Many of you probably know by now that I've been spending some time transferring my growing collection of 78rpm recordings to MP3. I've been publicly sharing the music on The Swing City Radio Youtube Channel. Here's a direct link to the playlist: Ronnaldo's 78rpm Collection
Here's a couple that I've posted in mid-July:
"Love Me! Love Me! Love Me!" by Sammy Kaye
This was released in 1949 on the RCA Victor Label. It includes vocals by The Kaydets.
Listen to: "Love Me! Love Me! Love Me!" by Sammy Kaye from 1949.
Have YOU Subscribed to The Swing City Radio Youtube Channel yet? Click Here to Subscribe. It will take less than 30 seconds of your time and I would really appreciate it.
"Bolero At The Savoy" by Gene Krupa and His Orchestra
This great track by Krupa was recorded in New York, NY on November 25, 1941. It was originally released on the Okeh label. This is from the Columbia release from 1944 and features Anita O'Day on vocals.
Listen to: "Bolero At The Savoy" by Gene Krupa from 1944
The Casa Loma Orchestra was one of the top Dance Bands in the early to mid 1930's. The band was active from the late 1920's to 1947 and then re-emerged in 1957. The Casa Loma Orchestra had a few leaders over the years but the most notable was saxophonist, Glen Gray.
The band originally assembled under the name The Orange Blossoms in Detroit, Michigan. By the time of their first recordings in 1929, they had changed their name to The Casa Loma Orchestra.
The business model and structure of this band was much different than most others. Almost all other bands at this time had a "leader" for whom everyone worked. Casa Loma operated as a collective group. In 1930, the Casa Loma Orchestra was incorporated in New York with the members becoming owners, shareholders, and board members. The band members were hired on the grounds of musical competence and would have to follow a strict code of conduct and financial rules. Members who broke the rules could be summoned before the "board", have their contract bought out, and be ejected from the band.
Listen to: "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" performed by
Glen Gray and The Casa Loma Orchestra (1942).
This recording is from my personal collection of 78 recordings.
The band was led by a person that was hand-picked by the band itself. Casa Loma's first bandleader was violinist Hank Biagini. In 1937, the band overwhelmingly voted in favor of Glen Grey leading the orchestra, and Gray finally accepted the job.
The Casa Loma Orchestra released A LOT of music during their run in the 1930's and 40's. They scored a boatload of hits and enjoyed a long run on radio including extended stints on Camel Caravan.
After 1947, the Casa Loma band had ceased touring, and Glen Gray retired. The later recordings on Capitol Records, beginning with Casa Loma in Hi-Fi in 1956 and continuing through the Sounds of the Great Bands series, were done with Gray leading a group of studio musicians in Hollywood. Several of the Casa Loma alumni would occasionally be featured as well. In all, some 14 high-fidelity and stereo recordings were made for Capitol Records under the name of Glen Gray and the Casa Loma Orchestra before Gray's death in 1963.
... and speaking of Casa Loma alumni, a few of the names that passed through the band over the years included: Pee Wee Hunt, Sonny Dunham, Kenny Sargent and Horace Henderson. Keep in mind, the band maintained a stable collection of personnel that didn't change much because of the member ownership structure they had in place.
Listen to: "Come and Get It" performed by
Glen Gray and The Casa Loma Orchestra.
Interesting Note: In 1943, Eugenie Baird became "the first girl vocalist ever featured" with the Casa Loma Orchestra.
You can hear the many hits of The Casa Loma Orchestra right here on Swing City Radio.
The Big Band and Swing Podcast - A Tide of Great Music - Show 169 -
Features vintage recordings by Alvino Rey, Duke Ellington, Teddy Powell and Tiny Bradshaw. We also learn what it takes to have the cleanest shirts in town.
* All music in this podcast are Creative Commons. Artists are credited within the podcast.
Listen to: A Tide of Great Music (Show 169)
Listen to more episodes of The Big Band and Swing Podcast at: BigBandPodcast.com
Jan Savitt was born in a part of the old Russian Empire which is now a part of Ukraine. He moved to the United States with his family very early in life and grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At an early age, it was quite apparent that Jan was a very good violinist. This caught the attention of Leopold Stokowski who led the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra at the time. When Savitt finally joined on with the symphony he remained with them for a good part of seven years. Hence his nickname "The Stokowski of Swing".
But don't be fooled by Savitt's classical training. Jan Savitt really knew how to swing. In the late 1930's, he formed his own band and became one of the biggest swing acts in the Philadelphia area. He also received a lot of air time on the radio; for years his band, Jan Savitt and The Top Hatters, was the staff band on KYW radio in Philly.
Throughout the war years of the 1940's, Savitt's band released many recordings and made quite a name for themselves. Even after the war, the band continued to tour and enjoyed a good deal of popularity. While touring the west coast of the U.S. in October of 1948, Jan suffered from a cerebral hemorrhage before a show and was rushed to a local hospital. Savitt passed away two days later at the young age of 41. Such a shame.
Listen to "Green Goon Jive" by Jan Savitt from my 78's Collection.
You can hear many of Jan Savitt's songs right here on Swing City Radio.
Consider supporting Swing City Radio by becoming a Hepcat. Learn more at: SupportSwing.com.
