The Band Within a Band 
Colin, this week, features the smaller bands that were showcased within a big band, during the big band era, and there were many. There are some nice surprises along the way, like Edythe Wright performing an early arrangement of The Lady Is A Tramp, and Artie Shaw with a great vintage arrangement of Smoke Gets In Your Eyes.

Broadcast, Sunday, 19th, October, 2025

Ep 42 - S11 - VCT - The Band Within A Band

A party mood is being set by George Van Dusen from a vintage 45rpm record that Colin has dug out from his collection for another busy show. We’re Going Places with Joe Venuti, enjoying a rousing singalong with Lonnie Donegan’s Skiffle Group……with Chris Barber on bass!...and the “pep” is being provided by The Bugle Call Raggers from 1935.

Broadcast, Sunday, 2nd, November, 2025

Ep 44 - S11 - VCT - Tunes With Pep

يبدأ سيد احمد الموصل هذه التسجيل بمقام الحجاز حيث يؤدي اغنية وموال بعنوان "وقفة ايها القمر" و هي مسجلة في القاهرة لحساب شركة بيضافون كومبني بالعشرينيات                                                                                            Sayyid Ahmad al-Mawṣilī begins this recording with the ḥijāz maqām, performing a song and mawwāl titled "Waqfat ayyuhā al-Qamar," which was recorded in Cairo for the Baidaphon Company in the 1920s.

وقفة ايها القمر - سيد احمد الموصل | Waqfat Ayoha al-Qamar - Sayed Ahmed al-Mawsil

Sayyid Aḥmad al-Mawṣilī, reciter of the Mawṣilī maqām, begins this recording with a mawwāl in the maqām al-Nawá with the phrase "amān amān," which is a common beginning for Iraqi maqām reciters. He then performs the song "Shajatnī bi-dhāt al-bān" from the poetry of al-Mullā Ḥasan Afandī al-Bazzār, which was recorded in Cairo for the Baidaphon Company in the 1920s.                 يبدأ سيد احمد الموصلي قارئ المقام الموصلي هذا التسجيل ب موال على مقام النوى في جملة  "امان امان" وهي بداية يبدأ بها قراء المقام العراقيين ثم يؤدي اغنية " شجتني بذات البان" من شعر الملا حسن أفندي البزّار، و هي مسجلة في القاهرة لحساب شركة بيضافون كوبني بالعشرينيات

احمد الموصلي مقام النوى شجتني بذات البان|  Ahmed Al-Mawsili Maqam AlNawa - Shajatni Bi That Al-Ban

The Music Goes Round and Round 
This week Colin features the "Queen Of The Trumpet" Miss Valaida Snow, and a recording made in the Abbey Road of 1936. But, it’s not just the music, Valaida had quite the story to tell by the time she got back to the United States years later. Also listen up for a side from Whispering Jack Smith, our oldest recording of the morning, from 1926. The Ames Brothers, Coleman Hawkins, Roy Hamilton and Henry Hall leading the BBC dance orchestra round out our vintage playlist

Radio Broadcast, Sunday, 16th, November, 2025

Ep 46 - S11 - VCT - The Music Goes Round and Round

Moody 
Featuring one of Colin’s all time favourite band names this week. Boots And His Buddies are performing a Fats Waller classic. Big, mighty strings from Percy Faith with a track released on 78 and 45rpm that stayed at number one for weeks and weeks in 1953. And, we swing easy with Nina Simone who ‘can’t get out of this mood’.
1) Ain't Misbehavin (Vocal Cora Woods) - Boots & His Buddies 2) Maple Leaf Rag - The New Orleans Rhythm Kings 3) That'll Be The Day - Buddy Holly 4) Advert 5) Theme From Moulin Rouge (vocal Felicia Sanders) - Percy Faith 6) Breathless (Vocal Ken Curtis) - Georghe Evans 7) Can't Get Out Of This Mood - Nina Simone

Broadcast, Sunday, 23rd, November, 2025

Ep 47 - S11 - VCT - Moody

Old Flappers

Having A Ball
This week, one of the first and most innovative swing bands of their day, Luis Russell and his orchestra, who, incredibly, never had the commercial success that they deserved. Take a listen as Colin spins At The Darktown Strutters Ball. Also featured, Gene Krupa, Red McKenzie, Ambrose playing Casablanca, plus Hank Williams with some country AND western.

Broadcast, Sunday, 30th, November, 2025

Ep 48 - S11 - VCT - Having A Ball

Lyrics and translation below:

This well known Hawaiian hula song was composed in 1920 by Charles E. King. The lyrics of the first four verses were written by J. Kealoha. They tell about the four main islands of Hawaii (Hawaii or Big Island, Maui, Oahu and Kaua, in pic), their own leis and mountains. Later Noelani Mahoe added five more verses about the five other islands of Hawaii.
In my version I sing just the first four verses. I play banjos (Tenor and Plectrum), mandolins (Napolitan and Octave) and guitars. I produced this at my home with Band in a Box and Reaper.

Sanat ja käännös liitteenä:

Tämän tunnetun hula-laulun Hawailta sävelsi 1920 Charles E. King. Ensimmäiset neljä säkeistöä kirjoitti J.Kealoha. Niissä kerrotaan Hawaijin neljän suurimman saaren (Hawaii eli Big Island, Maui, Oahu and Kaua, kuvassa) oma lei ja vuori. Myöhemmin Noelani Mahoe lisäsi viisi säkeistöä Hawaijin muista saarista.
Versiossani laulan neljä ensimmäistä säkeistöä. Soitan banjoja (tenori ja plectrum), mandoliinejä (napolilainen ja oktaavi) ja kitaroita. Tuotin tämän kotonani Band in a Boxilla ja Reaperilla.

Hanohano Hawai`i la lei i ka lehua la
Kuahiwi nani la o Mauna Kea

Kilakila `o Maui la lei i ka roselani la
Kuahiwi nani la o Haleakalâ

Ha`aheo O`ahu la lei i ka `ilima la
Kuahiwi nani la o Ka`ala

Kaulana Kaua`i la lei i ka mokihana la
Kuahiwi nani la oWai`ale`ale


Honored is Hawai`i whose lei is the lehua
Beautiful is it's mountain, of Mauna Kea

Majestic is Maui whose lei is roselani
Beautiful is it's mountain, of Haleakalâ

Proud is O`ahu whose lei is the `ilima
Beautiful is it's mountain, of Ka`ala

Famous is Kaua`i whose lei is the mokihana
Beautiful is it's mountain, of Wai`ale`ale


Kunnioitettu on Havaiji, jonka lei on lehua
Kaunis on sen vuori Mauna Kea

Majesteettinen on Maui, jonka lei on roselani
Kaunis on sen vuori Haleakala

Ylpeä on Oahu, jonka lei on `ilima
Kaunis on sen vuori Ka'ala

Kuuluisa on Kauai, jonka lei on mokihana
Kaunis on sen vuori Wai'ale'ale

Na Moku Eha aka Hano, Hano Hawaii (The Four Islands) (Music: Charles E. King 1920, Lyrics: J. Kealoha)

Instrumental ukulele piece from the 1928 ukulele instructional book The Roy Smeck Ukulele and Ukulele-Banjo Method

Waltz of the Ukes

Home recordings for the pass time of an retired old man.

Microtonal spectralist fugue one-mermaid-band on slide-guyageum-guitar and shamanic opera vocals.

Experimental bluegrass sitar surf jazz.

New tracks tagged #1920S