Playlist For August 31, 2011

The playlist for the August 31, 2011 broadcast of the Swing Shift Shuffle has just been added to the playlist filing cabinet.

Lindy Hops On

The Red Hot Lindy Hop lesson and session continues this Friday night at the Rumba Room with a lesson by Kirk and Angela and music by Kirk and Josie.  Free admission before 7:00 p.m., and $5 at the door afterwards. 

Dress like you are going out!

Rumba Room

303 South Main

Memphis, TN 38103

Sunrise Serenade: We'll Stand The Storm

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "We'll Stand The Storm" by the Golden Gate Quartet.  Click on the song title for a sample from emusic, or click here for the album page.

September On Turner Classic Movies

I have not had time recently to keep up with the Turner Classic Movies (TCM) schedule as much as in the past.  Fortunately, The Hollywood Revue posted a summary of the entire TCM schedule for the month of September with highlights for each day.  Among other classics, it appears TCM will be showing Laurel and Hardy movies on Saturday mornings.

Sunrise Serenade: Blue Moon

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Blue Moon" by Jo Stafford. Enjoy the video below from YouTube.

Dale Evans Comics

Like her King of the Cowboys husband, Dale Evans had her own comic book.  Unlike Roy Rogers, however, whose comic book character was a cowboy hero; Dale's comic book persona was based loosely on her real career - a western movie actress who got into various adventures in each issue.  In this 1948 issue, posted on Pappy's Golden Age Comics Blogzine, Dale gets roped into being a substitute teacher for a bunch of rowdy adult cowboys, one of which is secretly a bandit.  After failing to control the class on her first day, she dresses in a more alluring fashion to keep her student's attention.  For those of you who may remember Dale Evans as somewhat matronly in her later days, bear in mind that she had a showbiz career before donning a fringed shirt and cowboy hat, including being a big band siren as demonstrated in the photo.

Sunrise Serenade: The Mood That I'm In

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "The Mood That I'm In" by Valaida Snow.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

The Milky Way

This cartoon is a little more nursery rhyme than usual for me, but it is cute, and there are some subtly clever gags.  Three little kittens lost their mittens, so their mother sent them to bed without their supper, milk.  Dreaming of milk, they take a Jules Verne-like ride to the Milky Way, where the dairy gags start to flow.  From the Internet Archive, here is the 1940 MGM animated short, The Milky Way.

Memphis Postcards 9

The top card in this installment from my series of antique Memphis postcards is one of my favorites because I see that view almost every day, although rarely in moonlight.  Confederate Park still looks very much the same, as does the Post Office, although it now serves as the University of Memphis School of Law.  I can see the same bridge still carrying traffic over the Mississippi River as I type, but Mud Island, the spit of land just off shore in the center right of the card, sure had a lot more trees than it does now.  As for the bottom card, this is not really a scene from Memphis proper, but from the rural area surrounding the City at the time.  Once again, bear in mind that these cards reflect the social and economic status of their time. 

Sunrise Serenade: Gee But I'd LIke To Make You Happy

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Gee But I'd Like To Make You Happy" by the Boswell Sisters.  Enjoy the version below from YouTube.

Tucker In NASCAR?

This post on the Hemmings blog just goes to illustrate the collectible car theory of relativity.  An automobile may be rare and expensive now, but who knew back then, when it was just a used car, good only for utilitarian transportation, parts or in this case NASCAR?  Nevertheless, I am still surprised that anyone treated a Tucker as anything other than rare, since the company made less than 50 in its entire one-production-run existence.  With safety glass, seat belts, and an air-cooled, rear mounted engine, it was ahead of its time in the late 1940's.  It was also quite a capable performer, so the use of a Tucker for racing is logical, but with only 40-something other cars in existence, parts could become a problem after a few encounters on the track. 

Sunrise Serenade: Begin The Beguine

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Begin The Beguine" by Artie Shaw and His Orchestra.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

Playlist For August 24, 2011

The playlist for the August 24, 2011 broadcast of the Swing Shift Shuffle has just been added to the playlist filing cabinet.

Careless Talk Posters

During World War II, the U.S. government published posters that served as public service announcements on a variety of topics, from entertainment, to conservation, to security.  These "Careless Talk" posters on How To Be A Retronaut warned the public against unguarded gossip, from which Axis spies could gather intelligence.

Sunrise Serenade: Washboard Blues

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Washboard Blues" by the Casa Loma Orchestra with Hoagy Carmichael on vocals.  Click on the song title for a sample from emusic, or click here for the album page.

Live Music Lindy Hop

This Friday's Red Hot Lindy Hop lesson and session features live music from J. Thomas and the Swinging Monkeys, with a lesson by Mike T. and Meghan.  Admission is $7. 

Dress like you are going out!

Rumba Room

303 South Main

Memphis, TN 38103

Sunrise Serenade: Down By The Riverside

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Down By The Riverside" by Lucky Millinder and His Orchestra, featuring Sister Rosetta Tharpe on vocals.  Click on the song title for a sample clip courtesy of emusic.  Click here for the emusic album page.

Casablanca At The Orpheum Friday Night

The Orpheum Theatre brings back one of its much-loved "usual suspects" for the Summer Movies series this Friday night:  Casablanca, starring Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid and Claude Rains.  Show starts at 7:15 p.m.

Sunrise Serenade: The Joint Is Jumpin'

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "The Joint Is Jumpin'" by Fats Waller.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

Tom & Jerry: Pencil Mania

I figured it was time for another trip into the surreal world of animation from the early 1930's.  The Van Beuren Studios had a pair of human cartoon characters called Tom and Jerry before MGM launched its famous cat and mouse team of the same name.  In this short, Tom and Jerry take advantage of the fact that they exist in a cartoon world by drawing a few things into reality, and then generating a few songs.  From the Internet Archive, here is the 1932 short, Pencil Mania.

Memphis Postcards 8

This installment from my series of antique Memphis postcards features the Pink Palace Museum and the Downtown River Front.  The Pink Palace is still serving as one of Memphis' best museums, and while the river front has changed somewhat, several of the buildings visible in this card still stand tall, including the Lincoln American Tower and the Sterrick Building. 

Sunrise Serenade: Strip Polka

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was that tribute to the ecdysiast, "Strip Polka," by Johnny Mercer.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

Nothing Like A Dobbs

In addition to my Stetson fedora, I also have a Dobbs hat, very similar to the "Hanley Hall" model depicted in this 1948 advertisement posted on Vintage Ads. 

Sunrise Serenade: I've Heard That Song Before

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "I've Heard That Song Before" by Harry James and His Orchestra.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

Playlist For August 17, 2011

The playlist for the August 17, 2011 broadcast of the Swing Shift Shuffle has just been added to the playlist filing cabinet.

The Jeep Is Jumpin'

People have modified cars as long as there have been cars to modify, and when the boys got back from World War II, one of the most popular vehicles for modification was their wartime companion, the Jeep.  These examples from the April 1947 edition of Mechanix Illustrated, posted on Modern Mechanix, demonstrates some good, old-fashioned American ingenuity.  I particularly like the first Jeep "woody" station wagon.

Sunrise Serenade: Flatbush Flanagan

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Flatbush Flanagan" by Harry James and His Orchestra.  Enjoy this 78 video from YouTube.

The Lindy Hop And Live Music Next Week

The Red Hot Lindy Hop lesson and session continues this Friday at the Rumba Room with a lesson by Erin and Jaredan, and music by Jaredan and Bethany.  Free admission before 7:00 p.m., and $5 at the door afterwards. 

Dress like you are going out!

Rumba Room

303 South Main

Memphis, TN 38103

Next week features live music with J. Thomas and the Swinging Monkeys!

Sunrise Serenade: Sweet Georgia Brown

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Sweet Georgia Brown" by Cab Calloway and His Orchestra.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

Newsboy Legion And The Guardian

As noted by Pappy's Golden Age Comics Blogzine, the Newsboy Legion was a group of boys who sold newspapers in a City slum.  The interesting part to me is that the newsboys were the main characters, while a costumed crime fighter played a only supporting role.  "The Guardian" was actually a police officer who took the boys under his wing, and later became a masked crime fighter to avoid all those legal technicalities that hinder official law enforcement.

Sunrise Serenade: 47th Street Jive

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "47th Street Jive" by Andy Kirk and His Clouds of Joy.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

Bad Luck Blackie

Here is a classic Tex Avery cartoon from 1948.  Having problems with a bullying dog, a little white kitten enlists the aid of a black cat to cause the dog bad luck.  From the Internet Archive, here is Bad Luck Blackie.

Memphis Postcards Part 7

I learned something while posting this scan from my antique Memphis postcard set.  The lake at Overton Park is still there, although the pavillion is gone, so I knew about that.  I was not familiar with the Sunken Garden or the Speedway, so I found the following explanation from Memphis' own Vance Lauderdale.  He is not actually referring to my postcard set when he mentions the souvenier folder, but to one with a photograph of the same area. 

First of all, the Speedway was a one-mile section of North Parkway, running west from present-day University. It was so named because early in the 1900s it was set aside on weekends for amateur horse racing, and it quickly became the place to be, and to be seen. The name survives today in the Speedway Terrace neighborhood around North Parkway. For some reason, over the years people started confusing the Speedway section of North Parkway with all sections of North Parkway, and then they even started giving that name to East Parkway. That's just crazy talk. And that's the problem with your souvenir folder, R.H. Although it says "Speedway," it actually shows East Parkway, and the sunken garden shown in the picture is still there, tucked into the median at the intersection of East Parkway and Madison. But the garden has changed considerably over the years. For some reason, the city doesn't plant flowers anymore in the sunken part. Instead, beginning in the 1960s and continuing ever since, they have planted an ever-changing rainbow of flowers on the slope just to the north, spelling out a giant "M."

Sunrise Serenade: Let That Be A Lesson To You

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Let That Be A Lesson To You" from the 1937 movie, Hollywood Hotel, featuring Benny Goodman and His Orchestra, with Johnny "Scat" Davis, Dick Powell and Rosemary Lane all contributing vocals.  Enjoy this video from Daily Motion.

Let That be a lesson 2 U by NilbogLAND

London In High Resolution Color - (Sorry) "Colour"

Seeing color photographs of a period mostly associated with black and white changes ones perception of the era.  How To Be A Retronaut posted a series of high resolution Kodachrome photographs of London in the late 1940s.  I looked down the street below 40 years after this photo was taken.   

Sunrise Serenade: All Of Me

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "All Of Me" by Billie Holiday.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

Playlist For August 10, 2011

The playlist for the August 10, 2011 broadcast of the Swing Shift Shuffle has just been added to the playlist filing cabinet.

Flying High And Fast In 1934

Here is another great example of Art Deco design posted by Dieselpunk.  This poster for the 1934 MacRobertson London to Melbourne air race, created by DecoEchoes at Deviant Art, is not only elegant, but accurately depicts the shapes of the aircraft competing. 

Sunrise Serenade: I'll Always Be In Love With You

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "I'll Always Be In Love With You" by Ella Fitzgerald.  Click on the song title for a sample clip courtesy of emusic.  Click here for the emusic album page.

Move Your Feet To The Lindy Beat

The weekly Red Hot Lindy Hop lesson and session continues this Friday at the Rumba Room with a lesson by Kimmie and Matt and music by Kimmie.  Free admission before 7:00 p.m., and $5 at the door afterwards. 

Dress like you are going out!

Rumba Room

303 South Main

Memphis, TN 38103

Sunrise Serenade: The Guy With The Slide Trombone (Hungarian Rhapsody)

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "The Guy With The Slide Trombone (Hungarian Rhapsody)" by Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra.  Click on the song title for a sample clip courtesy of emusic.  Click here for the emusic album page.

Robotman!

Who knew "Robocop" was around in the 1940s?  Pappy's Golden Age Comics Blogzine posted a story featuring "Robotman" from 1943.  The hero is a robot with the human mind of a man killed by gangsters.  He disguises his mechanical nature with a "plastic flesh" mask that turns him (for all appearances) into an "average man."

Sunrise Serenade: Swanee River

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Swanee River" by Bunny Berigan and His Orchestra.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

Much Ado About Mutton

Here is a Famous Studios production from 1947 featuring a nice swing/jive vibe.  A wolf dresses up as "Little Boy Blue," and blows his horn to catch some jitterbugging lambs, who are saved by their hip uncle, the "black sheep" of the family.  The color is faded a bit, since Little Boy Blue's threads are a bit on the green side, but it is still a fun short.  From the Internet Archive, here is Much Ado About Mutton.

Memphis Postcards Part 6

Here is another scan from the antique Memphis postcard set.  This single image shows the Memphis and Harrahan bridges over the Mississippi River.

Sunrise Serenade: Smoke Rings

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Smoke Rings" by Django Reinhardt and the Hot Club Quintet of France.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

Dogfights Over England

When aircraft fly through high elevations, they leave trails of condensed moisture known as "contrails."  We have all seen them streaming out of the back of an airliner in the traditional straight line.  Imagine what the sky would look like if the airplane flew in circles, and then add hundreds of aircraft to the sky.  The result would look like the air over Britain during World War II.  How To Be A Retronaut posted a series of photos showing the dizzying patterns formed by contrails as Allied and German fighters fought over the UK. 

Sunrise Serenade: Nagasaki

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Nagasaki" by Valaida Snow.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

Playlist For August 3, 2011

The playlist for the August 3, 2011 broadcast of the Swing Shift Shuffle has just been added to the playlist filing cabinet.

The World's Only Flying B-29 Superfortress At Millington This Weekend

This weekend, the Commemorative Air Force presents "FIFI," the world's only flying B-29 Superfortress, at the Millington Regional Airport, 1115 Hornet Avenue, in Millington.  Accompanying this heavy bomber will be a P-51 Mustang fighter and an SBD Dauntless dive bomber.  Rides on all three aircraft will be available Friday, August 5 through Sunday, August 7, but remember that airplane fuel is expensive.  Rides on the B-29 go from  $695 up to $1495 for the "bombardier" (i.e. nose) position.  Rides on the P-51 and SBD start at $1495 and $745 respectively.  Ticket information available here.  Tours of the aircraft are available for $10.

Sunrise Serenade: Let's Have A Jubilee

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Let's Have A Jubilee" by Louis Prima and His New Orleans Gang.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

Can't Stop The Lindy Hop

The Red Hot Lindy Hop lesson and session continues this Friday at the Rumba Room with a lesson by Becky and Kirk and music by Becky.  Free admission before 7:00 p.m., and $5 at the door afterwards. 

Dress like you are going out!

Rumba Room

303 South Main

Memphis, TN 38103

Sunrise Serenade: Sing It Way Down Low

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Sing It Way Down Low" by Louis Prima.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

Memphis Knights Big Band Tonight

Sorry about being a bit late on this item, but better late than never.  The Memphis Knights Big Band will be performing TONIGHT at the Great Hall & Conference Center in Germantown.  Admission is FREE, and there will be a cash bar and refreshments from Coletta's, as well as a Lindy Hop exhibition.

Sunrise Serenade: I Wonder Who Makes Rhythm?

This morning's Sunrise Serenade posed the question, "I Wonder Who Makes Rhythm" by Valaida Snow.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.