News

Meredith Willson, this week’s Phantom Dancer feature artist, was a piccolo and flute virtuoso who played in John Philip Sousa’s band, the New York Philharmonic under Arturo Toscanini, composed popular music and 3 Broadway shows including ‘The Music Man’, was a two time Academy Award nominee, wrote three books and conducted the Armed Forces Radio Service Orchestra during WW2. Read his story, watch videos, see the play list and listen to the show here…

Med School dropout Eddy Howard, singer, band leader and composer of ‘Careless’ (his theme song), ‘If I Knew Then’, ‘My Last Goodbye’, and ‘A Million Years Ago’, is this week’s Phantom Dancer feature artist. Read his story, watch videos, see the play list and listen to the show here…

Cocoanut Grove 1934 radio features on this week’s Phantom Dancer with band leader Ted Fio Rito. Read the Cocoanut Grove story, play list, watch Cocoanut Grove videos and listen to show here.

Yao Lee, Hong Kong’s Patti Page is this week’s Phantom Dancer feature artist. Her most famous song opens this week’s Phantom Dancer. The first hour for the national show then continues with a mix of swing by Harry James, vocals by Giselle McKenzie, Rhythm and Blues from a 1951 radio aircheck, and live radio hard bop by Miles Davis and John Coltrane aired in 1958.

1920s 1930s Jazz Swing Songs by Greg Poppleton. Enjoy this 53 minute YouTube mix of 1920s – 1930s jazz swing songs. It’s mixed from six albums by Australian 1920s-30s singer, Greg Poppleton.

1958 New Years radio and TV features in the first (nationally networked) part of this week’s Phantom Dancer. See 1958 New Year videos from NY, London and Bucharest. Listen to the show here…

Christmas songs and Christmas themed 1930s-50s radio features in the first (nationally networked) part of this week’s Phantom Dancer. Listen to the show here…

Little Jack Little is this week’s Phantom Dancer feature artist. Born John Leonard
in London, he was a British-born American composer, singer, pianist, actor and songwriter. Read his story, see videos and play list, and listen to the show here…

Honoured to have been invited to be part of this international Christmas song with high profile singers from around the world.

Gogo DeLys, Canadian band singer in the US and actor, is this week’s Phantom Dancer feature artist. Read her story, see videos and play list, and listen to the show here…

Hotel Astor in New York City, the source of many a big band broadcast on The Phantom Dancer is this week’s Phantom Dancer feature. Starting in the 1910s, the Astor Bar acquired a reputation as a gay meeting place, where gay patrons were both accepted and extorted. Read the story, see videos and play list, and hear show here…

Glen Gray and the Casa Loma Orchestra is this week’s Phantom Dancer feature artist. It was a collective that was the top swing band before Benny Goodman. Loved for its complex, danceable arrangements, Coleman Hawkins named it as his favourite band. Read their story, see videos and play list, and hear show here…

Ray Miller, popular 1920s band leader and tromobonist, whose jazz band was the first to play at the White House (in 1924) is this week’s Phantom Dancer feature artist. See story, videos, play list and show here.

Garwood Van, is this week’s Phantom Dancer feature artist. Songwriter of ‘Time to Dream’ and dance band leader from 1936, Garwood Van also was an actor in ‘Love on Tap’ (1939).. Read his story, see videos and play list, and hear show here…

Coon-Sanders Nightwaks from 1929 radio is this week’s Phantom Dancer feature. Read the story, see videos, read play list and hear show here…

2SER is the place where so many amazing things happen! It’s the place where we share incredible music. Subscribe to 2SER and be in the draw for major prizes on Week 2 of the 2SER radiothon…

2SER is the place where so many amazing things happen! It’s the place where we share incredible music. Subscribe to 2SER and be in the draw for major prizes on this week’s 2SER radiothon…

Steel Guitar in 1930s-40s German Pop music, off radio and recordings, is this week’s Phantom Dancer feature. Read the story, see videos, read play list and hear show here…

Southern Louisiana music, off the radio is this week’s Phantom Dancer feature. You’ll hear Cajun and New Orleans jazz from 1950s and 60 radio. Read the story, see Hal Kemp videos, read play list and hear show here…

Dinah Washington, The Queen of the Blues, the most popular black female recording artist of the 1950s, is this week’s Phantom Dancer feature. Read the story and play list, see videos, hear the radio show here

Clifford Brown is this week’s Phantom Dancer feature. Clifford Brown was an outstanding jazz trumpeter who in a career spanning only a few years became a jazz sensation. See playlist, story, watch Clifford Brown videos, hear show here

Shuffle Rhythm is featured on this week’s Phantom Dancer with 1944-45 broadcasts by Henry Busse and Jan Savitt

John Kirby, double bassist, tuba and trombone player, 1930s proponent of ‘Chamber Jazz’, Bach fan, and band leader is this week’s Phantom Dancer feature artist with Greg Poppleton. Read his story, see videos, see the radio playlist and listen to the show here

Benny Goodman goes Bop from live 1948-49 radio is this week’s Phantom Dancer feature artist with Greg Poppleton. Read the story, see videos, hear the show from 24 August 2021 on 2SER

Phil Harris is this week’s Phantom Dancer feature artist. Wonga Phil Harris was a drummer, band leader, singer, comedian, actor, Academy Award winner and voice-over artist.

Martha Tilton is this week’s Phantom Dancer feature artist. She was a US pop singer during the Swing Era and into the 1960s who found fame as Benny Goodman’s singer from 1937-39.

Doc Cheatham is this week’s Phantom Dancer feature artist. He was an American jazz trumpeter, singer and bandleader. You’ll hear a set of bands he played in from live radio broadcasts, and a set of 1930s Cab Calloway in which band Cheatham played 1st trumpet. This is another classic Phantom Dancer as Sydney stays in lockdown. Also read the Doc Cheatham story here.

Baby Rose Marie, singer, stage, film and TV star had an extraordinary 91 year showbiz career. See videos of Rose Marie from age 5 onwards. Read a short bio, play list, hear the show from 20 July

Happy 500th National show, Phantom Dancer! This week’s show mixed by Greg Poppleton features Bob Crosby, Cab Calloway, Afro-Cuban Machito, Women in Jazz and WW2 Russian swing.

Sam ‘The Man’ Taylor, influential 1940s jump and 1950s rock tenor saxophonist, is this week’s Phantom Dancer non-stop swing jazz feature artist. You’ll hear him from two 1956 Rock ‘n’ Roll Dance Party broadcasts on this week’s mix.

Alix Combelle, French 1930s-40s swing saxophonist and band leader, is this week’s Phantom Dancer feature artist. The Phantom Dancer, produced weekly by Greg Poppleton, is your non-stop mix of swing and jazz from live 1920s-60s radio and TV.

Bud Freeman, is the Phantom Dancer feature artist this week. You’ll hear his Summa cum Laude Orchestra from a 1940s radio broadcast. He was known for his improvisations on tenor sax and I quote from his tips on improvisation here. Read the story, play list, watch videos and hear the radio show here.

Sorcery & Swing Sat 26 Feb 2022 – 1920s music, magic, champagne & canapes, 3 course meal, drinks package & dancing. Book Now 02 9284 1006

Hal Kemp, is this week’s Phantom Dancer feature artist. You’ll hear his dance orchestra in broadcasts from 1934 to 1939. Read his story, see Hal Kemp videos, read play list and hear show here…

Linda Keene, is this week’s Phantom Dancer feature artist. You’ll hear two songs by Linda singing with Jack Teagarden’s Orchestra in an aircheck from 1939. See links to her story compiled throgh extensive research by The False Ducks Blahg

Edmundo Ros, Rumba King, led a highly popular Latin American orchestra, made over 800 records, and owned one of London’s leading nightclubs. He’s this week’s Phantom Dancer feature artist. Read his story, play list, see videos and listen to the show here

What are you doing this Saturday? We’ll be having fun with songs from the 1920s-30s at Penrith RSL. It’s free and you’re invited. 2-5pm, this Saturday 11 December. First 5,000 at door get in FREE.

Louis Prima, band leader, composer and trumpeter is this week’s Phantom Dancer feature artist. Read his story, see videos, read the play list and hear the show from 25 May here.

Barbara James, Australian dance band singer features on this week’s Phantom Dancer with some of her broadcasts from the 1930s and 1940s. This is a repeat of a 2018 mix. Read the Barbrara James story, Phantom Dancer play list and hear the show after 18 May here.

Sorcery and Swing at the Sydney Solstice Speakeasy, Cellos, Castlereagh Boutique Hotel. 1920s songs by Greg Poppleton. Magic by Bruce Glen. Champagne, canapes on arrival. Sumptuous 3 course dinner. Bar and dance floor.

Ted Fio Rito band leader, composer and pianist, is this week’s Phantom Dancer feature artist in a 1934 Cocoanut Grove radio transcription. Read story, play list, watch Cocoanut Grove videos and listen to show here.

Ray Miller, popular 1920s band leader and trombonist, whose jazz band was the first to play at the White House (in 1924) is this week’s Phantom Dancer feature artist. Visit for story, videos, play list and show here.

Turk Murphy, San Francisco Great Revival trad trombonist, singer, composer, arranger, and union band leader who looked after his musicians is this week’s Phantom Dancer feature artist with Greg Poppleton.

Max Roach was one of the most important drummers in history. The bebop pioneer was also a composer and is this week’s Phantom Dancer feature artist. Read his story, show play list, hear show and see videos here…

Penrith RSL Saturday Jazz has 1920s-30s singer, Greg Poppleton, and his swinging trio, back for a laid-back afternoon of music and dancing

Lester Young, jazz tenor saxophonist called ‘The Prez’, is this week’s Phantom Dancer feature artist from live 1940s-50s broadcasts. Young was one of the most influential saxophinists, playing “a free-floating style, wheeling and diving like a gull, banking with low, funky riffs that pleased dancers and listeners alike”. Alcohol killed him.

Ruth Etting was a US singer/actress of the 1920s and 1930s. She never had voice lessons and had over 60 hit recordings. She worked on stage, radio and film. She was known as ‘America’s Radio Sweetheart’ and was also involved in a famous case of domestic violence with her mobster first husband. Read her story, Phantom Dancer play list, see videos and listen to the show here

Dinah Washington, The Queen of the Blues, the most popular black female recording artist of the 1950s, is this week’s Phantom Dancer feature. Read the story and play list, see videos, hear the radio show here