Phantom Dancer :: 12:00pm 5th Apr 2022

Phantom Dancer

Phantom Dancer :: 12:00pm 5th Apr 2022

Teddy Powell (Teodoro Paolella) is this week’s Phantom Dancer feature artist. For a few weeks in 1939 he lead one of the most popular big bands in swing. But when he went out on the road, the crowds stopped coming.

The Phantom Dancer is your weekly non-stop mix of swing and jazz from live 1920s-60s radio and TV every week.

LISTEN to this week’s Phantom Dancer mix (online after 2pm AEST, Tuesday 5 April) and two years of Phantom Dancer mixes online at, at https://2ser.com/phantom-dancer/

Also, there’s a couple of 1931-32 Gogo DeLys radio vocals on this week’s show. Hear The Phantom Dancer Gogo DeLys special and read her story here

TEDDY POWELL

Teddy Powell first learned the violin aged 8.

He picked up the banjo when he was 14.

Then he led his first band at 15.

Trained at the San Francisco Music Conservatory and Heald’s Business College in Oakland, California.

Powell worked with Lou Singer and Ray West (1927) before joining Abe Lyman’s Orchestra as guitarist, violinist, banjoist, vocalist and arranger. He stayed with Lyman until 1934.

Teddy Powell the worked on the business side of the music business, organizing radio bands.

In late 1938, he put together his own big band.

SUCCESS

For a brief period in 1939, Teddy Powell led one of the top big bands in jazz. With an ensemble full of top musicians, Powell had a very successful six-week run at the Famous Door in New York. Powell bragged that he had done in a short time what it taken Benny Goodman and Tommy Dorsey years to accomplish. But once he took his band on the road, the lack of name recognition resulted in small crowds, money began to be lost and the more notable sidemen left for other lucrative jobs.

After its initial success and difficulties on the road, the Teddy Powell Orchestra managed to survive as a second-level band for several years. A disastrous fire at the Rustic Cabin in New Jersey in Oct. 1941 resulted in the orchestra losing all its instruments but Powell was able to keep the big band (which underwent a lot of turnover) going into 1944 although not recording anything after 1942.

Earlier editions of the band made swinging recordings for Decca and Bluebird. Among Powell‘s sidemen through the years were clarinetist Gus Bivona, pianist Tony Aless, clarinetist Irving Fazola, tenor-saxophonist Charlie Ventura and trumpeter Pete Candoli. After his big band’s breakup, Powell concentrated on composing and arranging.

He wrote many popular songs, including “Take Me Back to My Boots and Saddles” (ASCAP Award 1935), “March Winds and April Showers”, “Unsuspecting Heart”, “Bewildered”, “If My Heart Could Only Talk” and “I Couldn’t Believe My Eyes”.

TEE PEE

His theme song was “Blue Sentimental Mood”.

One of Powell’s vocalists was future TV star Gene Barry.

Powell dodged the military draft during World War II by bribing a clerk to delay his induction. He consequently served five months of a 15-months jail sentence for “conspiracy to evade military service”.

Powell reorganised and led several orchestras until 1953. Then he quit the big band scene and worked in music publishing for his own company, Tee Pee Music Inc..

5 APRIL PLAY LIST

Play List – The Phantom Dancer 107.3 2SER-FM Sydney LISTEN ONLINE Community Radio Network Show CRN #539
107.3 2SER Tuesday 5 April 2022 12:04 – 2:00pm (+10 hours GMT) and Saturdays 5 – 5:55pm National Program 5GTR Mt Gambier Monday 2:30 – 3:30am 3MBR Murrayville Monday 3 – 4am 4NAG Keppel FM Monday 3 – 4am 2MIA Griffith Monday 3 – 4am 2BAR Edge FM Bega Monday 3 – 4am 2BRW Braidwood Monday 3 – 4am 2YYY Young Monday 3 – 4am 3VKV Alpine Radio Monday 6 – 7pm 7MID Oatlands Monday 6 -7pm 6GME Radio Goolarri Broome Tuesday 12am – 1am 2SEA Eden Tuesday 6 – 7pm 2MCE Bathurst Wednesday 9 – 10am 1ART ArtsoundFM Canberra Friday 10 – 11am 2ARM Armidale Friday 12 – 1pm 5LCM Lofty FM Adelaide Friday 1 – 2pm Denmark FM (West Australia) Saturdays 10 – 11am Repeat: Wednesdays 10 – 11pm 7LTN Launceston Sunday 5 – 6am 3MGB Mallacoota Sunday 5 – 6am 3BBR West Gippsland Sunday 5 – 6pm
Set 1	Glenn Miller
Theme + Glowworm	Frankis Carle Orchestra	‘The Summer Electric Hour’ KNX CBS LA 13 Jun 1948
Every Day of My Life	Eddie Oliver Orchestra (voc) Sheri Carroll	‘Spotlight Bands’ AFRS Re-broadcast 14 Aug 1944
Personality + Close	Sy Oliver Orchestra	‘Endorsed by Dorsey’ WOR Mutual NY 3 Mar 1946

Set 2	1929 Radio
On The Alamo	Red Nichols Orchestra (voc) Scrappy Lambert	‘Brunswick Brevities’ Radio Transcription New York 27 Aug 1929
Sittin’ and Whittlin’	Coon-Sanders Nighthawks (voc) Joe Sanders	‘Maytag Frolics’ Radio Transctiption Chicago 1 Mar 1929
In the Deep Low South	Coon-Sanders Nighthawks (voc) Carleton Coon	‘Maytag Frolics’ Radio Transctiption Chicago 1 Mar 1929
Yours Sincerely	Eskimo Pie Orchestra	‘Eskimo Pie Program’ Radio Transcription New York Jul 1929
Set 3	Mod Jazz
Open + I Love You	Herbie Fields Septet	‘Stars on Parade’ Radio Transcription New York 1951
Tenderly	Sarah Vaughan	‘Stars in Jazz’ Birdland WRCA NBC NYC 1952
Mean to Me	Sarah Vaughan	‘Stars in Jazz’ Birdland WRCA NBC NYC 1952
Circle of Fourths + Jam with Sam	Duke Ellington	‘Ravinia Festival’ WBBM CBS Chicago 1 Jul 1957
Set 4	Teddy Powell
I Found a New Baby	Teddy Powell Orchestra	The Famous Door WJSV CBS Washington DC 21 Sep 1939
For You, To You	Teddy Powell Orchestra (voc) Jimmy Blair	The Famous Door WJSV CBS Washington DC 21 Sep 1939
Well, All Right	Teddy Powell Orchestra (voc) Ruth Gaylor and Band	The Famous Door WJSV CBS Washington DC 21 Sep 1939
Chinese Lullaby + Close	Teddy Powell Orchestra (voc) Jimmy Blair	The Famous Door WJSV CBS Washington DC 21 Sep 1939
Set 5	Dorsey Brothers
Too Young to Go Steady	Dorsey Brothers’ Orchestra (voc) Dolly Houston	Cafe Rouge Hotel Statler WCBS CBS NYC 1956
Studio 50	Dorsey Brothers’ Orchestra	Cafe Rouge Hotel Statler WCBS CBS NYC 1956
Let’s Fall in Love	Dorsey Brothers’ Orchestra	Cafe Rouge Hotel Statler WCBS CBS NYC 1956
Set 6	Fats Waller
Ain’t Misbehavin’ (theme) + Hold My Hand	Fats Waller	WEAF NBC Red NY 16 Jul 1938
Yacht Club Swing (theme) + You Can’t Be Mine and Someone Else’s Too	Fats Waller	Aircheck Yacht Club NYC 18 Oct 1938
Frenesi	Fats Waller	Panther Room Hotel Sherman WMAQ NBC Red Chicago 3 Dec 1940
Hallelujah	Fats Waller	Aircheck Yacht Club NYC 14 Oct 1938
Set 7	George Trevare and his Australians
There Goes That Song Again	George Trevare and his Australians	Comm Rec Sydney 1943-45
Don’t Sweetheart Me	George Trevare and his Australians (voc) Joan Blake	Comm Rec Sydney 1943-45
Shoo Shoo Baby	George Trevare and his Australians (voc) Joan Blake	Comm Rec Sydney 1943-45
Is There a Story?	George Trevare and his Australians (voc) Joan Blake	Comm Rec Sydney 1943-45
Set 8	1930s-40s Swing
Somebody Stole My Gal	Benny Goodman Orchestra	AFRS 1 Jul 1946
I’d Do It All Over Again	Gene Krupa Orchestra (voc) Anita O’Day	Hotel Astor Roof WOR Mutual NYC 15 Aug 1945
Back to Back	Teddy Wilson Orchestra (voc) Thelma Carpenter	‘America Dances’ WABC CBS NY and BBC London 1939
Carioca + Nightmare (theme)	Artie Shaw Orchestra	Summer Terrace Ritz Carlton Hotel WNAC NBC Red Boston 19 Aug 1939

PLAYLIST

Frankie Carle Glowworm

Every Day of My Life Eddie Oliver

Sy Oliver Personality

Red Nichols On The Alamo

Coon-Sanders Nighthawks Sittin' and Whittlin'

Coon-Sanders Nighthawks In the Deep Low South

Eskimo Pie Orchestra Yours Sincerely

Herbie Fields I Love You

Sarah Vaughan Tenderly

Sarah Vaughan Mean to Me

Duke Ellington Circle of Fourths

Duke Ellington Jam with Sam

I Found a New Baby Teddy Powell

Teddy Powell To You

Teddy Powell Well Alright

Teddy Powell Chinese Lullaby

Dorsey Brothers Too Young to Go Steady

Dorsey Brothers Studio 50

Dorsey Brothers Let's Fall in Love

Fats Waller Ain't Misbehavin'

Fats Waller Hold My Hand

Fats Waller Yacht Club Swing

Fats Waller You Can't Be Mine and Someone Else's Too

Fats Waller Lila Lou

Fats Waller Frenesi

Fats Waller Hallelujah

Benny Goodman Somebody Stole My Gal

Teddy Wilson Back to Back

Gene Krupa I'd Do It All Over Again

Artie Shaw Carioca

George Trevare There Goes That Song Again

George Trevare Is There a Story?

George Trevare Don't Sweetheart Me

George Trevare Shoo Shoo Baby

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