Original air date - Phantom Dancer :: 12:00pm 2nd Aug 2022

The King's Jesters, billed as America's 'biggest little band' is this week's Phantom Dancer feature artists. They were a vocal group who accompanied themselves on guitar, banjo and other instruments and with orchestra. They were household names in the 1930s and early 1940s. You've heard them previously on The Phantom Dancer featured as a male vocal trio with Ben Bernie's Orchestra on 1942 episodes of the weekday 'Ben Bernie's War Workers' Program'. Here's a 1938 Standard radio transcription ofThe King's Jesters... [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4FHt0JBmlc[/embed] 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 2 August) and two years of Phantom Dancer mixes online at, at https://2ser.com/phantom-dancer/ The King Jesters's singing for Paul Whiteman in the early 1930s... [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sculgX3J4cw[/embed]

START

The King's Jesters began as a comic vocal trio that also played instruments along with an accompanist. They were John Ravencroft - sax and clarinet, Francis "Fritz" Bastow - banjo and guitar, George Howard - drums and vibraphone, along with Ray McDermott - piano, accordion, and arranger. They were hired by Paul Whiteman to replace The Rhythm Boys and sang with him from 1930 to 1931. When they left Whiteman, they added vocalist Marjorie Whitney and called her their queen. These five were the core of the King's Jesters. Here are The King's Jesters on a 1932 LP released by the Paul Whiteman Orchestra in 1932... [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCS5l2IlpmU[/embed]

BREAK

The King's Jesters were discovered by Ray McDermott. He managed them and set up an audition for Paul Whiteman, the leading orchestra leader of the 1920s, while he was touring with his band in Cincinnati. Whiteman named them The King's Jesters. They toured and recorded with the Whiteman band from 1931 - 32, replacing Whiteman's famous Rhythm Boys which had included Bing Crosby.

AFTER

In 1932, after leaving Paul Whiteman, The King's Jesters formed a new band of seven members: Fritz Bastow, George Howard and John Ravencroft, Ray McDermott who was the piano accompanist, Jimmy Awad on trumpet, Bob Casey on string bass, and singer, Marjorie Whitney, who you'll hear this week singing, 'Same Old Lines', and with George Howard on 'I'll Love You Coast to Coast'. The King's Jesters broadcast daily over NBC from the Hotel Morrison in Chicago. In June 1936 The King's Jesters begin playing at the Bismark Hotel in Chicago, from where you'll hear them on this week's Phantom Dancer. Their repertoire mixed instrumental fox trots for dancing and and vocal harmony numbers. Pianist Ray McDermott died of pneumonia in 1937. The King's Jesters and band then opened a new floor show in the Blue Fountain Room at the La Salle Hotel. In July 1937, The King's Jesters were on the front cover of the July 3, 1937 issue of the trade music bible, Billboard. They were billed as "America's Biggest Little Band." After their months-long engagement at the La Salle Hotel in 1937, The King's Jesters moved to the Fairview Hotel & Dance Gardens in Chicago. Their 1937 show included songs like 'Turkish Delight','The Deacon Steps Out', sung with the 'Peck-in' dance introduced in 'New Faces of 1937' and 'Today I am a Man'. Their queen, Marjorie Whitney, had a number of songs to herself, which include 'They Can't Take That Away From Me' and 'There'll be Changes Made'.

BENNY GOODMAN

The King's Jesters band made two guest radio appearances with Benny Goodman and his orchestra on July 7, 1941, and one on July 24, 1941. They appeared in the Sir Francis Drake hotel in San Francisco; William Penn hotel in Pittsburgh; LaSalle hotel in Chicago; the Carlton hotel in Washington, and the Philadelphia hotel in Philadelphia. For all these spots they broadcast over the NBC and Mutual. The King's Jesters stopped performing in 1962. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=px4_7cWtOoY[/embed]

2 AUGUST PLAY LIST

Play List - The Phantom Dancer 107.3 2SER-FM Sydney LISTEN ONLINECommunity Radio Network Show CRN #556
107.3 2SER Tuesday 2 August 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 2RDJ Burwood Wednesday 12 - 1pm 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	Champagne Music
Champagne Music (theme) + Annabelle	Lawrence Welk Orchestra	'One Night Stand' Aragon Ballroom Lick Pier Ocean Park Ca KNX CBS LA AFRS Re-broadcast 9 Aug 1951
Wang Wang Blues	Lawrence Welk Orchestra	'One Night Stand' Aragon Ballroom Lick Pier Ocean Park Ca KNX CBS LA AFRS Re-broadcast 9 Aug 1951
In The Mood	Lawrence Welk Orchestra	'One Night Stand' Aragon Ballroom Lick Pier Ocean Park Ca KNX CBS LA AFRS Re-broadcast 9 Aug 1951
Wonder Why? + Close	Lawrence Welk Orchestra (voc) Dick Dale	'One Night Stand' Aragon Ballroom Lick Pier Ocean Park Ca KNX CBS LA AFRS Re-broadcast 9 Aug 1951
Set 2	Kay Kyser
You Ought to Be in Pictures	Kay Kyser and his Band from the Carolines (voc) Art Wilson	Radio Transcription 1934
Liza	Kay Kyser and his Band from the Carolines	Radio Transcription 1934
Vieni Su	Kay Kyser and his Band from the Carolines (voc) Glee Club	Radio Transcription 1934
Rhapsody in Rain	Kay Kyser and his Band from the Carolines	Radio Transcription 1934
Set 3	More Breakfast Radio
Open Theme	Unidentified Orchestra	'Breakfast with Bill' WNAC Yankee Network Boston 5 Jan 1950
Chicago	Guy Lombardo Orchestra	'Breakfast with Bill' WNAC Yankee Network Boston 5 Jan 1950
Good News	Unannounced Orchestra	'Breakfast with Bill' WNAC Yankee Network Boston 5 Jan 1950
Dixie + Close	Ray Anthony Orchestra	'Breakfast with Bill' WNAC Yankee Network Boston 5 Jan 1950
Set 4	The King's Jesters
Changes (theme) + I'll Sing You a Thousand Love Songs	The King's Jesters Orchestra	Walnut Room Bismarck Hotel WMAQ NBC Red Chicago 1936
Medley: Serenade in the Night + Love, What Are You Doing to My Heart?	The King's Jesters Orchestra	Walnut Room Bismarck Hotel WMAQ NBC Red Chicago 1936
Same Old Lines	The King's Jesters Orchestra (voc) Marjorie Whitney	Walnut Room Bismarck Hotel WMAQ NBC Red Chicago 1936
It's Still Being Done + I Love You From Coast to Coast + Swingin' on the Swanee Show + Close	The King's Jesters Orchestra (voc) Marjorie Whitney and George Howard	Walnut Room Bismarck Hotel WMAQ NBC Red Chicago 1936
Set 5	Hopkins and Eldridge
Minor Jive	Roy Eldridge Orchestra	Aircheck Arcadia Ballroom New York City 1939
Chasing My Blues Away	Claude Hopkins Orchestra	Radio Transcription New York City 1935
Mahogany Hall Stomp	Roy Eldridge Orchestra	Aircheck Arcadia Ballroom New York City 1939
Lazybones	Claude Hopkins Orchestra	Radio Transcription New York City 1935
Set 6	Charlie Barnet
Theme + Back in Your Own Backyard	Charlie Barnet Orchestra	'Spotlight Bands' Ft Devon Mass. Mutual Network 15 Oct 1945
I Like To Riff	Charlie Barnet Orchestra (voc) Peanuts Holland	'For the Record' WEAF NBC NYC 11 Sep 1944
Gulf Coast Blues	Charlie Barnet Orchestra	'Downbeat' AFRS Hollywood Feb 1944
Keep the Home Fires Burning	Charlie Barnet Orchestra	'For the Record' WEAF NBC NYC 11 Sep 1944
Set 7	Cotton Club
O, Babe! Maybe Some Day	Duke Ellington Orchestra (voc) Ivie Anderson	Cotton Club WABC CBS NYC 24 Mar 1938
Harlem Speaks	Duke Ellington Orchestra	Cotton Club WABC CBS NYC 18 Mar 1937
Riding on a Blue Note	Duke Ellington Orchestra	Cotton Club WOR Mutual NYC 1 May 1938
Caravan	Duke Ellington Orchestra	Cotton Club WABC CBS NYC 18 Mar 1937
Set 8	Count Basie
One O'Clock Jump (theme) + Why Not?	Count Basie Orchestra	Birdland WNBC NBC NYC 31 Aug 1952
Andy's Blues	Count Basie Orchestra	Avadon Ballroom KHJ Don Lee Network Los Angeles Jun 1946
Paradise Squat + Lullaby of Bordland + Close	Count Basie Orchestra	'Stars of Jazz' Birdland WNBC NBC NYC 14 Jan 1953