Greg Poppleton

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– Don Redman Swing Inventor? Phantom Dancer 1 February 2022

Don Redman is this week’s Phantom Dancer feature artist. Don Redman was a U.S jazz musician, arranger, bandleader and composer. The inventor of swing. Hear him in a rare, static-filled 1933 home radio disc recording. Read his story, watch videos, see the play list and listen to the show here…

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– Meredith Willson from Sousa to Swing – Phantom Dancer 18 Jan 22

Meredith Willson, this week’s Phantom Dancer feature artist, was a piccolo and flute virtuoso who played in John Philip Sousa’s band, the New York Philharmonic under Arturo Toscanini, composed popular music and 3 Broadway shows including ‘The Music Man’, was a two time Academy Award nominee, wrote three books and conducted the Armed Forces Radio Service Orchestra during WW2. Read his story, watch videos, see the play list and listen to the show here…

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– Yao Lee and 1940s-60s New Years Eve! – 28 December 2021

Yao Lee, Hong Kong’s Patti Page is this week’s Phantom Dancer feature artist. Her most famous song opens this week’s Phantom Dancer. The first hour for the national show then continues with a mix of swing by Harry James, vocals by Giselle McKenzie, Rhythm and Blues from a 1951 radio aircheck, and live radio hard bop by Miles Davis and John Coltrane aired in 1958.

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– Hotel Astor 1910s-60s Gay Bar – Phantom Dancer 23 Nov 2021

Hotel Astor in New York City, the source of many a big band broadcast on The Phantom Dancer is this week’s Phantom Dancer feature. Starting in the 1910s, the Astor Bar acquired a reputation as a gay meeting place, where gay patrons were both accepted and extorted. Read the story, see videos and play list, and hear show here…

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– Glen Gray Casa Loma 1920s-40s Ork – Phantom Dancer 16 Nov 2021

Glen Gray and the Casa Loma Orchestra is this week’s Phantom Dancer feature artist. It was a collective that was the top swing band before Benny Goodman. Loved for its complex, danceable arrangements, Coleman Hawkins named it as his favourite band. Read their story, see videos and play list, and hear show here…

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– John Kirby Sextet – Phantom Dancer 31 August 2021

John Kirby, double bassist, tuba and trombone player, 1930s proponent of ‘Chamber Jazz’, Bach fan, and band leader is this week’s Phantom Dancer feature artist with Greg Poppleton. Read his story, see videos, see the radio playlist and listen to the show here

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– Doc Cheatham Always Trying New Ideas – Phantom Dancer 3 August 2021

Doc Cheatham is this week’s Phantom Dancer feature artist. He was an American jazz trumpeter, singer and bandleader. You’ll hear a set of bands he played in from live radio broadcasts, and a set of 1930s Cab Calloway in which band Cheatham played 1st trumpet. This is another classic Phantom Dancer as Sydney stays in lockdown. Also read the Doc Cheatham story here.

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– Bud Freeman Improvisation Tips – Phantom Dancer 22 June 2021

Bud Freeman, is the Phantom Dancer feature artist this week. You’ll hear his Summa cum Laude Orchestra from a 1940s radio broadcast. He was known for his improvisations on tenor sax and I quote from his tips on improvisation here. Read the story, play list, watch videos and hear the radio show here.

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– Edmundo Ros Rumba King – Phantom Dancer 1 June 2021

Edmundo Ros, Rumba King, led a highly popular Latin American orchestra, made over 800 records, and owned one of London’s leading nightclubs. He’s this week’s Phantom Dancer feature artist. Read his story, play list, see videos and listen to the show here

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