Jan Savitt, child prodigy classical violinist and popular dance band leader is this week’s Phantom Dancer feature artist. You’ll Jan Savitt and his Top Hatters in broadcasts from 1937-39.
The Phantom Dancer is your non-stop mix of swing and jazz from live 1920s-60s radio and TV which I’ve been bringing you every week on 107.3 2SER Sydney since 1985. Listen here
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From his IMDB Bio and other sources,
“Jacob Sarvetnick was a child prodigy on the violin, destined to become Jan Savitt, leader of a popular swing band. Of Russian-Jewish ancestry, his father had variously worked as a motor mechanic and as a drummer in Tsar Nicholas II‘s Imperial Regimental Orchestra. In the U.S. from the age of fifteen, Jan became the youngest musician to play in the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra, and, from there, he advanced to concert master for the great Leopold Stokowski.
In the wake of multiple scholarships and being recipient of the Philharmonic Society’s Gold Medal Award, he was soon leading his own string quartet.
In 1935, after graduating from the Curtis Institute of Music with a B.A., Jan suddenly decided to forsake classical for popular music and organise a dance band. He was eventually engaged by Philadelphia radio station KYW as musical director.
In 1938, Jan Savitt & His Top Hatters broadcast from 5–5:30 pm every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday as the KYW staff orchestra at KYW/NBC in Philadelphia. Saturday’s weekly broadcast was one hour, coast-to-coast. The group also played at the Earl Theatre and performed with The Andrews Sisters and The Three Stooges.
The resulting national broadcasts proved popular with audiences and ‘Jan Savitt & His Top Hatters’ (so named, because their ensemble uniform consisted of white tie, tails and top hat) soon became one of the most highly rated big bands in America, playing the swank hotels, theatres and ballrooms. The band featured a unique beat called ‘shuffle rhythm’ (which may, or may not, have been originated by another bandleader, Henry Busse).
The ‘Top Hatters’ comprised between fifteen and eighteen musicians, plus vocalists. Famous sidemen included trombonist and future television composer Earle Hagen, drummer Nick Fatool and trombonist Urbie Green. Among the vocalists were Carlotta Dale, future movie actress Gloria DeHaven and Bon Bon (aka George Tunnell), the first black musician to work long-term in a white orchestra.
Jan’s theme song was “Quaker City Jazz”. Other unique compositions for the band included the swinging “720 In the Books” (by arranger Johnny Watson), “Meadowbrook Shuffle”, “It’s a Wonderful World” and “Now and Forever”. Jan also had noteworthy hits with his interpretation of “Tuxedo Junction” and “Make Believe Island”.
By the early 1940’s, he added swing versions of classical compositions (mostly arranged by Jack Pleis), such as “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice”, “Prelude to Carmen” and Claude Debussy‘s “Afternoon of a Faun” to his repertoire. The band was featured in several B-movies, released by Warner Brothers and Columbia.
After World War II, Jan was forced to reduce the size of his band (now based on the West Coast) to eight musicians, due to tax debts. In 1948, on his way to a one-nighter in Sacramento, he suffered a cerebral haemorrhage and later died in a local hospital at the age of just thirty-six.
Savitt was married to model Barbara Ann Stillwell from 1940 until his death in 1948, and had two daughters with her, Devi Marilyn and Jo Ann. Jo Ann was married to Joel Douglas, son of Kirk, from 2004 until her death in 2013.
Credits on IMDB
Soundtrack (5 credits)
2015Stalker (TV Series) (writer – 1 episode) – Love Hurts (2015) … (writer: “It’s a Wonderful World” – uncredited)
1995The Immortals (“It’s a Wonderful World”)
1995The Bridges of Madison County (writer: “It’s A Wonderful World”)
1947That’s My Gal (music: “720 in the Books”)
1946Jan Savitt and His Band (Short) (performer: “I’ll Always Love You”, “Some Sunday Morning”, “Too Marvelous for Words”, “Dearest Darling”, “Avalon” – uncredited)
Actor (4 credits)
1947That’s My Gal Jan Savitt (uncredited)
1946Betty Co-Ed Orchestra Leader Jan Savitt (as Jan Savitt and His Orchestra)
1946High School Hero Jan Savitt
1942Jan Savitt’s Serenade in Swing (Short) Orchestra Leader
Music department (2 credits)
1946King of the Forest Rangers (composer: stock music – uncredited)
1945Rough Riders of Cheyenne (composer: stock music – uncredited)
Self (2 credits)
1946Jan Savitt and His Band (Short) Self – Band Leader
1946Swing High, Swing Sweet (Short) Self- Orchestra Leader
1 DECEMBER PLAY LIST
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Play List – The Phantom Dancer
107.3 2SER-FM Sydney, Live Stream
Community Radio Network Show CRN #444 |
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107.3 2SER Tuesday 1 December 2020 |
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Set 1
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Women on 1940s Radio | |
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Theme + Down By The Riverside
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Sister Rosetta Tharpe (voc) Lucky Millinder Orchestra
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‘Jubilee’
AFRS Hollywood 2 Aug 1943 |
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I Can’t Give You Anything But Love
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Rose Murphy ‘The Chi-Chi Girl’
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‘Jubilee’
AFRS Hollywood 18 Jan 1945 |
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Sweet Georgia Brown
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The International Sweethearts of Rhythm
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‘Jubilee’
AFRS Hollywood 1945 |
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Prelude in C#m + One O’Clock Jump (close)
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Dorothy Donnegan
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‘Jubilee’
AFRS Hollywood 5 Jun 1944 |
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Set 2
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Paul Whiteman 1936 | |
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Theme + Cosi Cosa
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Paul Whiteman Orchestra (voc) The King’s Men
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‘Musical Varieties’
WJZ NBC Blue NY 12 Jan 1936 |
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The Music Goes Around
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Paul Whiteman Orchestra (voc + tb) Jack Teagarden
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‘Musical Varieties’
WJZ NBC Blue NY 12 Jan 1936 |
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More Than You Know
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Paul Whiteman Orchestra (voc) Morton Downey
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‘Musical Varieties’
WJZ NBC Blue NY 12 Jan 1936 |
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Soap Ad and Station ID
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Paul Whiteman Orchestra
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‘Musical Varieties’
WJZ NBC Blue NY 12 Jan 1936 |
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Set 3
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Midday Music 1945 | |
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News + My Dog Has Fleas
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Dave Rose Orchestra
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WOR Mutual NY
10 Aug 1945 |
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Lady of the Evening
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Dave Rose Orchestra
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WOR Mutual NY
10 Aug 1945 |
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Holiday for Strings
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Dave Rose Orchestra
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WOR Mutual NY
10 Aug 1945 |
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Fascinating Rhythm
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Piano Duo
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WOR Mutual NY
10 Aug 1945 |
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Time On My Hands + Close
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Unidentified Orchestra
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WOR Mutual NY
10 Aug 1945 |
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Set 4
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Jan Savitt | |
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Quaker City Jazz
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Jan Savitt and the Top Hatters
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Arcadia Restaurant
KYW NBC Philadelphia 2 Dec 1938 |
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Monday Morning
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Jan Savitt and the Top Hatters (voc) Carlotta Dale
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KYW NBC Philadelphia Studios
17 Oct 1938 |
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On The Road to Mandalay
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Jan Savitt and the Top Hatters (voc) Bon Bon
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Radio Transcription
New York City 1939 |
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Old Man Moon + Rigamarole + Close
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Jan Savitt and the Top Hatters |
KYW NBC Philadelphia New Studio Opening
14 Sep 1937 |
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Set 5
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Spotlight Bands | |
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Open + Hallelujah
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Ina Ray Hutton Orchestra
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‘Spotlight Bands’
Blue Network Fort Monroe Va 13 Apr 1943 |
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Taboo
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Tommy Tucker Orchestra
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‘Spotlight Bands’
Blue Network Biloxi Miss. 15 Feb 1945 |
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Rose of the Rio Grande
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Hal McIntyre Orchestra
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‘Spotlight Bands’
Blue Network Miami Beach Fl 20 Nov 1943 |
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Dark Eyes + Close
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Jimmy Joy Orchestra
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‘Spotlight Bands’
Blue Network Harlingen Tx 6 Jan 1945 |
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Set 6
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Trad Jazz Radio | |
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Basin Street Blues
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Jimmy Dorsey’s Dorseyland Band
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Radio Transcription
Los Angesles 1950 |
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Riverside Blues
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Muggsy Spanier
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Club Hangover
KCBS San Francisco 18 Apr 1953 |
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Maryland, My Maryland
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George Lewis Jazz Band
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‘Dixieland Jambake’
WDSU ABC New Orleans 20 Apr 1951 |
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Set 7
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1930s-40s British Dance Bands | |
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Ellingtonia Medley
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Jack Hylton Orchestra
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London
18 Nov 1933 |
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My Bonnie Lies Over The Ocean
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Johnny Claes Claepigeons (voc) Irene King
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London
1941 |
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Here Lies Love
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Ambrose Orchestra (voc) Sam Browne
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London
8 Nov 1932 |
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It’s a Pair of Wings for Me
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Nat Gonella Orchestra (voc) Nat Gonella
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London
1940 |
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Set 8
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1950s Mod Radio | |
| The Duke |
Dave Brubeck
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Basin Street
WCBS CBS NY Feb 1956 |
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Move
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Miles Davis
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‘Stars of Modern Jazz Concert’
Carnegie Hall Voice of America 25 Dec 1949 |
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Night in Tunisia
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Dizzy Gillespie
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‘Symphony Sid Show’
Birdland WJZ NY 31 Mar 1951 |
Actor - Singer - Voiceover 