Bud shares his knowledge and expansive music collection to uncover the life and music of James (Jimmie) Lunceford. James Melvin Lunceford (June 6, 1902 – July 12, 1947) was an American jazz alto saxophonist and bandleader in the swing era. Jimmie Lunceford's band differed from other great bands of the time because it was better known for its ensemble than for its solo work. Additionally, he was known for using a two-beat rhythm, called the Lunceford two-beat, as opposed to the standard four-beat...
Aug 14, 1983•58 min•Ep. 20
Bud shares his knowledge and expansive music collection to uncover the life and music of Glenn Miller. Alton Glenn Miller (March 1, 1904 – disappeared December 15, 1944) was an American big-band trombonist, arranger, composer, and bandleader in the swing era. He was the best-selling recording artist from 1939 to 1942, leading one of the best-known big bands. Miller's recordings include "In the Mood", "Moonlight Serenade", "Pennsylvania 6-5000", "Chattanooga Choo Choo", "A String of Pearls", "At ...
Aug 07, 1983•1 hr•Ep. 19
Bud shares his knowledge and expansive music collection to uncover the life and music of Lee Wiley. Lee Wiley (October 9, 1908 – December 11, 1975) was an American jazz singer during the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. Wiley was born in Fort Gibson, Oklahoma. At fifteen, she left home to pursue a singing career, singing on New York City radio stations. Her career was interrupted by a fall while horseback riding. She suffered temporary blindness but recovered. At the age of 19 she was a member of the Le...
Jul 31, 1983•1 hr•Ep. 18
Bud shares his knowledge and expansive music collection to uncover the life and music of Charlie Barnet. Charles Daly Barnet (October 26, 1913 – September 4, 1991) was an American jazz saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. His major recordings were "Skyliner", "Cherokee", "The Wrong Idea", "Scotch and Soda", "In a Mizz", and "Southland Shuffle".
Jul 25, 1983•1 hr•Ep. 17
Bud shares his knowledge and expansive music collection to uncover the life and music of Bix Beiderbecke. Leon Bismark "Bix" Beiderbecke (March 10, 1903 – August 6, 1931) was an American jazz cornetist, pianist, and composer. Beiderbecke was one of the most influential jazz soloists of the 1920s, a cornet player noted for an inventive lyrical approach and purity of tone. His solos on seminal recordings such as "Singin' the Blues" and "I'm Coming, Virginia" (both 1927) demonstrate a gift for exte...
Jul 18, 1983•57 min•Ep. 16
Bud shares his knowledge and expansive music collection to explore the Jazz music scene in Minneapolis and St Paul, MN throughout the 1900's.
Jul 11, 1983•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 15
Bud shares his knowledge and expansive music collection to uncover the early years of Benny Goodman with his trio, quartet and sextet. In 1935 The Benny Goodman Trio created a style of 'chamber jazz' that emphasized highly developed ensemble playing and technically brilliant solos. The Trio took the ensemble sound of the small jazz band to a new level of precision coupled with excitement that attracted a new audience to jazz.
Jul 04, 1983•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 14
Bud shares his knowledge and expansive music collection to uncover the life and music of Artie Shaw. Artie Shaw (born Arthur Jacob Arshawsky; May 23, 1910 – December 30, 2004) was an American clarinetist, composer, bandleader and actor. Also an author, Shaw wrote both fiction and non-fiction. Widely regarded as "one of jazz's finest clarinetists", Shaw led one of the United States' most popular big bands in the late 1930s through the early 1940s. Though he had numerous hit records, he was perhap...
Jun 26, 1983•56 min•Ep. 13
Bud shares his knowledge and expansive music collection to uncover the life and music of Joe Venuti. Giuseppe "Joe" Venuti (September 16, 1903 – August 14, 1978) was an Italian-American jazz musician and pioneer jazz violinist. Considered the father of jazz violin, he pioneered the use of string instruments in jazz along with the guitarist Eddie Lang, a friend since childhood. Through the 1920s and early 1930s, Venuti and Lang made many recordings, as leader and as featured soloists. He and Lang...
Jun 19, 1983•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 12
Bud shares his knowledge and expansive music collection to tell the amazing story of Duke Ellington and his band in Fargo, North Dakota in 1940. Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American composer, pianist, and leader of a jazz orchestra, which he led from 1923 until his death over a career spanning more than six decades. Born in Washington, D.C., Ellington was based in New York City from the mid-1920s onward and gained a national profile through his orchestr...
Jun 13, 1983•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 11
Bud shares his knowledge and expansive music collection to uncover the life and music of Muggsy Spanier. Francis Joseph "Muggsy" Spanier (November 9, 1901 – February 12, 1967) was a prominent jazz cornet player based in Chicago. He was a member of The Bucktown Five, pioneers of the Chicago Style that straddled traditional Dixieland jazz and swing music.
Jun 06, 1983•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 10
Bud shares his knowledge and expansive music collection to uncover the life and music of Benny Carter. Bennett Lester Carter (August 8, 1907 – July 12, 2003) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader. With Johnny Hodges, he was a pioneer on the alto saxophone. From the beginning of his career in the 1920s he was a popular arranger, having written charts for Fletcher Henderson's big band that shaped the swing style. He had an unusually long caree...
May 30, 1983•48 min•Ep. 9
Bud shares his knowledge and expansive music collection to uncover the life and music of Nat King Cole. Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American singer and jazz pianist. He recorded over one hundred songs that became hits on the pop charts. His trio was the model for small jazz ensembles that followed. Cole also acted in films and on television and performed on Broadway. He was the first African-American man to host an Ame...
May 23, 1983•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 8
Bud shares his knowledge and expansive music collection to uncover the life and music of Fletcher Henderson. James Fletcher Hamilton Henderson (December 18, 1897 – December 29, 1952)[1] was an American pianist, bandleader, arranger and composer, important in the development of big band jazz and swing music. He was one of the most prolific black musical arrangers and, along with Duke Ellington, is considered one of the most influential arrangers and bandleaders in jazz history. Henderson's influe...
May 16, 1983•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 7
Bud shares his knowledge and expansive music collection to uncover the life and music of Glen Gray and the Casa Loma Orchestra. The Casa Loma Orchestra was an American dance band active from 1929 to 1963. Until the rapid multiplication in the number of swing bands from 1935 on, the Casa Loma Orchestra was one of the top North American dance bands. With the decline of the big band business following the end of World War II, it disbanded in 1947. However, from 1957 to 1963, it re-emerged as a reco...
May 09, 1983•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 6
Bud shares his knowledge and expansive music collection to uncover the life and music of Stan Getz. Stan Getz (born Stanley Gayetski; February 2, 1927 – June 6, 1991) was an American jazz saxophonist. Playing primarily the tenor saxophone, Getz was known as "The Sound" because of his warm, lyrical tone, his prime influence being the wispy, mellow timbre of his idol, Lester Young. Coming to prominence in the late 1940s with Woody Herman's big band, Getz is described by critic Scott Yanow as "one ...
May 02, 1983•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 5
Bud shares his knowledge and expansive music collection to uncover the life and music of Johnny Hodges. Cornelius "Johnny" Hodges (July 25, 1907 – May 11, 1970) was an American alto saxophonist, best known for solo work with Duke Ellington's big band. He played lead alto in the saxophone section for many years. Hodges was also featured on soprano saxophone, but refused to play soprano after 1946. He is considered one of the definitive alto saxophone players of the big band era (along with Benny ...
Apr 18, 1983•59 min•Ep. 3
Bud shares his knowledge and expansive music collection to uncover the life and music of Bunny Berigan. Roland Bernard "Bunny" Berigan (November 2, 1908 – June 2, 1942) was an American jazz trumpeter and bandleader who rose to fame during the swing era, but whose career and influence were shortened by alcoholism and ended with his early death at age 33 from cirrhosis. Although he composed some jazz instrumentals such as "Chicken and Waffles" and "Blues", Berigan was best known for his virtuoso j...
Apr 11, 1983•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 2
