In 2004, Paul Lindemeyer posted an MP3 to the Sax On The Web Forum of a radio program by the Boston Saxophone Sextet from 1939. It was taken from a radio transcription disc. The broadcast was sponsored by the Federal Music Project of the depression-era Works Progress Administration (WPA). The group was led by Perley Stevens, an accomplished sax & clarinet player who led his own orchestra in the 1920’s.
The program features the following selections:
- Russian Rag (George L. Cobb). This mash-up of Rachmaninoff’s famous Prelude in C# Minor was a favorite of the Six Brown Brothers.
- Chitarra Romana (Eldo Di Lazzaro) – tango.
- Ghost Dance (Cora Salisbury)
- June in January (from the movie Here Is My Heart) (Ralph Rainger and Leo Robin)
- Midnight In A Madhouse (Chick Webb)
(The saxophone players pictured above are unknown. Photo from the WNYC webpage on the WPA Federal Music Project, where several other episodes can be heard.)
Recent Comments