Barbara James, Australian dance band singer features on this week’s Phantom Dancer with some of her broadcasts from the 1930s and 1940s.

Presented every week by actor, Greg Poppleton, The Phantom Dancer, is your non-stop mix of swing and jazz from live 1920s-60s radio and TV.

It’s recorded live at 107.3 2SER Sydney, Tuesdays 12:04 – 2pm, and sent to 22 radio stations of the Community Radio Network and online.

Hear this week’s Phantom Dancer (after 15 Dec), and plenty of past Phantom Dancers for your enjoyment, online at radio 2ser.com

In the mix this week, live 1930s-60s radio by Glenn Miller’s Army Air Forces Band, Lee Konitz, Charlie Parker in Boston, a Frank Sinatra aircheck from 1939 (singing his first record release), singer Loyce Whiteman (daughter of ‘King of Jazz’ Paul Whiteman), and Australian dance band singer, Barbara James.

See the full play list below.

BARBARA JAMES

Born in Sydney in 1907 (some sources say 1908), Barbara James was a jazz and swing singer. Her parents were entertainers Will James and Malvena Moore. Her father, Will, taught her to play the saxophone, xylophone and banjo. She also played violin and danced. She was married to musician and band leader, Reg Lewis, who we’ll also here on this week’s Phantom Dancer.

Over her career, James performed and recorded with numerous jazz bands in Australia such as Frank Coughlan’s Trocadero Orchestra, Dick Freeman and his Trocadero Orchestra and Johnny Tozer and his Swing Band.

From 1921, she was contracted by Harry George Musgrove to Musgrove’s Theatres, appearing at theatres in Sydney and Melbourne, including the Tivoli circuit and Trocadero, and on ABC radio.

She first appeared on the Tivoli theatre circuit billed as a ‘child wonder xylophonist’.

This week’s Phantom Dancer presents a selection of her radio broadcasts from 1937-45.

Barbara toured Hong Kong in 1946. From 1949 to 1955, Reg and Barbara Lewis toured Europe and Britain.

In London, they performed in the West End at Café Anglaise and the Windmill Theatre.

London variety shows featuring Reg and Barbara Lewis included, ‘Stars, Songs and Society’ Windmill Theatre London, 1950, ‘Nudes of the East’ 1951, ‘The Talk of the Town’ Tribe Bros Ltd London, 1950-1951 and ‘Midday Music Hall’, 1953.

They appeared on BBC radio and TV.

They had a regular 15 minute vocal and piano show on Sydney radio in the 1960s called, ‘Between You and Me’.

15 DECEMBER PLAY LIST