Each week, Make Believe Ballroom transports you to the golden age of swing and jazz with classic big band hits from the 1930s and 1940s—the music that shaped jazz and laid the foundation of the Great American Songbook.
On the air almost continuously since 1935, the program features treasured 78rpm recordings, fascinating stories of legendary bandleaders, musicians, composers, and vocalists, listener requests, and special segments that bring the era’s music and history vividly to life.
The Make Believe Ballroom is America's third-longest-running radio music program, surpassed only by the Grand Ole Opry and the seasonal broadcasts of the Metropolitan Opera.
Your host is Jeff Bressler—jazz enthusiast, big band historian, author, and broadcasting veteran with more than 30 years behind the microphone.
Make Believe Ballroom is syndicated and distributed by the Public Radio Exchange (PRX), Pacifica Network, Global Community Radio and Retro Radioland Syndication. The show's flagship affiliate is Jazz 90.1, WGMC in Rochester, NY.
