News

Big Maybelle, r’n’b singer, is this week’s Phantom Dancer feature artist. You’ll hear her from a 1956 Rock ‘n’ Roll Dance Party radio show. You’ll also hear from the bands she sang with before her solo singing career.

Ray Noble, English band leader and composer who found a career as a band leader and actor in the US, is this week’s Phantom Dancer feature artist.

Sam ‘The Man’ Taylor, influential 1940s jump and 1950s rock tenor saxophonist, is this week’s Phantom Dancer non-stop swing jazz feature artist. Read his story, see the playlist and video plus listen to the show here.

Paul Douglas, 1930s CBS announcer and later Broadway and Hollywood film star, is this week’s Phantom Dancer swing jazz feature artist. He opens this week’s show. Hear the show, watch him, read his story here.

Sugar is the new video from the album, Tin Pan Alley Vol. 2 by Greg Poppleton. Enjoy!

Alix Combelle, French 1930s-40s swing saxophonist and band leader, is this week’s Phantom Dancer feature artist. The Phantom Dancer, produced weekly by Greg Poppleton, is your non-stop mix of swing and jazz from live 1920s-60s radio and TV.

Erskine Hawkins, that 20th Century Gabriel, from live 1940s radio is this week’s Phantom Dancer non-stop swing jazz feature artist. Read his story, see a 1938 video of Erskine H, and listen to the show and past Phantom Dancers here.

Fats Waller is this week’s Phantom Dancer feature artist in radio broadcasts from 1938-43. Greg Poppleton brings you a non-stop mix of swing and jazz from live 1920s-60s radio here.

Cabaret of 1920s-30s songs by Greg Poppleton (1920s-30s-style singer) accompanied by Grahame Conlon (banjo / guitar)

1920s radio features in a set on this week’s Phantom Dancer. So in this blog post I outline the history of radio in Australia in the 1920s. Swing jazz mix every week from radio 2SER Sydney by Greg Poppleton.

Frances Faye, cabaret singer & pianist – this week’s Phantom Dancer feature artist. Peter Allen called her a big influence. Hear her live on 1956 NBC radio

Bob Effros, 1920s trumpet star, who you’ve heard on the soundtracks of Betty Boop, is this week’s feature artist. Granddaughter, Barbara writes about Bob

Carolina in the Morning and La Paloma (sung in German) – 2 new videos from the album of 1920s-30s songs, Tin Pan Alley Vol. 2

Hal Kemp is this week’s Phantom Dancer feature artist in 1930s radio broadcasts and his last musical short film from 1940. The Phantom Dancer is on-air and online from this Tuesday 21 July on 107.3 2SER Sydney.

San Antonio Rose – need something dancey, upbeat and happy that will help the sun shine through? Song #1 from Greg’s new Tin Pan Alley Vol. 2 album

Brunswick Brevities, the 1929 weekly radio series advertising Brunswick electrical records,  Brunswick radio and the Brunswick Panatrope with Radio  is this week’s Phantom Dancer feature.

James P Johnson, composer, stride pianist, one of the key figures in the evolution of ragtime into jazz, is this week’s Phantom Dancer feature artist.

La Paloma video from my new swingy, jazzy album with songs in English, German & Spanish (all in an Australian accent) called Tin Pan Alley Vol. 2. Out 2 July on SPOTIFY, APPLE. 4 of my favourite tracks will be on BANDCAMP

Paul Lavalle composer, arranger, clarinettist and saxophonist is this week’s Phantom Dancer feature artist with two recordings from NBC’s ‘Chamber Music Society of Lower Basin Street’ radio series. Hear the show and read his story here.

A special request by a researcher into 1930s-40s singer Linda Keene is this week’s Phantom Dancer classic with a Linda Keene vocal from 1939. The Phantom Dancer presented by Greg Poppleton since 1985 – non-stop swing from live 1920s-60s radio.

The Boswell Sisters, 1920s-30s vocal group, is this week’s Phantom Dancer feature of the week presented by Greg Poppleton. Hear them on the 16 June show from radio transcriptions they made in 1930.

Greg Poppleton announces SAN ANTONIO ROSE and AMAPOLA as the 2 singles from new TIN PAN ALLEY VOL. 2 out 3 July

La Paloma, new music video sung in German. Available from Friday 12 June on Bandcamp. From the soon-to-be-released album Tin Pan Alley Vol. 2 out 3 July on Spotify, Apple and Amazon.

Your Hit Parade is this week’s Phantom Dancer feature of the week – produced and presented by 1920s-30s singer and actor Greg Poppleton since 1985. Hear it online 12:04pm AEST Tuesday 9 June at https://2ser.com/phantom-dancer/

Swing bands play a set of that rebellious ‘yoof’ music called ‘rock’n’roll’ on live 1956 selling bonds, beer and cigarettes to kiddies. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

A giant bottle of soft drink you’ll hear about in a 1932 ad on this week’s 2h non-stop swing jazz mix of live 1920s-60s radio is your Phantom Dancer feature

Night and Day sung by Greg Poppleton with his trio and swing dancers. Filmed at the 2019 Vintage Transport Expo at Sydney’s Central Station.

Kai Winding, jazz trombonist, the first to record, ‘Time Is On My Side’ with vocals by the Gospelaires (later covered by Rolling Scones), is your feature artist on this week’s Greg Poppleton Phantom Dancer. 

A set from 1930s radio by composer, pianist and band leader, Johnny Green. He wrote jazz standards, film scores and won 4 Academy Awards. He also entered Harvard at age 15. Read his story, see play list, hear show and watch 1935 JG video here.

The JAZZ BANANA is overlooked by writers on the music despite it requiring advanced vocal technique and it being tastier than vocalese.

Harry ‘ The Hipster’ Gibson is your feature artist on this week’s Greg Poppleton Phantom Dancer. You’ll hear him play two of Bix Beidebecke’s famous piano compositions, In a Mist and Candlelight on live 1944 radio.

Greg Poppleton singer, Damon Poppleton alto sax. Recorded Wednesday, 29 April 2020. This is the last 1920s-30s Wednesday. Damon’s back at school.

The Charleston is your 1920s – 30s Wednesdays self-isolation song sung by Greg Poppelton with Damon Poppleton on alto sax.

Harry Reser, virtuoso 1920s-30s banjo star and band leader, the first to record ‘Santa Claus is Coming to Town’, is your feature artist on this week’s Greg Poppleton Phantom Dancer.

Dixieland revival features on this week’s Phantom Dancer – Jimmy Dorsey, Muggsy Spanier, Kid Ory and Turk Murphy live on 1950s San Francisco radio.

Sunny Side of the Street sung by Greg Poppleton, alto sax by Damon Poppleton, kicks off 1920s-30s Wednesdays. Next week we’ll play The Charleston for you.

Sauter-Finegan, Stan Kenton and Billy May were three 1953 bands making way-out sounds on NBC radio and are this week’s Greg Poppleton Phantom Dancer feature artists. Read their stories, hear then on live 1953 radio and see the whole Phantom dancer play list here.

My Blue Heaven video. Instead of being onstage today, the Greg Poppelton band is in self-isolation. Here’s a video of what could have been

Lord Invader is this week’s Phantom Dancer feature artist. He was a Calypso singer and composer who began performing in the 1930s and recorded in the US from 1941. Read his story, see this week’s playlist, and hear the show from 7 April.

1940s trumpet player band leaders: Pippo Barzizza, Charlie Spivak and Randy Brooks, are the Phantom Dancer feature artists kicking off this week’s non-stop live radio mix. See the playlist, band leader bios, link to radio show here.

The Thrasher Sisters, Trio Lescano and The Andrew Sisters, three women harmony vocal trios from the 1940s, are this week’s Phantom Dancer feature artists for your self-isolating pleasure.

Doris Day on live 1930s-40s radio is this week’s Phantom Dancer feature artist opening an all vinyl mix. Read her story here.

George Wallace, Australian comedian, composer, dancer and singer, is this week’s Phantom Dancer feature artist from live 1940s-50s radio. Hear the show from 10 March. See the video of George’s 1930s movie comedies and read his story here.

It’s International Women’s Day this month so this week’s Phantom Dancer feature artist from live 1920s-60s radio is electric guitar pioneer, Mary Osbourne. There’s also a set of women singers from live 1930s-40s radio. Presented by 1920s-30s singer, Greg Poppleton.

We took a trip on a train, and we thought about you. Saturday 24 February and Sunday 25 February, Greg Poppleton authentic 1920s-30s singer, and Grahame Conlon guitar, serenaded passengers on two special historic train trips run by friends at the NSW Rail Museum. And here am I, holding a contemplative pose, thinking about you […]

This week’s Phantom Dancer feature artist from live 1920s-60s radio is The Teenager. You’ll hear three examples from 1929 – 45 radio of music and spoken word aimed at the teenager. Online after 25 Feb 2020. Link in the post.

Richard Himber and his unusual big band arrangements from 1936-38 radio feature on this week’s Phantom Dancer with 1920s-30s singer, Greg Poppleton. The Phantom Dancer is a non-stop mix of swing and jazz from live 1920s-60s radio mixed live on 107.3 2SER Sydney every Tuesday.

Fletcher Henderson studied chemistry and maths. When he turned to music he changed jazz forever, introducing swing arrangements in the 1920s, bringing Louis Armstrong to NYC and making music literacy popular. Hear him on 1940s radio on this week’s Phantom Dancer with Greg Poppleton.