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.

Cab Calloway & his Orchestra (Featuring Hilton Jefferson - Alto Sax) - Parlophone C.3519 R2941

Recorded August, 1940.Cab Calloway (12/25/07 - 11/8/94) always hired the best jazz-musicians he could find but his band was almost unique in the fact that it primarily played a subsidiary role to its leader's vocalising. Cab's fame with the public was due to the fact of his flamboyant leadership, his outlandishly dressing in an eye-catching 'Zoot-Suit' and his yelling sort of singing on such recordings as Minnie the Moocher and Kickin' the Gong Around. His most outstanding line-up was that of 1939-41. This period saw more instrumentals than at any other time of the existance of the band. This recording features the fine leadwork of Hilton Jefferson (7/30/03 - 11/14/68) on alto saxophone. He plays in a flowing elegiac style against a scored background by Andy Gibson. Jefferson was not perhaps an outstanding jazz-improviser, but he was very good at this type of melodic variation, and he was one of the finest saxophone section leaders. In 1953 he left music to work as a bank guard. Click on the picture to see an enlargement of the band in the early 40's

Roy Fox and his band (At the Kit-Cat Restaurant, London)(With Vocal Refrain) - Decca GB.5754-11D F.3537

Recorded in London, April 18th, 1933. This lovely happy tune, sung by Sid Buckman, is one of my favourites. Bandleader Roy Fox was born in Denver, Colorado, on 25 October 1901. He played cornet in local bands at the age of 16. Fronting his own band at Hollywood's Café Montmartre led to a job as a musical director with Fox Films, and an offer to form a 7-piece American band to play at the Café de Paris in London for eight weeks. After that engagement Fox formed an all British band to record for Decca. The impressive list of musicians included Lew Stone as pianist/arranger, Nat Gonella on trumpet and vocalist Al Bowlly. Late in 1931 Lew Stone took over as a leader when Fox went to Switzerland to recover from illness. When Fox returned in 1932 he formed a new band which you can hear on this recording that was made at the Kit-Cat Club, where Fox started Jan. 16th, 1933 and where he stayed for just over a year. Fox remained popular until the break-up of his band in 1938. Unfortunately the 40's and 50's were not very succesfull for him . He died March 20th, 1982 in a home for retired variety artists in England.

Zarah Leander mit dem Ufa-Tonfilm-Orchester - Leitung: Lothar Brühne - Odeon Be 11728 O-4755b

Recorded in Berlin, June 22, 1937. Released, August 1937. Zarah Leander was born as Zarah Stina Hedberg on March 15th, 1907 in Karlstad, Sweden. Her name came from her first husband, actor and singer Nils Leander. She made her début in Riga, acted in a few Swedish films - and came through Carl Frölich to Germany, where, over the years, she had tremendous success in not only musicals, but also in so called 'heimat-films.' She became famous because of her films for the UFA but also due to her sultry, sensual singing voice. During the war years her reputation grew and grew. In '41 and '42, her income was 1,600,000 German marks paid in foreign currencies - and back in Sweden, she was loved and hated for being a 'Nazi-star'. In 1942 she refused to accept the advances of Goebbels, and she retreated to Sweden. However, in 1949, she resumed her successful international career. She died June 23rd, 1981. Click here for the original sheetmusic of 'Yes, Sir!

Yves Montand - Odeon 282.067 KI 10.585

Recorded in 1950. A beautiful poem by one of France's finest poets, Jacques Prévert (e.g., Les Feuilles Mortes), and recited by Yves Montand. Yves was born as Yvo Livi in Monsumano, Italy, on October 13th, 1921. His father was a Socialist who, because of Mussolini, had to flee the country with his family. From his 2nd birthday onwards, Montand grew up in poverty near the docks of Marseilles. From his 11th birthday, he worked as a laborer, then barkeeper, until he earned a living as a singer in a nightclub. In 1944 he started to work in variety theatres in Paris, where he met Edith Piaf. She became his personal advisor as well as his lover. Beside his singing career he started to act in films - and later married Simone Signoret. This marriage was characterized by many ups and downs. During the '50s he acted in a few unremarkable American movies. During this period, he had a love affair with Marilyn Monroe. Back in France he became even more popular, as both actor and singer. However, his firm Socialist views were found controversial - even in France. He died, 70 years old, on November 9th, 1991. Click here for Prévert's words of "Barbara"

Dinah Shore with Rhythm Accompaniment - Columbia HCO 2944 D.B.2430

Recorded December 12, 1947. In my opinion, this is the finest and most sensual recording she ever made! Dinah was born as Frances Rose Shore on March 1st,1917 in Winchester, Tennessee, USA. She staked her first claim to fame while still at school, on Nashville radio. Further broadcasting and theater engagements in New York soon followed. She was one of the first vocalists to break free from the big bands (she had been rejected at auditions for both Benny Goodman and Tommy Dorsey)and she then became a star in her own right. She was extremely popular on radio, and made her solo recording debut in 1939. Her smoky, low-pitched voice was especially attractive on slow ballads, and from 1940-57 she had a string of some 80 US chart hits. She made a number of film appearances, and also lent her voice to two Walt Disney features. From 1951 Dinah appeared regularly on TV. This brought about a career change later - when she became host on a highly rated daytime talk show, a role she maintained into the '80s, and for which she won no fewer than 10 Emmys (the television Oscar award). She died of cancer on February 24, 1994.