Jazz Book 1962

 

One of America's great exports was jazz.  We've played a lot of it on AFRTS.  In 1962  Bill Kelly opened the pages of the "Jazz Book" with some wonderful music.  When I had the bigband show in Minneapolis Stan Kenton was one of my first guests.  Wonderful artist, great musician.  Give a listen.

Jazz Book 1962

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Jazz Festival 1967

 

This must have been quite the gig, Jazz Festival was an AFRTS production.  It was hosted by Marine Sgt Dan Doherty.  Would you have more information about him?

Jazz Festival - 1967

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Jazz Beat 1985

 

We played a lot of jazz well into the 1980s and spread the music worldwide. In 1986 Laura Lee hosted the Jazz Beat, give a listen:

AFRTS Jazz Beat with Laura Lee 1985

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Bill Stewart 1969

  

Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday and Leonard Feather

Bill Stewart swung.  He played a lot of the best of jazz.  AFRTS had a lot of famous guests on the radio shows.  Leonard Feather had a unique role in the history of jazz, responsible for a lot of legendary recordings.  By the 1950s he was documenting the "Encyclopedia of Jazz" with a lot of first hand knowledge and friendships.  In 1969 volume two had come out and Leonard made an appearance on the Bill Stewart show..

Bill Stewart - 1969

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Jazz International 1960

 

There's always been great jazz on AFRTS,  Howard Leucroft hosts Buddy Collette.  Here's some great music.

Jazz International - Buddy Collette

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Just Jazz 1949

 

Gene Norman was one of the first AFRS jocks, in the 40s and 50s he was a big jazz promoter and record company owner and always had some time for us.  This is magic a 1949 performance with Louis Armstrong and the all-stars.

Just Jazz - 1949

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All That Jazz 1968

 

Sometimes there's a show with zero information.  Jack Taylor was playing some smoky jazz in the 1960s

All That Jazz - 1968

Laura Lee 1986

 

Jazz was an important part of the network, even into the 1980s.  Laura Lee kept it alive with The Jazz Beat.

Jazz Beat - Laura Lee 1986

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Laura Lee - 1986

 

 

Laura Lee kept it very jazzy with the Jazz Beat.

 

Laura Lee - Jazz Beat 1986

Jasin Street 1971

  

Jay with Joi Lancing

So sometimes it's still a surprise.  I just received a bundle of disks and in there was "Jasin Street".  Never heard of it.  Jay Jasin (Herman Jasinski) started jocking in the late 40s, mostly through the Midwest.  By 1962 he had teamed with Jim Ameche to syndicate a jazz show.  Around then he started acting and was in Spinout and Hillbillies in A Haunted House. In 1971 it was traditional jazz on AFRTS.  We lost Jay in 1984.

Jasin Street - 1971

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Laura Lee - 1986

 

Laura Lee brought us jazz worldwide on Jazzbeat.  After a long day it was great.

Jazzbeat - 1986

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Finch Bandwagon 1968

 

In the late 50s, Bill Finch was producing a big band show in Colorado Springs. By the late 60s The "Finch Bandwagon" was on AFRTS, with a mixture of the Big Bands and smooth jazz.  

Finch Bandwagon - 1968
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Laura Lee 1986

Laura Lee brought us jazz worldwide on Jazzbeat.  After a long day it was great.

Jazzbeat - 1986

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Downbeat 1946

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By 1946 Gene Norman (remember GNP records?)was building quite the name as a jazz promoter.  He was also doing Downbeat for AFRTS

Downbeat - 1946

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Mary Helen Barro 1983

 

Young Mary Helen

Some latin jazz, some salsa, the occasional ranchero.  Here's Mary Helen Barro.

Mary Helen Barro - 1983

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Mary Helen Barro 1983

 

Much of the country is going to the dying heaves of winter.  A little salsa, some Latin jazz and the occasional ranchero.  I need that.

Mary Helen Barro - 1983

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Bobby Troup 1968

 

Bobby Troup in MASH

Well, here's something we've never heard before.  Bobby Troup was an actor, musician, DJ and husband to Julie London.  He did a show for AFRTS:

Bobby Troup's Jazz Time

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Redd Harper 1948

 

Redd was a part of a concert band that became more and more successful until they were invited to join an Oklahoma City radio station in 1924. From there, his career took off and his music was in greater demand. In 1931 he joined a larger radio station in Des Moines, found more success, and then decided to head to Hollywood, California. However, he arrived at the end of the Western Jazz era and the beginning of the Great Depression, thus finding it hard to find work and was not as successful as he had been. He struggled to find work in the city. When World War II started, he joined the Coast Guard for three years.  After the war, Redd was doing shows for AFRS.

After the war he found success again in Hollywood as he began working with other big name artists of the time from both radio and movies. During this time he also found success in the movie industry and starred in several films, including The Strawberry Roan.

Redd Harper Hollywood Roundup 1948

AFN Turn your radio down...

 

When I was a teenager in Minneapolis in the early 1970s this clip periodically ran on Mark Durenberger's WLOL-FM jazz show. Somehow he still had, could locate and sent me a copy of it. Unfortunately he had no further information other than probably late 50s or early 1960s. Do you know who it is?

AFN Promo

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Magic Carpet - Jack Teagarden 1945

 

Magic Carpet was a catchall show that featured remote band broadcasts from all over the country.  Usually a pretty swinging band.  Jack Teagarden's history goes back to the "Hot" jazz bands of the 1920s.  He's always been a favorite of mine. 

As a side note, XUSF was in Chungking China, after that part of the network was shut down in 1945-46 the disks went the new FEN network in Japan.  I wish I owned this disk...

Magic Carpet - Jack Teagarden

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