Original air date - Phantom Dancer :: 12:00pm 14th Apr 2020

Sauter-Finegan, Stan Kenton and Billy May were three 1953 bands making way-out sounds on NBC radio and are this week's Greg Poppleton Phantom Dancer feature artists. You'll also hear from vocal group The Hi-Los, an influence on young pianist, Herbie Hancock. Read the three band leader stories below... The Phantom Dancer is your non-stop 2 hour mix of swing and jazz from live 1920s-60s radio. On-air with Greg Poppleton since 1985. The Phantom Dancer produced and presented by 1920s-30s singer and actor Greg Poppleton can be heard online from 12:05pm AEST Tuesday 14 April at https://2ser.com/phantom-dancer/ The last hour is all vinyl. [caption id="attachment_8894" align="alignnone" width="525"] Sauter-Finegan Orchestra[/caption]

SAUTER - FINEGAN

The Sauter-Finegan Orchestra was an American swing jazz band popular in 1953. The orchestra was led by Eddie Sauter and Bill Finegan, who were both experienced big band arrangers. Sauter played mellophone, trumpet, and drums. He had attended Columbia University and Juilliard. Finegan had studied at the Paris Conservatory. They began recording together in 1952, using inventive arrangements that made use of a variety of unusual instruments, including many orchestral instruments as well as oddities like the kazoo and the beaten human chest. A June 7, 1952, article in the trade publication Billboard described the new group as "a creative band, which will combine dance music as well as mood interpretations." The group initially had a three-year contract with RCA Victor, with plans "for about 16 sides a year." Their first chart appearance was with "Doodletown Fifers", their version of a Civil War tune called "Kingdom Coming and the Year of Jubilo". "Nina Never Knew" (featuring vocalist Joe Mooney) and "The Moon is Blue" (with Sally Sweetland) soon followed on the charts. With the success of the singles, they put together a 21-member touring ensemble and began playing venues in 1953.  Because the group played in dance halls rather than concert venues, they encountered little success on the road, and quit touring in 1955 after having accrued much debt. [caption id="attachment_8895" align="alignnone" width="525"] June Christie singing with the Stan Kenton Orchestra[/caption]

STAN KENTON

In 1950 Kenton fput together the large 39-piece Innovations in Modern Music Orchestra that included 16 strings, a woodwind section, and two French horns. The music was an extension of the works composed and recorded since 1947 by Bob Graettinger, Manny Albam, Franklyn Marks and others. Name jazz musicians such as Maynard Ferguson, Shorty Rogers, Milt Bernhart, John Graas, Art Pepper, Bud Shank, Bob Cooper, Laurindo Almeida, Shelly Manne, and June Christy were part of these musical ensembles. The groups managed two tours during 1950–51, from a commercial standpoint it would be Stan Kenton's first major failure. In order to be more commercially viable, Kenton reformed the band in 1951 to a much more standard instrumentation: five saxes, five trombones, five trumpets, piano, guitar, bass, drums. The charts of such arrangers as Gerry Mulligan, Johnny Richards, and particularly Bill Holman and Bill Russo began to dominate the repertoire. The music was written to better reflect the style of cutting edge, be-bop oriented big bands like those of Dizzy Gillespie and Woody Herman. Young, talented players and outstanding jazz soloists such as Maynard Ferguson, Lee Konitz, Conte Candoli, Sal Salvador and Frank Rosolino made strong contributions to the level of the 1952–53 band. The music composed and arranged during this time, which you hear from live 1953 radio, was far more tailor-made to contemporary jazz tastes and was one of the high points in Kenton's career as band leader. [caption id="attachment_8897" align="alignnone" width="525"] Billy May, sousaphone[/caption]

BILLY MAY

After playing tuba for a few local bands, May heard Charlie Barnet's band on the radio in his hometown of Pittsburgh. In the summer of 1938, he approached the bandleader and asked if he could write arrangements for the band. From 1938–40, he wrote arrangements and played trumpet for Barnet's big band. His arrangement of the Ray Noble composition "Cherokee" became a major hit of the swing music era. During the Barnet days, May revealed a significant flair for satire on a composition, "The Wrong Idea", composed with Barnet, ridiculing the bland "Mickey Mouse" style of safe big-band music, with specific aim at bandleader Sammy Kaye, known for his "swing and sway" trademark. May's caustic lyrics to the song called it "swing and sweat with Charlie Barnet". Bandleader Glenn Miller hired May away from Barnet in 1940. "May points out that he was not responsible for any of the [Glenn Miller] band's signature hits, but he did write the beautiful left-field introduction to [Bill] Finegan's [arrangement of] 'Serenade In Blue'". May's charts often featured brisk tempos and intricate brass parts. One distinctive feature of his style is his frequent use of trumpet mute devices; another, a saxophone glissando, is widely known as his "slurping saxes". He wrote in slower tempos, sometimes using string arrangements.

LOOK AT THIS 1930s DRUM KIT

Your Phantom Dancer Video of the Week is from a Larry Clinton 1939 Vitaphone short with vocals by Bea Wain and Ford Leary. Also note the clear shots of the 1930s drum kit where the cymbals are on bent poles attached to the bass drum. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0sFGcnokjs

14 APRIL PLAY LIST

Play List - The Phantom Dancer 107.3 2SER-FM Sydney, Live Stream, Digital Radio Community Radio Network Show CRN #432
107.3 2SER Tuesday 14 April 2020 After the 2SER 12 noon news, 12:04 - 2:00pm (+10 hours GMT) and Saturdays 5 - 5:55pm National Program: 1ART ArtsoundFM Canberra Sunday 10 - 11pm 5GTR Mt Gambier Mon 2:30 - 3:30am 4NAG Keppel FM 3 - 4am 2SEA Eden Monday 3 - 4am 2MIA Griffith Monday 3 - 4pm 2BAR Edge FM Bega Monday 3 - 4pm 3VKV Alpine Radio Monday 6 - 7pm 7MID Oatlands Tuesday 8 - 9pm 2ARM Armidale Friday 12 - 1pm 7LTN Launceston 5 - 6am 3MGB Mallacoota Sunday 5 - 6am
Set 1	1930s True Crime, Fox and Gypsy
Calling All Cars Theme	Studio Orchestra	'Calling All Cars' KNX CBS LA 17 Nov 1938
Unidentified Song	Jaroslav Jezek Orchestra	Comm Rec Prague 1938
Hallelujah!	Svenskahotkvintetten	Comm Rec Stockholm Oct 1939
Set 2	1930s European Pop on 1930s US Radio
The Lambeth Walk	Benny Goodman Orchestra (voc) Martha Tilton	'Camel Caravan' WABC CBS NY 6 Sep 1938
Harbour Lights	Rudy Vallee (voc) Robert Ambruster Orchestra	'Chase and Sanborn Hour' WEAF NBC Red NY 3 Oct 1937
My Prayer	Paul Whiteman Orchestra (voc) Joan Edwards	'Chesterfield Show' WABC CBS NY 25 Oct 1939
Set 3	Spotlight Bands 1943-45 Blue Network
Open + Blue Skies	Jimmy Joy Orchestra	'Spotlight Bands' Harlingen Tx Blue Network 6 Jan 1945
Chatanoogo Choo Choo Boogie	Sammy Kaye Orchestra	'Spotlight Bands' Washington DC Blue Network 31 Jan 1942
Take It Down + What Is This Thing Called Love + Close	Leo Reisman Orchestra	'Spotlight Bands' National Press Club Washington DC Blue Network 23 Jan 1943
Set 4	Way-Out Sounds on 1953 Radio
Open + Tweedle-Dee Tweedle-Dum	Sauter - Finnegan Orchestra	'All Star Parade of Bands' Blue Note WMAQ NBC Chicago 12 sep 1953
Blue Eyes	Stan Kenton Orchestra (voc) Conte Condoli	'Concert in Miniature' Student Union Teachers' College WBOW NBC Terre Haute Indiana 16 June 1953
Do You Ever Think Of Me?	Billy May Orchestra (voc) The Encores	'All Star Parade of Bands' Palladium Ballroon KFI NBC LA 21 Dec 1953
Set 5	Mellow Swing on 1940s Radio
Brahm's Lullaby	Les Elgart Orchestra	Radio Transcription New York City 1946
Trouble, Trouble	Benny Carter Orchestra (voc) Betty Roche	'Jubilee' AFRS Hollywood 1944
It's Mellow	Glen Gray and the Casa Loma Orchestra	Terrace Room Hotel New Yorker WABC CBS New York May 1944
Way Low	Duke Ellington Orchestra	'A Date With The Duke' 400 Restaurant WJZ ABC NY 28 Apr 1945
Set 6	Trad Jazz on 1930s-40s Radio
Won't You Come Over To My House, Baby?	Lazy Ade's Big 4 (voc) Ade Monsborough	3AW Melbourne 1949
Waiting For The Evening Whistle	Eddie Condon Group	'Eddie Condon's Town Hall Jazz Concert' Town Hall WJZ Blue NY 30 Sep 1944
You're Driving Me Crazy	Bob Crosby's Bobcats	'Camel Caravan' WABC CBS NY 18 Jul 1939
Dixieland Band	Benny Goodman Orchestra (voc) Helen Forrest	Palomar Ballroom KFI NBC Red LA 22 Aug 1935
Set 7	1940s Radio Big Band Swing
Open + Jeep Rhythm	Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra	'Spotlight Bands' Jefferson Barracks, Missouri Mutual Network 23 Nov 1945
The New Look	Charlie Spivak Orchestra	Palladium Ballroom KNX CBS LA 4 Apr 1948
Mister Pastor Goes To Town	Tony Pastor Orchestra	Broadcast New York City 1945
One O'Clock Jump	International Sweethearts of Rhythm + Armed Forces Radio Service Orchestra	'Jubilee' AFRS Hollywood Mar 1945
Set 8	Mod Sounds on WHDH Boston 1953 - 54
Hi Beck	Lee Konitz	Storyville Copley Square Hotel WHDH Boston 5 Jan 1954
Them There Eyes	Billie Holliday	Storyville Copley Square Hotel WHDH Boston Oct 1953
Groovin' High	Charlie Parker	Storyville Copley Square Hotel WHDH Boston 22 Sep 1953