Home on the Kitchen Range – Smith Ballew • Terry Shane
Smith Ballew, largely forgotten today, was one of the earliest “singing cowboys.” He was a versatile artist who recorded hundreds of dance and jazz vocals,
Smith Ballew, largely forgotten today, was one of the earliest “singing cowboys.” He was a versatile artist who recorded hundreds of dance and jazz vocals,
Every so often I hesitate posting a Soundie that has seen a great deal of circulation. This certainly describes Fats Waller’s Honeysuckle Rose, but the
It would not be true to claim that Lucky Millinder was on the forefront of racial integration during the Swing Era. Benny Goodman was adding
There are still mysteries to uncover in the World of Soundies, and here is one that I think we have solved. There’s no printed documentation,
With cold weather and rain affecting so many of us, I thought something upbeat and “sunny” would really fit the bill today. I have spoken
I am always happy to fill requests and this one, from friend and musicologist Tom Samuels, is certainly request-worthy. Tom, like many of us, is
Jim, one of my best buddies, gets a lot of grief from his family for his banjo playing. Thank goodness he didn’t follow in the
The popularity of Hawaiian music – everything from faux-Hawaiian to the “real deal” – was a musical force to be reckoned with during the 1930s
Now, there are some pretty bad Soundies out there, and at first viewing some might argue that this is one of them. I would argue
The careers of Swing bandleader Benny Goodman, bebop master Tadd Dameron, and composer / professional eccentric Henry Nemo did not intersect often. Benny recorded tunes