An hour cabaret of 1920s – 1930s songs by Greg Poppleton (1920s-30s-style singer) and Grahame Conlon (banjo / guitar)
No microphone (the suspension mic is a prop) and no audio sweetening. The sound is Zoom via an inbuilt laptop mic. We’re sitting on a lounge so this could also be called Lounge Music.
Every year since 2006 we’ve played an annual concert in the historic Bondi Pavilion next to iconic Bondi Beach. This year the concert was online because of Covid and restoration work at the Pavilion.
Greg’s authenticity in 1920s – 30s singing comes from a lifetime of listening. He also trained in bel canto singing with Steve Ostrow of Continental Baths fame. Steve discovered Bette Midler and relaunched the career of Peter Allen. Cab Calloway, Margaret Whiting and Josephine Baker sang in his club.
Greg sings in an Australian accent, including when he sings in German, Spanish and Italian. He sometimes sings while eating a banana. The Jazz Police called during the show.
Songs in this spontaneous, energetic cabaret include The Charleston, Yes We Have No Bananas and Carolina in the Morning.
During the dinner, it was my solemn duty to break the news that Bob Hawke, Australia’s 23rd Prime Minister, had died. There is film of this moment below…
ALGWA is the national Australian Local Government Women’s Association. With branches in every state and territory it seeks to strengthen networking, mentoring and innovative opportunities that encourage and support women in local government.
ALGWA sign at conference dinner
BREAKING THE NEWS BOB HAWKE HAD DIED
When news came through during the evening that one of Australia’s most popular political leaders had died, I was asked to break the news to the conference delegates.
Thank you to Cazzbo Johns, who put down her sousaphone to film the moment I broke that sad news news mid band set at the ALGWA Conference Dinner…
<h4>1920s SINGER AND BAND</h4>
The Greg Poppleton band for the Conference Dinner included:
– Greg Poppleton: Australia’s only authentic 1920s – 1930s singer singing into a 1920s suspension microphone and 1920s megaphone
– Paul Furniss: clarinet and alto saxophone
– Cazzbo (Carolyn) Johns: sousaphone
– Grahame Conlon: guitar and banjo
<h4>SOUND AND LIGHTS</h4>
were provided for the long arc shaped room by Tony Jex at OzManagement. As Tony is the booker for the Greg Poppleton band, the ALGWA Conference had lights, sound and operation at a discount.
The band photo below was taken by magneticshots.com, event photography.
Greg Poppleton 1920s band
<h4>DANCING</h4>
The Greg Poppleton band played a conga and The Charleston so that The Salsa Republic Dancers could get delegates together on the dance floor.
Salsa Republic dancing The Charleston to Greg Poppleton’s 1920s band
<h4>WHY BOOKING A REAL 1920s BAND FOR A 1920s THEME MAKES REAL DOLLARS AND SENSE</h4>
So many bands play songs from the 1920s.
The Greg Poppleton band is 1920s. That’s because Greg sings the music of the 1920s and 1930s exclusively.
The difference is sound.
Bands and DJs that play 1920s, 1930s, rock, blues, Sinatra, comb, spoons, gypsy, Buble and what ever else is supposed ‘to get people dancing’ try really hard to hide the fact they can’t make the right 1920s – 30s sounds.
It’s that simple.
Like, the family wagon is a car but racers aren’t going to use it to try and win a grand prix, are they?
Booking the family wagon instead of the specialist twenties singer and band ruins any 1920s -30s atmosphere you’ve spent money, time and reputation on creating.
Greg Poppleton 1920s singer and Cazzbo Johns on sousaphone
And here’s Cazzbo with Grahame Conlon on guitar doubling banjo in the Greg Poppleton band at the ALGWA dinner. Tony Jex is in the back ground at the sound desk.
Cazzbo Johns sousaphone, Grahame Conlon guitar doubling banjo in the Greg Poppleton band
On sax and clarinet with the Greg Poppleton band is one of Australia’s most celebrated jazz figures, Paul Furniss…
Paul Furniss with the Greg Poppleton band on alto sax and clarinet.
On this week’s Phantom Dancer with Greg Poppleton we hear from the world’s first electric guitarist, Alvino Rey, at the peak of his popularity in 1942. He invented the world’s first amplified guitar at age 15 in 1923.
There’s also a set of Claude Hopkins 1935 radio transcriptions, a Duke Ellington extended work from live 1945 radio and much more live 1920s-60s radio swing and jazz.
PHANTOM DANCER
The Phantom Dancer is your non-stop swing and jazz mix of live 1920s-60s radio and TV every week. I’ve been bringing you The Phantom Dancer on Radio 2SER, and now online, since 1985.
Hear this week’s Phantom Dancer (after 18 Dec) and past Phantom Dancers at 2ser.com.
Hear the show live every Tuesday 12:04-2pm on 107.3 2SER Sydney
ALVINO REY
Was the stage name of big band leader, electronica and electric guitar pioneer, Alvin McBurney.
Alvin adopted the stage name in 1929 at the start of the Latin music craze in the U.S.
He wanted to be an electronics engineer and was an electronic genius as a kid.
He built his first radio at age 8, in 1916.
In the 1910s he had one of the first, and was the youngest, ham radio broadcaster.
STRINGY
Alvino was given a banjo as a child and then learnt guitar from age 12 in 1920, listening to records by Roy Smeck. At age 15, in 1923, Rey invented an electrical amplifier for the guitar but didn’t have it patented. He patented several later improvements.
Big Band historian, Christopher Popa, wrote about Rey’s early career in an interview he conducted with the World’s first electric guitarist,
“In 1927, Rey landed a job playing banjo with Cleveland bandleader Ev Jones.
“Yes, I joined the Union when I was 16,” he told me. “I went to Lakewood High School and from there I went to New York and never did come back.”
To capitalize on the popularity of Latin music in New York City during 1929, he added an “o” to his first name and changed his last name to “Rey,” which meant “the King” in Spanish.
He replaced banjoist Eddie Peabody with violinist Phil Spitalny, whose band was appearing at the Pennsylvania Hotel and was heard coast-to-coast over the radio.
“I spent two years in New York with Phil Spitalny and then went to California,” he recalled. “I joined Horace Heidt in San Francisco . . . he had a stage band, sort of like Fred Waring.”
Between 1934 and 1939, Rey was often featured on steel guitar with Heidt and became one of the best-known (and best-paid) sidemen in the country, thanks to Heidt’s weekly radio program.
“And there I met the King Sisters, and I married Luise, one of the sisters,” he reminisced.
Alvino Rey was the first to amplify the guitar.
“Well, that came about around 1930, when I was at NBC in San Francisco,” he explained to me. “And I’ve always been an electronic nut and I’ve been a ham operator and studied electronics. In fact, that was going to be my ambition, to be an electronics engineer, and I just applied the amplification of that to the guitar and string instruments.”
It brought a whole new sound to music.
“That was . . . before it was ever done, I believe. As far as I know, it was the first application to a string instrument,” he noted.
Ironically, some link it to rock and roll.
“Well, it got out of hand with a lot of the big rock groups who make so much racket with it. I didn’t intend it to be used with such volume. I used the idea just to be heard in a band, where the guitar — up until that time — was a soft, romantic background accompanying a singer. And after that, it became sort of an integral part of an orchestra.”
BIG BAND
In August 1939, Rey formed his first swing band with his amplified pedal steel guitar as the featured instrument.
An off-stage vocal microphone plugged into it with a Sonovox made it seem as though the guitar could talk.
That’s ‘Stringy the Guitar’, which you can see below in this week’s Phantom Dancer Video of the Week.
In 1942, Alvino was voted by music critics to be part of the Metronome All-Star Band as the top guitarist in the U.S.
He played in small groups from 1949, backing Elvis Presley in 1961 on Blue Hawaii.
He continued to perform on radio and TV and release albums into the 1980s.
VIDEO
This week’s Phantom Dancer video of the week is a 1940s soundy of ‘String the Guitar’ with Alvino Rey’s Orchestra.
29 JANUARY PLAY LIST
Play List – The Phantom Dancer
107.3 2SER-FM Sydney, Live Stream, Digital Radio Community Radio Network Show CRN #372
107.3 2SER Tuesday 29 January 2019 After the 2SER 12 noon news, 12:04 – 2:00pm (+11 hours GMT)
National Program:
ArtSoundFM Canberra Sunday 7 – 8pm
and early morning on 24 other stations.
Set 1
1944-45 Radio Swing Bands
Aukd Lang Syne (theme) + All My Love
Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians (voc) Bill Flanagan
‘One Night Stand’
Grill Room
Hotel Roosevelt NYC
AFRS Re-broadcast
25 Oct 1950
Full Moon and Empty Arms
Buddy Morrow Orchestra (voc) Carl Denny
‘One Night Stand’
Blue Room
Hotel Lincoln NYC
AFRS Re-broadcast
27 May 1946
The Blizzard
Louis Prima Orchestra
‘One Night Stand’
Casino Gardens
Ocean Park Ca
AFRS Re-broadcast
3 Jul 1946
Set 2
Sammy Kaye
The Belmont Boogie
Sammy Kaye Orchestra
‘The Sammy Kaye Showroom’
Radio Transcription
New York City
1950s
Remember Pearl Harbour
Sammy Kaye Orchestra (voc) Trio
‘Spotlight Bands’
Blue Network
Washington DC
31 Jan 1942
Sparking + Close
Sammy Kaye Orchestra (voc) The Four Kaydettes
‘The Sammy Kaye Showroom’
Radio Transcription
New York City
1950s
Set 3
Alvino Rey
Open + Hindustan
Alvino Rey Orchestra (voc) Sparky the Guitar
‘Spotlight Bands’
Paramount Theatre
WJZ NBC Blue New York City
28 Feb 1942
Cash For Your Trash
Alvino Rey Orchestra (voc) Bonnie Rae
‘Spotlight Bands’
Paramount Theatre
WJZ NBC Blue New York City
28 Feb 1942
Deep in the Heart of Texas + Close
Alvino Rey Orchestra (voc) Band
‘Spotlight Bands’
Paramount Theatre
WJZ NBC Blue New York City
28 Feb 1942
Set 4
Count Basie
Station ID and Ads
Station Announcers
KFWB
Warner Brothers
Los Angeles
1946
Ingin’ The Ooh
Count Basie Nonet
Comm Rec
Boston
7 Sep 1954
Low Life
Count Basie Orchestra
‘All-Star Parade of Bands’
Birdland
WRCA NBC NY
2 Jul 1956
One O’Clock Jump + Kansas City Stride
Count Basie Orchestra
‘Jubilee’
AFRS Hollywood
27 May 1944
Set 5
Duke Ellington
Excerpts from Black, Brown and Beige: The Work Song + Come Sunday
Duke Ellington Orchestra
‘A Date With The Duke’
400 Restaurant
WJZ ABC NY
28 Apr 1945
Candy
Duke Ellington Orchestra (vic) Ray Nance
‘A Date With The Duke’
400 Restaurant
WJZ ABC NY
28 Apr 1945
Set 6
Claude Hopkins
Chasing My Blues Away
Claude Hopkins Orchestra
Radio Transcription
New York City
1935
The Traffic Was Terrific
Claude Hopkins Orchestra (voc) Fred Norman
Radio Transcription
New York City
1935
You Stayed Away Too Long
Claude Hopkins Orchestra
Radio Transcription
New York City
1935
Everybody Shuffle
Claude Hopkins Orchestra (voc) Ovie Alston
Radio Transcription
New York City
1935
Set 7
Jubilee Small Acts
Trouble Trouble
Betty Roche (voc) Benny Carter Orchestra
‘Jubilee’
AFRS Hollywood
1944
Mad Monk
Eddie South Trio
‘Jubilee’
AFRS Hollywood
1944
Daddy-O
Timmie Rogers
‘Jubilee’
AFRS Hollywood
1944
Straighten Up and Fly Right
Golden Gate Quartet
‘Jubilee’
AFRS Hollywood
1944
Set 8
Benny Goodman Small Groups
Honeysuckle Rose
Benny Goodman Quartet
‘Camel Caravan’
WABC CBS NY
18 Jan 1938
Three Little Words
Benny Goodman Quintet
‘Spotlight Bands’
Cornell University
Blue Network
25 Sep 1943
It’s always a great pleasure singing the songs of the 1920s – 30s to the always appreciative audience in The Basement of The Builders Club, Wollongong.
And it’s also always a great joy to sing with swinging Grahame Conlon on guitar and doubling on banjo, and the spontaneous Dave Clayton on double bass.
Songs in English, German, Italian and Spanish included Tip Toe Through The Tulips, El Mansiero, Dove e Quando?, Ich bin von Kopf bis Fuss auf Liebe eingestellt and My Canary Has Circles Under His Eyes.
The Builders Club has jazz in The Basement every Sunday 2:30 – 5:30pm. Free!
We’ll be back at The Builders Club in August and November. We hope to see you there, too. And if you want Greg Poppleton at your place, Enquire Now
The Builders Club, 61 Church Street, Wollongong
Greg Poppleton – 1920s-1930s singer with Dave Clayton on double bass at The Builders Club, Wollongong, Sunday 6 May
The Greg Poppleton 1920s Ear Trumpet suspension microphone
Grahame Conlon guitar (and doubling banjo) with Greg Poppleton
Dave Clayton feeling ‘I Got Rhythm’ on double bass, Greg Poppleton jazz deco band.
The venue you’re playing at has been undercut by not one, but two, nearby venues.
Audience numbers are down.
What do you do?
Well, if you’re Greg Poppleton at Mosman Bowling Club today, you put on a ‘helluva’ show for the club and the beautiful people who came to see and hear us.
Greg Poppleton Jazz Deco singer channeling the spirits of the 1920s and 1930s
You put on an intimate show – singing to each of the 40 guests individually -from the stage and table by table.
You bring people together and get the audience singing.
You tell personal stories, weave in an amazing anecdote about a song or two or three, and you sing a request or two that brings a tear to the eyes of the requesters.
Greg Poppleton and an over the shoulder shot of some of the audience at Sunday Jazz in Mosman Bowling Club
And you have a swinging band:
Greg Poppleton – 1920s-30s vocals
Grahame Conlon – banjo and guitar
Dave Clayton – double bass
Adam Barnard – drums and washboard
The Greg Poppleton swing rhythm section. Adam Barnard drums and washboard, Dave Clayton double bass, and Grahame Conlon guitar and banjo
In short, you create a ‘helluva’ show with great musicians that makes everyone happy. In fact, everybody left today with a smile and a desire to come back for more. Many left clutching a Greg Poppleton CD sold to them by Bev Evans. A CHILDHOOD HERO.
Having a special occasion? GREG POPPLETON MAKES JAZZ DECO POP!
The Copasetic 1920s – 1930s Jazz Singer and Band are absolutely the Bee’s Knees. 1.17 Million Total YouTube views. We’ll make your special occasion sparkle, too. Enquire now.
Mosman Bowling Club presents a different top notch jazz band for your enjoyment on the first Sunday of every month, 2 – 4:30pm. And they welcome new players and members, too. Get in touch.
A guest photo. Greg Poppleton and Dave Clayton . double bass singing, ‘Yes, We Have No Bananas’.
MRS SPARKLE
Bev Evans was Mrs Sparkle in the Mr Sheen ads. Her talent made the ads hugely successful. As a result, she became Australia’s leading hand and placement model.
I used to watch Mrs Sparkle on TV as a very little kid and marvel at how natural she was while being incredibly precise in her movements. I’ve been in 60 TV commercials myself and looking natural while being ‘big’ as a TVC requires is a rare skill.
And I loved the music. Little did I know then that the song was ‘Mr Gallagher and Mr Sheen’, written in 1922. No, I’m not a ‘make-a-quick-buck-off-the-Great-Gatsby-movie’ blow-in. I’ve loved the music of the 1920s and 1930s eversince I first saw Louis Armstrong on TV when I was three years old.
The band and I had lots of fun last night (Sunday 16 July) with the All About Swing Dancers at Swing Night with Greg Poppleton at the Django Bar.
Thank you to everyone for coming.
You can see the band next at:
Sat 29 July – Gin Mill Social (sold out)
Sun 30 July – Sydney Rowing Club 3-6pm
Sun 13 August – Mosman Bowling Club 2-4:30pm
To whet your appetite for the next shows, here are four photos of Greg Poppleton and All About Swing at Swing Night with Greg Poppleton at the Django Bar. Enjoy!
Swing Night with Greg Poppleton at Django Bar, Sunday 16 JulySwing Night with Greg Poppleton at Django Bar. Greg Poppleton (blue-striped suit 1920s-30s swing vocals) Geoff Power (sousaphone doubling cornet) Grahame Conlon (guitar doubling banjo) Damon Poppleton (alto sax).Greg Poppleton singing ‘Button Up Your Overcoat’ on the big screen with Damon Poppleton watching.
Saturday night, Greg Poppleton and the band, barnstormed Sydney’s underground 1920s nightclub venue, Palmer and Co.
I took a few snaps of the band for you. It was great to make so many new friends for the band and to meet so many interesting new people.
We kicked off at 9pm and the joint was jumping and crowded to 1pm.
Check out Greg Poppleton for your venue, wedding and party, too. Band website
Glenn Henrich, clarinet, with Greg Poppleton at Palmer and Co.. (He also plays vibes for James Morrison)Greg Chilcott sousaphone and Grahame Conlon guitar with Greg Poppleton at Palmer and Co.Greg Poppleton 1920s Quartet: Greg Poppleton authentic 1920s-1930s singer in blue. Glenn Henrich clarinet, Grahame Conlon guitar and Greg Chilcott sousaphone.
Taking the photos: MICHAEL HENNESSY PHOTOGRAPHY
MOBILE NO. 0425292809 EMAIL: michael@hennos.com
In Greg Poppleton and the Bakelite Broadcasters are the absolute best in Sydney 1920s-30s jazz and swing:
Greg Poppleton – authentic 1920s-30s singer / film and TV actor
Geoff Power – cornet and sousaphone
Paul Furniss – alto and soprano saxes plus clarinet
Grahame Conlon – guitar and banjo
Lawrie Thompson – drums and washboard.
Tony Jex provided the sound for the 1000 seat hall.
Looking for a swinging jazz band for your wedding, corporate event and party?
Trio to full 1920s orchestra. Sound, lights and staging for small parties to big events.
Call Tony or email. Contact.
Greg Poppleton 1920s singer with Lawrie Thompson washboard. Greg Poppleton and the Bakelite Broadcasters Photo: MOBILE NO. 0425292809 EMAIL: michael@hennos.com
Grahame Conlon banjo with Lawrie Thompson drums. Greg Poppleton and the Bakelite Broadcasters Photo: MOBILE NO. 0425292809 EMAIL: michael@hennos.com
Greg Poppleton 1920s singer with megaphone. Greg Poppleton and the Bakelite Broadcasters Photo: MOBILE NO. 0425292809 EMAIL: michael@hennos.com
Greg Poppleton 1920s singer on stage at Great Gatsby cocktail party. Greg Poppleton and the Bakelite Broadcasters Photo: MOBILE NO. 0425292809 EMAIL: michael@hennos.com
Greg Poppleton and the Bakelite Broadcasters at 1920s party. Greg Poppleton and the Bakelite Broadcasters Photo: MOBILE NO. 0425292809 EMAIL: michael@hennos.com
Lawrie Thompson washboard. Greg Poppleton and the Bakelite Broadcasters Photo: MOBILE NO. 0425292809 EMAIL: michael@hennos.com
Geoff Power sousaphone: Greg Poppleton and the Bakelite Broadcasters Photo: MOBILE NO. 0425292809 EMAIL: michael@hennos.com
Grahame Conlon guitar: Greg Poppleton and the Bakelite Broadcasters Photo: MOBILE NO. 0425292809 EMAIL: michael@hennos.com
Paul Furniss alto sax and clarinet: Greg Poppleton and the Bakelite Broadcasters Photo: MOBILE NO. 0425292809 EMAIL: michael@hennos.com
Geoff Power cornet. Greg Poppleton and the Bakelite Broadcasters Photo: MOBILE NO. 0425292809 EMAIL: michael@hennos.com
Looking for a swinging jazz band for your wedding, corporate event and party?
Trio to full 1920s orchestra. Sound, lights and staging for small parties to big events.
Call Tony or email. Contact.
Jazz club Foundry 616 witnessed the most high-energy show of its lifetime when Greg Poppleton brought their songs of the 1920s and 1930s to the Foundry stage.
One visiting Londoner told us the night reminded of her of many nights she had spent at the iconic Ronnie Scott’s jazz club. High energy and intimate were the words she used to describe the show.
Many Greg Poppleton regulars and plenty of new friends were in the audience making the night one of the club’s busiest Thursday nights on record.
The band’s stock of Back In Your Own Backyard albums (available at Bandcamp) sold out.
Thank you to Jennifer Power, sound man Jonathan, and drummer Adam Barnard for the photos below. I also took a few. Enjoy…
The Greg Poppleton 1920s-30s Band just about to go on stage at Foundry 616. L-r Adam Barnard drums and washboard, Grahame Conlon guitar and banjo, Geoff Power sousaphone, cornet and trombone, Paul Furniss clarinet and alto sax. Photo: Greg Poppleton.
Adam Barnard during soundcheck at the drums and washboard.
1920s – 1930s singer Greg Poppleton snapped in the wings after the show
Some of the Greg Poppleton and the Bakelite Broadcasters instruments on stage – sousaphone, megaphone, trombone, guitar, drums and alto sax.
Greg Poppleton (far right of photo) sings without the microphone, getting up-close and personal with the audience. Paul Furniss plays clarinet, Geoff Power sousaphone, Grahame Conlon guitar and Adam Barnard drums.
Geoff Power takes a fiery cornet solo on Hindustan. Grahame Conlon is behind him on guitar. Adam Barnard, drums.
Actor - Singer - Voiceover 