Sept. 4, 2026

Make Believe Ballroom - 9/4/26 Edition

Show Notes
Transcript

On this week's edition of the Make Believe Ballroom, hosted by Jeff Bressler, Glenn Miller's greatest trombone solo, trombones of Teagarden and Dorsey, train songs, a short-lived Charlie Barnet vocalist, and more records and reminiscences from the big band and jazz era.

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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.

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Ballroom time And free to everyone It's no time to fret,

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your dial is set for fun.

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Just close your eyes.

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And visualize in your solitude. Your favorite bands are on.

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The stands and Mr.

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Miller puts you in the mood.

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It's make-believe ballroom time. We are of sweet romance. Here's

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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 as I play for

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you some amazing jazz, swing, blues, and boogie-woogie favorites. Folks,

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you're listening to the Make-Believe Ballroom, broadcasting almost continuously since 1935.

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And welcome, welcome, welcome one and all into the Crystal Studio.

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And thanks so much for joining me today. let's start

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off with a Glenn Miller tune. A Glenn Miller tune

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that I think has, well, had some personal distinction for Mr.

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Miller.

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Â¶ Â¶ Â¶ Â¶.

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Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Oh, my God. Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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So Recorded on April 28, 1940 on Bluebird Records, the

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Walter Donaldson standard, My Blue Heaven, Glenn Miller and his orchestra. And,

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you know, I think, well, Glenn Miller on the trombone

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going head-to-head, say, with Jack Teagarden and Tommy Dorsey would

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finish 3rd. But on this rendition of My Blue Heaven,

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the record does contain what I consider to be the

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best Glenn Miller trombone solo of his career. Why don't

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we listen to another Glenn Miller piece? And while that

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is playing, since I mentioned Jack Teagarden and Tommy Dorsey's

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prowess on the trombone, it would only be fitting that

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I feature a record by each of them. And while

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I search for those two said records, here's Glenn Miller again.

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Â¶ Â¶ Why, hello.

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There, Texas What you say?

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How's every little thing with you today?

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Well, all right, I reckon I feel pretty fair I

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just got a letter from a gal down there Down where?

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Down there Where's there?

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Where's there?

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My gal's down home in Texas Don't give me that

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stuff You do all right Why, I see you with

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a different chick every night Now, I'm not a bad guy.

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Won't mention any names But what's the story with you

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and the dames?

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Well, Glenn, I guess I do do pretty well. But

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there's really not an awful lot that I could tell.

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My pa was a pretty sharp cat in his day

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and says he used to court more in the old-fashioned way.

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Why, that old-fashioned stuff wouldn't stand a chance.

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In the hustle and the bustle of modern romance.

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Oh, it wouldn't, huh?

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No.

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Well, you'll find out.

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I'll show you just what I'm talking about.

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Well, go on, then.

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Okay.

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They didn't have no airy planes. They didn't have no

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streamlined trains. But they had lonely country lanes when.

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Paul was Gordon Moore.

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They didn't have no red safe bars, fancy drinks and caviars.

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But they had lots of moon and stars when Paul

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was Gordon Moore. They didn't have no commentator with the

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news broadcast. They'd listen in on the party line and

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get their news almost as fast. They didn't have no

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electric lights, just the lamps they'd spoon at night. Still

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and all, they did all right.

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When Paul was Gordon Moore.

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Â¶ Â¶ Now, all you say is true, I guess,

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but there must be more to your success.

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Have you told all, Texas?

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No.

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Say, just one thing, I got on ball.

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He didn't have a saxophone when he courted Ma.

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The funny thing about the gals today, they go for

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a guy that can swing and sway.

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Now, Texas, I think you got something there.

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Something where?

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Something there. Where's there?

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Right there, so go on, start blowing.

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Well, okay.

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Get going, go on.

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I'm going.

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Start blowing.

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From a December 30th, 1938 radio remote from the Paradise

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Restaurant in New York City, Glenn Miller, Tex Beneke, and

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the orchestra with... When Pa Was Courtin' Ma. On the radio,

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not from the Paramount restaurant, but from the Crystal Studio,

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

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And before that remote, I promised a couple of solos

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by Miller contemporaries, Jack Teagarden and Tommy Dorsey. Let's start

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with Jack Teagarden.

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Thank you.

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On Capitol Records, Jack Teagarden, wonderful trombone solo with the Dixieland-themed... Dr. Jazz.

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And in my haste to get that one ready for you,

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I did not get the date of recording, but who

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needs the exact date? Just the fact that we're listening

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to a wonderful recording around 80 years old speaks for itself.

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And now let's listen to a true sweet spot song

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for Tommy Dorsey's trombone. And I promise I will give

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you the exact date of recording for this one since

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I have a few more minutes to research that out.

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Tommy Dorsey and his orchestra recorded on July the 1st,

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1947 and released by RCA Victor. And what more a

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fitting name than Tromboneology. You know, I always like to

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pair back-to-back recordings from Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey, and I

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will do that now. I opened the show with My

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Blue Heaven by Glenn Miller, and I mentioned that it

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was written by Walter Donaldson. Walter was a prolific songwriter,

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and here is an early Donaldson-written piece made famous by

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Al Jolson reinterpreted here by Jimmy Dorsey. Â¦ Jimmy Dorsey

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and his orchestra with the big band version of the

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standard Carolina in the Morning, composed by Walter Donaldson, with

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lyrics by the legendary Gus Kahn, first published in 1922

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and eventually becoming a swing era staple for Dorsey's ensemble.

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was written in 22 and recorded by Jimmy Dorsey in

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that version on August the 15th, 1939. I'm Jeff Bressler,

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and you're listening to the one, the only, the original

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make-believe ballroom broadcasting almost continuously since Martin Block took to

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the airwaves on WNEW radio in New York City in

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February of 1935. Let's spin another disc, then. A listener's email.

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Â¶ Â¶.

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Heading for the station with a pack on my back.

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I'm tired of transportation in.

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The back of a hack.

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I love to hear the rhythm of the clickety-clack. And

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hear the lonesome whistle, see the smoke from the stack.

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And pal around with Democratic fellas named Mac. So take

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me right back to the track, Jack. Choo-choo, choo-choo, choo-boogie. Woo-woo, woo-woo, choo-boogie. Choo-choo, choo-choo, choo-boogie.

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Take me right back to the track, Jack.

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You reach your.

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Destination but alas and alack you need some compensation to

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get back in the black You take a morning paper

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from the top of the stack and read the situations

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from the front to the back. The only job that's

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open needs a man with a knack.

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So put it right back in the rack, Jack. Choo-choo, choo-choo, choo-boogie, woo-woo.

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Take me right back to the track, Jack.

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Gonna settle down by the railroad track Live the life

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of Raleigh in the beaten down shack So when I

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hear a whistle I can peep through the crack And

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watch the train a-rollin' when it's callin' a jack. For

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I just love the rhythm of the clickety-clack.

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So take me right back to the track, Jack. Choo-choo, choo-choo, choo-boogie. Woo-woo, woo-woo, choo-boogie. Choo-choo, choo-choo, choo-boogie.

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Take me right back to the track, Jack.. Take me

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right back.

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To the track.

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Yes!

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Louis Jordan spent a remarkable 18 weeks at number one

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in the rhythm and blues category with this memorable million

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seller we just heard. It also reached top ten on

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the pop sales, jukebox, and radio airplay charts. From Decca Records,

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Choo Choo Chaboogee by Louis Jordan and his Timpani Five band.

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recorded back in 1946. You know what? I'll get to

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that listener's email that I promised in just a moment,

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but how can I not play after that one of

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my favorite train songs of all time?

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Â¶ Â¶.

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Do you hear that whistle down the line? I figure

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that it's engine number 49. She's the only one that'll

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sound that way on the Atchison Topeka and the Santa Fe.

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See the old.

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Smoke rising round the bend. I reckon that she knows

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she's going to meet a friend. Folks around these parts

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get the time of day from the Atchison, Topeka, and

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the Santa Fe.

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Here she comes.

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Ooh, hey, Jim, you better get the rig. She's got

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a list of passengers that's pretty big. And they'll all

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want lifts to Brown's Hotel. Because lots of them have

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been traveling for quite a spell. All the way from Philadelphia.

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On the Atchison, Topeka, and the Santa Fe.

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All aboard!

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All aboard! All aboard!

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Chugga, chugga, chugga, chugga.

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Chugga, chugga, chugga, chugga.

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Â¶ Let her rip, let her rip, Mr. Engineer Â¶

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Gotta go, gotta go far away from here Â¶ While

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the man at the fire shovel's on the go Â¶

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Stick your head out the cab, watch the drivers roll

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Â¶ See the towns and the roads go a-whizzin' by

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Â¶ Fare thee well, Laramie, Albuquerque, high Â¶ Yes, sirree,

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here we are going all the way Â¶ Bustle quit

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till we hit California Â¶ Â¶ Â¶.

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Â© BF-WATCH TV 2021.

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On the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe, here she comes.

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Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh.

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Hey, Jim, you better get the ring. She's got a

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list of passengers that's pretty big And they'll all want

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lifts to Brown's Hotel Cause lots of them have been

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traveling for quite.

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A spell All the way from Philadelphia On.

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The Atchison, Topeka, and the Santa Fe.

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On the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Written by Johnny

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Mercer and Harry Warren sung by Johnny Mercer and the

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Pied Pipers, orchestra conducted by Paul Weston. That was a

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song from the movie The Harvey Girls, which starred Judy Garland,

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recorded on Mercer's own Capitol record label back in 1945.

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I'm Jeff Bressler, and from the Crystal Studio, you're listening

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to the weekly edition of The Make-Believe Ballroom. Before I

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literally got sidetracked by train songs, I promised an email

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from a listener. And I'm looking. I have a second email.

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Maybe we can do two emails in a row. The

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first email, and I assume it's due to the fact

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that we featured a reunion between Duke Ellington and Louis

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Armstrong last week on the show. The email is from Carol, K-A-R-R-O-L.

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And it reads, good morning, please play something from Louis Armstrong.

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Thanks much and good work. And I thank you, Carol.

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And here is a good work from Louis Armstrong, a

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work that is one of my all-time Armstrong favorites.

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Oh, chocolate drops, that's me, because my hair is curly,

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just because my teeth are curly.

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Just because I always wear a smile. Like to dress

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up in the lady style. Because I'm glad I'm living.

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I take troubles all with a smile. Just because my

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color's shady.

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Different maybe.

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That's why they call me.

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My hair is good.

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Oh.

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My teeth are pretty.

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Oh, baby.

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Oh, baby, that's what they call me, son.

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From OK Records, Shine by Louis Armstrong and his Sebastian

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New Cotton Club Orchestra, vocal by Louis Armstrong, recorded in

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Los Angeles, California on March the 9th, 1931. And to Carol,

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because you were so nice in writing to us with

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your request, another of my Armstrong favorites.

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Up in the morning.

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Out on the job Work like the devil for my

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pay But that lucky old son Has nothing to do

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But roll around heaven all.

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Day Us with my woman Toil for my kids Sweat

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till I'm wrinkled in gray.

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While that lucky old sun Has nothing to do But

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roll around heaven all day Good Lord, up above Can't

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you know I'm pining Tears all in my eyes Send

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down that cloud With the silver lining Lift.

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Me to paradise Show me that river Take me across

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And wash all my troubles away Like that lucky old

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sun Give me.

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Nothing to do but roll around heaven all day.

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Good Lord above, can't you know I'm pining?

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Tears all in my eyes.

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Send out that cloud with.

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A silver lining. Lift me to paradise.

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Show me that river.

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Take me across And wash all my troubles away Like

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that lucky old sun Give me nothing to do But

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roll around.

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Heaven, heaven.

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Oh, roll around in heaven.

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Heaven, heaven all day.

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Let me roll around in heaven.

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A vocal by Louis Armstrong, no trumpet, no Louis orchestra

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on Decca Records, recorded back in 1949. We just had

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the pleasure to listen to that lucky old son, Gordon Jenkins,

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and his orchestra and chorus. No offense to the chorus,

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but I think that record would have been much better

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if it was just a pure Louis Armstrong solo sans

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the chorus. Very powerful song. I really didn't think it

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needed the backup. What you do need, though, is the

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email for this program so I can read and relay

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your comments and requests to our listeners. I'm Jeff at makebelieveballroomradio.com.

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That's Jeff at makebelieveballroomradio.com. I said that I suspect, and

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I might be wrong, but suspect that Carol... for an

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Armstrong recording due to the Satchmo Duke performance from last

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week via the Ed Sullivan program. And I suspect that

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this next request might have to do with the Desi

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Arnaz recording with the Andrew Sisters I played a few

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weeks back. The record's name was Old Don Juan, if

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you recall. So let's peruse that email. It reads, Dear Jeff,

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long-time listener to the Make Believe Ballroom. I go all

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the way back to the William B. Williams days as

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the DJ. There is a song that Charlie Barnett recorded,

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a Cuban song. I can't remember the vocalist. I know

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not many clues, but I also know you will be

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able to pull it out of one of your dusty crates.

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Thanks.

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That's signed Arnold Stern, who listens in New York. And Arnold,

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I know from what you speak.

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Thank you.

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The Yorktown folks are quite aware Of something in the

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Harlem air A rhythm with a kind of beat They'd

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never heard from Cuban Pete There came to Harlem's door

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one day A Cuban band with something new to say.

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When they began to play, they played the Cuban boogie woogie.

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Their music held a new delight Because they had the

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rumble rhythm right Just like Havana Still it was the

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Cuban boogie-woogie It began When they heard a band from

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Dixieland Me Every man Wanted to incorporate the eighth beat

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Straight eighth beat So now they have it figured fine

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And what they play is really on the line It's

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all combined and it comes out the Cuban buggy buggy.

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From Bluebird Records, with Charlie Barnett and his orchestra, we

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just heard Cuban Buggy, Judy Ellington. Vocal recorded back in 1939.

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And Judy, Judy Ellington, had a great voice, but, well,

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unfortunately had a career that didn't match. She certainly had

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her moment of fame back in 1939. She, in my estimation,

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was in the right place at the right time. And

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being in the right place at the right time found

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her in the national spotlight. When Charlie Barnett's band broke

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out as one of the major swing orchestras in the

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country and she was hired as the vocalist, Judy Ellington

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was unable to follow up on that popularity, however. That

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covered 1939 and she started to quickly drift into obscurity

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after leaving the band. As band dynamics started to change

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in 1939 for Charlie, she and a few other band

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members moved on, including the great clarinetist Tommy Reynolds. She

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joined his band, but that lasted for less than a year,

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and that was pretty much her career. Let's hear one

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more by Judy Ellington. Oh yeah, by the way, Judy

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was not related to Duke Ellington in any way.

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THE END.

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Long ago swung a young gorilla through the trees. What

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a killer dilla. Ever since, thanks to that gorilla, some.

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Life had hopped.

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Later on, fiddled Mr.

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Nero.

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Down in Rome, he was quite a hero. Ever since,

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thanks to Mr. Nero, some life had hopped. When a

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rooster burst, went, peck, peck, the community bent his neck.

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But did rhythm perish with him? No, no, no, no, no,

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I should say not. Â¶ Everywhere you can find survivors

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Â¶ Nowadays people call them jivers Â¶ Thanks to those

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senders and arrivers Â¶ Some like it hot Â¶.

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From Bluebird Records with Charlie Barnett and his orchestra, Judy

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Ellington vocals, Some Like It Hot, recorded in New York

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City back in 1939. I'm Jeff Bressler. This is the

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Make Believe Ballroom. I'm in the Crystal Studio regaling you

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with the collection of 78 RPM records and radio remotes,

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and I do that each and every week here on

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the show.

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Â¶ Â¶ Thank you.

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Yes!

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Yes!

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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That was Johnny Hodges and his orchestra with Queen Bess

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recorded for Victor Records on November the 2nd, 1940 in Chicago, Illinois. Johnny,

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one of the alto sax greats, is best known for

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solo work with the gentleman I just mentioned, Duke Ellington.

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He played lead alto in the 70s for the Duke.

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I think he had his own orchestra for a few years,

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if I'm not mistaken, in the early 50s, but that

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was a pretty quick stint, and he ultimately went back

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to Duke. I would say that along with Benny Carter

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in the 1930s especially, Hodges has to be considered to

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be one of the definitive alto saxophone players of the Now,

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in the record we just heard, Johnny and his orchestra were,

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in actuality, the front name for one of the many

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Duke Ellington small bands. Small band in that record we

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just heard, but certainly big music. So why don't we

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play one more from Johnny Hodges.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Â© BF-WATCH TV 2021.

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Thank you.

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Â© BF-WATCH TV 2021.

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Recorded in New York City on March 28, 1938.

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Rendezvous with Rhythm via Vocalion Records. Johnny Hodges and his

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orchestra under the umbrella of Duke Ellington. And I've got

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to look this up. Maybe I'll look it up during

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the next record we play. I'm almost sure he was

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one of the prominent Ellington band members. I'm talking about

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Johnny Hodges, who was featured in Benny Goodman's classic 1938

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00:52:56.869 --> 00:53:03.719
Carnegie Hall concert I think we have time to play

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one more record at least before we close up the

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Crystal Studio. And let's see what I can spend.

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Â¶ Â¶ Swing it high and swing it low, swing

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it everywhere you go.

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Oh, swing it.

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Yeah, man, swing it. Now swing it left and swing

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it right.

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Swing it morning, noon, and night.

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Oh, swing it.

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00:54:21.440 --> 00:54:22.639
Yeah, swing it.

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00:54:23.000 --> 00:54:28.380
Now harmonies and melodies, let them swing. Don't you know

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00:54:28.500 --> 00:54:31.000
that if you don't swing it, it don't mean a thing.

389
00:54:31.019 --> 00:54:34.280
Swing it up and swing it down. Swing it all

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00:54:34.300 --> 00:54:35.599
around the town.

391
00:54:36.219 --> 00:54:37.039
Oh, swing it.

392
00:54:37.639 --> 00:54:39.079
Yeah, swing it.

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Â© BF-WATCH TV 2021.

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I mentioned the equally great alto saxophonist Benny Carter a

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few moments ago, a contemporary of Johnny Hodges. So for you,

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