Shellac Stack No. 134 sings in the bathtub and does “The Kinkajou”! We stay in the 1920s and ’30s this time for some terrific pop and dance band records from the likes of Johnny Green, Ruth Etting, Henry Hall, Cass Hagan, Smith Ballew, Nat Shilkret, Johnny Hamp, and others.

Shellac Stack No. 133 rides with the Sunday Drivers, courtesy of the Billy Murray Trio. We hear some fine boogie woogie piano from 18-year-old Deryck Sampson (at the time of recording), shuffle along with Bennie Moten’s Kansas City Orchestra, and “feel like a million” with Blue Barron. Lots more too!

Shellac Stack No. 132 salutes the girls! From Glorianna to Isabelle to Evelina to Madelaine and Julia, we’ve got more than a dozen songs named after girls. Performers this time include the Ipana Troubadours, Ted Lewis, Mildred Bailey, Teddy Wilson, Ina Ray Hutton, Eddy Duchin, and many others.

Shellac Stack No. 131 doubles your pleasure with back-to-back versions of the same song. How does John Baltzell’s rendition of “Turkey in the Straw” compare with O’Leary’s Irish Minstrels’? How does Charles Kellogg’s whistling solo of “Narcissus” sound next to the duo-piano version by Muriel Pollock and Vee Lawnhurst? We take these and six other … Continue reading »

Shellac Stack No. 130 simmers on a summer day with records by Irish fiddler Frank Quinn, bandleader Mark Warnow, singer Dick Robertson, and others. From Lee Wiley to Jimmie Lunceford to Arthur Gibbs to Thelma Carpenter and George Hamilton Green, it’s another musical variety hour on the Shellac Stack!

Shellac Stack No. 129 rides around in the rain — but don’t let that dampen your spirits! We’ve got hot records by Brian Lawrance, Hazel Scott, Arthur (Guitar Boogie) Smith, and the High Steppers alongside sweeter things by Johnny Johnson’s Orchestra, Gene Austin, and Bill Krenz. “Come on with the rain, I’ve a smile on … Continue reading »

Shellac Stack No. 128 parades and polkas to victory! Alongside some terrific jazz from Benny Carter, Mel Powell, and Fats Waller, we hear some very good vocals from Helen Richards and Betty Hutton. The jury’s still out on Florence Foster Jenkins. We also do a bit of sleuthing into a mysterious record by the “Reno … Continue reading »

Shellac Stack No. 127 wishes a happy 105th birthday to Irene! We hear more than a dozen hit songs from 1921-1930, including performances by Bix Beiderbecke, Ethel Waters, Billy Jones and Ernest Hare, Henry Burr, Paul Whiteman’s Orchestra, Prince’s Orchestra, and more.

Shellac Stack No. 126 goes bananas! In this “fruit salad” edition, we hear records by Dick Robertson, Van and Schenck, Earl Burtnett, Gus Arnheim, Russ Columbo, Jay Whidden, Vaughn De Leath, Sharkey Bonano, and many others. How refreshing!

Shellac Stack No. 125 spans more than 40 years to bring you an Irish waltz by Frank Quinn, a big band classic from Kenny Baker’s All Star Orchestra, a violin solo by Charles D’Almaine, jazz organ by Fats Waller, a tango played by a marimba band, and a Jimmie Rodgers soundalike. We’ve got lots more … Continue reading »