The Big Broadcast

A musical spotlight on the classic sounds of the 1920s and '30s, Sunday nights from 8pm-Midnight.

No wonder there's a worldwide audience:

Sunday is a big night at WFUV. That's when Rich Conaty spins classic jazz and pop tunes of the 1920s and '30s in his long-running program, The Big Broadcast.

"The Big Broadcast was a pretty unusual show, content-wise, over 35 years ago. It's almost unique today," Conaty observes. "I haven't heard any other program that blends classic jazz with the pop vocals and dance bands of the same period."

"I'm pretty typical of the people who listen to my shows," says Rich. The music is "strictly one piece of the puzzle. It's important to keep some balance."

This may be why fans of The Big Broadcast are so loyal. At least one listener claims never to have missed a show in more than 22 years. And when Conaty left WFUV in December 1992 "to see if The Big Broadcast would succeed on a commercial outlet," his loyal listeners followed. Despite his success elsewhere, however, Conaty found the working environment in commercial radio to be less than ideal, and by July 1997 he was delighted to return to the station where it all began. "I think the experience polished my act, but also gave me a deeper appreciation for 'FUV," he says.

Collecting notes from Rich:

At any moment, there are around 7,000 78s at auction on eBay. But keep an eye out on Feedback scores - many sellers have no idea how to grade records. A few confess to not being able to play them! I talk about my own collecting history in the story linked below. I subscribe to VJM a quarterly magazine with plenty of 78s and LPs. There's also Joslin's Jazz Journal. Online, you might want to visit Alan Cooperman's site [jazz78s.com], Warren Hicks' Records for Collectors, or Kurt Nauck [78rpm.com].

Once you've picked up some records, you'll need to play them. A vintage machine, like those you'll find at Rose & Gracey's or the Mechanical Music Extravaganza, is nice to look at, but rough on records. Kevin A. Barrett has a range of contemporary three-speed turntables and, most importantly, the right-sized needles for old sides [kabusa.com].

Contact:

For live performances and other late-breaking news, check the "Plugs, Gigs and Link" topic on the Big Broadcast Bulletin Board.

Catch The Big Broadcast Sundays from 8pm to Midnight.

Rich's Links:

WFUV Recommends... Store - Check out the Big Broadcast section of our Amazon shopping page, chock full of suggestions from Rich.

Archeophone Records - Put out wonderful, most acoustic (pre-1925) material, including their "Phonographic Yearbooks," Bert Williams and Marion Harris. Richard and Meagan are now tackling the complete "Hit of the Week" label of 1930-1932.

ASCAP Ace - Great search engine for composers.

Bags Unlimited - Good source for 78 and LP sleeves.

Bliss Blood - Home to a variety of bands; all with vocalist Bliss Blood, including The Moonlighters, The Cantonement Jazz Band and Delta Dreambox.

Cliff "Ukulele Ike" Edwards - This is an amazing site devoted to one of my favorite singers. There's a fairly extensive discography, and dozens of tracks for listening. Best of all, it's just a fraction of what you'll find at Red Hot Jazz!

Annette Hanshaw - Only one of David Garrick's fine sites. This one will also link you to his Marion Harris, Jane Green and Cliff Edwards tribute pages.

Hep Jazz - Alastair Robertson's label is expansive, and embraces modern jazz and big bands, as well as Cleo Brown, Isham Jones and the Tennessee Tooters.

Jazz Oracle - This Canadian label has issued three volumes of Dorsey Brothers, seven Ben Pollack and dozens more, including Jack Purvis and Adrian Rollini.

Barbara Lea - A wonderful singer as devoted to Popular Standards as anyone around. And a WFUV Member and Volunteer!

Dan Levinson - Dan is a talented young reedman who seems to be everywhere, including leading his own Roof Garden Jass Band.

Mechanical Music Extravaganza - You may have heard their underwriting announcements on the show for their Wayne, NJ shows.

Mississippi Rag - Newspaper-style traditional jazz publication. Good articles and concert listings.

Mosaic Records - Well-produced, limited edition CDs. Their titles include Bix Beiderbecke, Venuti & Lang, Bunny Berigan, Prima & Manone.

Online Discographical Project - This is a huge, ambitious and evolving site. You'll find tons of information. And look for the link to the "Search" section.

Phonograph Ring - This is a good spot to connect with hundred of sites devoted to antique phonographs, vintage music and records.

Rose & Gracey's Antiques - These folks meticulously restore wind-up phonographs. They're not cheap, but it's fun to look at the pictures (like the one at the top of this page).

Timeless Records - A very active label based in Holland. We offered their complete catalog a few fundraisers ago. They did the two-CD 1931-35 Benny Goodman set, and have recently issued Ben Selvin and Young Benny Goodman.