[Dixielandjazz] Dixielandjazz Digest, Vol 191, Issue 10

Wed Nov 7 14:49:42 EST 2018

spike had somE GREAT JASS  players such as GEORGE Rock.  I had the
pleasure  of playing with him at one of the St. Louis ragtime Festivals
aboard the Goldenrod Showboat. George made a sensational Jones record of
Minka.  At the festival he was playing with the Turk Murphy band.  Pete
Pepke

On Wed, Nov 7, 2018 at 12:24 PM <dixielandjazz-request at ml.islandnet.com>
wrote:

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> Today's Topics:
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>    1. DJ Themes (Bill Haesler)
>    2. Re: DJ Themes (Charles Suhor)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Wed, 7 Nov 2018 09:53:10 +1100
> From: Bill Haesler <bhaesler at bigpond.net.au>
> To: Charles Suhor <csuhor at zebra.net>,   Dixieland Jazz Mailing List
>         <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
> Cc: Dixieland Jazz Mailing List <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
> Subject: [Dixielandjazz] DJ Themes
> Message-ID: <65E37561-0A20-44A2-AECB-CF359CFC31E8 at bigpond.net.au>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
>
> > Charles Suhor <csuhor at zebra.net> wrote:
> > I'm confused, or my memory is, or both (two good possibilities). I
> remember a genial Martin Block on the radio (Saturdays, around 1946) with
> the theme song "Without Music," linked below, by the Moonlight Serenaders
> with Tex Beneke.
>
> Dear Charlie,
> You can relax. You are not confused and there is nothing wrong with your
> memory.
> Martin Block was, as you know, was one of the first 'disc jockeys' (a
> 1940's term) and gained popularity in January-February 1935 by playing
> records on radio WNEW in New York while listeners were tuned in awaiting
> news bulletins about the famous Lindberg kidnapping court case.
> As a result, in March 1935, Block started a program called 'Make Believe
> Ballroom' "borrowing" the idea and title initiated by Hollywood broadcaster
> Al Jarvis (who called his 1933 program ?The World's Largest Make-Believe
> Ballroom?) using recordings of popular big bands and pretending that he was
> broadcasting from the ballroom venues. Jarvis and Block had been colleagues
> at KFWB in Los Angeles in the early 1930s. Jarvis later tried several times
> to sue Block to stop him using the name 'Make Believe Ballroom' for his
> WNEW program, but was unsuccessful.
>
> Initially Block used Clyde McCoy's Orchestra recordings brought from the
> Liberty Music Shop, then expanded the format by playing other swing band
> records, using McCoy's January 1935 Decca version of "Sugar Blues' as his
> theme for about a year.
> On 3 August 1936, Charlie Barnet and His Glen Island Casino Orchestra
> (with vocal by the Barnet Modern-Aires) recorded ?Make Believe Ballroom?
> composed by Andy Razaf and Paul Denniker with Block's popular program in
> mind.
> Then, on 11 October 1940, Glenn Miller recorded ?Make Believe Ballroom
> Time? for RCA-Victor?s Bluebird label.
> With words by Martin Block and Mickey Stoner and music by Harold Green it
> was made to replace the Barnett rendition as Block's theme.
> It is reported that Miller paid for the ?Make Believe Ballroom Time?
> recording session for which he hired the Modernaires.
> After Miller was killed in a plane crash in December 1944, Block announced
> that ?Make-Believe Ballroom Time? would remain the theme "forever". And it
> did until 1954 when Block moved on from the WNEW program.
>
> "Make believe Ballroom Time" by the Glenn Miller Orchestra:
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYQofQAQ3eE
> LYRICS (by Martin Block).
>
> It's Make-Believe Ballroom Time
> Put all your cares away
> All the bands are here to bring a cheer your way
> It's Make-Believe Ballroom Time
> And free to everyone
> It's no time to fret
> Your dial is set for fun
> Just close your eyes and visualize in your solitude
> Your favorite bands are on the stands
> And Mr. Miller puts you in the mood
> It's Make-Believe Ballroom Time
> The hour of sweet romance
> here's your make-believe ballroom
> Come on, children, let's dance, let's dance!
>
> However, over in Hollywood in March 1946, having celebrated the 14th
> birthday of his Make Believe Ballroom show, Al Jarvis left KFWB and took it
> to KLAC where it was aired from noon Monday to Friday. For some reason, in
> mid 1947, KFWB brought Martin Block from New York to present his 'Make
> Believe Ballroom" at the same time as the Jarvis? show.
> Both went head-to-head wth the LA homeboy Jarvis always leading in the
> ratings. It ended suddenly in early October 1947 when, after fulfilling
> only four months of his three-year contract, Block and KFWB terminated the
> show with Block agreeing not to appear on Los Angeles stations before 1
> June 1950, the end of the contract period. He returned to New York.
>
> According to several contemporary mid 1947 reports I found in Billboard
> magazine, Martin Block used the song "Without Music" (composed by Eddie
> DeLange & Louis Alter) recorded for the Victor by Tex Beneke with The
> Miller Orchestra and vocal refrain by the Mellow-Larks [sic] as his theme
> for the Southern Californian program. So you wuz right!
>
> > One clear recollection is Block playing Charlie Barnet's merciless
> put-on of traditional jazz on "Darktown Strutters' Ball," also linked
> below. He preceded it by saying. "Whenever Charlie Barnet is asked to
> record a Dixieland tune, he sticks out his tongue and says, 'NYAAAAH!" I
> liked it so much, I bought it! (The flip side was ?Caravan,? with a young
> Maynard Ferguson.)
>
> That interesting one was recorded by Barnett for Apollo in New York on 12
> August 1946.
> Another send up of OKOM made at that time was "Dixieland Stomp" recorded
> by Chubby Jackson & His Jacksonville Seven
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT0VznqV8T4
>
> Charlie Shavers (t) J.J. Johnson (tb) Coleman Hawkins (ts) Harry Carney
> (bar) Teddy Wilson (p) John Collins (g) Chubby Jackson (b) Shadow Wilson
> (d). New York, December 4, 1946.
>
> I was recorded at the end of an Esquire All-American Award Winners
> session, but not issued until 1958 on an RCA Camden compilation LP CAL 446
> 'Dixieland And New Orleans Jazz '.
> It was reissued again in 1971 as "Moldy Fig Stomp" on RCA Victor LPV-578
> 'Swing, Vol.1'.
>
> > I also bought Pee Wee Hunt's intentionality corny "12th Street Rag,"
> which became a national hit. Okay, my tastes weren't very discriminating at
> age 11. But in 1947 I heard Rudi Blesh's live radio program "This is Jazz"
> with Wild Bill, Edmond Hall, Baby Dodds, Pops Foster, et al.,
>
> So did I. And don't forget or dismiss the great jazz music on numerous
> Spike Jone's Victor records.
> Cheers,
> Bill.
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Wed, 7 Nov 2018 00:58:59 -0600
> From: Charles Suhor <csuhor at zebra.net>
> To: Bill Haesler <bhaesler at bigpond.net.au>
> Cc: Dixieland Jazz Mailing List <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
> Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] DJ Themes
> Message-ID: <46143A08-9ED8-46CD-9A4E-6DF20A6C1116 at zebra.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
>
> As usual, Bill, you've  come up with incredibly detailed information,
> confirming my memory of Martin Block's "Without Music" theme. Thanks for
> that. I'm wondering if you can track down who the trumpet and sax soloists
> were on Barnet's "Darktown" record. They're wickedly clever.
> Thanks for the Chubby Jackson sendup, too. They pulled it off in amusing
> ways (especially Teddy Wilson) but didn't raise parody to the level of
> outright insult, as Barnet did. Charlie Shavers don't really seem to be
> trying very hard. For the most part he was playing a fiery swing stay
> trumpet, with no nanny-goat vibrato, corny cliches, etc.
> Re Spike Jones, I knew he hired good jazz musicians but never hear them
> attempting jazz without corny razzmatazz. Do you have links to any of his
> jazz stuff?
>
> Charlie
>
> > On Nov 6, 2018, at 4:53 PM, Bill Haesler <bhaesler at bigpond.net.au>
> wrote:
> >
> >> Charles Suhor <csuhor at zebra.net> wrote:
> >> I'm confused, or my memory is, or both (two good possibilities). I
> remember a genial Martin Block on the radio (Saturdays, around 1946) with
> the theme song "Without Music," linked below, by the Moonlight Serenaders
> with Tex Beneke.
> >
> > Dear Charlie,
> > You can relax. You are not confused and there is nothing wrong with your
> memory.
> > Martin Block was, as you know, was one of the first 'disc jockeys' (a
> 1940's term) and gained popularity in January-February 1935 by playing
> records on radio WNEW in New York while listeners were tuned in awaiting
> news bulletins about the famous Lindberg kidnapping court case.
> > As a result, in March 1935, Block started a program called 'Make Believe
> Ballroom' "borrowing" the idea and title initiated by Hollywood broadcaster
> Al Jarvis (who called his 1933 program ?The World's Largest Make-Believe
> Ballroom?) using recordings of popular big bands and pretending that he was
> broadcasting from the ballroom venues. Jarvis and Block had been colleagues
> at KFWB in Los Angeles in the early 1930s. Jarvis later tried several times
> to sue Block to stop him using the name 'Make Believe Ballroom' for his
> WNEW program, but was unsuccessful.
> >
> > Initially Block used Clyde McCoy's Orchestra recordings brought from the
> Liberty Music Shop, then expanded the format by playing other swing band
> records, using McCoy's January 1935 Decca version of "Sugar Blues' as his
> theme for about a year.
> > On 3 August 1936, Charlie Barnet and His Glen Island Casino Orchestra
> (with vocal by the Barnet Modern-Aires) recorded ?Make Believe Ballroom?
> composed by Andy Razaf and Paul Denniker with Block's popular program in
> mind.
> > Then, on 11 October 1940, Glenn Miller recorded ?Make Believe Ballroom
> Time? for RCA-Victor?s Bluebird label.
> > With words by Martin Block and Mickey Stoner and music by Harold Green
> it was made to replace the Barnett rendition as Block's theme.
> > It is reported that Miller paid for the ?Make Believe Ballroom Time?
> recording session for which he hired the Modernaires.
> > After Miller was killed in a plane crash in December 1944, Block
> announced that ?Make-Believe Ballroom Time? would remain the theme
> "forever". And it did until 1954 when Block moved on from the WNEW program.
> >
> > "Make believe Ballroom Time" by the Glenn Miller Orchestra:
> > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYQofQAQ3eE
> > LYRICS (by Martin Block).
> >
> > It's Make-Believe Ballroom Time
> > Put all your cares away
> > All the bands are here to bring a cheer your way
> > It's Make-Believe Ballroom Time
> > And free to everyone
> > It's no time to fret
> > Your dial is set for fun
> > Just close your eyes and visualize in your solitude
> > Your favorite bands are on the stands
> > And Mr. Miller puts you in the mood
> > It's Make-Believe Ballroom Time
> > The hour of sweet romance
> > here's your make-believe ballroom
> > Come on, children, let's dance, let's dance!
> >
> > However, over in Hollywood in March 1946, having celebrated the 14th
> birthday of his Make Believe Ballroom show, Al Jarvis left KFWB and took it
> to KLAC where it was aired from noon Monday to Friday. For some reason, in
> mid 1947, KFWB brought Martin Block from New York to present his 'Make
> Believe Ballroom" at the same time as the Jarvis? show.
> > Both went head-to-head wth the LA homeboy Jarvis always leading in the
> ratings. It ended suddenly in early October 1947 when, after fulfilling
> only four months of his three-year contract, Block and KFWB terminated the
> show with Block agreeing not to appear on Los Angeles stations before 1
> June 1950, the end of the contract period. He returned to New York.
> >
> > According to several contemporary mid 1947 reports I found in Billboard
> magazine, Martin Block used the song "Without Music" (composed by Eddie
> DeLange & Louis Alter) recorded for the Victor by Tex Beneke with The
> Miller Orchestra and vocal refrain by the Mellow-Larks [sic] as his theme
> for the Southern Californian program. So you wuz right!
> >
> >> One clear recollection is Block playing Charlie Barnet's merciless
> put-on of traditional jazz on "Darktown Strutters' Ball," also linked
> below. He preceded it by saying. "Whenever Charlie Barnet is asked to
> record a Dixieland tune, he sticks out his tongue and says, 'NYAAAAH!" I
> liked it so much, I bought it! (The flip side was ?Caravan,? with a young
> Maynard Ferguson.)
> >
> > That interesting one was recorded by Barnett for Apollo in New York on
> 12  August 1946.
> > Another send up of OKOM made at that time was "Dixieland Stomp" recorded
> by Chubby Jackson & His Jacksonville Seven
> > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT0VznqV8T4
> >
> > Charlie Shavers (t) J.J. Johnson (tb) Coleman Hawkins (ts) Harry Carney
> (bar) Teddy Wilson (p) John Collins (g) Chubby Jackson (b) Shadow Wilson
> (d). New York, December 4, 1946.
> >
> > I was recorded at the end of an Esquire All-American Award Winners
> session, but not issued until 1958 on an RCA Camden compilation LP CAL 446
> 'Dixieland And New Orleans Jazz '.
> > It was reissued again in 1971 as "Moldy Fig Stomp" on RCA Victor LPV-578
> 'Swing, Vol.1'.
> >
> >> I also bought Pee Wee Hunt's intentionality corny "12th Street Rag,"
> which became a national hit. Okay, my tastes weren't very discriminating at
> age 11. But in 1947 I heard Rudi Blesh's live radio program "This is Jazz"
> with Wild Bill, Edmond Hall, Baby Dodds, Pops Foster, et al.,
> >
> > So did I. And don't forget or dismiss the great jazz music on numerous
> Spike Jone's Victor records.
> > Cheers,
> > Bill.
> >
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
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> End of Dixielandjazz Digest, Vol 191, Issue 10
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