a girl. I want to look keen, so my dream. Will say you don't look like the same boat, So Keen, that's your screen. Here comes walking Rainbow Sweets and Mega Sue Suit with the ree cleep with the great shape and stuff. Come to look sharp enough to see my Sunday girls.

56:57 A zoot suit for my Sunday gal Cade Kaiser and his orchestra recorded back in nineteen forty two, and folks, we are totally out of time. The big hand on the big Bullova clock is approaching the top of the hour here in the Crystal studio. Thanks so much for joining me today. To reach me Jeff at MakeBelieve Ballroom Radio dot com. That's Jeff at MakeBelieve Ballroom Radio dot com. Thanks to our syndicators and distributors for offering the Make Believe Ballroom cost free to commercial, free, public, community and university radio stations. They are the Public Radio Exchange PRX, the PACIFICA Network, and Global Community Radio. To Make Believe Ballrooms flagship affiliates Jazz ninety point one WGMC in Rochester, New York. The Ballroom is also heard on your favorite podcast provider, So Friends until next week. This has been Jeff Bresler