Old Friends Radio

  • Home
  • Old Friends Radio

Old Friends Radio Bebop, Blues, Big Band, Jazz, and Swing from 1918 to 1968. Free listener-supported non-profit streaming internet radio.

Jazz musician Bobby Hackett's album recorded at The Embers. The Embers was a 1950s and 1960s-era New York City restaur...
21/09/2025

Jazz musician Bobby Hackett's album recorded at The Embers. The Embers was a 1950s and 1960s-era New York City restaurant and nightclub formerly located at 161 East 54th Street between 3rd and Lexington Avenues. It was opened in late 1951 by former jazz musician Ralph Watkins, who had also been involved with clubs such as Bop City and the Royal Roost, and featured many notable jazz acts over the years, including Marian McPartland, Dorothy Donegan, Joe Bushkin, George Shearing, Jonah Jones, Red Norvo, George Barnes and Carl Kress, and the Erroll Garner Trio. Other artists who recorded there include Art Tatum, Buck Clayton, Teddy Wilson, and Dorothy Donegan.

Photos:
1. Bobby Hackett At The Embers album, 1958
2. Interior of The Embers night club, circa 1953

OldFriendsRadio.org - www.OldFriendsRadio.org
24/7 Free Streaming Classic Vintage Jazz Internet Radio
No Fees, Free Apps!! Ask Alexa for Old Friends Radio
www.OldFriendsRadio.org/merchandise is the Old Friends Radio Merchandise Store!
Join us every Sunday Morning for "Sunday Morning Coffee & Vintage Jazz"
Click here >> rdo.to/OFRN

Old Friends Radio takes time to remember Leroy Eliot "Slam" Stewart (September 21, 1914 – December 10, 1987), an America...
21/09/2025

Old Friends Radio takes time to remember Leroy Eliot "Slam" Stewart (September 21, 1914 – December 10, 1987), an American jazz double-bass player whose trademark style was his ability to bow the bass (arco) and simultaneously hum or sing an octave higher. He had been a violinist before switching to bass at the age of 20.

Born in Englewood, New Jersey, Stewart began playing string bass while attending Dwight Morrow High School. While attending the Boston Conservatory, he heard Ray Perry singing along with his violin. This gave him the inspiration to follow suit with his bass. In 1937, Stewart teamed with Slim Gaillard to form the novelty jazz act Slim and Slam. In 1938 the duo had a big hit with "Flat Foot Floogie (with a Floy Floy)."

Stewart found regular session work throughout the 1940s with Lester Young, Fats Waller, Coleman Hawkins, Erroll Garner, Art Tatum, Johnny Guarnieri, Red Norvo, Don Byas, Benny Goodman, and Beryl Booker. One of the most famous sessions he played on took place in 1945, when Stewart played with Dizzy Gillespie's group (which featured Charlie Parker). Out of those sessions came some of the classics of bebop such as "Groovin' High" and "Dizzy Atmosphere". In later years he taught at Binghamton University in New York, and at Yale University.

Photos:
1. Slam Stewart (Photographer: William Gottlieb)
2. Stewart with Benny Goodman (Photographer: John W, Mosley. From the John Mosley Collection part of Temple University's Digital Collection).

OldFriendsRadio.org - www.OldFriendsRadio.org
24/7 Free Streaming Classic Vintage Jazz Internet Radio
No Fees, Free Apps!! Ask Alexa for Old Friends Radio
www.OldFriendsRadio.org/merchandise is the Old Friends Radio Merchandise Store!
Join us every Sunday Morning for "Sunday Morning Coffee & Vintage Jazz"
Click here >> rdo.to/OFRN

We remember Foreststorn "Chico" Hamilton (September 20, 1921 – November 25, 2013), an American jazz drummer and bandlead...
20/09/2025

We remember Foreststorn "Chico" Hamilton (September 20, 1921 – November 25, 2013), an American jazz drummer and bandleader. He came to prominence as sideman for Lester Young, Gerry Mulligan, Count Basie, and Lena Horne. Hamilton became a bandleader, first with a quintet featuring the cello as a lead instrument, an unusual choice for a jazz band in the 1950s, and subsequently leading bands that performed cool jazz, post bop, and jazz fusion.

Hamilton started his career in a band with Charles Mingus, Illinois Jacquet, Ernie Royal, Dexter Gordon, Buddy Collette and Jack Kelso before he had finished high school. Engagements with Lionel Hampton, Slim & Slam, T-Bone Walker, Lester Young, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Charlie Barnet, Billy Eckstine, Nat King Cole, Sammy Davis Jr., Billie Holiday, Gerry Mulligan and Lena Horne established his career.

Photos:
1. Hamilton playing as a member of Gerry Mulligan's Quartet which included Chet Baker and Bob Whitlock, circa 1953.
2. The Chico Hamilton Quintet playing in the 1957 film, "Sweet Smell of Success."

OldFriendsRadio.org - www.OldFriendsRadio.org
24/7 Free Streaming Classic Vintage Jazz Internet Radio
No Fees, Free Apps!! Ask Alexa for Old Friends Radio
www.OldFriendsRadio.org/merchandise is the Old Friends Radio Merchandise Store!
Join us every Sunday Morning for "Sunday Morning Coffee & Vintage Jazz"
Click here >> rdo.to/OFRN

Old Friends Radio remembers the birth of Alberto Socarrás Estacio, (September 19, 1908 – August 26, 1987), a Cuban-Ameri...
19/09/2025

Old Friends Radio remembers the birth of Alberto Socarrás Estacio, (September 19, 1908 – August 26, 1987), a Cuban-American flautist who played both Cuban music and jazz.

He recorded with Clarence Williams in 1927 with his first flute solo taking place on "Shooting the Pistol" on the Paramount label that year, making him the earliest known jazz flute soloist (earlier even than Wayman Carver). He played with The Blackbirds r***e between 1928 and 1933, and played on Lizzie Miles's 1928 recording "You're Such a Cruel Papa to Me." In 1933 he played with Benny Carter, then led the all-female Cuban band Anacaona on a tour of Europe in 1934. In 1935 he played with Sam Wooding and led his own bands from 1935 into the 1940s; his sidemen included Edgar Sampson, Mongo Santamaría, and Cab Calloway as a singer. He also played with Erskine Hawkins in 1937.

In 1955 he cut Afro Cuban versions of four Duke Ellington compositions. In 1956, he recorded two LPs for Decca. In 1959, he appeared on the exotic "Tambo!" LP by Tito Puente for RCA Victor.

In the 1950s he took part in Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone on TV, and offered concerts of cult music at the Carnegie Hall in New York. In the 60s he dedicated himself to teaching, but also made some recordings. In 1983 he was filmed by Gustavo Paredes playing the flute in a TV documentary Música.

In his heyday, Socarrás was broadcasting live on WMCA from the Latin Campomar Club in NYC, where he brought in a young Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet, who later would say of Socarras, “the Cuban maestro with the magic flute.”

Photos:
1. Alberto Socarrás
2. Socarrás and his Magic Flute Orchestra.

OldFriendsRadio.org - www.OldFriendsRadio.org
24/7 Free Streaming Classic Vintage Jazz Internet Radio
No Fees, Free Apps!! Ask Alexa for Old Friends Radio
www.OldFriendsRadio.org/merchandise is the Old Friends Radio Merchandise Store!
Join us every Sunday Morning for "Sunday Morning Coffee & Vintage Jazz"
Click here >> rdo.to/OFRN

Today Old Friends Radio celebrates the birthday of Benjamin Franklin Peay (September 19, 1931 – April 9, 1988), but bett...
19/09/2025

Today Old Friends Radio celebrates the birthday of Benjamin Franklin Peay (September 19, 1931 – April 9, 1988), but better known as Brook Benton - a singer and songwriter whose music transcended rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and pop music genres in the 1950s and 1960s, with hits such as "It's Just a Matter of Time" and "Endlessly."

During his time with RCA's Vik subsidiary, Benton had a single chart appearance, 1958's "A Million Miles From Nowhere," which peaked at No. 82 on U.S. charts. He also wrote two songs that charted for other performers, Clyde McPhatter's "A Lover's Question" and Nat King Cole's "Looking Back."

In 1958, Benton signed with Mercury Records, where he recorded hits "It's Just A Matter Of Time", "Endlessly", "Thank You Pretty Baby", "So Many Ways", "Baby (You've Got What It Takes)", "A Rockin' Good Way" (both duets with Dinah Washington), "Kiddio", "The Boll Weevil Song", and "Hotel Happiness."

In August 1959 Benton partnered with Dinah Washington to record "Baby You've Got What It Takes." Released in January 1960, the song was hugely successful on both the pop and R&B charts, reaching No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Hot R&B sides chart for 10 weeks, becoming one of the most successful R&B singles of the 1960s.

In the mid 1960s, Benton recorded for RCA Records and Reprise Records with minimal commercial success. Then, in 1968, he signed with Cotillion Records, a subsidiary of Atlantic Records, where, the following year, he enjoyed his last major hit with the million-seller "Rainy Night in Georgia."

Photos:
1. Brook Benton
2. Benton with Dinah Washington during a 1959 recording session with Milt Hilton on bass.

OldFriendsRadio.org - www.OldFriendsRadio.org
24/7 Free Streaming Classic Vintage Jazz Internet Radio
No Fees, Free Apps!! Ask Alexa for Old Friends Radio
www.OldFriendsRadio.org/merchandise is the Old Friends Radio Merchandise Store!
Join us every Sunday Morning for "Sunday Morning Coffee & Vintage Jazz"
Click here >> rdo.to/OFRN

We remember the birthday of an Old Friend Cora "Lovie" Austin (September 19, 1887 – July 8, 1972), an American Chicago ...
19/09/2025

We remember the birthday of an Old Friend Cora "Lovie" Austin (September 19, 1887 – July 8, 1972), an American Chicago bandleader, session musician, composer, singer, and arranger during the 1920s classic blues era. She and Lil Hardin Armstrong are often ranked as two of the best female jazz blues piano players of the period.

Accompanying blues singers was Lovie's specialty, and can be heard on recordings by Ma Rainey ("Moonshine Blues"), Ida Cox ("Wild Women Don't Have the Blues"), Ethel Waters ("Craving Blues"), and Alberta Hunter ("Sad 'n' Lonely Blues").

Austin worked with many other top jazz musicians of the 1920s, including Louis Armstrong, with whom she worked on the song "Heebie Jeebies". Austin's skills as songwriter can be heard in "Down Hearted Blues", a tune she co-wrote with Alberta Hunter. Singer Bessie Smith turned the song into a hit in 1923. She was also a session musician for Paramount Records. Austin and the Blues Serenaders recorded with Paramount Records during their temporary shift from New York to Chicago in 1923.

When the classic blues craze began to wane in the early 1930s, Austin became the musical director for the Monogram Theater, in Chicago where all the T.O.B.A.* acts played. She worked there for 20 years. After World War II she became a pianist at Jimmy Payne's Dancing School at Penthouse Studios, and performed and recorded occasionally. In 1961 as interest in her early career grew she made a significant recording with Alberta Hunter in Chicago.

The pianist Mary Lou Williams, claimed that Lovie Austin was her greatest influence. Williams refers to Austin as, "a fabulous woman and a fabulous musician too. I don't believe there's a woman around now who could compete with her. She was a greater talent than many of the men of this period."

Photos:
1. Early photo of Lovie Austin
2. Lovie Austin and Her Blues Serenaders album

*Theatre Owners Booking Association, or T.O.B.A., was the vaudeville circuit for African American performers in the 1920s. The theaters mostly had white owners, though about a third of them had black owners.

OldFriendsRadio.org - www.OldFriendsRadio.org
24/7 Free Streaming Classic Vintage Jazz Internet Radio
No Fees, Free Apps!! Ask Alexa for Old Friends Radio
www.OldFriendsRadio.org/merchandise is the Old Friends Radio Merchandise Store!
Join us every Sunday Morning for "Sunday Morning Coffee & Vintage Jazz"
Click here >> rdo.to/OFRN

Old Friends Radio remembers the birthday of American jazz singer Helen Ward (September 19, 1916 – April 21, 1998) . War...
19/09/2025

Old Friends Radio remembers the birthday of American jazz singer Helen Ward (September 19, 1916 – April 21, 1998) .

Ward came from a musical family and was a native of New York City. As a high school student, she sang with bands, including the one led by Eddy Duchin. She also appeared on radio broadcasts with WOR and WNYC and worked as a staff musician at WNYC. Ward began singing with Benny Goodman in 1934, when she already had two years' professional singing experience. Impresario Billy Rose heard her audition for Goodman and booked the combination for the Let's Dance radio program.

During the 1940s, Ward worked with the bands of Hal McIntyre and Harry James. She became a radio show producer for WMGM in 1946–1947.

Ward did occasional tours with Goodman in the 1950s, but effectively retired by 1960. She made a brief return in the late 1970s and early 1980s. She returned to singing at New York City clubs in 1979. In 1981, she released her final album, The Helen Ward Song Book Vol. I.

OldFriendsRadio.org - www.OldFriendsRadio.org
24/7 Free Streaming Classic Vintage Jazz Internet Radio
No Fees, Free Apps!! Ask Alexa for Old Friends Radio
www.OldFriendsRadio.org/merchandise is the Old Friends Radio Merchandise Store!
Join us every Sunday Morning for "Sunday Morning Coffee & Vintage Jazz"
Click here >> rdo.to/OFRN

The Haig was a historic jazz club in Los Angeles, located at 638 South Kenmore Avenue, that was a vital venue in the 195...
18/09/2025

The Haig was a historic jazz club in Los Angeles, located at 638 South Kenmore Avenue, that was a vital venue in the 1950s, particularly for cool jazz, before its demolition in the 1990s to make way for a parking garage.

The Haig was a pivotal spot for the development of West Coast cool jazz, showcasing artists like the Gerry Mulligan Quartet, Chet Baker, and Red Norvo.

While The Haig no longer exists, its legacy as an important center for jazz music, especially the cool jazz movement, continues to be documented and remembered by jazz enthusiasts and historians. The venue's influence on the LA jazz scene is considered significant.

Photos:
1. The Haig Jazz Club (Photo: William Claxton)
2. Red Norvo’s Trio enjoyed several extended engagements at The Haig. His first trio with Tal Farlow and Red Kelly played The Haig in the early 1950's.

OldFriendsRadio.org - www.OldFriendsRadio.org
24/7 Free Streaming Classic Vintage Jazz Internet Radio
No Fees, Free Apps!! Ask Alexa for Old Friends Radio
www.OldFriendsRadio.org/merchandise is the Old Friends Radio Merchandise Store!
Join us every Sunday Morning for "Sunday Morning Coffee & Vintage Jazz"
Click here >> rdo.to/OFRN

Old Friends Radio takes time to remember Eugene McDuffy (September 17, 1926 – January 23, 2001). Better known professio...
18/09/2025

Old Friends Radio takes time to remember Eugene McDuffy (September 17, 1926 – January 23, 2001). Better known professionally as "Brother" Jack McDuff or "Captain" Jack, McDuff, was an American jazz organist and organ trio bandleader. He was most prominent during the hard bop and soul jazz era of the 1960s, often performing with an organ trio. He is also credited with giving guitarist George Benson his first break.

McDuff recorded many classic albums on Prestige, including his debut solo Brother Jack in 1960; The Honeydripper (1961), with tenor saxophonist Jimmy Forrest and guitarist Grant Green; Brother Jack Meets the Boss (1962), featuring Gene Ammons; Screamin’ (1962), with alto saxophonist Leo Wright and guitarist Kenny Burrell; and Brother Jack McDuff Live! (1963), featuring Holloway and Benson, which includes his biggest hit, "Rock Candy."

OldFriendsRadio.org - www.OldFriendsRadio.org
24/7 Free Streaming Classic Vintage Jazz Internet Radio
No Fees, Free Apps!! Ask Alexa for Old Friends Radio
www.OldFriendsRadio.org/merchandise is the Old Friends Radio Merchandise Store!
Join us every Sunday Morning for "Sunday Morning Coffee & Vintage Jazz"
Click here >> rdo.to/OFRN

Radio, as it used to be, no algorithms, no aggression, no AI, no news, just Classic Vintage Jazz, Bebop, Blues, Big Band...
18/09/2025

Radio, as it used to be, no algorithms, no aggression, no AI, no news, just Classic Vintage Jazz, Bebop, Blues, Big Band, Pop, and Swing from 1918 to 1968. Old Friends Radio - www.OldFriendsRadio.org - Free Streaming Classic Vintage Jazz Internet Radio. No Fees! Free Apps in the Apple App Store & Google Play. Ask Amazon's Alexa for Old Friends Radio. Be sure to first enable the Old Friends Radio Amazon skill. Click Here >> rdo.to/OFRN

Happy follow-versary to my awesome followers. Thanks for all your support! Roy Taylor
18/09/2025

Happy follow-versary to my awesome followers. Thanks for all your support! Roy Taylor

Big thanks to Shilo Svoboda, Chirie Mathis, Gary Lynch, Hector Bulggiani, Peter Arden, Joe Grussing, Mike Finnerty, Gust...
18/09/2025

Big thanks to Shilo Svoboda, Chirie Mathis, Gary Lynch, Hector Bulggiani, Peter Arden, Joe Grussing, Mike Finnerty, Gustavo César Pelli Noble, Colin Bentley, Ray Macklin, Hugo Dusk, Bill Greene, Anders Lindgren, René Nolo, Christian Eschmann

for all your support! Congrats for being top fans on a streak 🔥!

Address

Dyersville, IA

Opening Hours

24/7/365

Telephone

+18667906376

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Old Friends Radio posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Old Friends Radio:

Shortcuts

  • Want your business to be the top-listed Media Company?

Share