Big Band Bash

This week I am going to start a three part look at the theme songs of the big bands. Each band had a song or a theme with which they would open and close their performances. I tried to find all the original recordings of the bands. I hope you enjoy this look at the Big Band's theme songs. Please visit this podcast at http://bigbandbashfm.blogspot.com

This week we pay a tribute to the late arranger and tenor saxophonist Bill Holman. Bill got his start as a saxophonist in the Stan Kenton orchestra and then proved to be a great arranger as well. He went on to write arrangements for many bands and artists. He passed away at the age of 94. So I hope you enjoy this tribute to the late Bill Holman. Please visit this podcast at http://bigbandbashfm.blogspot.com

Hello as we celebrate the Fourth of July this week.I tried to find as many Patriotic songs from the Big Band Era as I could. I hope you will help me celebrate this special holiday as we listen to some patriotic music. Please visit this podcast at http://bigbandbashfm.blogspot.com

As I am back from vacation, I am going to try and catch up with the podcasts. We continue this week with a program I did a few years ago on the Summer season of the year. I am looking at songs that have the words summer, june, July or Hot or anything that deals with summer. I hope you enjoy this Big Band salute to summer. Please visit this podcast at http://bigbandbashfm.blogspot.com

Summer is a special time of year. It means many different things to people all over the world. Today's program is a look at the many different songs of Summer recorded by the Big Bands. I have included the word Summer in the title and also the months of June, July and August and a few with the word hot. I hope you enjoy this program of assorted songs about the Summer season. Please visit this podcast at http://bigbandbashfm.blogspot.com

Hello everyone. We lost a very special vocalist this past March. Steve Lawrence passed away at the age of 88. He had been ill with Alzheimer's Disease for the last few years. I usually play big bands and vocalists associated with the Big Bands but Steve came up during the last years of the Big band era so I wanted to do a tribute to this great vocalist. Most of the songs on the show today are from the Great American Songbook. We will also learn about his career as I pay a tribute to the late, great vocalist Steve Lawrence. Please visit this podcast at http://bigbandbashfm.blogspot.com

Hello and welcome to another program of Big Band Remotes as we remember the many men and women who took part in the invasion of France called D-Day. Today we feature Les Brown, Bob Chester, Jan Savitt and Gene Krupa. These bands all appeared on a show called the Victory Parade of Spotlight Bands. This show was sponsored by Coca Cola. I hope you enjoy this repeat of a show I produced a few years ago. Please visit this podcast at http://bigbandbashfm.blogspot.com

In memory of the 80th anniversary of D-Day, I have pulled out a show I produced about ten years ago that has three remotes from World War Two. Two are from the Victory Parade of Spotlight Bands program. Big Bands always seemed to perform better in front of an audience. The solos are more exciting and the tempos are a little quicker. I hope you hear some of exciting sounds from these live performances. Please visit this podcast at http://bigbandbashfm.blogspot.com

May 13th is the birthday of Woody Herman and if he were alive today that would have been his 111th 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. Please visit this podcast at http://bigbandbashfm.blogspot.com

May 13th is the birthday of Woody Herman and if he were alive today that would have been his 111th 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. Please visit this podcast at http://bigbandbashfm.blogspot.com