BW - EP155—009: New York And The 1944 Radio World—Jubilee With Mel Allen

Breaking Walls

Support Breaking Walls at https://www.patreon.com/thewallbreakers Jubilee first took to the air on October 9th, 1942 transcribed by the Special Services Division of the War Department, then by the Armed Forces Radio Service. It featured Jazz and Swing bands and filled an important gap in the musical history of radio, gearing itself towards African American men stationed overseas. Jubilee luminaries included Fletcher Henderson, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Lena Horne, Ethel Waters, and Ella Fitzgerald. Most of the shows were recorded before live audiences in Los Angeles. This particular episode featured bandleaders known for their New York flavor, like Claude Hopkins. Songstress Ida James was emcee. Mel Allen, later the famed voice of the New York Yankees, announced.