24-25 DECEMBER, 2011
SMALL TOWN CHRISTMAS
A few years ago we imagined we were in a typical mid-America small town at Christmas time. The idea was to view the holiday spirit as
reflected in the activities of various citizens, both young and old as they prepared
for the most glorious time of the year. The main street merchants, the school kids
and the parents are all represented in our fantasy trip back to a more gentle time.
The music, of course, will heighten the mood as it weaves in and out of the story.
You're invited to visit on your radio.
31 DECEMBER, 2011 1 JANUARY, 2012
NEW YEAR'S DANCE
What an ideal time to have a New Year's program, straddling the last day of 2011 and the first day of 2012. Whenever you hear this
BBJ it'll be devoted to music for dancing. Usually our focus is listening, but on this program we'll attempt to dig out some music with a prominent beat, maybe even with a good melody to go along with it.
7-8 JANUARY, 2012
SINGING GROUPS I
Dedicated to group vocals, this program presents both band members contributing to group vocals
as well as the more traditional singing groups including the Modernaires, the Pied Pipers, the Ink Spots and the Andrews Sisters plus lesser-known groups such as Claude Thornhill's Snowflakes and Charlie Spivak's Stardusters. There will be others as the program unfolds. This is the first of two programs highlighting the contributions of the singing groups to the Big Band Era and beyond.
14-15 JANUARY, 2012
SINGING GROUPS II
We didn't realize when we attacked this program how many singing groups there were, all making considerable contributions to the
totality of the Big Band sound. We had fun assembling the groups into something resembling a cohesive list. The difference between this and previous similar programs is the inclusion of the group vocals by band members in glee club style. At this writing we don't know the actual contents of either of these two programs but they will include the groups mentioned to make the program complete.
21-22 JANUARY, 2012
ROMANCE & BOOGIE
Sometimes the search for a different approach to a program idea or a program title leads to some strange musical combinations. This is one of those times, but we found combining boogie-woogie and romantic melodies seems to have an appeal to the public. We haven't done such a program for a decade or so and we resurrect the idea, digging into the files to discover or re-discover both fresh and appealing musical forms of both categories. Sometimes 'fresh' and 'appealing' don't go together, but we'll do our best combining the new material with the tried and true.
28-29 JANUARY, 2012
PRETTY STUFF
Once in a while someone will phone BBJ and ask
why there are so many bouncy recordings being
played. In answer to those complaints this program is devoted entirely to pretty melodies and lush arrangements, both vocal and instrumental. You'll hear some of the proven standards, of course, but also some gorgeous arrangements of lesser-known melodies that have been hiding in our library, sometimes keeping their secret sound on an LP. We'll attempt to leaven the experience with some background information to keep you alert.
4-5 FEBRUARY, 2012
THE SAX PLAYERS
So much more material has become available
since we first highlighted the sax players several
years ago. This, then, is a fresh look at the sax players who formed a vital part of the sound of all the Big Bands; some of them were bandleaders. We will review the best-known saxophone talent, but also delve into some of the sidemen whose names may not be as familiar to you but whose sound certainly is. This is a musical adventure we're eager to share with our listeners.
11-12 FEBRUARY, 2012
THE TROMBONE PLAYERS
It is natural that we would follow the sax players
program with the spotlight on another key
instrument, the trombone. Big Band fans will instantly think of Tommy Dorsey as the foremost trombone player of the era, but as above we'll also check out the sidemen who distinguished themselves as soloists with top bands as well as secondary outfits. The history of these players plus key samples of their performances should accomplish at least two goals: Remind you of sounds you may have temporarily forgotten, and perhaps introduce you to solos you haven't heard before.
18-19 FEBRUARY, 2012
GUITAR LEGACY
Before the general conception of guitars as an
instrument used exclusively for rock, they were
(and are) integral parts of Big Bands and small groups both yesterday and today. We check out a bit of the earlier jazz guitar sound, then the acoustic guitar as a pure rhythm instrument and electric guitars as solo instruments playing the melody. Guitars have enhanced singers and other instrumentalists in roles sometimes overlooked. We review some varied uses demonstrated in actual performance.
25-26 FEBRUARY, 2012
NOVELTY SONGS
Novelty, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder.
What is a silly song to one listener may have
real meaning to another. This program is an attempt to determine exactly what novelty means by presenting some of the performances on the very edge of novelty and others that unmistakably fit that description. This is dangerous territory. Is JUKE BOX SATURDAY NIGHT novelty? Is BIG NOISE FROM WINNETKA novelty. Does anyone take Spike Jones seriously? We'll work on those questions during this session.
3-4 MARCH, 2012
HOST'S CHOICE
Is it OK to do this? This program is a sort of
82nd birthday gift to host Don Kennedy. We're
allowing him to play some of his favorite all-time recordings for the full two hours of the program. They'll include not only classic Big Band (his preference) but some material that's affected him either artistically or emotionally through the quarter-century this program has been on the air, and the total of sixty-five years he's been earning his living on either radio or TV. There are sure to be recordings you've heard before plus a few that may surprise you.
10-11 MARCH, 2012
'LIVE' FROM NEW YORK
Every so often a program fires the listener's
imagination, and this idea did when it was first
presented years ago. We re-visit the concept as we listen to actual programs originating in New York City during the later '30s into the '50s featuring the greatest musical talents of all time…all of them performing 'live' from a club or hotel in Manhattan. This program deserves to be described as a "window in time."
|
