Make Believe Ballroom -1/30/26 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 bombs. Close your eyes and visualize in your solitude. Your favorite bands. Are on the stands. And mister Miller, what's you in the mood? It's make Believe Ballroom time. We are a sweet romances. You make me bottle. Come on, Jill the Last dast Last.

1:07 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 hits 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 hundred and thirty five. Welcome, Welcome, Welcome one and all into the Crystal Studio, and thanks for joining me today. Let's get the turntable spinning with a little Charlie.

1:50 Barnett Live Live to do.

4:08 A Little. Little recorded by Charlie Barnett and his orchestra for Bluebird Records on October the ninth, nineteen thirty nine, in Hollywood, California, The Right Idea, One more record and then for you a Tasty Treat.

6:17 A puffer from.

7:58 Bluebird Records back in nineteen forty one, Flow Flow, Sam Donahue and his orchestra. I'm Jeff Presler. I am in the Crystal Studio and I am presenting you with this week's edition of The Make Believe Ballroom. And I told you before, Sam Donahue, that I had a what did I call it, A tasty treat coming your way, and that treat comes now via the famed Hickory House in New York City and the Three Tees. Before we discover the Three Tees, let's take a look at the Hickory House.

8:38 For the uninitiated, the Hickory House was a jazz club that was located on West fifty second Street, which I affectionately call Swing Street in New York City. And for our regular listeners, you know, I frequently mentioned fifty second Street on the show because for a stretch of close to two miles from fifth to seventh Avenue. I guess, I guess it was probably close to two dozen jazz clubs that graced both sides of the street. You had the Onyx, the Five Deuces. Oh, you had Jimmy Ryan's of course the Famous Door. They were all open late, and they all featured jazz for both music lovers and musicians who came late at night after their own shows.

9:36 And now the Hickory House was kind of unique. It opened in nineteen thirty three by a gentleman named John Popkin. Now, most of the clubs on fifty second Street served liquor and basic food, But as much as Hickory House was known for its music, it was all also highly regarded for its let's call it bill of fare, which featured steaks and seafood and chops that were all broiled over hickory logs. And if that doesn't get you hungry, nothing, well I smell it here in the Crystal Studio music.

10:22 Jazz music was also not broiled but boiling, and one of the groups that frequented the Hickory House were the Three T's A little history into that group. In January of nineteen thirty four, Trombonis Jack T Garden one of my favorites from the big band era, Jack and what he thought was a very good move that would let him ride out the depression with the steady job. Jack signed a five year track to become a member of the Paul Whiteman Orchestra. Now, Whiteman's group was the most famous and financially stable orchestra on the whole planet at that time and could easily withstand the depression with solid work, so that was a logical move by T. Garden. Now, while Tea Garden was featured on an occasional number with Whiteman, he was mostly buried anonymously, buried in the large ensembles as the swing era was starting to take off. Now, in December of nineteen thirty six, while the Paul Whiteman Band was on vacation, saxophonist Frank Trumbauer Frank I think

11:56 at that time he had left the Whiteman Orchestra up, so he teamed up with Jack T. Garden and his brother, trumpeter Charlie Tea Garden. Charlie also played for Paul Whiteman, and they formed a group called the Three Teas and they played much of the month of December at the Hickory House in New York, and they were featured on radio remote broadcasts, and we are certainly blessed that such broadcasts were transcribed for posterity. So let's listen to one by the Three teas playing amongst the hickory smoke and the smell of cocktails and cigarettes and cigars and other stuff.

12:52 I guess in December of nineteen thirty six. Now the firstman's called tank Jack, take garden. As you're singing, tain't good, tain't no good like a nigro made of what? When you've got love of plenty and you're misunderstood, ain't right? They just when you're flying like a guy you hit that's zero Zealand And baby, that's good. Nice wasting your time? Leave such a crime.

14:13 There's much I know if we were together, it wouldn't be so it ain't good snoga like a nigromader was to find your load. Don't love you? I tell you it. Ain't no goad.

15:44 A radio remote from the legendary Hickory House in December of nineteen thirty six. Taint good the three teas. Now, I'm not going to leave you in suspense. Those who enjoy food might like to know some of the hickory smoked and broiled items from the menu, And it just so happens I have one right here on one of the computer screens in front of me in the crystal studio. So let's take a look. This menu is from nineteen forty.

16:25 As a starter, how about a Tom Collins cocktail for sixty cents. Again, I'm talking about nineteen forty. On the dinner menu, a dozen different entrees featuring in the selections a broiled whole main lobster for four dollars and fifty cents, hickory smoke broiled chicken, three fifty sliced hickory smoke steak with the Hickory House special sauce four dollars and twenty five cents. I think that I'll take the sliced steak, and for my four dollars and twenty five cents, I also get an appetizer. Let's see here. I think I'll have the little neck clams. I also included a bowl of soup. It's very nice and with my entree is included in the price, garden vegetables of baked potato and bread and rolls with butter and for dessert I shall order when I choose the fresh strawberry ice cream and a cup of coffee. All of that for four dollars and twenty five cents back in nineteen forty. And also for my four dollars and twenty five cents, I get this.

17:55 We're at the Heckory House at fifty second Street in Manhattan, New York City. Three teas, Tea. Garden from Bauer and Teegarten. And to add little more, our next number is mister T from Tennessee.

18:54 I'm mister T from Then. I see all the sudden arithodrasey, I keep on swinging all I live long days, just as happy as can be. Oh that's mister T and his problem. And his very uncommercial baritone. Yeah, you can't understand the word, he says, but it's yours a pretty tone. Ain't I got music, Ain't I got bad? And I got sweet dreams? Man? You want to have? I got everything? But yes, sir, anytime you're wrong, ure and they're giving out a few dregs breeze wait for you till the cows come home.

19:35 There's a tea from ten I see.

20:30 Jackson Tate Garden and comebo it singing Missip from. Tennessee, Mister T from Tennessee. The Three Teas, The Hickory House, December of nineteen thirty six. I'm Jeff Rustler and you're listening to the one, the only, the original Make Believe Ballroom. And as I so often do, as a result of the Three Teas, I'm going to change the course of the program after this song. MM them, let's God shall get them, Let's not shall lose, so.

21:19 The Bible said, and it's still news. My mummy has poppy, but. God bless the child that's got his own, that's got his own. Yeah, the strong gets more, while the weak ones made empty, pie gets stored, ever made the great My momy pp on me, But God bless the child that's got his own, that's got his own.

22:16 Money. You got lot, sufriend, crowding around the when your adame spending a. Lay, No come noble. Rich relations, skill, quest of real and search. You can help. Yourself, but don't take too much. My morey had popp on me hand.

22:59 But God, God bless the child. Let's got his own. Let's got his own mom me, he hop me, but. God bless the child let's got his. Owlnd that's got his own.

23:40 He join Don Welly bad nothing. Cause he's got his own. On Okay Records from nineteen forty one, a Billie Holiday classic recording in New York City at the Okay Studios. God bless the children, and God bless you today for listening to the Make Believe Ballroom. I said it was going to change a course on the program this week. I need to collect a few more songs from the playlist to fulfill that. So in the meantime from nineteen

27:21 forty one on Bluebird Records, that was Glenn Miller and his orchestra with audios. So I said before Glenn Miller that I was going to change direction of the show because when I was playing the Three T's, it dawned on me that I have not done a show on small groups in some time. By the mid I guess it was the mid nineteen thirties, many big band leaders were starting to realize and we were still in the depression at that point, so they started to realize guy that big bands were expensive, a lot of those costs becoming a little out of their reach. So many big bands started small groups that could tour cheaply record more freely feature some of the star soloists from the big band and also experiment with some music that might eventually transfer to their older big band brothers. So many big bands formed small groups under the big band umbrella. Now as it started to evolve, some small groups were totally independent of big bands, while others, as I mentioned, were

28:51 bands within bands, and many of these small groups performed at the same time as their a bigger brother big band and played as well as an added attraction. Now group that started in nineteen thirty seven was the Nat King Cole Trio, and that was a standalone small group not affiliated with the band. Nat King Cole played the piano, did the vocals, Oscar Moore the guitar, and Wesley Prince and also who was Johnny Miller who played the bass no drums, which was kind of revolutionary at the time.

29:39 And the Nat King Cole Trio. If you know. NAT's music combined swing elegance and certainly pop appeal, more mainstream appeal than many of the swing band small groups, and they were among the most successful full small groups of the era. Let's listen to one of their songs, A. Brother Took a Monkey for a Ride in the air.

30:20 The market thought that everything was on the square. The brother tried to throw the market off his back, but the monkey grabbed his neck and said, now listen, Jack, straighten up and fly right, straighten up, and fly right straighten up and fly right cool down. Hop But don't you blow your top. Ain't no use in diving. What's the use of driving? Straighten up and fly right cool down, Hoop, But don't you. Blow your top. The buzz told the Marky you were choking me. Release show hold and I will set you free. The monkey looked the buzz right and I said, your story is so tutting, but it sounds just like liugh straight love and fly right straight love and stay right straight up and fly.

31:11 Right cool down the pip. But don't you know. You straighten up and fly right straight up, and stay right straighten up and.

32:20 Fly right cool down, Papa do yo. Fly right on Capitol Records the number one hit from back in nineteen forty four. Straighten up and fly right then, Nat King Cole Trio. I'm Jeff Pressler. This is the Make Believe Ballroom coming to you from the Crystal Studio. Thanks for joining me this hour as I play and introduce you to a number of the pre eminent small group jazz units from the big band era. The king of swing and also the king of small group jazz was undoubtedly Benny Goodman. He over the years had a trio, a quintet, and a sextete, all at one time or another, sometimes together associated with his orchestra. Let's go to Victor Records and won by the Benny Goodman Trio.

35:16 The.

36:25 Benny Goodman on the clarinet, Teddy Wilson the piano, Geene group of the drums More Than You Know, recorded back in nineteen thirty six. As we take time on today's edition of The Make Believe Ballroom to visits small group trios, quintets and sextets, Let's move on to Count Basie. He had a very popular sex tet, but unlike for example, the Night King Cole Trio, a unit that for the most part used the same personnel for a number of years, Count Bassie would switch them up. Here's one from January sixth, nineteen thirty nine. Count Bassie on the piano, Shad Collins, the trumpet, Lester Young, the tenor sacks, Freddie Green plays the guitar, the multi talented Walter Page on bass Jimmy Rushing's vocal. You can depend on me via Victor Records.

38:13 Though you say were through. I'll always love you. You know you can depend on me. Though someone you mind have made you for a god. You know you can count all me. I wish you subsist lords of love me now, but. I must come fast. I'll be lonely, I'll be lonely. I belong me. If you need a friend, I'm yours unto the end. You know you can count all me.

39:01 The sad. Of sa.

40:37 Now let's move on to the Tommy Dorsey clam Bake seven, which worked within the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. Many of their songs had a Dixie Land influence, not all, but many. We play a lot of clam Bake seven here on the ballroom, and I found one I haven't played recently. Yet.

41:50 Good blues, good blue, good dudes. Ah, Yes, there's good Lose tonight. There's goods lose to night. You can't hell but dance because the music is really right. Oh yes, there's good Lose tonight. That's groovy blues to night, chance to row Man, while the dancing is lilting light.

42:39 Each chuck and cheek to cheek with his chick. No gate, that's lady will raise the lad just leaves. Oh yes, there's good lose tonight. There's brue blues to night. So hold your baby tie, cause is really good blues to night. Good blues, Yes, good blues.

43:50 Tonight from Victor Records. There's good Blues Tonight. Tommy Dorsey and his clam Bake seven vocal by Cy Oliver and recorded March the second, nineteen forty six, in New York City. Mellow, mean and well on the scene the clam Bake seven. This is the make Believe Ballroom. And now let's go to mister Artie Shaw and his Gramercy five. Sure founded that group before I forget. The reason they were named Gramercy five is because that was the start of Artie Shaw's telephone exchange from the phone he had in his apartment in New York City. So Shaw founded the group, as I mentioned, lasted a brief time at Shaw's whim has so many things that Shaw did. It started in nineteen forty and featured someone we played just a few weeks back. That was Johnny Guarneri on the hopsichord and an instrument normally found in big bands or small groups.

45:12 Let's play their most famous tune.

46:41 I Done, Dot don't.

47:50 It's from nineteen forty one on Victor Records, Summit Ridge Drive.

48:43 Artie Shaw and his Grammarcy five and Summit Ridge Drive was a small group jazz and swing. It would have to be deemed the classic on the record. Artie Shaw playing the clarinet, Billy Butterfield the trumpet, Johnny Guarneri the harpsichord, Al hendrickson the guitar, Judge Denault on the bassin Nick Fatool playing the drums. I'm Jeff Bresler. As we continue to listen to some small group jazz here on this week's edition of The Make Believe Ballroom, I just want to mention to you. If you're just joining us and you missed any part of the show, you could go to MakeBelieve Ballroom dot Com. That's MakeBelieve Ballroom dot com.

49:24 And here over two hundred and fifty past broadcasts. Why don't we go back to Benny Goodman this time now with his sextet, and I consider the sextet a real swing era sweet spot in small groups. The Benny Goodman sextet, Benny Goodman playing the clarinet, Lionel Hampton fibrophone. Fletcher Henderson was on the piano, the Great Charlie Christian the guitar already Bernstein the bass, Nick Fittule playing the drums. This is Stardust, recorded in New York City, October the second, nineteen thirty nine.

52:04 That's not does not. Do bo.

53:26 Star Dust. The Benny Goodman Sextet featuring a Charlie Christian solo. Charlie Christian solos on the electric guitar helped shape modern jazz, and it was very innovative at the time to even have an electric guitar playing with a small band or even a big band. Another legendary small group within a big band was Bob Crosby and his Bobcats. They were a dixie Land style offshoot of the bigger Bob Crosby orchestra.

54:07 Bob Crosby, of course the younger brother of the some say, and I agree, greatest crooner of all time, Bing Crosbie. Here is the Bobcats, with the aptly named March of the Bobcats Dixieland style from back in nineteen forty nine, Folks that's all the time we have as the big

57:06 hand on the big bull ofvar clock here in the Crystal studio, which is closer to the top of the hour. Thanks for joining me today here on the Ballroom, and thanks to our syndicators and distributors for offering this program cost free to commercial, free, public, community and university radio stations. The Public Radio Exchange PRX, the pacifica Network global community radio program's flagship affiliates Jazz ninety point one WGMC in Rochester, New York. The Ballroom's also heard on your favorite podcast provider, and until next week, this has been Jeff Presler