19 April 2022
(Until 19 April)Ahad Duo Sydney Hawaiian Music – Phantom Dancer 19 April 2022
Greg Poppleton's Phantom Dancer swing jazz radio show
The Ahad Duo, 1920s-30s Sydney Hawaiian Duo, is this week’s Phantom Dancer feature artist.
The Phantom Dancer is your weekly non-stop mix of swing and jazz from live 1920s-60s radio and TV every week.
LISTEN to this week’s Phantom Dancer mix (online after 2pm AEST, Tuesday 19 April) and two years of Phantom Dancer mixes online at, at https://2ser.com/phantom-dancer/
AHAD DUO
Ahad Duo, Victoria Ahad aka (Mim) and Jack Campbell, husband and wife played shows around Sydney Australia in the late 20s and early 30s.
They were regular broadcasters over Broadcasters’ Limited’s 2BL station in Sydney (taken over by the ABC in 1932) from 1925-33, relayed to 2HL Newcastle and 4QG Brisbane.
‘Snuggle’ and ‘Home’ which you’ll hear on this week’s Phantom Dancer, and in the video above, is their only known recording to survive.
It was recorded in 1932. Beryl Newell accompanied them on piano. This suggests to me that the record was made at the Columbia Graphophone studios in Homebush, Sydney, where Beryl was a session pianist.
Here is a photo of Victoria Ahad from a 1931 edition of the Wireless Weekly…
Snuggle and Home are rare recordings remastered and sent to The Phantom Dancer by grandson of the Ahad Duo, Kristian Kriesel.
In the Ahad Duo,
Jack Cambell: Acoustic Guitar, Lap Steel Guitar and Electric Lap Steel (some years later) and Vocals
Victoria Ahad Cambell: Piano, Piano Accordion, Ukulele, Vocals
Victoria was a classically trained opera singer. Her background was Lebanese. Ahad was her surname before she married Jack Cambell, who was Anglo-Australian. They jammed with Pacific islanders.
They played mainly around Sydney in the late 20s – early 30s and were based in the Sydney inner city suburb of Balmain.
Jack Cambell died in the late 1950s. Victoria died in the late 1960s.
Music has been passed down through the generations, with one of Jack and Victoria’s, Kristian Kriesel being an ambient musician who has performed live on 2SER.
19 APRIL PLAY LIST
Play List – The Phantom Dancer | ||
107.3 2SER Tuesday 19 April 2022 | ||
Set 1 | 1948-59 Jazz Radio | |
Little Joe From Chicago + Boogie a la King | Nat King Cole Trio | Radio Transcription 1959 |
Night Flight | George Shearing | ‘Stars in Jazz’ Birdland WNBC NBC NYC 2 Jul 1952 |
Mambo the Most | Woody Herman Third Herd | ‘All-Star Parade of Bands’ Peony Park WOW NBC Omaha 1948 |
Set 2 | 1930s Radio | |
Sunrise Serenade | Freddy Monroe aka Frankie Masters Orchestra | ‘Streamlined Interlude’ WJSV CBS Washington DC 21 Sep 1939 |
The More I Know + Robins and Roses | Clint Noble Orchestra (voc) Trio | WENR NBC Chicago 3 Jul 1936 |
I’ll Remember | Louis Prima Orchestra (voc) Louis Prima | Hickory House WABC CBS NYC 22 Sep 1939 |
Set 3 | Friendly Five | |
I’ve Got Five Dollars (theme) + It’s The Girl + Sweet and Lovely | Freddy Rich Orchestra (voc) Freddy Rich | ‘Friendly Five Footnotes’ Radio Transcription NYC 1931 |
Talk on Light Planes | Casey Jones | ‘Friendly Five Footnotes’ Radio Transcription NYC 1931 |
It’s Great To Be in Love + I’ve Got Five Dollars (theme) | Freddy Rich Orchestra | ‘Friendly Five Footnotes’ Radio Transcription NYC 1931 |
Set 4 | Ahad Duo | |
Little Fugue + Accordeana | Magnati Quartet | ‘Chamber Music Society of Lower Basin Street’ WJZ NBC Blue NYC 23 Jun 1941 |
Fletcher’s Folly | Henry Levine | ‘Chamber Music Society of Lower Basin Street’ WJZ NBC Blue NYC 23 Jun 1941 |
Snuggle | Ahad Duo | Comm Rec Sydney 1932 |
Home | Ahad Duo | Comm Rec Sydney 1932 |
Set 5 | Eddie Condon | |
Easter Parade | Eddie Condon | ‘Eddie Conlon Jazz Concert’ WJZ Blue NYC 23 Sep 1944 |
Cricket Jumps | Eddie Condon | ‘Eddie Conlon Jazz Concert’ WJZ Blue NYC 23 Sep 1944 |
Relaxin’ at the Touro | Eddie Condon | ‘Eddie Conlon Jazz Concert’ WJZ Blue NYC 23 Sep 1944 |
It’s the Talk of the Town | Eddie Condon (voc) Red McKenzie | ‘Eddie Conlon Jazz Concert’ WJZ Blue NYC 27 Jan 1945 |
Set 6 | Fats Waller | |
Ain’t Misbehavin’ | Fats Waller | ‘Personally, It’s Off the Record’ WABC CBS NY 23 Sep 1943 |
There’s a Girl in my Life | Fats Waller | ‘Personally, It’s Off the Record’ WABC CBS NY 23 Sep 1943 |
Honeysuckle Rose | Fats Waller | ‘Personally, It’s Off the Record’ WABC CBS NY 23 Sep 1943 |
Set 7 | 1930s English Dance Bands | |
Love is the Sweetest Thing | Ambrose and his Orchestra (voc) Sam Browne | Comm Rec London 28 Oct 1932 |
I’ll Never Say “Never Again” Again | Billy Cotton Orchestra (voc) Chips Chipendall | Comm Rec London 17 Aug 1935 |
Let’s Put Out the Lights and Go to Sleep | Ambrose and his Orchestra (voc) Sam Browne and Elsie Carlisle | Comm Rec London 28 Oct 1932 |
Every Little Tingle in My Heart | Billy Cotton Orchestra (voc) Chips Chipendall | Comm Rec London 17 Aug 1935 |
Set 8 | 1950s-60s Jazz radio | |
| High Falutin’ | Gene Krupa Trio | London House WBBM CBS Chicago 13 Mar 1959 |
| Seventh Heaven | Oscar Pettiford | Birdland WABC ABC NYC 26 May 1957 |
| I Want a Little Girl + Bernie’s Tune | Charlie Shavers | London House WBBM CBS Chicago May 1962 |
