Sept. 25, 2026

Make Believe Ballroom - 9/25/26 Edition

Show Notes
Transcript

On this week's show: an email from Austria, a rare Benny Goodman recording, the Andrews Sisters go Hillbilly, and more records and reminiscences from the big band and jazz era.

WEBVTT

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It's make-believe ballroom time Put all your cares away All

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the bands are here To bring good cheer your way

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It's make-believe ballroom time And free to everyone.

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It's no time to fret, your dial.

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Is set for fun.

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Just close your eyes and.

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Visualize in your solitude.

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Your favorite bands are on the stands and Mr. Miller

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puts you in the mood. It's make-believe ballroom time.

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The hour of sweet romance.

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Here's your make-believe ballroom.

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Come on, children, let's dance, let's dance.

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Hello, world. I'm Jeff Bressler, turning on the lights of

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the make-believe ballroom and welcoming you into my crystal studio.

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for another program of classic big band music from the

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1930s and 40s. Please get ready. I've got an amazing

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lineup of jazz, swing, blues, and boogie-woogie favorites coming your way. Folks,

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you're listening to the Make-Believe Ballroom, broadcasting almost continuously since

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1935 and proud to be America's third longest running musical

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radio program and welcome welcome welcome one and all it's

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so wonderful to have you tuning into the ballroom again

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this week i hope you're having a great day wherever

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you're listening from whatever you're doing i invite you to

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just sit back get comfortable and let the outside world

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fade away for a little while into a stream of

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1930s and 40s nostalgia We have a truly special lineup

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of music ready to go, and to get our toes

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tapping right out of the gate, I'm going to set

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the tempo high, starting today's program with a little Gene Krupa.

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Â¦ Thank you.

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Thank you.

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There's a boy down on our street who plays the

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drums with such a beat.

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You cannot control your feet when.

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You hear the drummer boy.

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In the morning when you wake, you can hear him

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take a break. Soon the whole street starts to shake

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when they hear the drummer boy. Bing, bang, ding, dang.

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He's so nimble on the cymbal.

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Bing, bang, ding, dang. When he plays them, he just

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slays them. All your troubles fly away. Every day's a

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happy day. Everything will be okay when you hear the

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drummer boy play.

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Gather round, all you chums Watch this cat spin those

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drums Swing it, brother, beat that high Take us on

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a diving ride.

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This is what the doc prescribed for a case of

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jibs and jibs.

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Drummer boy, please give out almost half.

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That was Gene Krupa and his orchestra with Drummer Boy.

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We had the wonderful Irene Day providing the fantastic vocal

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on that track. And that particular gem was recorded on

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a summer day in Chicago, Illinois, August the 6th, 1940

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to be exact, and originally released on the OK Record label.

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I've got a wonderful email. from a listener that I've

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been looking forward to sharing with you all. And we'll

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be opening up the Make-Believe Ballroom mailbag in just a

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few minutes. But first, let's keep the rhythm going. Let

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me play just one more tune for you before we

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dive into that.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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And that was the undeniable sound of the King of

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Swing himself, Benny Goodman, and his orchestra with a little

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number called the Kingdom of Swing. Now, the story behind

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that particular record is quite a fascinating piece of jazz history.

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That track was originally recorded way back in April of 1939,

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but Benny.

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Actually rejected the master. The pressing was shelved and sat

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unissued in the vaults for over two decades. It finally

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saw a commercial release in 1960 when RCA Victor put

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it on a compilation LP of that exact same name,

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The Kingdom of Swing. Good things really do come to

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those who wait, I guess. And speaking of Benny's perfectionism

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in the studio, where rejected tracks were common, he was

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absolutely famous among his musicians for something they called, quote, unquote,

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the ray. Benny demanded absolute perfection during rehearsals and recording sessions.

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So if a trumpet player missed a single note, or if, say,

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a drummer was even a fraction of a beat off tempo,

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Benny would never say a word. He would just slowly

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lower his clarinet and stare them down with this piercing

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icy glare, quote-unquote, the ray. It was said that that

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look alone could make the most seasoned, hard-swinging musicians shake

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in their boots. He was a tough taskmaster, but when

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you hear the music they made, it's hard to argue

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with the results. Before we go to that listener's email

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from far, far away, let me double back for just

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a moment to that 1960 RCA Victor compilation album, The

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Kingdom of Swing, which I have a copy of and

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frequently enjoy. That album was such a treat for big

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band fans and for myself because it focused heavily on

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unearthing Previously unissued alternate takes, a bunch of hidden gems,

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and rare vocal collaboration from Benny's prime Victor recording years,

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which I would have to consider for Victor. It was

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between 35 and 39. Several months ago, I played a

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cut from Ella Fitzgerald singing with Benny. on a song

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that appeared on the Kingdom of Swing. I think it

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was Good Night, My Love. But speaking of unissued gems,

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here's a remarkable track from the Benny Goodman Quartet that

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was never commercially released at the time. It's a previously

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unissued alternate studio take. So why don't we drop the

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needle on that rare recording?

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Piano plays.

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Thank you. Thank you.

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If the blues was whiskey, babe I would stay drunk

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all the time All the time If the blues was.

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Whiskey I would stay drunk all of the time. Now

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if I get drunk, babe, I would leave you behind.

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I would leave you behind.

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Played Mr. Goodman. Played a long, long time.

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Yeah.

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Oh, played Mr.

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Wilson.

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Played a long, long time. Now when Mr. Kruble beat

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those riffs, he don't let you down.

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Yeah.

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That was the classic vibraphone blues by the legendary Benny

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Goodman Quartet, recorded out in Hollywood on August the 26th, 1936.

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That session captures a truly iconic lineup. Benny Goodman on clarinet,

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Teddy Wilson tickling the ivories on piano, Gene Krupa setting

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the pace on drums, and the brilliant Lionel Hampton laying

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down those signature vibraphone lines, and taking a rare, relaxed

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turn on lead vocal. When Lionel Hampton joined Benny, Teddy,

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and Gene in August of 1936, the Benny Goodman Trio

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officially became a quartet. And you know, beyond the incredible music,

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They broke major ground as one of the very first

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racially integrated groups to perform and record in popular American music,

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the Benny Goodman Quartet. Now, unlike Benny, Teddy, Gene, and Lionel,

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I'm not a quartet. I'm just solo me here in

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the Crystal Studio, albeit with a few folks behind the glass.

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And you're listening to the weekly edition of the Make-Believe Ballroom.

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If you'd ever like to drop me a line, share

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a memory, or make a request, you could always reach

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me at Jeff at MakeBelieveBallroomRadio.com. That's Jeff at MakeBelieveBallroomRadio.com. And

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someone who reached out to us recently is listener David Aronson.

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And he writes, Dear Jeff, Greetings from Vienna. I enjoy

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listening to your show on my mobile phone with a

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Bluetooth loudspeaker on UK 1940s radio. That's one of our

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favorite stations out of England. I love hearing the names

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of the old hotels, which were the homes of many

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of the great big bands. Recently, you mentioned the New Yorker.

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which was later bought by the Unification Church, how things change.

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Not long ago, we were invited to a wedding at

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the Glen Island Harbor Club in New Rochelle, New York.

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I was probably one of the only guests who knew

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we were standing in the former Glen Island Casino, one

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of the most important venues of the big band era

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and frequently spoken about here on The Ballrooms. David goes

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on to say, I'm originally from Yonkers, New York, and

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came over to Europe as a coach and conductor at

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the Vienna State Opera, where I'm now retired. How impressive.

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I went back to Yonkers to get married in 1979.

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My mother arranged for the wedding to take place at

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one of the temples in Yonkers, and she found the

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band for us. The quartet consisted of four elderly African-American

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jazz musicians. Although they had most likely never played a

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Jewish wedding before, they were great. A while back, you

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mentioned the name of a musician on a recording. Snub Mosley,

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the inventor of the slide saxophone. Well, he was the

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leader of our wedding quartet. Unfortunately, at the time, I

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didn't know how well-known he was. Later, after the advent

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of the Internet, I looked him up and realized he

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was a truly important musician of his era. Just a

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little trivia. Thanks for all the good music you present.

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Best wishes, David Aronson. David, what a fantastic letter. Imagine

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having Snub Mosley, a Harlem Renaissance jazz icon, and legendary

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trombonist playing your wedding in Yonkers in 1979. That's a,

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true piece of music history right there. You know, for

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those of you who might not be as familiar with

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Snub Mosley, he was a true legend of the era,

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Lawrence Leo Mosley, Snub, was a master trombonist who played

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alongside greats like Fats Waller, Claude Hopkins. I think in

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the 40s he was with Louis Armstrong before taking the

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lead with his own band. He's probably best remembered as

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the man with the funny horn because he actually invented

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his own instrument, the slide saxophone, which David alluded to

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in his letter. which combined a saxophone body and reed

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with a trombone slide. So in honor of David's letter,

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let's play a little Snub Mosley right now. This is

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a track called Squash Head, recorded by Snub Mosley and

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his orchestra back in January of 1947 for the little-known

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Sonora record label. Now, I have to admit, the copy

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I have here in the Crystal Studio is a little scratchy,

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to say the least, but that authentic vintage surface noise,

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I'll call it, shouldn't deter too much from your musical enjoyment.

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Here is Snub Mosley and his orchestra with Squash Head.

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Â¦ Squash it.

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Standing on the corner.

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Squash it.

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Taking bets on the weather.

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Squash it.

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Get conniving and jabbing.

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Just a blow on your natural top.

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Squash it.

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Never save a dollar.

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Swash it.

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Got a brain like a feather.

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Swash it.

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You shouldn't be drivin' cause you never know when to stop.

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Got yourself a mantle worth me oh my.

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You run around in circles.

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Till you get high. Swash it.

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Pull yourself together.

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Squash head.

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Get your mind off the weather.

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Squash head.

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You'll never be thriving just as long as you're soft

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on top.

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So again, thank you so much for writing all the

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way in from Vienna, Austria, David, and for keeping the

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spirit of the big band era alive across the ocean.

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I'm Jeff Bressler, and you're listening to the one, the only,

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the original Make Believe Ballroom, broadcasting almost continuously since February

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of 1935. That makes us America's third longest running musical

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radio program, sitting right behind two monumental broadcast giants. First,

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of course, is the Grand Old Opry. I'm a true

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radio head, a true radio nut. The Opry premiered back

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on November 28th, 1925, on the famed station WSM in Nashville. Now,

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here's a fun fact, and sorry to be the radio

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nerd I am, but the Opry started out as the

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WSM barn dance, but an announcer named George D. Haye

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gave it its famous name in 1927 after coming on

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the air right after a classic opera program declaring, quote-unquote,

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for the past hour we have been listening to music

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taken largely from grand opera, but from now on we

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will present the grand old opera. And just by coincidence,

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sitting in second place, The legendary Metropolitan Opera Radio broadcasts, yes,

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the real opera, which launched their regular network runs on

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Christmas Day in 1931. Now, the Met broadcasts held a

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staggering record of their own. For over 63 years, Texaco,

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the gasoline company, still some Texaco stations out there, Texaco

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sponsored those Saturday afternoon broadcasts from the opera, making it

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the longest continuous single-sponsor partnership in radio history to this

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very day. And right behind those titans, we are proud

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to keep the big band era spinning strong right here

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in the Crystal Studio. Coming up next, we've got a

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fantastic record by Mr. T himself, the legendary jazz trombonist

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and vocalist Jack Teagarden. And right after that, we've got

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a great listener request heading your way. So let's drop

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the needle on Jack Teagarden.

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I swung the election friend That's no small order To just.

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Blow nose and sweep all the votes.

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From Canada to the Mexican border I started out with

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a bang Blow the Dixie line Mopin' and shot was

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burnin' hot And every single vote was mine. From there

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I swung westward, taking every state in my stride. My

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bandwagon swinging Everybody started in to ride I won every

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town and state Without exception My friends.

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My friends.

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I swung the election.

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Now to give.

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You some idea of the reception I was accorded, I

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took a sound man along with me and had these

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scenes recorded.

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Ladies and gentlemen, this is the night for me.

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To introduce this famous man, I give you Jackson Key.

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Now, my final rally, Swungy Thing, because I saved my

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best for the last. I'll give you just the highlights...

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Of this, my farewell blast.

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Â¶ Â¶.

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And that was Mr.

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T himself, Jack Teagarden, and his orchestra with that wonderful

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1939 tune, I Swung the Election. And if you guessed

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that Glenn Miller wrote that song, you hit the nail

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right on the head. Glenn Miller is indeed credited to

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as the composer behind that track. Jack and his orchestra

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laid that one down. I swung the election in New

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York City on July the 19th, 1939. And Columbia Records

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released it, backed with Aunt Hager's Blues. That track featured

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Jack doing double duty, delivering both his legendary trombone work and, again,

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his signature easygoing vocals, as he did with I Swung

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the Election.

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And you know what?

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Before we delve into that listener's request I mentioned, why

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don't we just flip that record over? Since we have

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that vintage Columbia 78 resting on the turntable in the

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Crystal Studio, it would be a shame not to spin

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the B-side. composed by the great father of the blues, W.C.

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Handy.

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This one features Big T's signature soulful trombone and lazy

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bluesy vocals at their best with Aunt Hager's Blues.

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Â¶ Â¶ Â¶ Â¶ Â¶.

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Â¶ The way of livin' right Said he'd no wingin'

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No ragtime singin' tonight.

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Up jumped that Hager and shot it out with all

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her might. Oh, just a different Hager's children harmonizing to

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that old mournful tune.

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It's like a choir from on high broke loose. If

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the devil brought it, the good Lord sent it right

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down to me. Oh, let the congregation join while I

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play those lovin' eggers blues.

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Â¶ Â¶ Â© BF-WATCH TV 2021.

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I'm Jeff Bressler and you're listening to the Make Believe Ballroom. Now,

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if you're enjoying today's program and would like to hear

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a few hundred more archived shows in your copious free time,

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make sure to head over to our website at makebelieveballroom.com.

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That's makebelieveballroom.com. You'll find hours upon hours of classic Big

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band broadcasts, special features, and rare recordings waiting for you anytime,

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day or night. That's makebelieveballroom.com. Now, after hearing Jack Teagarden

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play a little Dixieland, let's head down to New Orleans,

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the home of Dixieland, the home of our wonderful affiliate station, WDXR.

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and the home of listener Ira Epps, who I guess

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had a little bit of that copious free time to

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send in a request. He writes, Jeff, love the ballroom.

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I know the Andrew sisters recorded many duets with Bing Crosby,

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but they also recorded with the legendary Al Jolson. Can

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you play one of their duets? Thank you so much

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for writing in, Ira. You are spot on. I was

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just looking to see if he had anything else on

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that email. Hold on one second. I got it off

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the screen too quickly.

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No, that was it.

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So thank you so much for writing in, Ira. You

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are spot on. When people think of the Andrew sisters collaborating,

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Bing Crosby and Al Jolson are usually the first two

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names that spring to mind. Now, this is a loaded question, Ira,

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because I can see you want to know if I

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am sleeping at the switch. Well, I'm not. But first,

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Patty Maxine and Laverne, the Andrews sisters, recorded an amazing

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47 tracks with Bing Crosby between 1939 and 1952, and

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that yielded 23 chart hits. and 12 gold records, including

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classics like Pistol Pack and Mama and Don't Fence Me In.

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And those famous sessions with Al Jolson gave us four

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timeless tracks, including the old Piano Roll Blues and Ira,

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You Dog, Living in New Orleans. The sisters and Al

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Jolson gave us Way Down Yonder in New Orleans.

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Way down yonder in New Orleans, in the land of

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the dreamy scenes, there's a garden of Eden, just what

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I mean. Oh, to me, oh, baby, with flashing eyes,

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softly whisper with tender sighs, stop. Oh, won't you give

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the old lady fair a little smile, stop. You bet

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your life you'll linger there a little while. There is

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heaven right here on earth with those beautiful queens way

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down yonder in New Orleans.

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Way down yonder in New Orleans.

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Way down in the land of dreamy scenes.

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There's a garden of Eden. You know that's what I mean.

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Three old babies with flashing eyes. Softly whisper with tender sighs.

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Stop.

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Oh, won't you give your lady fair a little smile?

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Stop.

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You bet your life you'll linger.

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There a little while.

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They got angels right here on earth.

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Hey!

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Wearing little blue jeans.

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Way down yonder in New Orleans.

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Stop!

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I want to give your lady fair a little smile.

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Stop!

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You bet your life you'll linger there a little while.

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There is heaven right here on earth with those beautiful queens.

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Way down yonder in New Orleans. Way down in New

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Orleans in the land of dreamy seas. There's a garden

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of Eden. Â¶ That's what I mean Â¶ Â¶ Rio.

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Babies with flashing eyes Â¶ Â¶ Softly whisper with tender.

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Sighs Â¶ Â¶ Oh, stop, oh, won't you give your

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lady pal Â¶ Â¶ A little smile, I said stop

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Â¶ Â¶ You bet your life you'll linger there a

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little while Â¶ Â¶ There is heaven right here on

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earth Â¶ Â¶ With a beautiful queen Â¶ Â¶ Way

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down yonder.

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In New Orleans Â¶.

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That was the one and only Al Jolson teaming up

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with Patty, Maxine, and Laverne, the Andrews sisters, on that

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spirited rendition of Way Down Yonder in New Orleans, recorded

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for Decca Records in March of 1950 with Vic Schoen

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and his orchestra, providing that brassy backing. That track was

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released as the B-side to their hit, the Old Piano

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Roll Blues. It captured Jolson right during his triumphant career

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resurgence in the late 1940s and early 50s. showing that

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the master entertainer still had plenty of swing left in him. Unfortunately,

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I think he passed away later in that same year, 1950.

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So thanks, Ira Epps, for your email leading us to

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the Andrews sisters and Jolie. Now, speaking of those famous

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Andrew Sisters team-ups, perhaps the most unlikely pairing in their

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entire catalog came when Decca executive Milt Gabler decided to

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smash boundaries completely. In early 1949, they brought together the

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Queen Bee Swing Harmony Trio, the Andrew Sisters, with Urban Pop.

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mixed with the Texas troubadour himself, country legend Ernest Tubbs.

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And at the time, big band pop and hillbilly music

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lived in completely different worlds. But when the girls stepped

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into the studio with Tubbs and his Texas troubadours, magic

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did indeed happen. They cut two back-to-back hits, Don't Rob

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Another Man's Castle and I'm Biting My Nails and Crying,

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And that single was a massive crossover smash, hitting the

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top ten on the pop charts while simultaneously climbing to

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number one on the country charts. And it proved that

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Honky Tonk and Hollywood Big Band Swing could share the

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same record groove seamlessly. Let's take a listen to this

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historic crossover record. Here are.

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The Andrew Sisters and Ernest Tubb with I'm Biting My

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Nails and Crying.

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You really got me worried now, I must confess it's true.

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I sit around twiddling my thumbs, breaking my heart in two.

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