The Shellac Stack

Shellac Stack No. 324 chirps with the birds! We dance with Bob Deikman, Roger Wolfe Kahn, Sam Lanin, Nat Shilkret, the Savoy Havana Band, and others; laugh with Homer and Jethro; and relax with the National Cavaliers and the Victor Orchestra.

Shellac Stack No. 323 teases the frets with banjoist Michele Ortuso and swings by the waters of Minnetonka with Bob Haggart. We dance along with Nathan Glantz, Kenn Sisson, Glenn Miller, Art Landry, the New Orleans Rhythm Kings, and others — and relax a bit with the Revelers and Freddie Rose. More too!

Shellac Stack No. 322 stomps up a storm with the Firehouse Five Plus Two, Lucky Millinder, Boyd Senter, Fletcher Henderson, Don Ewell, Georgie Auld, Jelly Roll Morton, and many others. Hot weather calls for hot music, and we've got it on this installment of the Shellac Stack!

Shellac Stack No. 321 salutes the ladies! From Keely Smith and Eartha Kitt to Ethel Waters, Annette Hanshaw, Helen Forrest, Dolly Dawn, and more, we spend this hour swingin', swayin', jumpin', and relaxin' with 16 female vocalists of the 1920s-1950s.

Shellac Stack No. 320 stampedes with Spike Hughes and His Dance Orchestra! We spend this tuneful hour in London with the likes of Jay Whidden, Jack Payne, Billy Cotton, Ray Noble, Billy Merrin, Harry Hudson, and other British dance bands of the 1920s and '30s. Join us!

Shellac Stack No. 319 hikes with Ray Noble and the New Mayfair Dance Orchestra! We travel to recording studios around the world to hear Hawaiian guitars, Parisian swing, British dance bands, Central American marimbas, “Bohemian” waltzes — and we spice it all up with some American ragtime. Mutt Carey, Jan Garber, Lou Gold, Oscar Aleman, … Continue reading »

Shellac Stack No. 318 walks, struts, and dances with Ed Kirkeby, Brother Bones, Paul Ash, Harry Raderman, Earl Burtnett, the Original Memphis Five, and others! We swing out with Count Basie, relax with Bob Stanley's Orchestra, and visit Cuba with Don Azpiazu's Havana Casino Orchestra. More too — including a novelty “party” record of the … Continue reading »

Shellac Stack No. 317 vo-do-de-os with Irving Aaronson! We hear some “June” songs from Allen McQuhae and Bennie Krueger, dance with Jack Hylton, Harry Hudson, and Roger Wolfe Kahn, and reflect on maritime disasters with Vernon Dalhart and F. J. Hawtrey.

Shellac Stack No. 316 stumbles with Yank Lawson and sings in the rain with Lud Gluskin. We hear from Isabella Patricola and Peggy Lee, and dance along with George Olsen, Fletcher Henderson, Charles Dornberger, and Jimmie Lunceford. More too — including a trip to Buenos Aires for a delightful disc by Raul Sanchez Reynoso with … Continue reading »

Shellac Stack No. 315 practices with Eddy Duchin and swings with Vincent Lopez. We enjoy the “lightning fingers” of pianist Ben Light, relax with crooners Singin' Sam, Kate Smith, and Morton Downey, and take a country detour with Hank Locklin, Hank Williams, Flatt and Scruggs' Foggy Mountain Boys, and a mystery vocalist on the “Dixie” … Continue reading »

Shellac Stack No. 314 hawks peanuts with Jack Payne, Gene Rodemich, and Nathan Glantz. We sample some ragtime piano from Wally Rose, Barrie Vye, and Armand Hug. We've also got dance records by Coon-Sanders, Jack Pettis, Charley Straight, and lots more too. Try it — you'll like it!

Shellac Stack No. 313 visits again with an old friend, JiHoon Suk, as we explore rarities and oddities from his collection of classical and operatic vinyl pressings made from original metal parts. From Edvard Grieg (himself!) to Joseph Joachim, Pablo de Sarasate, Enrico Caruso, Louise Homer, and Nellie Melba, it's a fascinating and entertaining glimpse … Continue reading »

Shellac Stack No. 312 visits Paris in the spring with Elmer Feldkamp, Lucienne Boyer, and Yves Montand. We reminisce with Carroll Gibbons, dance along with the High Hatters, Jan Garber, and Jack Hylton, and mourn a lost azalea plant with Dr. Clarence Penney. More too!

Shellac Stack No. 311 oogel oogel oos with the Yacht Club Boys, doodle doos with Busse's Buzzards, and aba dabas with Arthur Collins and Byron Harlan. We dance along with Fats Waller, Jack Hylton, Al Lynn's Music Masters, Earl Oliver's Jazz Babies, and Fletcher Henderson, and enjoy some stomping ragtime piano from Charles Thompson too!

Shellac Stack No. 310 “does that thing” with Earl Burtnett's Los Angeles Biltmore Hotel Orchestra. We do some waiting with Lou Gold's Orchestra, trotting with pianist Sid Reinherz, and enjoy some “toodles” and “thrills” with Hazay Natzy and Nathan Glantz, respectively. More from Billy Cotton, George Olsen, Horace Heidt, and even Steve Allen. Join us!

Shellac Stack No. 309 heads south of the border with Morton Gould and to the Baby Parade with Smiling Jerry Baker. We dance along to Paul Whiteman, Harry Reser, Sam Lanin, Jay Wilbur, and others, and pause to enjoy some vocal harmonizing by the Capitol City Four, the Harrison Quartette, and the Dana Harmonizers. Good … Continue reading »

Shellac Stack No. 308 eats an olive with Irving Aaronson and His Commanders. We dance to selections by Ted Weems, Ambrose, Lou Gold, Eddie Elkins, and Nathan Glantz and enjoy vocal selections by Rosa Henderson, Ed Smalle, Vaughn De Leath, and Gene Austin. A few Neapolitan songs from Tito Gobbi too!

Shellac Stack No. 307 jams with Jerry Jerome, runs with the Benny Goodman Quartet, and swings with Dick Robertson. Fine jazz from Len Beadle, Louis Armstrong, Kid Ory, and Red Nichols. Hot dance from Bernie Cummins, Fred Rich, Ben Selvin and more. Charming vocals from Kate Smith and Karole Singer too!

Shellac Stack No. 306 rides tall in the saddle with Wild Bill Hiccup (courtesy of Spike Jones). We enjoy dance records by Sam Lanin, Edwin J. McEnelly, Fletcher Henderson, Phil Romano, and others, and share a few smiles with the Happiness Boys, Red Ingle, Homer and Jethro, and Monte Hunter. Plenty more too, including a … Continue reading »

Shellac Stack No. 305 forgets how to cry with Henry Burr and savors a cheerful little earful with Sid Phillips and His Melodians. We hear from Milt Herth, Jan August, and Elsie Baker — and dance along with the Arden-Ohman Orchestra, Vincent Lopez, Jacques Renard, Ben Selvin, and more. Hot jazz from Ray Bauduc too!

Shellac Stack No. 304 gets out of the way with Dalhart's Texas Panhandlers! We dance to the music of Al Handler's Alamo Hotel Cafe Orchestra and the bands of Sam Lanin, Fred Hall, and Billy Banks. We enjoy some crooning from Dick Mine and Bing Crosby… and the “not quite” crooning of Ethel Merman. More … Continue reading »

Shellac Stack No. 303 cakewalks with Burt Bales and flippity flops with Meyer Davis! Lots of good jazz and dance music this time from the likes of Charlie Barnet, Sam Lanin, Jack Hylton, Bob Mielke, Jack Sheedy, and Ambrose. We also hear from crooners Annette Hanshaw and Dick Powell and enjoy some dazzling piano pyrotechnics … Continue reading »

Shellac Stack No. 302 crawls, drags, and jitterbugs with the music of Fats Waller! We hear from Lu Watters, the Halfway House Dance Orchestra, Carroll Gibbons, Billy Butterfield, Errol Garner, Isham Jones, and — of course — the great Fats Waller himself. Join us!

Shellac Stack No. 301 asks: What's the name of that song? Put your knowledge to the test as we sample records by Bunk Johnson, Wayne King, Teddy Wilson, Morton Gould, Lu Watters, Freddy Ellis and His Orchestra, and others.

Shellac Stack No. 300 gives three cheers with Buddy Clark! We sample some Western Swing with Leon McAuliffe and Tex Williams, enjoy a humorous monologue with Tom McNaughton, dance with Sam Lanin, Frankie Trumbauer, Leo Erdody, and Ted Lewis, and enjoy more fine records by the Hylton Sisters, the Ink Spots, Vincent Lopez, and more.

Shellac Stack No. 299 says it with ukuleles! We dance with the Savoy Orpheans, Mike Markel's Orchestra, the Charleston Chasers, and Anson Weeks. We enjoy some Irish fiddling by Michael Coleman and the suave piano stylings of Edgar Fairchild and Adam Carroll. More from Jane Green, Nick Lucas, Johnny Marvin, and others.

Shellac Stack No. 298 savors a Japanese sunset with Justin Huber's Orchestra. We dance along to the orchestras of Art Kahn, Paul Specht, and Judge Sturdy, relax to the crooning of Seger Ellis, and take a trip to Williams College in western Massachusetts. Plenty more too!

Shellac Stack No. 297 falls down with the Little Ramblers and works its way through some hot boogie-woogie with pianist Bob Zurke! Along the way, we hear from Duke Ellington, Collins and Harlan, Lou Gold, Bob Crosby, Art Hodes, Billy Murray, Al Jolson, and others. Join us!

Shellac Stack No. 296 sings a “new” song with the Coon-Sanders Orchestra, Mel Torme, Dick Robertson, Al Bernard, Frank Luther, and others. We hear from Jimmie Noone, Duke Ellington, George Olsen, Will Osborne, Art Hodes, and many more in this just-right mix for a new year!

Shellac Stack No. 295 wanders with Santa! We enjoy Yuletide favorites by Bing Crosby, Harry Macdonough, the Trinity Choir, and Francis J. Lapitino. We also revisit some Christmas novelties of the 1950s by Brenda Lee, Lu Ann Simms, Ricky Zahnd, Gayla Peevey, and others. Merry Christmas!

Shellac Stack No. 294 keeps some brandy handy as we listen to Marty Britt's Orchestra, Brooke Johns, Fred Rich, Rod Cless, Ted Weems, and more. We laugh along with Senator Ford, revisit the HMS Pinafore, and relax with Kate Smith and Bing Crosby. Thanks for supporting the Shellac Stack on Patreon: patreon.com/shellacstack

Shellac Stack No. 293 tap taps with Roger Wolfe Kahn and finds itself stranded on a tropic isle with a bunch of college girls from Wellesley. We hear from singers Roy Evans (“The Eccentric Voice”), Chick Bullock, Jack Smith, dance with Nat Shilkret, Charlie Barnet, and Orville Knapp, and hear some Irish jigs and reels … Continue reading »

Shellac Stack No. 292 bathes in the sunshine with John Firman's Ochestra and bends down with Ben Selvin's Orchestra. Mel Blanc conjures up one of his most popular “Looney Tunes” voices, and Annisteen Allen nearly blows her top! We also hear from Leopold Godowsky, Ceelle Burke, Happy Felton, Ted Lewis, Alice Leslie, Les Paul, and … Continue reading »

Shellac Stack No. 291 handles its contents with care! We've got a 117-year-old record by Miss Corinne Morgan, theatre organ by Terance Casey, harmonizing by the Mills Brothers, and a whole lotta dance bands: Bertini, Russ Carlson, Howard Lanin, Billy James, and more. Thanks for supporting the Shellac Stack on Patreon: patreon.com/shellacstack

Shellac Stack No. 290 cooks breakfast with Harriet Lee and the Ipana Troubadours! We dance along with Edwin J. McEnelly's Orchestra, the Clevelanders, Eddie Paul's Paramount Orchestra, Howard Lally, Gene Kardos, and more, and sample some early 1930s radio with the RCA Victor Radio Record Revue. Thanks for supporting the Shellac Stack on Patreon: patreon.com/shellacstack

Shellac Stack No. 289 wanders away with Fred Waring's Pennsylvanians then walks back with Doc Evans' Band. Along the way, we hear from Earl Hines, Marion Harris, Cy Walter, Isham Jones, Johnny Hamp, Don Byas, Benny Goodman, and more. Thank you for supporting the “Shellac Stack” on Patreon: patreon.com/shellacstack

Shellac Stack No. 288 “rags the rag” with the Ballyhooligans. We hear from Andy Kirk, Fletcher Henderson, the Casa Loma Orchestra, Chauncey Gray, Luisa Rostand, Jay Wilbur, Prince's Band, and many more this hour. Thanks for supporting the Shellac Stack on Patreon: patreon.com/shellacstack

Shellac Stack No. 287 weaves a fictional story about “Mary.” To tell it, we hear from the American Quartet, Joseph C. Smith, Fred Rich, Ben Selvin, Aileen Stanley, Billy Murray, Rudy Vallee, Nat Star, Nick Lucas, Ben Pollack, and many others. Thank you for supporting the Shellac Stack on Patreon: patreon.com/shellacstack

Shellac Stack No. 286 shouts with Clarence Williams, rambles with Duke Ellington, and visits Mary's cellar with Sammy Spear. We dance along with the Georgia Melodians, California Ramblers, Jan Garber, and Debroy Somers, and hear from duo pianists Freddie Aspinall and Ronnie Aldrich. More from Benny Goodman, Richard Himber, Louis Armstrong and others! Thanks for … Continue reading »

Shellac Stack No. 285 walks back from the buggy ride with Aileen Stanley and Johnny Marvin. We hear from Harry Reser's Six Jumping Jacks, Irving Aaronson and His Commanders, Spade Cooley, Stan Kenton, Jerry Colonna, Isham Jones — and enjoy some lovely barbershop quartet singing with the Eton Boys. Plenty more too! Thanks for supporting … Continue reading »

Shellac Stack No. 284 moans those mean old bedbug blues with Lizzie Miles and hops aboard Train 45 with G. B. Grayson and Henry Whitter. We dance along to George Olsen, Nat Shilkret, Frank Trumbauer, and Victor Vorzanger. We also hear from Frank Crumit, the Chicago Loopers, and more. Thanks for supporting the Shellac Stack … Continue reading »

Shellac Stack No. 283 smiles the blues away with Jelly Roll Morton! We dance to the bands of Arthur Lange, Henry King, and Lou Gold, cozy up with Bing Crosby, and describe someone special with a slew of advertising slogans! We've also got records by Merle Travis, Polly Walker, Tiny Hill, Muggsy Spanier, and more. … Continue reading »

Shellac Stack No. 282 snags it with Bunk Johnson and journeys beyond the moon with Johnny Guarnieri. We hear from the dance bands of Tal Henry, Sam Lanin, Art Landry, Roger Wolfe Kahn and from singers Helen Richards, Bill Lawrence, and Elmer Feldkamp. More too! Thanks for supporting the Shellac Stack on Patreon: patreon.com/shellacstack

Shellac Stack No. 281 passes a tuneful hour with the music of Stephen Foster. From Arcady Dubensky's sweeping orchestral “Stephen Foster (Theme, Variations, and Finale)” to performances by Vernon Dalhart, Richard Crooks, Felix Arndt, Nat Shilkret, and others, it's the music of America's first great pop song writer. Thanks for your support on Patreon: patreon.com/shellacstack

Shellac Stack No. 280 trucks with Fats Waller and poses with Fletcher Henderson. We hear Billy Mayerl's marvelous “Four Aces Suite” with Raie Da Costa at the piano, sample some fake “Bobs,” and hear from the NORK, Louis Armstrong, Van Alexander, and many more. Fun times on this Shellac Stack! Thanks for your support on … Continue reading »

Shellac Stack No. 279 lands on the old veranda with Harry Reser's Six Jumping Jacks! We jive with Victor Silvester, dream with Coleman Hawkins, and stomp with Isham Jones. More from Ruth Etting, Ben Light, Blossom Seeley, the Rhythm Rangers, Count Basie, Al Handler's Orchestra, the Firehouse Five Plus Two, and others! Thank you for … Continue reading »

Shellac Stack No. 278 tumbles into a humble inn with the Majestic Dance Orchestra! We save the world with Johnny Johnson's Orchestra, have tea with the Bud Powell Trio, and walk the sunny side of the street with Benny Goodman. More from Seger Ellis, Napua Stevens, Barney Bigard, the Jones Boys Sing Band, Frankie Trumbauer, … Continue reading »

Shellac Stack No. 277 shakes like jelly with Glenn Miller! We dance to the bands of Abe Lyman, Herb Wiedoeft, Sam Lanin, Johnny Hamp, and Howard Lanin. We also hear from Kate Smith, Buddy Lee, Scrappy Lambert, and accordionist extraordinaire Charles Magnante — more too! Thanks for keeping the records spinning with your support on … Continue reading »

Shellac Stack No. 276 captivates (rhythmically) with Billy Merrin and His Commanders. We visit “Araby” with Edwin J. McEnelly's Orchestra, shuffle with Will McIntyre's Jazz Band, and enjoy some shade with Claude Hopkins and His Orchestra. Plenty more records from the likes of Carroll Gibbons, Frank Stanley, Leon McAuliffe, Harry James, Ernie Golden, and others. … Continue reading »

Shellac Stack No. 275 salutes brothers and sisters. We hear from the Hylton Sisters, the Brown Brothers, the Aaron Sisters, the Mills Brothers, the Cook Sisters, and the Dorsey Brothers… you get the idea! It's the Sounds of Siblings on this Shellac Stack. Thanks for your support on Patreon: patreon.com/shellacstack

Shellac Stack No. 274 prays the blues with Jimmy Dorsey and smiles with Duke Ellington. We hear from singers Bob Howard and Tommy Edwards, xylophonists Joseph Green and Sam Herman, and bandleaders Sam Lanin, Richard Himber, and Fred Elizalde. Join us! And thanks for supporting the Shellac Stack on Patreon: patreon.com/shellacstack