BIG BANDS IN CHICAGO

Originally broadcast WDCB
Saturday, July 2nd, 2005 

DICK JURGENS AND HIS ORCHESTRA (1939) Excerpt. Remote broadcast from “the beautiful and far-famed” Aragon Ballroom in Chicago. Vocals by Eddy Howard and Ronnie Kemper. Selections in­clude “I Get Along With­out You Very Well,” “It’s All Yours” and “The Touch of Your Hand.” Sustain­ing, WGN. (14 min)

MAYTAG FROLIC (2-28­29) Excerpt. The Coon-Sanders Original Night­hawk Orchestra presents “Harold Teen,” “Kansas City Kitty” and “What A Girl! What A Night!” with vocals by Joe Sanders. Maytag Company, Syndicated. (9 min)

HAL KEMP AND HIS INTERNATIONAL FAVORITES (1934) Excerpt. “Music that rests and relaxes.” Announcer Harlow Wilcox introduces the tunes: “This is Romance,” “Boo Boo Boo,” “I Guess I’ll Have to Change My Plans,” “Paper Moon,” “Doin’ the Uptown Lowdown.” Vocals by Skinnay Ennis. Lavena Skin Treatment, Syndicated. (18 min)

DAMON RUNYON MEMORIAL JAZZ CON­CERT (12-11-48) Excerpt. Louis Armstrong and the All-Stars broadcasting from the Blue Note in Chicago. Dave Garroway announces the selections: “Muskrat Ramble,” “Boogie Woogie on St. Louis Blues,” “Royal Garden Blues.” Performing with Armstrong are Jack Teagarden, Barney Bigard, Earl “Fatha” Hines, ArneII Shaw, “Big Sid” Catlett, Sustaining, ABC. (16 min)

ART KASSEL AND HIS ORCHESTRA (4-19-40) Excerpt. “Kassels-in-the-Air” playing in a remote from the Walnut Room of the Bismarck Hotel in Chicago: “The Merry Widow Waltz in Swingtime,” “Just An Old Rag Rug,” “In the Still of the Night,” “Wubba Dolly.” Vocals by Harvey Crawford and Marion Holmes. Announcer is Claude Kirchner. Sustaining, MBS. (15 min)

RED NORVO AND HIS ORCHESTRA (2-9­37) Excerpt. Remote from the Blackhawk Restaurant in downtown Chicago featuring “Mr. and Mrs. Swing”: Mildred Bailey and Red Norvo. Tunes include “Indiana,” “Harlem Lullaby” “Love Me or Leave Me.” Sustaining, MBS. (14 min)

GAY CLARIDGE AND HIS ORCHESTRA (12­27-53) Excerpt. Remote broadcast from Chicago’s Trianon Ballroom with vocals by Les Ballard, Geraldine DuBois and Gay Claridige. Music includes “Changing Partners,” “C’est Magnifique,” “Bei Mir Bist Du Schon,” “Remember Me.” Sustaining, WBBM. (18 min)

BENNY GOODMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA (2-17-36) Excerpt. From the Urban Room of the Congress Hotel in Chicago, Benny and the boys in the band along with vocalist Helen Ward present “Sandman,” “I Can’t Give You Anything but Love,” “Rosetta,” “Diga Diga Do.” Sustaining, NBC. (14 min)

TED FIO RITO AND HIS ORCHESTRA (1955) Remote from the Chez Paree nightclub, ‘lust a few minutes from Chicago’s Loop.” Selections include “Standin’ On the Corner,” “Naughty Lady of Shady Lane,” “Isle of Capri.” Sustaining, WGN. (12 min)

OUR SPECIAL GUESTS are CHARLES A. SENGSTOCK JR., author of That Toddlin’ Town—Chicago’s White Dance Bands and Orchestras, 1900-1950 (published by University of Illinois Press), and big band his­torian KARL PEARSON.