Fats Waller & Cab Calloway - Legendary Radio Broadcasts Vol. 3 (2008)

2 CD This is Vol. 3 of a new series of famous radio broadcasts – more fine artists to follow a.o.: Ella Fitzgerald, Mildred Bailey, Fats Waller, Cab Calloway etc. It was in the 30s and 40s when the radio was the most important media before television took over. There were many different radio broadcasts all over USA. Live programs from different concerts and studio recordings. Count Basie had nightly broadcasts from Reno Club in Kansas City. When John Hammond heard a broadcast he went to Kansas City to hear the band in person. He then decided to bring it to New York City where they opened at the Roseland. To be regular featured on the radio was the best promotion an artist could get. Storyville has found many fine radio programs with various artists that will be released in the Legendary Radio Broadcasts series.

FATS WALLER: Fats Waller was a virtuoso pianist and was an influence to many of his contemporaries. He was only 39 years old when he died on December 15, 1943 in Kansas City on a train from Los Angeles to New York. He was also a real composer. Many people will know Honeysuckle Rose, Ain’t Misbehavin’ without knowing Fats Waller. The CD contains 13 Legendary Broadcasts. The first known broadcast from February 2, 1936 to the last three broadcasts from December 1943.

CAB CALLOWAY: Cab Calloway was never a musician. He was a pure showman. He switched to music in the late ‘20s and became a singer and dancer. But one suspects that to Calloway it was all show business. He could always spot a good musicians and besides Duke Ellington he had the best big band with musicians like Dizzy Gillespie, Tyree Glenn, Quentin Jackson, Chu Berry, Bennie Payne and Milt Hinton. There are two radio broadcasts from 1940 and 1945 on the CD.