Bigband Bash 1984-2022 / Swingtime
5 min read
With the first day of broadcasting in November 2009 our mission was to keep up with the routs: Big band Music one of the first special shows on the new radio. Here are some memories. In the beginning Shellac Souvenirs were split of Stereo Bigbands. Improvised music (jazz) was another theme. The series started with me, the producer, already in 1984 as a producer/presenter for Radio Franken Nueremberg on FM. From these days date back friendships with Thilo Wolf (header picture), proud to say, to have been the first ever to had an interview with him on radio, Erwin Lehn, Werner Müller or Ed Sperber. Bigband music from Germany and France are still top billing on my list.
Big Band Music is to be heard EVERY day
at these times: 9pm and 3am paris time
Here are some latest highlights:
Here are some highlights from the past:
Eric Clapton – Swintime, dating back to 2021
April 20th, 2021: Bigband Bash Ed Sperber
born March 23, 1937 in Schweinfurt, Bavaria North, Germany
Saxophones, clarinet, vocals
band leader
leading member of the
Ambros Seelos Dance Orchestra
(backing band for late great Udo Jürgens)
formed and lead to become the BIGBAND OF THE BR
(Bayerischer Rundfunk, München)
the Studio Nürnberg Tanzorchester, originally formed by Kurt Edelhagen in 1949
From 1977 lead by Ed Sperber
piano solos: Thomas Fink
also Petra Sanders-Sperber (s),
The Rundfunkorchestra Munich
University of Würzburg Bigband
Kaleidoscope Ed Sperber
including unreleased bootleg recordings made at Nuremberg Symphony Hall by Popmundial
„Just A Gigolo“ , „Swinging Moderator“ re-mastred by Popmundial
based on a show recorded
March 23rd, 2017
re-edit April 2021
April 8th, 2021: presenting Bert Kaempfert swinging
Ivo Robic (voc)
The Neff (Hildegard Knef) [with Bert Kaempfert on Mercury Records]
Sylvia Vrethammar (voc)
Freddy Quinn (voc)
including the first ever „Strangers In the Night“ Instrumental from the soundtrack “ A Man Could get Killed“
Solos by:
Herb Geller (s),
Jiggs Whigham (tb)
Ack van Rooyen (t)
Ladi Geisler (g)
special featured the James Last Band, recorded at Berlin Philharmonic Hall, 1968 – playing Bert Kaempfert
Feb 27th, 2021: For my RIAS BERLIN Mentor Horst Wendt
„BIGBAND TO FUNK“
Playlist:
– Max Greger cond. the RIAS Berlin Bigband
– Thilo Wolf Bigband, Fürth, and Bill Ramsey (voc)
– The (almost unkown Bigband of the ) BR Munich, principal cond. Ed Sperber (Nurenberg)
(got famous as „Dave Daffodil, cond. by Josef NIESSEN, married to Ilse Werner) „Tanzorchester Studio Nünrberg“ (unreleased)
– Bert Kaempfert
– N.C.Y. Opera Singer Cleo Laine and London Jazz Saxophonist John Dankworth & Bigband („Chattanooga Choo Choo“), live from their „Stables“ (unreleased)
-Ray Mc Kinley & The Offical Glenn Miller Orchestra, (first official stereo recording of Glenn Miller´s music)
– (Original) Glenn Miller playing Count Basie („One O´Clock Jump“), rec. Carnegie Hall 1938
– Max Greger -: „Up to Date“ (later to become the ZDF Sportsudio theme)
– a rare Max Greger (sax solo) with the Bert Kaempfert Bigband from the ealy 50s („El Rancho Rock“), rarity transfer from 45s
– Bert Kaempfert: „Love Me Happy“, with Jiggs Whigham (tb), Ack van Rooyen (t), Herb Geller (sax, which I forget to mention in the show), unreleased rarity, later on CD re-released
– Les Brown Bigband of Renown, with band singer: Doris Day, signiture „Sentimental Journey“
– Doris Day & Hollywood Film Bigband (unkown): „Lullaby of Broadway“ (Soundtrack)
– Thilo Wolf (piano) & Bigband, recorded live in Fürth (unreleased)
– Peter Nero
– Rias Orchestra, piano: Heinrich Riethmüller doing Horst Jankovski´s Stuttgart world hit „Walk In The Black Forrest“, rarity
– Rias Berlin Bigband
– Fletcher Henderson Big Reunion Bigband
– Sylvia Vrethammer jazz Duo, (Rune Gustavson) unreleased, exclusive to Popmundial („Love“)
– Bert Kaempfert „Honey Moon“ (composition Kaempfert), released in the US only
– Ed Sperber & The Bigband of the BR: „Gentle On My Mind“, unreleased, private LP pressing
– Wooyy Herman & His Thundering Herd: „Blues In the Night Funk“
– Count Basie Bigband & Frank Sintra (voc), live at the Sands, Las Vegas , Sinatra´s home,
– Quincy Jones & Bigband „Midnight Soul Parade“
– M.F.S.B. „Poinciniana“ (salsoul classic), 1971
– The Neff (Hildegard Knef & Bet Kaempfert), rare Philipps recording
– Erwin Lehn & the Stuttgart Radio Bigband, late 50s mono recording (Bernd Raabe solo)
– Robbie Williams & Studio Bigband „Going Gentle“
– Caterina Valente (voc) & Kurt Edelhagen & WDR Bigband Cologne „I get a Kick“ (early 50s)
– RIAS Bigband, Werner Müller „Love Me Tonight“, rare viny
Jan 3/8th, 2021 – The Rias Berlin Big Band (Vol.1) – [2 not yet released]
(our most downloaded podcast so far)
Rolf Kühn, Heinrich Riethmüller, Jiggs Whigham, Till Brönner, Horst Jankowski, Caterina Valente, Helmut Zacharias, Lale Anderson, Bully Buhlan, Greetje Kauffeld, Rita Paul, Thilo Wolf and Benny Gebauer.
Conducting the Rias Tanzorchester / Rias Berlin Bigband are their principle conductors Werner Müller, Dave Hildinger, Helmuth Brandenburg, Horst Jankowski and Jiggs Whigham.
Music matters with a funny „Walk in the Black Forrest“ arrangement recorded live for ZDF Germany or Ray Conniff with the Rias Berlin Bigband.
July 19th, 2020
We were swinging around the globe: music from Africa, Irland, Germany, Italy, and many others….
Starting with French singer-songwriter Brigitte Zarie
Ending with English Georgie Fame
Presented by Yours Joe, the producer
It is series 10 – last episode
July 18th, 2020
It was one of few shows after me, Yours the Producer Joe, had to go into an intensive period of life in order to serve my Dear mother untill her death .
Bigband and rare bootlegs include
Bert Kaempfert
Paul Kuhn (concert from his wedding day with Ute Mann)
Erwin Lehn with Stuttgart Bigband (Horst Jankowski, piano)
Herny Mancini
amm
November 1st, 2018
October 17th, 2017: a Bert Kaempfert – Extra
Soloists include:
Jiggs Whigham (tb)
Herb Geller (as)
Ack van Rooyen (t)
Ladi Geissler (b)
Jan 6th, 2017: Bigband Bash Germany
recorded for dormer Pop2 Sounds – now EasyRadio London
Bert Kaempfert & The Neff (Hildegard Kneff)
Erwin Lehn (Horst Jankowski – p)
and
EdSperber and the Bigband of the BR Munich
The FIRST EVER SWINGTIME, daing back to 2009: