Playlist For January 31, 2018

The playlist for the January 31, 2018 broadcast of the Swing Shift Shuffle has now been added to the playlist filing cabinet.  

Sunrise Serenade: Skylark

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

Valentine's Day Hop With Live Music This Friday

The next Red Hot Lindy Hop event is this Saturday, February 3, at the Rumba Room.  Featuring Jeremy Shrader's Hot Memphis Six, there will be a lindy hop lesson from 6-7, with the band playing from 7-9.  More info here.

Rumba Room

303 South Main

Memphis, TN 38103

Sunrise Serenade: Have You Got The Gumption?

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Have You Got The Gumption?" by Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Documentary Of Hedy Lamar

I'm a little late in posting about this, but better late than never.  Bombshell:  The Hedy Lamarr Story is a recent documentary about Hollywood legend Hedy Lamarr.  Unknown to most, in addition to being considered the most beautiful woman to ever appear on the screen, Ms. Lamarr was responsible for inventing and patenting technology that became the basis for cell phone, wifi and Bluetooth.  This film tells that story. 

Sunrise Serenade: Truckin'

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Truckin'" by Fats Waller and His Rhythm.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Swing Cleaning

This animated short from 1941 features Gabby, the Lilliputian town crier in the 1939 animated movie, Gulliver's Travels, who went on to star in some shorts.  In this cartoon, Gabby helps the king with spring cleaning, with less than optimal results.  From the Internet Archive, here is Swing Cleaning.

Sunrise Serenade: Shoo Shoo Baby

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Shoo Shoo Baby" by Ella Mae Morse.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

Sunrise Serenade: I've Heard That Song Before

Today'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 January 24, 2018

The playlist for the January 24, 2018 broadcast of the Swing Shift Shuffle has now been added to the playlist filing cabinet.  

Sunrise Serenade: Loch Lomond

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Loch Lomond" by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra with Martha Tilton (and just a little bit of Benny himself) on vocals.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

New RHLH Schedule - Next Dance Saturday, February 3

The Red Hot Lindy Hop has started a new schedule of monthly dances at the Rumba Room, and the next event is Saturday, February 3.  Featuring Jeremy Shrader's Hot Memphis Six, there will be a lindy hop lesson from 6-7, with the band playing from 7-9.  More info here.

Sunrise Serenade: Five O'Clock Whistle

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Five O'Clock Whistle" by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra with Marion Hutton on vocals.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

1940's Porto Baradio

When the ice and snow finally melted away this weekend, I was able to drop by an estate sale or two, and I saw this intriguing item.  Being accompanied by my apprentice (Benjamin, age 5), who required some supervision, I was unable to do any research on it at the sale.  Other than being a bar with a built-in radio, and having a definite 1940's look, I had no information.



Subsequent research revealed it to be a Stewart-Warner "Porto Baradio" from around 1942.  It is what it appears to be:  a portable bar with a built-in radio.  Further research found that this particular piece does not have any of the original glassware, and that the warped speaker grill/radio dial was common for these models.  Listed price at the estate sale was $90, but it was 20% off for the second day of the sale, or $72.  If it lasted to the next day, it may have been half off. 

Sunrise Serenade: Angeline

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

Unplanned Winter Break

The reasons posts have been a bit scarce recently is because Memphis and the Mid-South experienced some winter weather over the past week.  While we were not reduced to dogsleds and curing caribou meat, the winter wonderland did disrupt school, work and other schedules sufficiently to prevent me from posting anything.  We will be back to more typical winter weather next week, and posts should return to a more regular schedule. 

Sunrise Serenade: Flat Foot Floogee

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Flat Foot Floogee" by the Mills Brothers with Louis Armstrong.  Enjoy the video from YouTube. 

Depression Era Industrial Film

As Boing Boing noted in this post, before robots did the work, machine parts used to be made by people.  This 1936 film shows workers machining precision components.  If you are a fan of industrial machinery, you should get a kick out of this film.

Sunrise Serenade: Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone" by the Mills Brothers.  Enjoy the video from YouTube.

Playlist For January 10, 2018

The playlist for the January 10, 2018 broadcast of the Swing Shift Shuffle has now been added to the playlist filing cabinet.  

Sunrise Serenade: Barrelhouse Bessie From Basin Street

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Barrelhouse Bessie From Basin Street" by the Gene Krupa Orchestra with Anita O'Day.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

Wartime Monopoly

Boing Boing pointed me to this video about a British Monopoly game made during World War II.  As proof of how supply shortages affected almost every aspect of daily life, this set had no dice, no metal trinkets, low quality cards, and even an apology from the manufacturer for such sacrifices due to the war effort.  The video provides a nice little explanation of why such sacrifices were necessary, and how people adapted, as well as a story about how British intelligence used such games to help POWs escape. 

Sunrise Serenade: Candy

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Candy" by the Nat King Cole Trio.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Decades Of Entertainment (Of One Sort Or Another): Former Luciann Theatre Closes

In December, the Commercial Appeal reported that the Paris Adult Theater on Summer Avenue in Memphis had closed.  Since the early 1970's, this building housed an establishment dedicated to what some call "adult" entertainment.  Prior to that, it served as a night club, and at one time a bowling alley.  When it opened in 1940, however, it was Memphis' newest movie neighborhood movie theater.  Named after the owner's two daughters, Lucy and Ann, its grand opening featured Virginia City starring Errol Flynn and Miriam Hopkins, as well as a Buster Keaton comedy, a short musical number with Woody Herman and His Orchestra, and a Donald Duck cartoon. 

Other than the previous owner's name still on the marquee, the exterior of the building has been largely untouched, and the LUCIANN on the front is still quite prominent.  Oh, what a wonderful thing it would be for someone to bring it back to its original grandeur.  I understand it is for sale. 

Sunrise Serenade: Them There Eyes

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Them There Eyes" by Les Brown and His Orchestra with Lucy Ann Polk on vocals.  Enjoy the video from YouTube.

Sunrise Serenade: Dinah

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Dinah" by Bing Crosby and the Mills Brothers.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

Sunrise Serenade: Heart And Soul

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Heart And Soul" by Blue Barron and His Orchestra.  Enjoy the video from YouTube.

Playlist For January 3, 2018

The playlist for the January 3, 2018 broadcast of the Swing Shift Shuffle has now been added to the playlist filing cabinet.  

Sunrise Serenade: Star Dust

Happy New Year!  This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Star Dust" by Bing Crosby.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.