All of the music selections presented here are from my personal collection of 78's. To listen to an individual selection, simply click on the record label.

Duke Ellington & his Orchestra - HMV B.4869 - 40-3797

Recorded New York, November 3, 1927. Edward Kennedy Ellington was born on April 29, 1899, in Washington DC, the son of a butler. He made his début in 1916. In the early '20s he went with his band to New York. Later in the '20s, trumpeter Bubber Miley (who co-wrote 'Black and Tan Fantasie') invented the band's 'jungle style.' It was his 'freak' trumpet playing that attracted attention to the records of the band recorded in 1927 and afterward. A month after this recording, Ellington's band opened at New York's Cotton Club on 4th December. They stayed here until 1932 and achieved such success that when they toured Europe for the first time in 1933 they were already the most famous band in the world. The rest is history. Enjoy Ellington's stride-piano solo and notice how the record ends with a brief quote from Chopin's 'Funeral March'. Click on the picture to see an enlargement of the band in the Cotton Club at the end of 1927.

Elvis Presley - RCA 5/1 G2 WB 1231 - 20 6540

Recorded RCA Studios, New York, January 30, 1956. This one's for everyone who knows every Elvis song by heart - but who hasn't heard how pure The King sounds on a 78 RPM record from a '50s jukebox (listen to that record needle hitting the groove!) Elvis Aaron Presley (born Jan. 8,'35) was still a rising star early 1956. He made his TV début on The Dorsey Brothers Show on January 28, 1956 (photo). Two days later, Elvis recorded this song in 9 takes in the same session, as "Blue Suede Shoes", between 11 am and 2 pm. He was accompanied by Scotty Moore (guitar), Bill Black (bass), D.J. Fontana (drums) and Shorty Long (piano).

Adolf Steimel m.s. Tanzorchester und Gesang: Heinz Müller - Odeon O-31682a - Be 12944

Recorded in Berlin, September 22, 1941. Thanks to my record collection, I meet nice people online from time to time. Because I didn't know anything about this particular record, I asked for information in an internet newsgroup. Courtesy of Georg Richter in Germany and Dimitri Marheineke in Holland, I can inform you about Adolf Steimel (Berlin, Oct.12,1907), a musician who worked at first in the clothing trade and, besides this, also studied mathematics. But finally his passion for music conquered all. He started his musical career as a pianist, arranger and substitute bandleader in various orchestras. He got his big chance at the end of '39 when he and Michael Jary were assigned to put new life into the Odeon dance orchestra. This meant that two men created two different orchestras with one line-up. Steimel's orchestra soon became very popular. Two things are remarkable about this recording. First of all, one can say that the band 'swings' more or less, in spite of the tight rules by Goebbels 'Reichsmusikkammer.' The other special thing are the many Dutch-sounding names in the line-up, although Holland and Germany were then at war with each other: Rinis van den Broek, Louis de Haes, Tip Tischelaar, Benny de Weille, Benny Pauwels and Harry van Dijk.

Kobus Robijn (zang) met orkestbegeleiding en het kinderkoor van de filmclub "De Drie Kruisjes" (Kobus Robijn (vocal) with orch. acc. and the children's choir of filmclub "The three small crosses") Philips AA 17595.2 H - P 17595 H

Recorded in Hilversum, The Netherlands, April 11, 1956. A street urchin sings (with a typical Amsterdam accent!) in the early '50s about the old sight of 'school patrols': "Kaasjager heit tot zijn dienders gezeit: het verkeer heit weinig heren" (Kaasjager said to his constables: in traffic you won't find many real gentlemen). H.A.G.J. Kaasjager was chief commissioner of the Amsterdam Police Department from 1945 until 1956. His term of office ran parallel with the flourishing period of the 'school patrols,' (US 'crossing guards,' UK 'lollipop ladies') which were introduced in Amsterdam on October 27, 1947. The idea for the 'klaarover' (school patrol) came from the US; older children helping the little ones to cross the street. They could be recognized by the white belt and the sign (sunny side up). After 1962 these disappeared from the streets, due to the introduction of pedestrian traffic lights. Later Kobus had his own fish trade in Amstelveen. Please click on the picture to see more images of Chief Commissioner Kaasjager, together with Mayor d'Ailly, during the installation of the 100th school patrol of Amsterdam on October 27, 1950.

I know why - fox-trot (from film "Sun Valley Serenade") (Gordon-Warren)

Glenn Miller and his Orchestra (with Vocal Refrain) - HMV OA 061246 - B.D. 5720

Recorded May 7, 1941. This song was recorded for the 20th Century Fox film "Sun Valley Serenade," which featured the famous ice skater Sonja Henie and (of course) the Glenn Miller band. On this song you hear the lovely voice of Paula Kelly (1920-1992), as the lead singer of the Modernaires vocal group; her husband, Hal Dickinson, was founder-leader. She had joined Miller and the Modernaires early in 1941, and sang classics such as "Chattanooga Choo Choo." Later in the year she left Miller and sang with Artie Shaw for a while. In the mid '40s she rejoined the Modernaires and stayed with them until she retired in 1978. Click here for the original sheet music of "I know why".