bigbandbash's podcast

Big Band Bash is a show presenting the music, musicians, and era of the great Big Bands. Each show highlights a different aspect of the big bands, whether it be a show about a certain band or a subject of the big bands anywhere from the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. I hope to get your feet tapping with this great music.

Record Labels Part 1 - Decca 03/10/2026

Record Labels Part 1 - Decca When I was a youngster my dad bought a three record set called The Big Bands. In it were songs that went along with a book by George T. Simon. Each record was devoted to a particular record label. The three labels were Decca, Columbia, and RCA Bluebird. It was a nice set with a lot of the hits from the big band era. I came across this set the other day and thought it would be great to hear all those great old songs again. This week we will be hearing many of the great bands that recorded for the Decca label. We'll be hearing from Jimmy Dorsey, Jimmie Lunceford, Bob Crosby, Casa Loma, Lionel Hampton and many others. I hope you enjoy all the bands this week that were part of the Decca family. /episode/index/show/bigbandbash/id/40387485

Will Bradley and His Orchestra 03/03/2026

Will Bradley and His Orchestra I'm back from vacation and have some new programs under way. Here is the first, spotlighting one of my favorite big bands. Will Bradley was a great trombonist who worked with several name orchestras when he was persuaded to start up his own orchestra in 1939. They had an exciting pianist in Freddie Slack and sperked an interest in boogie woogie with their hit Beat Me Daddy Eight To The Bar. I hope you enjoy this salute to a great big band leader and musician. /episode/index/show/bigbandbash/id/40303405

Woody Herman 100th Birthday Salute Part 2 03/03/2026

Woody Herman 100th Birthday Salute Part 2 May 13th is the birthday of Woody Herman and if he were alive today that would have been his 100th birthday. We continue our celebration of his birthday with some of his hits from the 1940's. These are some of my favorite recordings from the Herman Herd, songs like Caldonia, Early Autumn, Four Brothers, Northwest Passage and more. Plus, in this episode I have a few segments from an interview that Woody gave in 1978. I hope you enjoy this salute to one of America's greatest big band leaders. /episode/index/show/bigbandbash/id/40303340

Woody Herman 100th Birthday Salute Part 1 Repeat 03/03/2026

Woody Herman 100th Birthday Salute Part 1 Repeat May 13th is the birthday of Woody Herman and if he were alive today that would have been his 100th birthday. To celebrate this milestone we will be playing some of his early recordings made between the years of 1939 and 1946 on the show today which is part one of two. I was fortunate enough to see the Herman band in person not once but twice. They were a very exciting band and I have been a fan every since I was in high school. I hope you enjoy this salute to one of America's greatest big band leaders. /episode/index/show/bigbandbash/id/40303310

Classic Artie Shaw Bluebird and Victor Sessions Part 2 Repeat 01/30/2026

Classic Artie Shaw Bluebird and Victor Sessions Part 2 Repeat I am continuing this week with part two of Classic Artie Shaw Bluebird and Victor Sessions which has selected cuts from the Mosaic Record Company's eight disc set of the same name. The sound quality is great and most of these songs are from Artie's classic years. All of the songs on the show are instrumentals as that was how Mosaic elected to produce the set. /episode/index/show/bigbandbash/id/39937135

Classic Artie Shaw Bluebird & Victor Sessions Part 1 Repeat 01/30/2026

Classic Artie Shaw Bluebird & Victor Sessions Part 1 Repeat In 2011 I bought two 8 disc sets from the Mosaic Record Company. The first was dedicated to the Columbia sides of Benny Goodman which I presented a show on a few weeks ago. The second is what our show today is about. This disc set featured the classic Bluebird recordings of Artie Shaw. For all the vocal fan listeners I have to apologize as this set only focus on the instrumentals. But what a collection of instrumentals. We start from the year of 1938 and Artie's great recording of Cole Porter's "Begin the Beguine" and continue from there. Many of the arrangements are by Artie himself or Jerry Gray. This is a great set that is, unfortunately, not for sale anymore. I hope you enjoy part 1 of The Classic Artie Shaw Bluebird and Victor Sessions. /episode/index/show/bigbandbash/id/39937030

Classic Columbia and Okeh BG Orchestra Sessions Part 2 Repeat 01/30/2026

Classic Columbia and Okeh BG Orchestra Sessions Part 2 Repeat This week I am going to continue with part two of the Mosaic box set, The Classic Columbia and Okeh Benny Goodman Orchestra Session 1939 -1957. These are many of the recordings that Benny made during those years and these are all instrumental recordings. Benny had some great vocalists during those years but Mosaic kept this set to just instrumentals. Some of the songs we'll be listening to include, Jersey Bounce, A String of Pearls, Birth of the Blues, I'll Get By, and many more. This set is no longer available and so I am happy to be able to present some of these great recordings. I hope you enjoy a look at some of the recordings by Benny and the orchestra. /episode/index/show/bigbandbash/id/39936965

Classic Columbia and Okeh BG Orchestra Sessions Part 1 Repeat 01/30/2026

Classic Columbia and Okeh BG Orchestra Sessions Part 1 Repeat This week we will be listening to selections from a Mosaic Record Company set that I have called the Classic Columbia and Okeh Benny Goodman Orchestra Sessions. This is part one of a show I did back in 2012 and repeated almost three years ago in 2019. These are all the instrumental recordings that Benny did for Columbia and the Okeh record label. Unfortunately the producers of this set omitted all the vocals. But there is some fantastic music by the Goodman band starting in 1939 when he switched to the Columbia label. If you are a Benny Goodman fan then I hope you enjoy these two programs. /episode/index/show/bigbandbash/id/39936925

Metronome Magazine Part Two 10/08/2025

Metronome Magazine Part Two This is part two of a program I did on Metronome Magazine. In the issue, there was a section devoted to record reviews. In part one, I started to play many of the records that they were reviewing. We continue with more record reviews from Metronome magazine from March of 1942. The cover featured a blue background and a great picture of Jimmy Dorsey. Many of these songs were not hits for the bands that recorded them but they were great recordings. I hope you enjoy the record reviews from the March 1942 issue of Metronome. /episode/index/show/bigbandbash/id/38518310

Benny Goodman A Birthday Salute 2 Remotes 10/08/2025

Benny Goodman A Birthday Salute 2 Remotes May 30, 1909 is the birthday of bandleader and clarinetist Benny Goodman. Instead of playing some of his hits which I've done in past programs, I would like to play two radio remotes. These were recorded Oct 23 and 27, 1937 when the Goodman orchestra was appearing at the Manhattan room of The Hotel Pennsylvania. Benny was the first bandleader that I started listening to when I was a senior in high school. It's because of his great playing and artistry that I became a life long fan of the big bands. Happy Birthday Benny. /episode/index/show/bigbandbash/id/38518265

Metronome Magazine Part One 09/09/2025

Metronome Magazine Part One temp /episode/index/show/bigbandbash/id/38148385

Remotes From WW2 Part Two (Artie Shaw) Repeat 09/09/2025

Remotes From WW2 Part Two (Artie Shaw) Repeat This week I am continuing with part two of Big Band Remotes from World War 2 with two remotes from the Victory Parade of Spotlight Bands series. At the same time, however, I am having a birthday salute to a favorite bandleader of mine, the late Artie Shaw. Artie was born on May 23, 1910 and he also appeared on the Spotlight band program for five consecutive weeks in 1945. So to honor Artie I would like to play the first two programs in that series. The sound quality is very good and there are some exciting solos from trumpeter Roy Eldridge. I hope you enjoy this look back at some on location performances from the great Artie Shaw as we remember his birthday. /episode/index/show/bigbandbash/id/38148320

Remotes From WW2 Part One Repeat 09/09/2025

Remotes From WW2 Part One Repeat On this week's show I would like to honor a request. A listener asked for some big band remotes that took place during World War 2. Most of the remotes I have during that era are from the Victory Parade of Spotlight Bands program. I found four 15 miniute shows so on the program today we will be listening to the bands of Tommy Dorsey, Bob Chester, Benny Goodman, and Les Brown. Three of the shows are from 1943 and one is from 1944. I hope you enjoy this look back at some on location performances from four of America's top bands. /episode/index/show/bigbandbash/id/38148265

Bob Chester and Teddy Powell 08/27/2025

Bob Chester and Teddy Powell This week we will be listening to and learning about two bands that I've never recently covered before: Bob Chester and Teddy Powell. This is a rebroadcast of a show I produced back in 2012. Bob had a great band that was heavily influenced by Glenn Miller. Teddy's band had a great start in New York but had trouble sustaining that popularity outside of the Northeast. These are the original recordings by both bands. /episode/index/show/bigbandbash/id/37983235

The Casa Loma Orchestra 08/27/2025

The Casa Loma Orchestra This week we take a look back at the music and career of Glenn Gray and the Casa Loma Orchestra. As an orchestra they predated Benny Goodman and the start of the swing era. They had some excellent musicians and had a few big hits in the 30's and 40's. I'll be playing some of these numbers as we look back at the career of the Casa Loma Orchestra. /episode/index/show/bigbandbash/id/37983045

1938-1939 Time Life - The Swing Era Part 2 Repeat 08/27/2025

1938-1939 Time Life - The Swing Era Part 2 Repeat This is part two of the Time Life records set I started last week. These records were originally recorded in 1971 by Billy May and His Orchestra/Glen Gray's Casa Loma Orchestra. Those were recreations featuring many of the musicians who were on the original recordings. Today's program features the music from the set of 1938-1939. I have this box set and thought that instead of hearing the recreations that it would be interesting to listen to the originals. So I'm borrowing the playlist and presenting the original recordings. Included with the albums was a nice book which told about the swing era. The book from the 1938-1939 set featured an essay on Where Swing Came From. /episode/index/show/bigbandbash/id/37983015

1938-1939 Time Life - The Swing Era Part 1 Repeat 08/26/2025

1938-1939 Time Life - The Swing Era Part 1 Repeat This is another volume in Time Life records ambitious project called "The Swing Era". It was a ten volume set with three records included in each volume. Today we turn to the years of 1938-1939. The songs were rerecorded by the bands of Billy May and Glen Gray. I have this set and thought that instead of hearing the recreations that it would be interesting to listen to the originals. So I'm borrowing the playlist and presenting the original recordings. There are about 30 songs so I'm going to break it up into two parts. I hope you enjoy the music in this set. /episode/index/show/bigbandbash/id/37968520

Spotlight on Tommy Dorsey - Repeat 08/26/2025

Spotlight on Tommy Dorsey - Repeat Hello everyone. This week is a continuation of the two part series I started last week on the Dorsey brothers. This was a show I produces several years ago and am rebroadcasting. There are many of your favorite Dorsey hits and the Puzzler is back. I am in the process of producing some new shows and hope to start presenting them next week. Until then, thank you for your continued listening and support. /episode/index/show/bigbandbash/id/37968495

Spotlight on Jimmy Dorsey - Repeat 08/26/2025

Spotlight on Jimmy Dorsey - Repeat This week I have gone back into the collection and pulled out two shows that I did on Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey. There is a lot a good music in these shows. We'll being this week with a look at Jimmy and follow next week with Tommy. I would like to dedicate these two shows to the memory of my mother, Evelyn Earlene Miller. I hope you enjoy the music. /episode/index/show/bigbandbash/id/37968480

Glenn Miller - A Birthday Salute Part 2 06/24/2025

Glenn Miller - A Birthday Salute Part 2 Welcome to the second part of our Glenn Miller birthday celebration. March 01, 1904 is the birthday of the late Glenn Miller and to celebrate I've picked out some recordings that ia a mixture of his songs. These are all live recordings and in addition we'll be listening to a radio remote recorded on May 17, 1939 at the Glen Island Casino. This is a great program of Glenn Miller music. /episode/index/show/bigbandbash/id/37138320

Glenn Miller - A Birthday Salute Part 1 06/24/2025

Glenn Miller - A Birthday Salute Part 1 March 01, 1904 is the birthday of the late Glenn Miller. Join me on this program as we celebrate his birthday. I've picked out some recordings that are very pretty mixed with some of his hits. In addition we'll be listening to a radio remote recorded on March 26, 1939 at Frank Dailey's Meadowbrook Ballroom. This is a great program of Glenn Miller music. /episode/index/show/bigbandbash/id/37138235

Black History Month Part Four Jimmie Lunceford 06/24/2025

Black History Month Part Four Jimmie Lunceford We continue our celebration of Black History Month this week with a look at the big band of Jimmie Lunceford. Jimmie Lunceford's band differed from other great bands of the time because it was better known for its ensemble than for its solo work. Additionally, he was known for using a two-beat rhythm, called the Lunceford two-beat, as opposed to the standard four-beat rhythm. We'll be playing many of the Lunceford band's many hits. /episode/index/show/bigbandbash/id/37138180

Black History Month Sampler Part Three 05/14/2025

Black History Month Sampler Part Three We wind up our celebration of Black History Month with some more assorted artists. The performers today are ones that I didn't get to on the previous shows. Some of the artists on the show today include Charlie Christian, John Kirby, Russell Procope, Buster Bailey, Charlie Shavers, Louis Armstrong, The Ink Spots, Benny Moten, and Chu Berry. I hope you enjoy this sampler of the many great African-American Bands from the swing era. /episode/index/show/bigbandbash/id/36569365

Black History Month Sampler Part Two 05/14/2025

Black History Month Sampler Part Two We continue our celebration of Black History Month this week with more assorted bands and vocalists. Some of the artists on the show today include Ella Fitzgerald, Earl Fatha Hines, Duke Ellington, Ivy Anderson, Roy Eldridge, Louis Jordan, Lionel Hampton, Jimmy Rushing, and Helen Humes. I hope you enjoy this sampler of the many great African-American Bands from the swing era. /episode/index/show/bigbandbash/id/36569220

Black History Month Sampler Part One 05/13/2025

Black History Month Sampler Part One We start our celebration of Black History Month this week. Rather than focus on any one band or bandleader I have put together a sampler of bands. We start with the band of Fletcher Henderson. Other bands heard today will be Andy Kirk, Benny Carter, Cab Calloway, Chick Webb, Count Basie, and Erskine Hawkins. I hope you enjoy this sampler of the many great African-American Bands from the swing era. /episode/index/show/bigbandbash/id/36553885

Benny Goodman 1938 Carnegie Hall Concert 04/19/2025

Benny Goodman 1938 Carnegie Hall Concert January 16th 1938 is the date of the Benny Goodman concert at Carnegie Hall. This was the first concert given in the respectable concert venue by a swing band. We are very fortunate that the concert was recorded. Since the recording date was during the infancy of recording, the sound quality is not as good as today's recordings. The concert was originally issued in a two-LP gatefold album in 1950, the nearly forgotten documentation of this historic event quickly became Columbia's best-selling jazz release, a distinction it was to hold for decades to come. Although rumored among collectors for decades, the public had no way of knowing that two big band numbers had been excised from the commercial release and all subsequent reissues. The original concert was over two hours so I have picked some selected cuts from that night.temp /episode/index/show/bigbandbash/id/36230445

Memories of the Swing Era Part 4 04/19/2025

Memories of the Swing Era Part 4 Hello everyone. I have to correct myself. There were four parts to this series. So, this week we are going to conclude the series from the Reader's Digest Set, Memories of the Swing Era. Back in the 1960's and 70's Reader's Digest used to put out vinyl album sets on different topics. My parents had a couple in their record collection and we have some at the radio staion where I work. I was lucky to come across this set as it has a wide variety of bands in it. I tried to put together a varied show full of your favorite bands. So join me as we bring back Memories of the Swing Era with this great multi-album set from Reader's Digest Records. /episode/index/show/bigbandbash/id/36230440

Les Brown Part 2 04/19/2025

Les Brown Part 2 Hello everyone. This is part two of a program I did on the great bandleader, Les Brown. Les passed away January 4, 2001. Since we just passed the anniversary of his death I would like to play a program that I produced two years ago and feature those great les Brown recordings. I have included in the show snippets of an interview that Les gave in 1990 to Chris Neilsen. Chris is no longer with us but when he was alive he hosted a program called One Night Stand. These are some of Les' early recordings and some of his most popular. /episode/index/show/bigbandbash/id/36230425

Les Brown - Part 1 03/18/2025

Les Brown - Part 1 As we return from the holidays, I want to feature the big band of Les Brown. Les passed away January 4, 2001. Since we just passed the anniversary of his death I would like to play a program that I produced two years ago and feature those great les Brown recordings. I have included in the show snippets of an interview that Les gave in 1990 to Chris Neilsen. Chris is no longer with us but when he was alive he hosted a program called One Night Stand. These are some of Les' early recordings and some of his most popular. /episode/index/show/bigbandbash/id/35751255

Martha Tilton - A Birthday Salute 03/18/2025

Martha Tilton - A Birthday Salute This week we pay a birthday salute to Martha Tilton who was born on November 14th, 1915. After singing with the quartet Three Hits and a Miss, she joined the Myer Alexander Chorus on Benny Goodman's radio show, Camel Caravan. Goodman hired Tilton as a vocalist with his band in August 1937. She was with Goodman in January 1938, when the band performed at Carnegie Hall. She continued to appear as Goodman's star vocalist until the end of 1939. The program today has many of her recordings with the Goodman band and some released under her own name. I hope you enjoy this birthday salute to the late Martha Tilton. /episode/index/show/bigbandbash/id/35751230

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