Sunrise Serenade: Battle Of Swing

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Battle of Swing" by Duke Ellington and his Orchestra.  Click on the song title for a sample from emusic, or click here for the album page.

Sudden Fried Chicken

Here is another encore from 2010:  a Paramount Noveltoon featuring Herman the mouse and Henry the chicken and a little marital boxing.  From the Internet Archive, the 1946 animated short, Sudden Fried Chicken. 

Sunrise Serenade: Poor Simple Simon

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Poor Simple Simon" by Anita O'Day.  Click on the song title for a sample from emusic, or click here for the album page.

The Flying Fox

Here is a black and white comic featuring Rex Darrell, a/k/a "The Flying Fox."  Apparently a predecessor to a better known character called "Air Wolf," this 1939 adventure was posted on Four Color Shadows.  Nice pointy-eared flight helmet there, Rex.

Sunrise Serenade: Plain Jane

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Plain Jane" by Ambrose and his Orchestra.  Click on the song title for a sample from emusic, or click here for the album page.

Playlist For September 25, 2013

The playlist for the September 25, 2013 broadcast of the Swing Shift Shuffle has been added to the playlist filing cabinet.  

Jazz Dance Film Fest 2013 Third Place: The Jazz Dance Alphabet

Now that we have finally caught up to the present, after our lapse of missing winners of the 2012 contest, we can now present the winners of the 2013 Jazz Dance Film Fest contest.  Coming in at number three is "The Jazz Dance Alphabet."

Sunrise Serenade: The Flat Foot Floogee

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "The Flat Foot Floogee" by the Mills Brothers with Louis Armstrong.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Hop Into Fall

The Red Hot Lindy Hop lesson and session continues this Friday night at the Rumba Room.  Free lesson at 7:00 p.m.  Free admission before 7:00, and $5 cover at the door afterwards.  Lesson by Phil and Erin with music by Jessica C.  Dress like you are going out!

Rumba Room

303 South Main

Memphis, TN 38103

The Tiger Rag lessons and guided practice sessions are in full swing at the Madison Dance Studio in Minglewood Plaza, 1555 Madison Ave Memphis, TN 38104.  Learn more and register here. 

Sunrise Serenade: Dinah

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Dinah" by Sam Donahue and the U.S. Navy Band from a V Disc.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Steamlined Autos Of The Future (I Wish)

Here is a contemporary writer, from the September 1936 issue of Mechanics and Handicraft, noting that the so-called "streamlined" cars of the day were actually not that streamlined at all.  He continues that there are a few experimental examples of the truly streamlined cars of the future.  Posted on Modern Mechanix.

Sunrise Serenade: Stormy Weather

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Stormy Weather" by Glenn Miller and the Army Air Force Orchestra.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

Betty Boop: The Candid Candidate

Betty Boop campaigns to have Grampy elected Mayor, and he wins a "landslide" victory by one vote.  Before he can even sit in the mayor's chair, however, citizens begin complaining various things, and threatening to oust him if he does not fix them.  Donning his thinking cap, Grampy invents solutions to all the town's problems, including a novel method of urban renewal.  From the Internet Archive, here is the 1937 animated short, The Candid Candidate. 

Sunrise Serenade: The Woodpecker Song

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "The Woodpecker Song" by the Andrews Sisters.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

Fashion Designs Of The Year 2000 (From 1939)

In 1939, the British Pathe news agency produced this short film showing how fashion designers of the day thought clothing would evolve.  Posted on Paleofuture, most of the examples feature women's styles, many of which would not look too out of place today.  The one proposal for men's fashion, however, is a different story.  Although the radio/telephone was a good bet, the bearded Sir Mordred meets Ming the Merciless meets Batman (utility belt) styling mashup is still a bit too advanced for us primative males.

Sunrise Serenade: I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm" by Red Norvo and Mildred Bailey.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

Playlist For September 18, 2013

The playlist for the September 18, 2013 broadcast of the Swing Shift Shuffle has been added to the playlist filing cabinet.  

Jazz Dance Film Fest 2012 Winner: Swing, Brother, Swing

Here is our last year-long overdue winner from the 2012 Jazz Dance Film Fest.  This video was made in Ghent, Belgium. Be sure to catch the ending with at least a hundred Belgians chanting "Swing in Ghent!" It warms my heart. Coming in at number one, here is "Swing, Brother, Swing."

Sunrise Serenade: Caravan

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

Red Hot Lindy Hop Live Band Night Friday

The Red Hot Lindy Hop lesson and session continues this Friday night at the Rumba Room with live music from J. Thomas and the Swingin' Monkeys.  Free lesson at 7:00 p.m.  Free admission before 7:00, and $7 cover at the door afterwards.  Lesson by Mike and Angela.  Dress like you are going out!

Rumba Room

303 South Main

Memphis, TN 38103

The Tiger Rag lessons and guided practice sessions are in full swing at the Madison Dance Studio in Minglewood Plaza, 1555 Madison Ave Memphis, TN 38104.  Learn more and register here. 

Sunrise Serenade: Mutiny In The Nursery

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Mutiny In The Nursery" by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra.  Click on the song title for a sample from emusic, or click here for the album page. 

Happy Birthday Lauren "Betty" Bacall (a/k/a "Baby")

Happy Birthday Lauren Bacall!  I have a very difficult time keeping up with birthdays, although it is always my intention to recognize notable Swing Era anniversaries here.  Fortunately, I paid attention when I heard that today, September 16, is Ms. Bacall's birthday.  Here she is in her first film, To Have And Have Not, where she met future husband Humphrey Bogart.  That is Hoagy Carmichael on the piano in the role of Cricket.  

Sunrise Serenade: Mr. Five By Five

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Mr. Five By Five" by Freddie Slack and His Orchestra, featuring Ella Mae Morse on vocal.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Superman: The Magnetic Telescope

The Man of Steel returns in this encore from early 2010.  From the Internet Archive, the 1942 Superman animated short:  The Magnetic Telescope.

Sunrise Serenade: Sonny Boy

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Sonny Boy" by the Andrews Sisters.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

War Of The Worlds, Part II: It's Real This Time

It is 1947.  A reasonable facsimile of Orson Wells, Awsum Bells, meets real Martians who heard his 1938 broadcast of War of the Worlds, and who want to enlist his help as their agent when they invade the earth.  Bells is framed for a murder committed by a Martian, but the Spirit thinks there is more than meets the eye in this case.  Posted by Pappy's Golden Age Comics Blogzine.  Although the original story is from 1947, this scan is from a 1970's reprint, and the final page has a statistical update based on data from the 1960's-70's.

Sunrise Serenade: Cherokee

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Cherokee" by Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Playlist For September 11, 2013

The playlist for the September 11,  2013 broadcast of the Swing Shift Shuffle has been added to the playlist filing cabinet.  

Jazz Dance Film Fest Catch Up: 2012 Second Place

I'm trying to make up for lost time, and catch up with the Jazz Dance Film Fest winners from 2012 (which I completely missed) and 2013.  So without further ado, here is the second place finisher from 2012:  "Baby Can Dance." 

Sunrise Serenade: Waller Jive

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Waller Jive" by (who else?) Fats Waller.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Lindy Hops On And Live Music Next Week

The Red Hot Lindy Hop lesson and session continues this Friday night at the Rumba Room.  Free lesson at 7:00 p.m.  Free admission before 7:00, and $5 cover at the door afterwards.  Lesson by Amanda and Bethany with music by Amanda.  Dress like you are going out!

Rumba Room

303 South Main

Memphis, TN 38103

Live music next week with J. Thomas & the Swingin' Monkeys.

The Tiger Rag lessons and guided practice sessions are in full swing at the Madison Dance Studio in Minglewood Plaza, 1555 Madison Ave Memphis, TN 38104.  Learn more and register here. 

Sunrise Serenade: Choo'n Gum

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Choo'n Gum" by the Andrews Sisters.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

Depression Era Carphone

Before smart phones, mobile phones, cell phones and even citizens band (CB) radios there were "car phones;" so named because portable phones were so bulky that an automobile was the only practical way to carry them.  Usually, such phones were in limousines, used by the executive passenger while being chauffeured.  As Paleofuture notes, Huge Gernsback advocated for more widespread use of car radios as two-way communication devices as early as 1935.  Radios were becoming more popular in cars, and he proposed making them all capable of two-way communication to provide a means of summoning emergency assistance.

Sunrise Serenade: The Sheik of Araby

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "The Sheik of Araby" by Fats Waller.  Enjoy the video from YouTube. 

Nursery Scandal

In this encore posting from 2010, Mother Goose and company escape from a book for a little fun in the woods.  From Van Buren Studios and the Internet Archive, here is the 1932 animated short, Nursery Scandal. 

Sunrise Serenade: Well All Right

Sorry about the absence yesterday.  Work took me out of town all day, but all is well today.  This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Well All Right" by the Andrews Sisters.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Playlist For September 4, 2013

The playlist for the September 4,  2013 broadcast of the Swing Shift Shuffle has been added to the playlist filing cabinet.  

Jazz Dance Film Fest: We Need To Catch Up

Remember, back in 2011, when I posted about a Jazz Dance Music Video Contest?  Apparently, neither did I, and thus I missed the posting of both the 2012 and 2013 Jazz Dance Film Fest entries and winners.  Well, I can't let all that great blogging material go to waste, now can I?  So with many apologies for the delay, we will start with third place finisher in the 2012 contest:  The Dance Party.

Sunrise Serenade: You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby" by Bing Crosby.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Post Labor Day Lindy Hop

The Red Hot Lindy Hop lesson and session continues this Friday night at the Rumba Room.  Free lesson at 7:00 p.m.  Free admission before 7:00, and $5 cover at the door afterwards.  Lesson by Jim and Becky with music by Alexis.  Dress like you are going out!

Rumba Room

303 South Main

Memphis, TN 38103

The Tiger Rag lessons and guided practice sessions are in full swing at the Madison Dance Studio in Minglewood Plaza, 1555 Madison Ave Memphis, TN 38104.  Learn more and register here. 

Sunrise Serenade: Benny Rides Again

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Benny Rides Again" by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

Happy Labor Day!

Two real "Rosie the Riveters" from the American Memory Collection of the Library of Congress, circa 1942.