Without a single vocal lesson, Bea Wain began singing on radio at six and was singing on stage past 90. She was the first to record Over The Rainbow and Heart and Soul. Hear her on live 1938-39 radio on this week's Phantom Dancer with Greg Poppleton. Read More
He entered Harvard at 15, wrote standards line Body and Soul, Out of Nowhere and I Cover The Waterfront, won 5 Academy Awards and now has a set of his live 1930s radio orchestra on this week's Phantom Dancer with Greg Poppleton. Seems high achievement leads to the ultimate accolade. Hear show after 17 April, see play list and watch the Johnny Green radio broadcast short film from 1935. Read More
Who was Symphony Sid? He was probably the greatest middleman jazz has ever known. You'll hear him introduce live radio performances by Machito, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Ventura, Jackie Cain and Lester Young on his 1948-51 all-night, all frantic Symphony Sid show. And you'll hear it all on The Phantom Dancer - your non-stop mix of swing and jazz from live 1920s-60s radio presented by authentic 1920s-30s singer and band leader, Greg Poppleton. Read More
There are some rare jazz broadcasts from 1929 by Ray Miller's Orchestra on this week's Phantom Dancer with Greg Poppleton. The orchestra is selling washing machines. And I bring you letters from Helen Keller and band leader Paul Ash about how the deaf reported 'hearing' music broadcast on the radio in the first years of wireless broadcasting as a mass medium. You'll also hear radio broadcasts by the Buddy Rich, Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman Orchestras, the Andrew Sisters and dance bands from WW2 Moscow, Prague and Hilversum. Read More
It's amazing how disease can over-shadow the brilliant legacy of someone's life. How much 'expert' blather was there about Stephen Hawking's motor neurone disease as an excuse to avoid talking about his hard and more interesting physics? Likewise, one of the great trumpet innovators of jazz, Bunny Berigan, is more likely to have his alcoholism and early death discussed then his music. We hear some of his music from live 1936-40 radio broadcasts on this week's Phantom Dancer with 1920s-30s singer, Greg Poppleton. Read More
Miff Mole was a trombone player who became famous in the jazz world of the 1920s. And we'll be hearing radio broadcasts by Miff on this week's The Phantom Dancer. The Phantom Dancer is two hours of non-stop swing and jazz mixed from live 1920s - 1960s radio and TV presented by Greg Poppleton, Australia's only authentic 1920s-1930s singer You'll also hear a set of live vintage radio by Nat King Cole, Marion Hutton and Charlie Spivak. Read More
A hint of ukuleles takes a set on this week's The Phantom Dancer with Harry Reser and Wendall Hall from 1925 and 1931. Presented by Australia's only authentic 1920s-1930s singer, this week's Phantom Dancer also has a set of shuffle from 1940s radio, Les Paul and Mary Ford from their 1950 radio series, and Charlie Parker from live January - February 1949 'Symphony Sid Show' broadcasts. Read about ukes, see the play list and see a Roy Smeck uke video here. Read More
Hans Albers, singer and the 'German John Wayne', features in a set of his hit 1930s-40s movie songs on this week's Phantom Dancer. Also live 1940s radio sets of Raymond Scott, Louis Armstrong and Woody Herman. Hear show, play list and video now Read More
Jazz bassoonist and saxophonist, Errol Buddle, co-founder of the 1950s US jazz sensations, The Australian Jazz Quartet (AJQ), died last week. So The Phantom Dancer presents a performance by the AJQ from Birdland NYC over NBC in 1956. The Phantom Dancer is your weekly non-stop mix of swing and jazz from live 1920s-60s radio presented by authentic 1920s-30s singer and band leader, Read More
A station callsign on a 1930s radio broadcast brings to mind Mechanical TV. See and read about mechanical TV here. The wonder of the 1920s. Plus Greg Poppleton brings you a non-stop swing jazz mix with Artie Shaw, Tommy Dorsey, Miles Davis and Fred Astaire on The Phantom Dancer. Here the mix hear from 20 Feb. Also heard on 2SER and 23 radio stations. Read More
Before Timmie Rogers, African-American comedians had to either work in pairs or groups, talking only to each other while playing characters This week's Phantom Dancer has a set by this breakthrogh singer and comedian. We also hear jazz on 1948-49 TV presented by Eddie Condon. Read More
Jazz composer Duke Ellington's most ambitious work, 'Black Brown & Beige' had its premiere in a high school. After another two performances at Carnegie Hall and Boston Symphony Hall, Ellington never played the entire work again. We hear two excerpts in today's Phantom Dancer mix live over the Blue Network from the 400 Restaurant New York City in 1945. Yes, 'serious' compositions can be entertaining! Read More
Pee Wee Russell's unique clarinet sound stretched the boundaries of jazz clarinet. He plays with Mary Lou Williams on 1948 TV in this week's Phantom Dancer. And he was bullied. Over 23 stations and online, The Phantom Dancer is your non-stop mix of swing and jazz from live 1920s-60s radio and TV with Greg Poppleton. Read More
On this week's Phantom Dancer... There's jazz harpsichord by Sylvia Marlow from 1941 radio, a set Duke Ellington's women singers on live 1930s-50s radio, and a set of 1943-45 recordings by Sydney swing band leader, George Trevare, with a track by singer Lawrie Brooks, father of Pulitzer author, Geraldine Brooks. Read More
Hearing child prodigies while they were still children is a rare thing. But radio recorded some in the 1930s-50s. We'll hear them on this week's Phantom Dancer. Greg Poppleton presents Baby Rose Marie, Sugar Chile Robinson, Frankie Lymon even Frank Sinatra! Read More
I guess this 60 year old tape was recorded by someone spending New Years 1958 at home. It caught the magic of a very awkward broadcast and a comedian who's Bobby Bitman meets Krusty, Enjoy! Read More