Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 30:08 — 6.8MB)
The jive talking Ernie Whitman calls on some of the biggest names in swing, blues and jazz as he kicks things off.
Playlist:
- Lionel Hampton plays, Nola.
- Lionel and Ernie joke around before Lula Blakely sings, It Could Happen To You.
- Les Paul lets out some cool guitar riffs with, Tea For Two.
- Lionel Hampton whips out his famous vibbraphone to plays, Moon Glow.
- The Town Cryers sing, Back Home Again in Indiana.
- Dina Washington talks with Ernie before she dedicates her new ballad to the troops, Million Dollar Smile.
- Ernie tells how to write in to make requests.
- Lionel Hampton plays, Lady Be Good.
- The Town Cryers have a quick musical word with Ernie Whitman as he signs off.
PS: A show full of instrumental jazz solos. It’s all good, but I’d sometimes rather have lyrics than the extended solos and adlibs.
Here’s a memory about Les Paul as I visited with my grandparents as a kid at some time in the 1960’s. He was on a TV special, and as my grandma rocked in her chair singing along to the melody of, Blue Skies, she didn’t miss a word. Then Les Paul hit his solo n mid phrase, and went all over the scale, throwing my grandma off balance with her singing. I looked at my grandpa and asked, “What’s the matter with him? Did he forget the notes?” Of course Les Paul’s playing is always smooth, and top notch, but to a little kid, it appeared that a 50+ year old woman knew the song better than he did.
Which is not to say that vocalists don’t have their moments where they take liberties with rhythm, style, and timing in their presentations either. But there just seems like more instrumental adlibs are happening in today’s episode.
