The Shellac Stack

Shellac Stack No. 184 sizzles — but doesn’t want to set the world on fire! We listen to 78s by Theo Karle, Johnny Hamp’s Kentucky Serenaders, Duke Ellington, Johnny Green, Jane Green, Stan Greening… gee, I just realized I could have had a “Green” theme going! As always, your support of the Shellac Stack through … Continue reading »

Shellac Stack No. 183 turns on the heat… and the sweet! We hear from the orchestras of Jack Albin, Ed Kirkeby, Count Basie, Roger Wolfe Kahn, Ray Miller, and others. We also hear from singers Dinah Washington, Dolly Dawn, Dick Robertson, and more. Support the Shellac Stack: patreon.com/shellacstack Correction: Bandleader Joe Sanders died in 1965 … Continue reading »

Shellac Stack No. 182 makes hay while the sun is shining! We hear from Jay Wilbur, Mike Speciale, Vaughn De Leath, Morton Downey, Earl Gresh and His Gangplank Orchestra, Hazel Scott, Willie Lewis, and many others. Do you enjoy listening to the Shellac Stack? Please consider making a small contribution to help me bring the … Continue reading »

Shellac Stack No. 181 compares and contrasts in another installment of “Same Song, Second Version.” How does Jesse Crawford’s version of “Dinah” stack up against the Quintet of the Hot Club of France? What happens when you pit the Andrews Sisters against the Waikiki Serenaders? Gene Austin vs. Paul Ash? George Olsen vs. Frank Sinatra? … Continue reading »

Shellac Stack No. 180 gets happy… and angry… with Isham Jones, Art Gillham, Ruth Etting, Gene Austin, Coon-Sanders, the California Ramblers, Margaret McKee, the ODJB, and more. NEW! Support the Shellac Stack on Patreon: patreon.com/shellacstack. Your contribution helps offset the cost of bringing these programs to you, and there are some nice little bonuses. Thank … Continue reading »

Shellac Stack No. 179 walks with music. We hear from Buddy Clark, Marion Harris, Adrian Rollini, Ted Lewis, Jaye P. Morgan, Jack Jenney, George Olsen, and many more in a program to get you “walkin’ on air.”

Shellac Stack No. 178 begins again with Midge Williams, tastes okolehao with Dolly Dawn, shakes that thing with Abe Lyman, and visits with some musical Browns (Georgia, Henry, and Mary). This fun-filled musical hour includes performances by Napua Stevens, Van Alexander, Rudy Wiedoeft, Margaret Young, and many others. Join us!

Shellac Stack No. 177 dusts the keys with Frank Westphal, rumbas with Fred Waring’s Pennsylvanians, dreams with Jack Shilkret’s Orchestra, and stomps with the Basin Street Six. Along the way we hear from Ruth Etting, Chick Webb, the 5 Red Caps, and more.

Shellac Stack No. 176 strolls along Flirtation Walk with Hal Kemp then waits for the sunrise with Brother Bones. We hear from Earl Burtnett, Arthur Hall, That Girl Quartet (no, I’m not being dismissive — that’s their name!), Mark Andrews, Sophie Tucker, and more.

Shellac Stack No. 175 does the town — well, 14 of them actually! From Boston to Miami to Kansas City to San Francisco and points in between, we enjoy a musical variety hour with the likes of Jimmy Dorsey, Carson Robison, Johnny Maddox, Arthur Gibbs, the Halfway House Dance Orchestra, Bob Haring, and more.

Shellac Stack No. 174 swelters with some hot music — from the orchestras of George Olsen, Fred Elizalde, and Johnny McGee (no relation to Fibber!), to personalities like Ethel Merman, Jimmy Durante, and Gene Austin. We even hear from the Quintet of the Hot Club of France and the Massed Bands of the Aldershot Command. … Continue reading »

Shellac Stack No. 173 celebrates a brand-new 78 rpm record release (in 2019!) by the Chicago Cellar Boys and dances along with Count Basie, Ross Gorman, Fletcher Henderson, Jack Coleman, Ben Bernie, and others. We hear from Hollywood stars Shirley Temple, Jimmy Stewart, Maurice Chevalier, and more in this fully-packed edition of the Shellac Stack. … Continue reading »

Shellac Stack No. 172 visits again with our friend JiHoon Suk for a selection of jazz, pop, and blues records from his collection. We hear some rare recordings by Bix Beiderbecke and Annette Hanshaw, as well as classics by King Oliver, Paul Whiteman, Isham Jones, Django Reinhardt, and more. Join us!

Shellac Stack No. 171 joins Lew Lehr at the fair — the 1939 Worlds Fair, that is! We also hear from Lud Gluskin, Joe Shelton, Charlie Ackerson, Chick Bullock, Wee Bonnie Baker, the New Dixie Demons, and more in this musical variety hour.

Shellac Stack No. 170 visits for an hour with a notable musical Friend. We hear from the California Humming Birds, Gene Austin, Ted Weems, Sherman Hayes, George Olsen, Art Landry, and many more.

Shellac Stack No. 169 claps hands because the tamale man cometh! We hear from Doc Cook’s Dreamland Orchestra, Isham Jones, Irving Aaronson, Johnny Marvin, Smith Ballew, the All Star Trio, Billy Butterfield, and more in a pleasing mix of records sweet and hot!

Shellac Stack No. 168 jumps with Cab Calloway, parades with Paul Whiteman, and cakewalks with Hazel Gertrude Kinscella. We hear records by the Korn Kobblers, Ben Berlin, Nat Shilkret, Ted Weems, Leroy Montesanto, Olive Kline, and even a full-length “Junior Operetta” from c. 1923 in this musical children’s hour.

Shellac Stack No. 167 just rolls along (having its ups and downs) with “Hula Lou” and “Sioux City Sue!” We hear songs about Joe and enjoy a cheerful earful with Roy Smeck. We’ve also got records by Jimmie Lunceford, the Carolina Tar Heels, Nat Shilkret, Hum and Strum, and the Aaron Sisters.

Shellac Stack No. 166 digs in with Dexter Gordon, Leo Watson, Flip Phillips, Frankie Laine, Tom Gerun, Anson Weeks, Bill Snyder, the Buffalodians and many others. Oh yeah — and Charley Drew tells us about the biggest kanakas in Hawaii…

Shellac Stack No. 165 swings with the goons and crazy people! We hear from Rosalind Paige, Bunk Johnson, Charlie Thompson, Teddy Wilson, Dick Robertson, Tex Beneke, Helen Ward, Ted Weems, Eubie Blake, Peter Wyper, and many more in this musical variety hour!