Shellac Stack No. 74 seeks the blue skies behind the clouds. We sample some fine dance band selections by the Jack Shilkret and Bob Haring Orchestras, savor some delightful vocals by Peggy Lee, Margaret Whiting, and Bessie Smith, and listen to jazz saxophonists Illinois Jacquet (I say “Jackay,” you say “Jacket” — “Toe-may-toe,” “Toe-mah-toe”) and Coleman Hawkins. … Continue reading »

Shellac Stack No. 73 welcomes a new year with selections by Raymond Scott, Rawicz and Landauer, Anton Karas, Sister Slocum, and more. We listen to some rare 1930s swing bands from C. P. MacGregor transcriptions and slip in a 100-year-old record of a Cole Porter song.

Shellac Stack No. 72 celebrates the season with a handful of Christmas songs that time forgot. From Prince’s Orchestra to Betsy Lane Shepherd; from Al  Dexter to Vaughn de Leath, from Lu Ann Simms to Mel Blanc, it’s an eclectic batch of seldom-heard holiday selections for trimming the tree or just relaxing.

Shellac Stack No. 71 remembers Pearl Harbor. In addition to speeches by Presidents W. H. Taft and F. D. Roosevelt, we hear yuletide greetings from Gene Autry and Slam Stewart, hot jazz from Miff Mole, dance music from Jack Hylton, Ambrose, Nat Shilkret, and Ben Selvin, and the vocal stylings of Johnny Marvin. Saddle up … Continue reading »

Shellac Stack No. 70 muses on the “Ideal Republic” with William Jennings Bryan before turning to songs about sunshine with George Olsen and Ted Weems. We hear from Johnny Marvin as “Honey Duke and His Uke,” Jimmie Noone, Fred Astaire, Paul Robeson, and others. We also pause to listen to the clouds roll by in Debussy’s … Continue reading »

Shellac Stack No. 69 boogies, rags, polkas, fox trots, and strides along to music by an array of performers, including Jules Herbuveaux, Julia Lee, Knocky Parker, Luke Jordan, Lani McIntire, Doc Evans, Clarence Profit, and more. Believe it or not!

Shellac Stack No. 68 promenades and boogies through 45 years’ worth of music, from Pablo de Sarasate in 1904 to Johnny Hamp and Roger Wolfe Kahn in the 1920s to organist George Wright and the Dixieland Ramblers in the 1950s. The program also salutes singer, pianist, and composer ‘Cile Turner (1895-1979) following the dedication in … Continue reading »

Shellac Stack No. 67 salutes the “woman of the hour,” Florence Foster Jenkins, before dancing along with Jean Goldkette, Irving Aaronson, and Gene Kardos. We hear from Satchelmouth and Turk Murphy, nod to the Olympics, and celebrate the 70th anniversary of an interesting collaboration between Igor Stravinsky and Woody Herman.

Shellac Stack No. 66 laughs along with Red Ingle and Jerry Lewis, visits New Orleans for some jazz with Paul Barbarin, dances to the music of Jacques Renard, Fred Rich, and Gus Arnheim, and relaxes with Nat King Cole and Gene Austin. Lots more too!

Shellac Stack No. 65 is in a bit of a "traveling" mood -- from Virginia to Indiana, we'll follow the moon and a "kindly light," pausing along the way to refresh with a bottle of Moxie! Listen for records by bandleaders Al Friedman, Rudy Bundy, Vincent Lopez, and Eugene Jaudas. We've also got a few Bix goodies and a salute to two "leap year" babies: Jimmy Dorsey and Dinah Shore.