To Tell the Truth 1963

[catesta]

I watched this episode last night and found it interesting. I've never heard of the guy before this.

 

Edited December 30, 2016 by catesta

[Big Beat Steve]

10 hours ago, catesta said:

I watched this episode last night and found it interesting. I've never heard of the guy before this.

 

See here:

https://www.amazon.com/Willis-Conover-Broadcasting-Jazz-World/dp/0595407412/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483157518&sr=8-1&keywords=Willis+Conover

Maybe he WAS more familiar outside the US as for obvious reasons  the VOA was listened to mostly outside the US. But he was an important figure.

And some may have had this record in their hands too:

https://www.discogs.com/de/Willis-Conover-House-Of-Sounds/release/8936394

[BillF]

I listened to Conover's Voice of America Jazz Hour almost nightly (often with terrible reception) from about 1958 till about 1964 when it disappeared from the airwaves.

 

Edited December 31, 2016 by BillF

[JSngry]

Hey, I saw that and freaked out...knew the name and the voice both for a long time, from liner notes and introductions on records. SOMEBODY I knew of on TTTT!

Even freakier, though was the episode from the night before:

 

[brownie]

Conover's 'Jazz Hour' was essential  listening outside USA every night during the '50's. 

The broadcasts started with the Neal Hefti's orchestra rendition of 'Coral Reef' (impeccable drumming by Don Lamond) and introduced the listeners to the numerous new releases of the times, All in lousy sounds relayed over radio longwaves from Tangiers!

I still enjoy the Japanese Universal CD reissue of the Brunswick  'House of Sounds''!

[BillF]

3 hours ago, brownie said:

Conover's 'Jazz Hour' was essential  listening outside USA every night during the '50's. 

The broadcasts started with the Neal Hefti's orchestra rendition of 'Coral Reef' (impeccable drumming by Don Lamond) and introduced the listeners to the numerous new releases of the times, All in lousy sounds relayed over radio longwaves from Tangiers!

I still enjoy the Japanese Universal CD reissue of the Brunswick  'House of Sounds''!

I don't recall "Coral Reef". The shows I heard always started with Ellington's "Take the A Train" behind Conover's cool voice, as at the beginning of this clip:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6kQtsTHuF0

Edited December 31, 2016 by BillF

[brownie]

Indeed, 'A Train' introduced the Jazz Hour which started the second hour of the broadcasts, 'Coral Reef'  was the opener to the first hour 'Music USA'...

Happy New Year!

[BillF]

Bonne Année, Brownie!