Now playing as the Howard Schneider Big Band, violinist Jan Garber formed his first band, a quartet, in 1918. Jan Garber's music is now in its 100th year. We'll hear a mix of broadcasts by the Garber 1944-45 swing band on this week's Phantom Dancer non-stop swing jazz mix with Greg Poppleton Read More
Trad jazz became the leading jazz style in Australia after World War Two. On this week's Phantom Dancer with Greg Poppleton, we hear 1949 by two of the leading exponents of the style - Dave Dallwitz and Graeme Bell. Read More
A bubbly gimmick, a catchy name and great musicianship, these were the keys to Shep Fields' success and the worldwide fame of his Rippling Rhythm Orchestra. Read More
When you hear a woman pop singer in any genre singing 'naturally' today, blame 1930s big band singer, Helen Ward. She blazed the trail. You'll hear a Helen Ward set of live 1930s-40s broadcasts on this week's Phantom Dancer with 1920s-30s singer, Greg Poppleton. We'll also visit the Cocoanut Grove 1932-34, whittle to Hank Williams on 1952 Hillbilly radio, listen to some of Duke Ellington's extended works on his 'Date with the Duke' 1945 radio series and then enjoy the Helen Ward feature. Read the Helen Ward story, see the play list and video, and hear the latest Phantom Dancer mixes here... Read More
Known as 'The Home of Happy Feet' and 'The World's Finest Ballroom', the Savoy in New York City hosted the greatest swing bands and Lindy Hoppers of the 1930s, 40s and 50s. We'll hear four great swing bands broadcasting from the Savoy 1937-45 on today's Phantom Dancer hosted by 1920s-30s singer Greg Poppleton. Plus sets of live swing and jazz by Charlie Barnet, Xavier Cugat, Turk Murphy and more. See the full play list, read the Savoy story, enjoy the Lindy Hop video and hear the Phantom Dancer online here. Read More
Bored by playing the same music every night in orchestras, Spike Jones combined parodying pop songs with trick percussion he learned as a teenager to create one of the most spectacular music acts ever, Spike Jones and his City Slickers. Hear Spike Jones send up Verdi live on this week's Phantom Dancer non-stop swing jazz radio mixtape with Greg Poppleton. Links, story, play list and video here. Read More
The contribution by women to jazz is largely overlooked or trivialised. This week's Phantom Dancer features three women jazz stars from live 1940s-50s radio and TV: Vivien Garry, Anna Mae Winburn and Hazel Scott. You'll also hear jazz great, Libby Holman, in a rare 1929 radio broadcast. Tune it in on 107.3 2SER Tuesdays 12:04-2pm or online at https://2ser.com/phantom-dancer/ Hosted by 1920s-1930s singer and band leader, Greg Poppleton. Read More
You're never too old! 1940s Jazz singer Anita O'Day released her last album, 'Indistructible', in 2006 when she was in her eighties. Hear her on today's Phantom Dancer from 1945-60 radio and TV. Greg Poppleton also beings you sets of Stan Kenton, European Dance Bands and Count Basie in a non-stop mix of swing and jazz from live 1920s-60s radio in this week's Phantom Dancer. Read More
This week's Phantom Dancer mix with 1920s-30s singer Greg Poppleton has a set of 1930s Western swing records, a set of Louis Armstrong of 1950s radio, and this week's feature, 'The Philco Hour' from 1930-31. Read about Philco's improvements to radio technology in the 1930s, see the play list and links to listen online here. Read More
On this week's Phantom Dancer hear a set of Benny Goodman from 1939 radio including Charlie Christian on electric guitar. There's a set of electric guitar from live 1940s-50s radio with 1945 hot guitar work by Mary Osbourne. This week's feature, a set of 1930s commercial recordings by Sydney swing maestro Jim Davidson. Read More
Chico Marx Orchestra, Harold Rumsey and the Lighthouse Five, Bob Crosby and more are on the play list for the 19 June Phantom Dancer - your non-stop mix of swing and jazz from live 1920s -60s radio and TV produced and presented by Greg Poppleton from radio 2SER in Sydney. Read More
One of the curiosities on today's Phantom Dancer is part of a weekly broadcast from 1933 of one of the last of the 1920s commercial brand orchestras. In this case, the orchestra is the A&P Gypsies. See the play list and hear the show mixed by Greg Poppleton here. Read More
The Phantom Dancer, presented by authentic 1920s-30s singer Greg Poppleton, prides itself on bringing you the marvellous and obscure in live swing and jazz from live 1920s-60s radio. Today, from 1929 radio, hear xylophone maestro Harry Breuer. A true modernist product of the 1920s and 1930s, always searching for something new, did he stick to playing vaudeville xylophone all his life like a 1960s-2010s rock musician sticks to playing the same riffs with the same line-ups? No! He composed for electronic instruments from the 1960s on and released albums such as 'The Happy Moog'. He was even putting together and album using Kurzweil aged 86. Enjoy! Read More
Herbie Fields was a child prodigy jazz reeds player whose career was meteoric. But that meteor quickly faded. Read his story here. Hear his music. See this week's full Phantom Dancer play list mix of swing and jazz from live 1930s-50s radio in a non-stop mix presented by authentic 1920s-30s singer and band leader, Greg Poppleton. Read More
When your creative heart's not in it, don't do it. Benny Goodman, the 1930s King of Swing took a liking to bop in the mid-1940s and reorganised his band and small groups to play the then new jazz. But after eighteen months he got frustrated with the new style and went back to what he was best at, Swing. And he continued to be a celebrated swing band leader into the 1980s. Hear Benny Goodman's small group bop from live 1940s radio and this week's Phantom Dancer plus lots more live 1930s-50s jazz and swing mixed and presented by 1920s-1930s style singer, Greg Poppleton. Read More
Women jazz instrumentalists from live 1940s-50s radio feature on this week's Phantom Dancer presented by authentic 1920s-30s singer, Greg Poppleton, the singer who makes Jazz Deco Pop! And there'll be more on future non-stop Phantom Dancer mixes of jazz and swing from live 1920s-60s radio. Come visit the blog. Listen to the Phantom Dancer here (after 15 May), see the play list and hear Vivien Garry's 1946 bop release ' Operation Mop'. Happy Listening! Read More